The Denver Post reports that Colorado Democrats have formally censured Gov. Jared Polis over his decision to commute Tina Peters’ prison sentence. According to the article, nearly 90% of the state party’s central committee voted to condemn Polis for granting clemency to Peters, the former Mesa County clerk convicted of multiple felonies tied to unauthorized access to county voting systems. The punishment includes barring Polis from serving as a guest of honor at state party functions for the foreseeable future. So much for “big tent.” Apparently, the tent has a trapdoor.
The article says Democrats accused Polis of betraying the party’s commitment to democratic institutions, election integrity, and public accountability. Polis, meanwhile, has said he believed Peters was being unfairly punished for protected speech, cut her nine-year sentence in half, and ordered her released on parole June 1. The Post also notes that more than 700 people had signed onto a formal complaint against Polis by Wednesday morning.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Colorado Democrats officially censured Jared Polis, their own two-term governor and highest-ranking Democrat in the state. That sound you hear is the revolution eating brunch.
- Nearly 90% of central committee members reportedly voted to condemn him. That is not a slap on the wrist. That is a coordinated political mugging with name tags.
- The party barred Polis from being a guest of honor at state party functions for the foreseeable future. Imagine serving eight years as governor and being told you are no longer welcome at the potluck. Brutal. Also hilarious.
- Democrats say Polis betrayed their values by commuting Tina Peters’ sentence. Translation: mercy is wonderful, restorative, and enlightened, right up until it is extended to someone the tribe has decided must remain politically radioactive.
- Only one central committee member reportedly spoke against the censure before the vote. If you are a Colorado Democrat, take notes. The groupthink bus is leaving, and standing in the road is not advised.
My Bottom Line
And just like that, Colorado Democrats ate their leader. Apparently, he was very tasty.
Their loathing for Tina Peters is so intense that they were willing to censure the man who has been their statewide standard-bearer for the last eight years. This is Jared Polis, not some backbench city council crank livestreaming from a broom closet. He is the governor. Their governor. And the moment he wandered outside the approved emotional perimeter, they turned on him like he brought a veggie tray to a steak fry.
That is the real story here. Not Tina Peters. Not even Polis. It is the party culture. If you are a Colorado Democrat, you had better get in line with the groupthink, nod at the proper times, hiss at the proper villains, and never, ever show mercy to the wrong person. Otherwise, the tolerance crowd will tolerate you right out the door.
Polis made a controversial call. Fine. Criticize it. Debate it. That is politics. But watching Democrats go from “criminal justice reform” to “banish the governor from party functions” in record time is something special. The moral flexibility could qualify for Olympic gymnastics. Their message is clear: compassion is a virtue until it crosses the party narrative. Then it becomes treason with stationery.
Source: The Denver Post
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