http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_16388463

Excerpts from article entitled: "Tambor Williams must think voters are pretty stupid". Written by By Marilyn Musgrave and Barry Arrington

Posted: 10/21/2010 at 01:00:00 AM MDT

We have been involved in Colorado politics in the last two decades, and between us we have served at almost every level of elected office, from school boards to the Colorado legislature to the United States Congress.

. . .

There is another kind of politician, however, for whom we have absolutely no respect, and that is the two-faced variety of politician who tries to have it both ways. . . .

Take Tambor Williams for instance. In 1997 we were serving with her in the Colorado House of Representatives when Barry brought a bill to ban the barbaric procedure known as "partial birth abortion." Williams joined with the other liberals to kill the bill, but now that Dan Maes has tapped her as his running mate for lieutenant governor, she is going around trying to convince the Republican base that she is pro-life.

Give us a break! If ever there were a litmus test on the life issue, Williams' vote to kill the partial birth abortion bill was it. "But I didn't vote to kill the bill," Williams says, "I only voted to send it to the Judiciary Committee to review its constitutionality."

Rubbish. Everyone knew that a vote to send the bill to the Judiciary Committee was a vote to kill the bill, and that is exactly what the committee did in short order. Representative Russ George (who went on to become speaker of the house) arranged the death of the bill, and after the vote he could not help bragging to insiders about how clever it was to kill the bill in a way that "gave cover" to liberal Republicans like Williams.

If that is not enough to convince you that Williams is trying to have it both ways, consider her flip flop on Proposition C, the 2005 measure to take a "time out" on TABOR tax refunds. Only five short years ago Williams was trumpeting her support of Proposition C to whoever would listen, but now that she is trying to hold onto the Republican base she says, in effect, "While I publicly supported it, in my heart of hearts I was deeply opposed to it and even voted against it in the privacy of the voting booth." When politicians make statements like that, is there any wonder that the public holds them in such contempt?

Williams must think we voters are pretty stupid. She voted to kill a landmark piece of pro-life legislation; but she wants us to believe she is solidly pro-life. She supported one of the largest tax increases in Colorado history, but she wants us to think she is a budget hawk. When it came time to take a stand, she was neither socially nor fiscally conservative; now she wants us to believe she is both.

Why did Dan Maes choose a politician like Williams as his running mate? In our experience, politicians like Maes usually try to hold onto their base for the general election. They may not pander to them like they did before the primary, but at least they try not to offend them until after they are safely in office.

But Maes could hardly wait until the dust had settled on the primary before stabbing the Republican base in the back by selecting one of the most liberal Republicans in the state as his running mate. It is difficult to understand why he did this, but whatever the reason, when he picked Williams Maes lost whatever small credibility he may have had with his base and all but ensured that the Republicans have squandered any opportunity they may have had to pick up the governor's mansion.

Marilyn Musgrave is a former United States Representative from Colorado's Fourth Congressional District. Barry Arrington is an attorney and former state representative. EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited