Welcome to For The Record, the Colorado Times Recorder’s new series where you can hear public figures in their own words. We’ll give you the clip and the context, so you can listen for yourself.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) appeared on KVOR-AM’s Richard Randall Show to discuss a variety of topics, notably including the attacks levied against him by Colorado Republican Party Chair Dave Williams.
Once a CO Springs State Representative, Williams challenged Lamborn for the GOP’s congressional nomination last year, but failed. Since taking power as chairman earlier this year, Williams has frequently taken shots at his former opponent, including condemning Lamborn for his “Yes” vote on the congressional debt ceiling package.
Williams has used the party’s Twitter account to call Lamborn “a say-anything politician” and accused him of “violat[ing] our platform or conservatives values.”
Asked to comment by host Richard Randall, Lamborn declined to address Williams by name, instead invoking former president Ronald Reagan’s famous commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.”
“But, Richard, I don’t want to drag myself down and respond in kind. I’d rather not mention names. I’d rather stand on some general principles. You know, it was Reagan who said, ‘thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.’ If we remember that and we train our fire on the liberals who are running our country into the ground, the progressives who are spending like there’s no tomorrow. That’s where that’s what the threats to our country are.”
Lamborn continued, “You know, we have to speak truth and stand up for what’s right. But at the same time, we don’t want to be so offense, so outrageous that we burn our bridges and people will resent us and not ever want to work with us. I mean, we have to get votes with people. I learned in the state legislature, and I do this to the day that someone that you oppose today or they oppose you, you’re going to need their vote tomorrow. And so you can’t take things personally. You have to rise above that. You have to be a bigger person, have more character, look at the big picture. And if you do that, you know, if you look at what’s good for the country, what’s good for our faith, what’s good for our families, that’s what really counts. Richard, Not settling scores with people or indulging in petty fighting. We have to keep our eyes on what’s really important for our country.”
Listen to Richard Randall’s full interview with Lamborn, in which he also discusses U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) attempt to impeach President Joe Biden, here. Lamborn’s interview begins at 19:59.
