CO-Gov: Is Scott McInnis a Dead Man Walking?

Is the Scott McInnis Plagiarism Story going the full Vaughn Ward?

Sources in Colorado Republican circles say it’s likely a matter of when, not if, McInnis will exit the race.

“Almost without exception, they think he is done,” said one senior Colorado Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly.

“He may be the last one to know it, but he’s dead in the water,” said another. “It’s likely he will resist heavily, but at some point he’s got to realize this is a fact of life.”

Indeed, the bad headlines keep piling up, including the news that the foundation that paid McInnis to write his now-discredited “musings” on water issues wants their $300K back (which, by our math, adds up to $2,000 per page). McInnis’ efforts to deflect the misdeeds to a researcher are being denied, and the he’s also being hit with fresh allegations that a 1994 column he published in the Rocky Mountain News (and later recited on the floor of the House) was in part lifted from a column published in the Washington Post six weeks earlier.

Aaron Blake writes that Colorado Republicans are trying to find out what they can do to replace McInnis with someone more acceptable on the gubernatorial ballot. Without knowing anything about Colorado’s election law, the major stumbling block would seem to me to be the fact that they’re attempting to replace McInnis after the convention (and filing deadline) but before the primary — where McInnis’ only challenger is the broke-assed Don Maes. My guess is that McInnis would have to win the state’s August 10th primary and then drop out in order to be replaced, but perhaps the staffers at the Colorado Republican Party will find a more legally definitive answer.

50 thoughts on “CO-Gov: Is Scott McInnis a Dead Man Walking?”

  1. That’s not helpful to a political campaign.

    Storm over possible plagiarism in McInnis writings escalates

    McInnis … could face discipline from the Colorado Bar, said legal ethics professor Rebecca Aviel at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit “dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.”

    “The rule covers attorney conduct even when it does not pertain to a client or particular case,” she said, noting that the rules are “under enforced.”

     

  3. He was actually touted as a rising GOP star down the road by, of all people, some SSP contributors. If McInnis does bow out, or lose the primary, I’d say Hickenlooper’s chances of being governor increases dramatically, since he only trails Maes by as few as 1 point.

  4. This really is a fast moving story. About possible replacements, is Gale Norton available? She’s been touted by a number of people, does she have any interest?

    There’s some of former GOP congressmen who lost in 06 and 08 who may be interested in a run. Marlyn Musgrave off the top of my head (God forbid)?  

  5. That would have to be run by someone with a strong organization existing in the state already or by someone with money. Which brings us to: Bill Owens (organization) Jane Norton (organization), or Pete Coors (money). Thats the only viable option since McInnis may not even win the primary now. I bet Josh Penry is regretting his decision to drop out…

  7. I don’t see how they could replace McInnis before the primary, since it’s not a situation where another candidate didn’t file.  

  8. hate McInnis?  Because I don’t think this is a big deal, and I don’t think that many people do.  Is this an excuse for the establishment to dump a guy whom they never really liked?

  9. and stuff about Mark Kirk and David Vitter add up to an “untrustworthy” story against the GOP this fall?

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