GIRON DECLARES WAR ON THE CHIEFTAIN: Phony Allegations Of Threats Against Gun-Control Supporters Now Extends To Largest Newspaper In Southern Colorado

GIRON DECLARES WAR ON THE CHIEFTAIN: Phony Allegations Of Threats Against Gun-Control Supporters Now Extends To Largest Newspaper In Southern Colorado

GIRON DECLARES WAR ON THE CHIEFTAIN: Phony Allegations Of Threats Against Gun-Control Supporters Now Extends To Largest Newspaper In Southern Colorado

Published on March 11, 2013 by ColoradoPeakPolitics

UPDATE 3: Jane Rawlings, the Assistant Publisher and Vice President of The Pueblo Chieftain provided this comment to the Peak:

Last week, The Chieftain’s general manager did send an email to state Sen. Angela Giron, a Pueblo Democrat, in which he expressed his opposition to the gun-control bills being considered by the state Legislature.
As a way of identification, as he still is fairly new to the area, Ray Stafford told Senator Giron that he is the general manager of The Chieftain and in charge of its operation, including the newsroom. At no time did he suggest that he would use his position to slant the newspaper’s coverage. In fact, a careful review of The Chieftain’s coverage of these volatile issues reveals a very deliberate effort to provide balanced coverage.”
It is unfortunate that Sen. President John Morse told MSNBC that the general manager of the newspaper in her district had threatened Senator Giron with unfavorable news coverage unless she voted against the bills. 
No such thing happened. Mr. Stafford was exercising his constitutional right as a citizen to contact his elected representative. Nothing more. We invite Sen. Morse to read our coverage himself.

UPDATE 2: The Colorado GOP just blasted Morse in a press release for additional comments he made, essentially saying his Senate caucus was ignoring comments from the public and forging ahead with their gun control agenda regardless of constituent feedback. Cancelled town halls and ignored emails do not a representative legislator make. Full release after the jump.
UPDATE: Senator Giron’s puppet master, Senate President John Morse, appeared on left wing MSNBC host Rachel Maddow’s show on Friday, attacking the Chieftain, saying “She was in the paper and on the front page for a week, practically a week straight, including with pictures that weren’t very flattering, almost deliberately.”
Was he referring to this front-page picture with him?

Did we say Giron was doubling down? We meant quadrupling down on her attack on her hometown paper.
#BobRawlingsAintGonnaBeHappy

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So much for cutting your losses. So much for not throwing bombs at those who buy ink by the barrel. This weekend State Senator Angela Giron doubled down on the side of Michael Bloomberg’s gun control war when Giron accused a top executive with the Pueblo Chieftain of threatening her, even though an email sent by that executive was anything but a threat.


Check this coverage from KRDO:

State Senator Angela Giron says she received a threatening e-mail from the general manager of The Pueblo Chieftain, Ray Stafford. 
Stafford sent an e-mail to Giron on March 3 in which he writes that he is “responsible for the entire newspaper, including the newsroom.” Stafford goes on to write that he opposed all the bills being considered involving guns and ask Senator Giron not to vote for the current gun legislation.
“You have a copy of my e-mail and it’s not threatening at all. In fact, I point out that that was my opinion and I certainly have a right to that opinion and it doesn’t matter what e-mail account I send it from. The fact is the e-mail doesn’t contain any kind of a threat whatsoever,” Stafford said.

Giron’s escalation takes it to a whole ‘nother level. Not only is Giron making a phony accusation of a threat where no threat exists, she is also picking a fight with the purchaser of ink by the barrel. The Chieftain has a notoriously aggressive editorial viewpoint on matters large and small, but someone apparently forgot to tell the Senator.
Stay tuned. The Senate will cast its final votes on gun control today, but this isn’t over by a long shot.

Senate Pres. Morse advises Democrats to ignore constituents on national TV
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—On Friday, Colorado Senate Pres. John Morse, D-Fountain, took time from ramming anti-Second Amendment legislation through the state Senate to be a guest on The Rachel Maddow Show. There, he told Maddow that he has advised Democratic state senators to ignore their constituents. 
Morse said–
“Even though, you know, at this point, when you’re getting thousands of emails, you can’t read all of them, physically anyway. But it’s…We just have to stay away from some of this toxicity. We get the point that some of these folks think their Second Amendment rights are being abridged.… It’s not worth getting into that argument with them, and, so, just move along and don’t read any more of these than you absolutely have to, because it will wear on your psyche.”
Many Democratic legislators are taking Morse’s advice to heart, including Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, and state Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo, who skipped-out on their scheduled town hall meetings without notice.
Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call said that while we should be disappointed that Morse and his fellow Democrats are ignoring their constituents, we shouldn’t be surprised—
“Whether Sen. Morse is forcing through tax increases on struggling families and seniors, increasing regulations on small business owners, or taking away Second Amendment rights, he and his fellow Democrats know that they are not representing their constituents. So, Sen. Morse is publicly telling his members to ignore the voters. Sen. Morse and Democratic legislators are paid to represent the people of Colorado, and they can’t do that if they’re ditching town hall meetings and ignoring emails from constituents.” 
You can see Morse advising Senate Democrats to ignore their constituents here.