Tea Partiers lose another candidate: Colorado's Dan Maes being forced to step aside for lying, cheat

Top Colorado Republicans are attempting to convince gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes to drop his bid for governor by the end of Friday, a well-placed Republican in the state tells POLITICO.

In a meeting Friday morning, party chairman Dick Wadhams and other members of the state GOP executive committee met with Maes to present what one called “damaging evidence” that hasn’t yet been made public but would further erode his standing as a candidate, according to the source.

A second Republican consultant confirmed the account and said while there was no explicit ultimatum presented by the chairman to Maes, the message was clear.

“It was: Do you really want to put your family through this? If you stay in the race, you’ll have to endure this and this,” said the Republican, citing potential reports by the Denver Post.

Wadhams did not respond to a call for comment and another Republican aide said he did not expect the chairman to address the media until Maes came to a decision.

A Maes spokesman indicated that the candidate was meeting with those who want him out of the race.

more...

"After speaking with, and hearing from, numerous Coloradans — from former Senators to family farmers — I've determined that I cannot turn my back on the 200,000 voters who nominated me to run for this office," Maes said. "During this time of deliberation, I listened equally to those who wanted me in this race and those who did not, and after internalizing that advice, I'm proud to say I'm in it to win it."



Read more: Maes officially on Colorado ballot, despite outcry from past supporters - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15989513#ixzz0yZBpZoHr