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Haggard flap may spur some conservatives
2006-11-05
Experts agree the Rev. Ted Haggard's fall from grace is bound to have political repercussions -- but say it might help, not hinder, Colorado Republicans and their causes. Republican leaders already fear that disillusionment with the Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress could discourage conservatives from turning out to vote. For instance, Vice President Dick Cheney visited Colorado Springs on Friday to campaign for Doug Lamborn, who is running a tight race against Democrat Jay Fawcett for a seat in Haggard's reliably Republican district. Rep. Joel Hefley is retiring. A Denver man named Mike Jones last week publicly accused Haggard -- who has now left the New Life Church and the National Association of Evangelicals -- of paying him for sex, saying he was motivated by what he saw as hypocrisy. Haggard has been a leading proponent of a measure to amend Colorado's Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, and has denounced homosexuality. Lamborn draws heavy support from religious conservatives. Bob Loevy, a political science professor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, said the disclosure's timing has all the earmarks of a last-minute political attack. Religious conservatives, outraged by the way the accusations were made, could give Lamborn the edge he needs in his battle with Fawcett, a former Air Force officer trying to become the first Democrat to win the seat, Loevy said. "I think there's a very good chance it may galvanize socially conservative voters to come out and vote for Doug Lamborn," Loevy said. Said Kenneth Bickers, a political science professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder: "If it's going to have a big effect anywhere, its going to have an effect on the Lamborn race." Bickers said the extent of the fallout would hinge on how many voters sent in absentee ballots or voted early before the news broke. Lamborn's campaign didn't return a call Saturday. Fawcett campaign spokeswoman Wanda James, while saying Haggard's ordeal wasn't a cause for joy, said it is just one more blow to Lamborn's party. "You start to see clearly that (Fawcett) has been on the top of the pulse of the people," James said. A recent poll showed Lamborn with support from 47 percent of voters and Fawcett with 40 percent. The survey of 400 likely voters was conducted last week by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. and had an error margin of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Officials from the two drives for the ballot measures declined to comment on how Haggard's situation might affect the outcome. Jim Pfaff, who's heading the marriage-definition campaign, would say only that he is confident the amendment will win. Colorado's other ballot measure would establish domestic partnerships that give gay couples many of the same legal rights as married couples. Haggard has acknowledged paying Jones for a massage and buying drugs from him but says they never had sex and he never took the drugs. Jones said he never sold him drugs. Haggard has resigned as leader of the evangelical association and was dismissed Saturday as leader of the New Life Church. ___ Associated Press writer Kim Nguyen in Colorado Springs contributed to this report.
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