U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and HD-53 State Rep. Angie Paccione found common ground today in the battle for media endorsements for the exceedingly nasty Fourth Congressional District race. Both were rebuked by their hometown newspapers. In an editorial published today, the Fort Collins-based Coloradoan, Reform Party candidate Eric Eidsness was selected as the preferred candidate over Musgrave and Paccione. Both women have served two-terms in their respective offices and are well-known to the Coloradoan board.
On Tuesday, the Fort Morgan Times gave high marks to Eidsness over hometown girl Musgrave.
From the Coloradoan:
The Reform Party candidate has steered clear of the storm of attacks and campaign stunts to communicate a message that addresses serious issues. And he has a refreshing candor that allows him to acknowledge that he might need to rethink some of his ideas, including what to do about the war in Iraq.
Eidsness has some real answers, such as entering negotiations with leaders throughout Iraq to broker a peace and remove U.S. troops; using incentives and mandates to compel energy independence, including ethanol production; adding discipline to federal spending; and addressing immigration through quotas and enforcement discretion for well-intended employers.
Angie Paccione, a Democrat, is a spirited, engaging candidate with an extraordinary personal story. And that’s where her campaign has let her down. By allowing Musgrave to control the agenda through attack ads, and then responding in kind, Paccione’s camp was unable to effectively share with a broad audience just who Paccione is and for what she stands.
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Still, Musgrave appears out of touch with her urban constituents in Fort Collins. And with Musgrave’s party in control of the executive and congressional branches, it is difficult to justify how federal spending has lurched out of control, as has the direction of the war in Iraq. Musgrave believes that the United States has shown great progress in Iraq. We disagree. Musgrave isn’t solely responsible for the dearth in leadership, but we expect more from her than a constitutional amendment that defines marriage.
Third party candidate nods are not unusual coming from the Coloradoan. In 2004, the editorial board endorsed the Green Party candidate Bob Kinsey.
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