Station:   KNUS, 710AM

Show:      Dan Caplis Show

Guests:    Tancredo

Link:        http://dancaplis.podbean.com/

Date:       June 17, 2015

Topics:   Colorado State Republican Party Chairman Steve House, Central Committee, Executive committee, GOP, 2016 U.S. Senate Race, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Polling, Re-elect Numbers, Mark Udall, District Attorney George Brauchler, Arapahoe County, Fundraising, Trial Lawyer, Incumbency, Base, Conservative Democrats, Cory Gardner, The Denver Post Endorsement, Mainstream Media, Barack Obama, Negatives, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Immigration, Scott Walker, Front Runner, Debates, Reagan Library Presidential Debates.

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HOST DAN CAPLIS:  [referring to Peter Boyles’ trip to Lebanon] What an amazing journey, and hopefully Pete can cycle back in a few minutes, and chat.  There’s so much I want to talk to him about, because you know how travelling – even travelling out of state – can sometimes change your perspective on things.  A trip like that, I want to drill down and find out, “Pete, has it changed this, changed that, etc.”  Grateful to have the chance to talk to Congressman Tom Tancredo.  I’ve enjoyed that over the years and decades.  Congressman, how are you doing this morning?

FORMER CONGRESSMAN, U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, AND GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, TOME TANCREDO:  I’m well, my friend.  How are you?

CAPLIS:  Well, good, good.  Hey, [I] appreciate the time. [I] wanted to talk to you about what the fix is, here.  I don’t know Steve House.  I don’t know that I’ve ever even met him in person.  And I do know you.  And I know the great service you’ve provided to this state.  And so, as we look at this situation right now, what I’m trying to figure out, as a guy, I think, [who] views this cycle probably the way you and everybody else does: a really critical cycle for the GOP, both in that Senate Republican race and the presidential race, and beyond.

TANCREDO:  Mm-hmm

CAPLIS:  You know, the question is:  Okay, you’ve got this situation, now, with Steve House. You have the stories that have appeared so far.  Um, how does this get fixed?  You’ve been such a prominent leader in the Party for so many years, you’ve dealt with so many situations, how does this get fixed going forward?

TANCREDO:  Um, the best way, and I think perhaps the only way for it to get it, quote, fixed is for the Executive Committee of the State Party to take some action that would bring the, um, the whole issue to a vote of the Central Committee, the entire Central Committee.  There is a process that is, you know, laid out in the by-laws of the state Party if there is a vacancy.  But only if that vacancy occurs, can that process go forward.  So, um, the – you know, it is to a large extent, it is up to Steve as to how he wants to handle it.  And he says he wants to stay.  Well, you know, that certainly can be a way to handle it.  I do not know – I do not believe that is the best way, but I have no ability to change it.  I’m not on the Central Committee.  I’m not on any committee of the State Republican Party.  But, uh –.

CAPLIS:  Tom, can the Central committee remove him?

TANCREDO:  No.

CAPLIS:  Wow!  So, once you’re it, there’s no recall?

TANCREDO:  Oh!  I’m sorry!  Central Committee!  Yes, yes.  That can happen. 

CAPLIS:  Yeah, okay.  Okay. 

TANCREDO:  There is two parts. One is the Executive Committee, and it’s a, you know, a group of, I don’t know — 10 to 15, 20 or 25 people, something like that.

CAPLIS:  Yeah.

TANCREDO:  Um, they can take action. They can call for a vote of no confidence.  That’s one thing that could happen.  Um, then – but, but then, if nothing –if Steve chooses not to resign, it’s my understanding – and Danny, believe me, I – most of this – I [inaudible] have been around a long time and it is true, but not in really in Party politics – at least, in the bowels of the Republican Party, if you know what I mean.

CAPLIS:  Sure.

TANCREDO:  And so, the way I understand it, if he chooses not to step down, then really, there’s nothing else, I think, that could happen, except if somehow a vote of the Central Committee can be held, they can remove him.  And it takes, I think, 70%. 

CAPLIS:  Wow!   I mean –.

TANCREDO:  Yeah, so, it’s kind of a convoluted process.  

CAPLIS:  What a situation!  I’ve got to tell you, if you write a book, I’m going to buy it!  I’ll be the first guy in line to buy it!  I’ll be that guy at Barnes & Nobles [sic] who camps out to stand there first and buy it.  Because when you think of everything you’ve been through, including trying to salvage things [clears throat] when Dan Maes wouldn’t cooperate and do the right thing and step aside, I mean, you’ve been in so many of these interesting situations, it just seems to me this is one that really does need to be fixed in a hurry, with everything going on.

TANCREDO:  Oh, and with that I certainly agree with.

CAPLIS:  But, uh, wow!

TANCREDO:  But Danny, um, as I say, I assure you, with God as my judge, and he is, that um, this is nothing that I or anybody else wanted to do, um, or have happen.

CAPLIS:  Yeah.

TANCREDO:  We were strong supporters, and — which is the reason why we ended up being sort of, I don’t know, — selected, asked, whatever you want to say – to confront with him and meet with him, because we wanted – they wanted to — everybody wanted to make sure he understood the seriousness of the issue.  And so, I did, but certainly not because I have, um, just any desire to step back into this kind of ugly stuff.  I don’t.  Like I say, riding my motorcycle with Peter – that’s a nice day.  Not this kind of stuff

CAPLIS:  Mm-hmm.  That would be a nice day.  That would — But, you know, you have so much hard earned credibility, and clout, and influence, I’m just hoping that you’ll be able to use that, given this current mess to help clean things up, because Lord knows, it’s going to be tough enough in the ’16 cycle.  And I know you know that better than anybody because you’ve been in the arena.  You’ve been in these races. You’ve been in these fights.  So, I’m just am, uh –.

TANCREDO:  Yeah, [I] hope it’s done quickly, certainly would be the best thing for the Party.  And–and I don’t know – I don’t—I mean, I don’t have a candidate.  It’s not as if I –.  I don’t know where it goes from now.  I don’t know who gets to, you know — elected.  I don’t even know who we would get into the arena.  I hope that we will make better decisions than we’ve made in the past.

CAPLIS: Yeah.  Wow!  And, uh, I know you’re limited on what you can say this morning.  I appreciate the chance to talk with you about this.  And I know you’ll do everything you can do to try to make sure this ends well, and quickly, so the focus can turn back to the races.