Friday, July 4th, 2008...6:15 pm
Kolbe Out
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Of course, this HAS to happen when I am out of town. Thank God for WiFi.
According to Bill Hess, Jim Kolbe has withdrawn his support for Tim Bee. Kolbe has not given the reason, but come on, we all know what it is.
The knuckledraggers over at Sonoran Alliance will no doubt be celebrating this as either a victory or no big deal. Folks like them may want to keep in mind that Kolbe is the only Republican to represent that area in the US House, so he must know something.
One activist I talked to had a notion that this would happen, but was surprised that he made the announcement before Bee’s big fundraiser with the president.
10 Comments
July 5th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Well, I know other Republican candidates for Congress who would be happy to get Jim Kolbe’s endorsement.
Don’t knock The Snoring Alliance — they provide us with much mirth. And currently there is a dearth of mirth in Arizona.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Read reporter Scarpinato’s column on this Koble withdrawal of Bee support:
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/246934
July 5th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Exactly whom in the district is Bee trying to placate with his numbskull move on the gay marriage constitutional amendment. Whoever, or if it’s money, it’s a poison pill. The odds against him were very long before, they’re now impossible. Have all these Arizona Republicans really forgotten why — right or left — we admired and respected Barry Goldwater? And can they count votes in a changing citizenry?
July 6th, 2008 at 9:13 am
This is strategy on the part of Bee and gives an indication of how clever and formidable an opponent he will be for Giffords. If you closely read what Kolbe said, his words were that he will not be “actively campaigning” for Bee. That doesn’t mean he won’t be helping or advising him behind the scenes, which I expect he will continue to do.
No one knows CD8 voters better than Kolbe and Bee would be foolish to wholly reject his counsel. For his part, Kolbe is still a Republican who aspires to a continued role in the party he has been a part of since the ’60’s. Absent a public endorsement of Giffords, I don’t believe for a second that Kolbe has totally abandoned Bee. The only reason Kolbe showed up at the Giffords celebration two years was to take one final shot at Graf, who he genuinely detested. Does anyone think Kolbe would have done the same if Giffords had beaten Huffman, who was Kolbe’s annointed successor?
These two men have known each other for years and Kolbe certainly could not have been blindsided by Bee’s support for the “traditional marriage” initiative. Bee has always been a social conservative, as his brother was before him. Kolbe is also a shrewd enough politician to know why Bee HAD to vote the way he did last week and put the initiative on the ballot. His pronouncement that he is no longer “actively campaigning” for Bee allows the Bee campaign to assuage the concerns of folks like the writers at Sonoran Alliance who have always hated Kolbe, but I am certain that Kolbe will continue to help Bee on the down-low.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Rex,
Yes, actually, I do think Kolbe would have shown up at the Giffords celebration had Huffman won – Kolbe is generally classy, and he and Giffords have had a fairly cordial relationship for a long time. The difference is, he would have shown up at the Huffman get-together as well.
It has nothing at all to do with whether Bee is going to reject Kolbe’s counsel – you are right, he would be silly to do so should Kolbe continue to provide it. Utimately, it’s Kolbe’s decision. My guess is Kolbe will not.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Sirocco, perhaps I am being too cynical. You may be right that Kolbe would have shown up at the Giffords celebration even if she had beaten Huffman. He has always been a gentleman and that would have been the proper gesture no matter who the vanquished Republican might have been.
However, what I have trouble believing is that Kolbe has completely withdrawn from any involvement with the Bee campaign over the “traditional marriage”initiative. Again, I hardly think he was shocked with Bee’s vote given Bee’s longstanding position on such issues and the pressure Bee was under from Cathi Herrod and others whose support he needs in November. I see this announcement by Kolbe as a way for him to send the right message to the gay and lesbian community and for Bee to tamp down the furor on the right that arose when he named Kolbe as an honorary chair of his campaign. Meanwhile, even though Kolbe is not “actively campaigning” for Bee, those carefully chosen words permit him to still play a role as a behind the scenes advisor.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
It was brilliant strategy on the part of the Bee campaign team. Kolbe never said he was pulling his endorsement of Bee, having said that Bee’s Campaign team can point to the Dem blogs and Stars interpretation of Kolbe’s actions and shore up some of his conservative base. Bee is using the Dem’s spin as a win! win!…….
July 6th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Yes, Walt, of course everything works to Bee’s advantage … no, _that’s_ spin.
Here’s the thing Rex … if Bee’s vote had just been a regular vote, if it wasn’t the decider, I would agree with you. If It as possible to justify the vote from a purely pragmatic perspective, but ultimately it didn’t make a difference in the final tally, then I think Kolbe might continue to work behind the scenes.
That’s not the case, however – as it turns out, Bee cast _the_ final, decisive vote on an issue which is clearly of great significance for Kolbe. While I don’t see Kolbe rushing to endorse Giffords, I do think he time working for Bee in any capacity is done.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Doesn’t matter what actually happened–the papers are reporting that kolby withdrew his endorsement of Tim Bee. Sure a few of us read in to it deeper but the majority of voters will only hear that Kolby withdrew his support.
I hope that Kolby has finally come to terms with liking who he is and to start standing up for himself as a gay man. Seriously, what business does any gay person have aligning themselves with the Republicans? It’s not like the Dems aren’t for the same stuff once they hit Washington with the exception that they respect who you are as an individual.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I think this is a big deal Rex and I disagree with you. No spin here, but why exactly would this be a shrewd move for Bee or Kolbe. If Kolbe was going to withdraw support and work behind the scenes for him then why withdraw at all? I mean, who does it benefit? Kolbe? How does it benefit Bee? The only benefit I can see is that it will attract Kolbe haters on the right to Bee more than before…but they generally like Bee already.
Bee’s only chance, and I mean ONLY chance, is winning over moderates and independents…and continuing to play the part of the moderate (which he just isnt).
My point is that Kolbe was that moderate who was able to attract Dems and Independents. He was well liked by many. Kolbe didn’t have to publicly pull his support. Doing so sends a message to independents and moderates who Bee needs…a BIG message.
The only thing this does is garner more support by the Center for AZ Policy types…like they weren’t already voting for him.
So, this is a BIG BIG deal, Rex.