Recall of Anti-2nd Amendment Colorado Senate President John Morse Succeeds
Signature totals greater than number of votes cast for Morse's election
Colorado Springs, CO, June 4,2013, The Basic Freedom Defense Fund (BFDF - www.bfdf.org),the Colorado grassroots group heading the recall of State Senate President John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) has submitted16,046 District 11 voter petition signatures to the Colorado Secretary of States' office for the recall of John Morse.This exceeds both the 7,178 signatures necessary for the recall and also exceeds the total number of votes (13,451) cast for Morse during his 2010 election.
The results of this historic recall effort were achieved despite the efforts of NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, Morse's robo calls to voters, false attacks on signature collectors' reputations and Morse's political machine headed by Ed Hall, Chairman of the Denver Democrats and filing agent for Morse's anti-recall group "A Whole Lot of People for John Morse." Hall is known for his Democrat Party biography referring to Colorado Springs as a "...right-wing, religious whack-job stronghold."*
The submitted petition signatures and addresses will be verified by the Secretary of State.It is expected that Democrats will further challenge remaining signatures, possibly including court challenges to draw out the process. If the count still exceeds 7,178 after this, Morse will be given five working days from that time to decide whether or not to resign his office.
If Morse resigns within the five-day period, state Democrats can appoint a replacement from their ranks. If he does not resign, a date for the special election is set. In that event, it is possible that the Governor and Democrat Party may try to extend it to November so as to prepare a campaign to try to save Morse.
In a recent Colorado Springs interview Morse stated he will not resign and is "...in now until the bitter end." Colorado Democrat Party Chairman Rick Palacio of Pueblo denied rumors that state democrats may ask Morse to step down so that they may replace him with appointee Michael Merrifield, though Palacio later stated in the same interview that Merrifield as a replacement "is a possibility."
Such a move risks public backlash as it could be perceived as both ignoring the electorate's wishes and taking an even harder stance against gun rights since Merrifield has served as a state director for Mayor Bloomberg's gun-banning group "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" - positions that inspired the Morse recall effort.
"Regardless of the outcome and any posturing by Morse, he is going to be removed from his senate position one way or another due to his anti-constitutional beliefs and demonstrated actions." --Anthony Garcia, BFDF spokesman -- Anthony@basicfreedomdefensefund.org.
*Note: Should Ed Hall scrub his anti-Colorado Springs remark from his website biography, BFDF has saved the link and it is available from BFDF (see media contact below).
More information about BFDFis available at the BFDF website, www.bfdf.org.
The Basic Freedom Defense Fund
10 Town Plaza #405
Durango, CO, 81301
www.bfdf.org
BFDF is a new nonpartisan 501(c)(4) non-profit originally known as Colorado Accountability. BFDF is devoted to educating the public of their Constitutional rights and legally holding state politicians accountable for their actions as legislators and having candidates keep their campaign word and promises if elected to office.