The Colorado GOP has an integrity problem. They pulled strategic shenanigans in the gubernatorial race that likely cost them the office. There is the in-fighting between establishment and liberty-leaning legislators. But most of all, there is a pervasive feeling of mistrust among them. This seemed to come to a head in the now-famous Colorado Coup attempt last weekend when attorney general Cynthia Coffman and prominent republican Tom Tancredo confronted party chair Steve House and demanded his resignation.
I am not an authority on the coup. The details were sordid…cheating…lying…betrayal. It is best to avoid getting entangled in these situations as nobody comes out unscathed. The accusers are no better than the accused. And to defend either party is fool’s play.
But it impacts us in the state. This is our LEADERSHIP and they can’t be trusted by each other, their constituents, or even their families. When leaders cannot maintain civility, their charges reflect that shortcoming. Their behavior will have implications that ripple throughout this state in upheaval and lost credibility. Good men will make sacrifices and bad men will act in desperation. And here it begins.
The “Liberty Line-up” on AM 560 KLZ: Randy Corporon, Ken Clark, and Kris Cook have left the station in protest after Corporon’s morning interview with Tom Tancredo was cut short by station manager Don Crawford. According to the press release, Mr. Crawford did not want Tancredo or House on the air until he understood the situation. The truth is important. Interviews with Tancredo and House should be a priority so that the public at large can discern the truth. When a media figure won’t let one on the air until HE has an opportunity to discern truth, it could appear that the final story may be vetted before it reaches the public.
The Liberty Line-up walked out “in the name of journalistic integrity.” There was a time in the US when our free press reported events as they happened, without so much as an adjective, in the name of objectivity. Today, objectivity has been so clouded that it cannot be seen beneath the smog of public opinion. Integrity has been replaced by a hunger for clicks and ratings. Pundits replaced journalists and nobody noticed, except that now we all have this luxury of listening only to the people we agree with. We can quote our favorites without ever having to think about the issue and we say we’re informed. We call it TRUST, but we forget that blind trust can land us in front of a moving train.
If we are to maintain a free nation, the integrity of a free press is the utmost priority. Americans need to demand the truth from a press that cannot be manipulated by reporters, electronics, editors, or the government. The protectors of this press will need to be men and women of courage, unwavering integrity, and principles that run so deep there is no escaping them. Most of all, these men and women need to be willing to give voice to those whom our culture would mute. They have to be brave enough to deliver a message that is unpopular or even misunderstood. They have to lead public opinion and, more importantly, public thought. In this moment, The Liberty Line-up have the opportunity to be these protectors. They give us hope. They give us courage. And hopefully, they will give us the truth.