Romney rallies GOP troops, backs Beauprez in Littleton

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney threw red meat at Republicans in Littleton on Sept. 29, blasting the record of Gov. John Hickenlooper during a rally to urge support for GOP candidates this fall.

Romney, who spoke inside the gymnasium at Heritage High School, took aim at Hickenlooper in a number of areas, while linking the Democratic governor’s policies and leadership style to that of President Barack Obama.

Romney said Hickenlooper “stands out for his indecisiveness” and urged those in attendance to throw their support toward the Republican running to unseat Hickenlooper, Bob Beauprez.

“The people of Colorado are going to have to do the right thing and elect a person who knows what it takes to make a decision and stick by the decision and do what’s right by the people of Colorado…” Romney told a cheering audience.

Romney – a former Massachusetts governor who lost a 2012 presidential campaign against Obama – called Beauprez “a decisive man and a good man” who can lead the state in a better direction.

“This is going to be a great governor,” Romney said. “Colorado is going to be proud of this governor.”

Beauprez then took the stage with Romney, and he also fired away at Hickenlooper and Obama — whom Beauprez dubbed “Obama-Looper.”

The effort to tie Democratic candidates to Obama — who is mired in low approval ratings — has been something Republican hopefuls have been doing all election cycle.

“We’ve gotten into a situation, whether it’s from Barack Obama or his friend John Hickenlooper, where we’ve got government on the people instead of government by and for the people,” Beauprez said.

Beauprez attacked the governor for his “failed leadership” in a number of areas. They included Hickenlooper’s signing of controversial gun-control laws and his granting of a temporary reprieve for death row inmate Nathan Dunlap – which has become a favorite Beauprez attack line during the campaign.

Beauprez’s lieutenant governor running mate Jill Repella, a Douglas County commissioner, also attacked Democratic candidates before she introduced Romney to the stage.

“All they can do is put forth weak men with bad ideas,” Repella said of Democrats. “I’m tired of it.”

Romney and Beauprez were joined by a slate of other Republican candidates who are on the fall ballot, including U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, who is running in a tight Senate race against Democratic Sen. Mark Udall.

Other Republican office-seekers who spoke were Secretary of State candidate Wayne Williams, Attorney General hopeful Cynthia Coffman and Don Ytterberg, who is running for Congress in the 7th Congressional District.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, who is in a tight 6th Congressional District re-election bid against former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, also spoke at the rally.

Hickenlooper’s team believes that voters will reward his leadership over the state’s post-recession economy, one that has seen job growth while the unemployment rate has dropped.

Democrats mocked Romney’s visit, with Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio calling Beauprez and Romney “political twins” who are on the wrong side of key issues.

Palacio hopes voters remember that Romney infamously said during the 2012 campaign that 47 percent of Americans “are dependent upon government,” and that they also remember Romney’s comments during a Republican presidential primary debate, where he said that undocumented immigrants should “self-deport” out of the country.

“They’re both wrong on immigration issues, women’s issues and their philosophies on governing are simplistic, unrealistic, divisive and dangerous for Colorado’s families and small businesses,” Palacio said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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