Schultheis looks for part-time job

One of Colorado’s most conservative legislators is asking delegates to the Colorado Republican assembly to pick him as the next Republican National Committeeman to succeed outgoing RNC stand-in Bob Schaffer who is running for US Senate.

And it raises more questions about who’s running the GOP in Colorado.

Senator Dave Schultheis, who represents Colorado’s 9th senatorial district, announced in an email delivered on March 3rd that he’d be running for the RNC spot.

And as was reported in the Rocky Mountain News (Hispanic leader snubs Schultheis) the email provoked a strong response from Gil Cisneros, state chair of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, who said, in declining to support Schultheis: “I consider you to be as mean spirited as Tom Tancredo, or possibly even worse, if that is possible.”

And yesterday a friendly reader sent us a copy of a letter Schultheis is apparently sending to delegates asking for their vote. It’s basically a duplicate of his email.

The Cisneros brouhaha, however, only served to obscure the bigger question: why would a sitting state senator want to serve as an RNC for Colorado? And why would the Party even let him do it?

“I don’t know,” said one GOP state legislator. “Seems strange to me. I don’t know how he’s going to have time for both jobs really.”

Besides the time element, weighing against him is the fact that an RNC position is usually considered more of an honorary position for someone with a big fat wallet.

“I don’t think he’s aiming to write a check for the Party, if that’s what you mean” said one state delegate when asked about why Schultheis might run for RNC. ‘I think it’s an ideological issue. He’s afraid the McCainiacs will take over the Party in Colorado.”

It’s doubtful, however, that at this point that McCain is attempting to plot the overthrow of the party in Colorado or elsewhere. First there is the little task remaining of getting elected to the office of, um…say, President of the United States.

“It’s interesting that he’d think of doing that,” said another El Paso GOPer. “Although he better not use up his capital running this race. What if he loses?”

And that’s exactly the question that folks like Cisneros will try to get answered.