Stay out.\u00a0 Just stay out for a while<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, it looks as though the NRSC isn’t getting involved<\/a> in our Senate primary after all.\u00a0 At least not for now.\u00a0 I spoke with Dick Wadhams yesterday and he said that he hadn’t seen any indications that the NRSC was getting ready to jump in.\u00a0 They do usually coordinate this sort of thing with the state party chairman in question, and he hadn’t heard anything.\u00a0 He repeated his adamant position that he isn’t taking sides, and that he trusts the process to sort out the best candidates for the party.<\/p>\n

That said, it’s not as though the NRSC hasn’t pulled stunts like this in the past.\u00a0 And to be sure, that Pennsylvania seat is the reason the Dems are still one vote shy of 60 in the Senate.\u00a0 Oh, wait.\u00a0 Never mind.\u00a0 Well, it’d be even worse without Lincoln Chaffee up there in Rhode Island to..what’s that?\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0 Still, you have to admit, favored candidate Charlie Crist did himself some good today…then again.<\/p>\n

There’s no secret that the NRSC, looking from a great distance, doesn’t have great confidence in the declared field thus far.\u00a0 And there’s no secret that Jane Norton will be a dynamite fundraiser for herself, especially from out of state, leaving the NRSC free to deploy money elsewhere.<\/p>\n

But the NRSC’s involvement most resembles the conservative theory of arms control: where it’s needed, it’s not effective, and where it’s effective, it’s not needed.\u00a0 Mrs. Norton is far from a sure thing as a campaigner; she’s never won office on her own, becoming Lt. Governor as part of the Bill Owens steamroller in 2002.<\/p>\n

I can’t actually endorse boycotts of Republican organizations, but it stuff like this, as well as rumors that the NRSC is trying to knock Pat Toomey off in a primary, that encourage Republicans to withhold their money from the NRSC.<\/p>\n

And Hugh.\u00a0 What’s with CD-4?\u00a0 With the exception of a certain state house race<\/a> with the credibility of the party at stake – we don’t forget our friends – you’ve not exactly had a sterling record in picking winners here.\u00a0 I know you and Tom Lucero are friends, but Cory Gardner’s a fine candidate up there, and Congress is a logical step up for a state legislator.\u00a0 Your involvement here is somewhat less problematic than the NRSC’s meddling, since you’re not part of the official party hierarchy, but I’m really not sure you’re making the right call up there, and in a situation with two credible candidate, shouldn’t this sort of thing be left to the citizens?<\/p>\n

When I ran last year, it was often frustrating both for me and for party officials to have to keep their mouths shut about my primary.\u00a0 But I emerged as a better candidate, and one with more credibility, for having won without the state party or the county party getting officially involved.\u00a0\u00a0 Now, as one of those party officials, I can tell you that having someone come in from out of state and bigfoot the people here on the ground doing the work is not only annoying, it’s insulting.<\/p>\n

When we have a nominee or a clear front-runner, feel free to come on in.\u00a0 But until then, how about letting Coloradoans sort out Colorado’s representation?
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