Schaffer Support Grows

Club For Growth heartily endorses former Rep. Bob Schaffer:

The Club for Growth PAC is pleased to hear that former Representative Bob Schaffer is considering entering the race to succeed retiring Republican Colorado Senator Wayne Allard.

During his three terms in Congress from 1997-2002, Bob Schaffer was a dedicated defender of taxpayers and a strong proponent of lower taxes, limited government, and greater freedom. He even earned the nickname “Honest Bob” for fulfilling his campaign pledge not to serve more than three terms as a U.S. Representative.

The National Taxpayers Union awarded Rep. Schaffer five grades of A for 1997-2001 and a grade of B+ for his final year, ranking him number 31 out of the House of Representatives’ 435 members in 2002. The NTU scorecard is based on every vote that “significantly affects taxes, spending, debt, and regulatory burdens on consumers and taxpayers.” In the same vein, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste gave Rep. Schaffer a lifetime rating of 85 for his six years in Congress, making him a “Taxpayer Hero.”

“I served with Bob Schaffer in the House of Representatives,” Club for Growth President Pat Toomey said, “and I speak from personal experience when I say that Bob Schaffer would be a fantastic addition to the U.S. Senate. In the House of Representatives, he was a committed supporter of free-market principles, and I have no doubt that his support would continue as strongly in the U.S. Senate.”

Bill Armstrong declares "this is Bob's turn":

Former Sen. Bill Armstrong, a Colorado GOP giant who signaled in recent days that he would support Schaffer, said McInnis’s exit would open the door to Schaffer’s best chance at the Senate.

Armstrong’s support is paramount in the state.

“My expectation is that Bob Schaffer will be the nominee and should be the nominee and would have the greatest chance as a Republican to win,” Armstrong said. “This is Bob’s turn; it’s his time.”

After honoring a term-limit pledge in 2002, Schaffer ran in the 2004 Senate primary, losing to beer baron Pete Coors. Coors went on to lose 51–47 to now-Sen. Ken Salazar (D).

McInnis’s broken term-limit pledge and job as a lobbyist have raised questions about his candidacy in GOP circles. Armstrong, for one, is a stickler for term-limit pledges.