Wiens, Durham behind push against Schauer

While the current ruckus at CU about whether to appoint long-time Republican financier Bruce Benson to the post of president of the university has its origins in several votes by Republican 6th CD Regent Paul Schauer, sources tell the Inside Edge that Republican lobbyist Steve Durham and Republican state Senator Tom Wiens are the one’s responsible for recruiting an opponent to run against Schauer in the upcoming election.

Some also doubt the accusation that Schauer has made about Benson threatening to pour money into 527 attacks ads. 

“Benson might have warned Schauer that he was in for it with the Party,” said one Douglas County Republican. “But that’s just common sense. You vote against the Party and they’re going to take so much before someone runs against you. But you hardly need to start a 527 to beat Schauer in the 6th [CD] under those circumstances.”  

In several key votes, Schauer sided with the Democrats on the CU board earning the enmity of Party officials.

For example Schauer helped block the election of Republican Steve Bosley as chair of the regents by casting a vote for  Patricia Hayes. He also helped scuttle a pet GOP proposal to create a Department of Western Civilization at CU.

“He ran as a Republican. He has an obligation to support the party,” said one state legislator on the condition of anonymity. “He needs to support the GOP. He got elected in the 6th because he’s a Republican, not because he ran some great campaign. If he can’t support us in political matters then he can run as a Democrat.”

Sources say that Wiens, as the ranking Douglas County state legislator in the 6th CD took a lead in recruiting several candidates before settling on candidate Dr. Jim Geddes. Former GOP state finance chair Mark Baisley talked about getting in the race but eventually bowed out because he thought a CU graduate should have the post. Durham’s role was to solicit support from other Republicans in the 6th. 

Geddes, a newcomer to politics, has the advantage of being able to self fund his own campaign. He came to the meetings with Party officials with a check in hand, says another GOP source.

Plus he wasn’t a partisan pick. He had real ties to the school.

“Geddes is just a graduate who cares about where the university is going,” said our GOP source. “He’s not someone who is known for partisan bickering. In fact he’s not really known politically much at all.”

The GOP strategy  is to use endorsements of a slew of well-known Republicans to bolster Geddes while using Schauer’s votes to persuade the residents of Congressman Tom Tancredo’s 6th district (regent districts are made up of one congressional district each) that Schauer’s not a reliable Republican vote.

“Attack ads would be a waste of money,” said the GOP legislator noting that the Party has more pressing finance needs than beating up a disloyal CU Regent. Regent races are usually fought on shoe-string budgets.

“Plus,” he concluded “where’s the 527 Schauer is talking about? It doesn’t exist.”