Anti-Buescher mailers pop up in HD-55

UPDATED 5:03 P.M. 10/13/2008

A pro-Republican 527 group has finally entered the state House District 55 race, as unaffiliated voters in the district received a mailer over the weekend hitting incumbent state Rep. Bernie Buescher (D-Grand Junction) for his support of Gov. Bill Ritter's mill levy freeze.

The same voters have been receiving pro-Buescher mailers since August from the independent group Colorado Values, a Denver-based committee that supports pro-business Democrats.

According to the Grand Junction Sentinel, the mailer was sent out by Coloradans for Change, a group that's funded by the state House and Senate Republicans' political committees.

The mailer states that Buescher "supported a  $3.8 billion tax increase on Colorado homes" and "led the fight for the property tax hike."

Buescher told the Sentinel that "The inaccuracies in the piece are shocking.

"They apparently feel that the First Amendment gives them the right to say anything even if it's not accurate," Buescher said to the Sentinel.

Republican attorney Scott Gessler, the registered agent of Coloradans for Change, told PolitickerCO.com that  he didn't want to comment on Buescher's statements unless Buescher pointed out specific inaccuracies in the mailer.

"If he's willing to actually point out what he thinks is wrong rather than generalized gripes, then I'm happy to respond to it," Gessler said.

State House District 55 unaffiliated voters also received a pro-Buescher mailer this weekend from Colorado Values.

"Mesa County is moving forward, thanks to Bernie Buescher!" the Colorado Values mailer proclaimed.

As the Sentinel's Mike Saccone pointed out, Buescher's Republican opponent, Laura Bradford, wasn't mentioned in either mail piece --  thus "confirming that this race is effectively a referendum on Buescher."