Declaring in a January 10 editorial that it would “welcome [Republican campaign strategist Dick] Wadhams as the leader of his party in Colorado,” The Pueblo Chieftain lauded Wadhams as "[o]ne of the most capable political operatives in the nation" but failed to note that he has become notorious for using negative campaign strategies to achieve some of his notable successes. In contrast, a November 2, 2006, editorial (accessed through the Nexis database) in the Chieftain noted that “we disdain negative campaign attacks.”

The January 10 editorial also claimed that campaign staff of Wadhams' most recent client -- former U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-VA), defeated in his 2006 re-election bid -- “forced Mr. Wadhams out” after “the candidate committed a public gaffe.” However, reporting on the campaign -- which a pre-election National Journal survey of political insiders found to be “the worst campaign in the country” -- indicates that Wadhams remained with Allen through Election Day.

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Colorado newspapers failed to include critical details about Wadhams' background in January 9 articles about Wadhams' January 8 announcement that he would run for the chairmanship of the Colorado Republican Party. Similarly, the Chieftain editorial noted some of Wadhams' campaign successes, but failed to mention his embrace of negative campaigning.

The Chieftain also did not note its own November 2 editorial stance criticizing negative campaigning, at that time by independent political groups in Colorado's House District 47 race. The editorial praised Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut for not “further politicizing what already is a politically charged election campaign” by deciding not to file charges against “political groups that attacked the two candidates,” Democratic incumbent Buffie McFadyen and Republican challenger Jeff Shaw (both of Pueblo West). The editorial also warned voters not to “be swayed by political attacks that have a nasty smell.”

An online DenverPost.com article dated January 8 noted that “Wadhams is politically brutal enough to be considered a Republican hitman.” A September 2006 Washington Monthly article (“Rove 2.0: Dick Wadhams is the next Republican maestro of cutthroat campaigning. Can Democrats figure out how to stop him?”) reported Wadhams' comment that "[g]oing negative gets a bad rap." Similarly, a June 10, 2005, profile (“Dick Wadhams: Karl Rove's Heir Apparent”) in the online magazine Slate quoted Wadhams as saying, “There's nothing wrong with going negative.” As Colorado Media Matters noted, both articles gave examples of Wadhams employing methods that Washington Monthly characterized as “combining blistering verbal assaults, nasty wedge issues, and general loud-mouthing.”

Having noted that “Mr. Wadhams is considered by many to be the tonic his party needs,” the Chieftain went on to give a misleading account of Allen's campaign and Wadhams' role in it:

Last year Mr. Wadhams had Virginia Sen. George Allen in a comfortable lead for re-election until the candidate committed a public gaffe and some of his campaign staff forced Mr. Wadhams out. But we have to assume that he learned important lessons from that one shipwreck, lessons that he can use to bring renewed vigor to this state's GOP.

The “public gaffe” to which the Chieftain referred was apparently the now infamous “macaca” incident, in which Allen referred to a staffer from his opponent's campaign by a term considered racially derogatory. As The Washington Post reported on August 15, 2006, Wadhams, in response to questions raised over Allen's use of the term “macaca,” “dismissed the issue with an expletive and insisted the senator has 'nothing to apologize for.' ” In an August 19, 2006, campaign memo, Wadhams also accused "[his opponent's] campaign and the news media" of "[l]iterally putting words into Senator Allen's mouth that he did not say (by speculating, defining and attributing meanings and motives that simply are not true)."

Contrary to the Chieftain's suggestion that Wadhams was “forced out” of Allen's campaign, Wadhams reportedly did not leave the campaign after the “macaca” incident. As the Rocky Mountain News reported in a November 8 article, Wadhams was “at [Allen's] side” election night when, behind by fewer than 12,000 votes, Allen “refused to concede defeat and hinted he might request a recount.” A National Journal online article posted November 6 -- the day before the elections -- about the six most highly competitive Senate races quoted Wadhams, referring to him as “Allen's pugnacious campaign manager.” A November 10, 2006, Washington Post article did note, however, that after encountering political difficulties following the macaca incident, “Allen brought back his trusted Virginia hands,” from whom he had turned away in favor of a team “led by campaign manager Dick Wadhams, who had little experience in Virginia.”

Furthermore, the Chieftain's characterization of Wadhams as "[o]ne of the most capable operatives in the nation" ignored a National Journal survey of political professionals released on October 28, 2006. The survey found that Allen was “running the worst campaign in the country,” according to an article published by CNSNews.com -- whose parent organization is the right-wing Media Research Center:

Sen. George Allen of Virginia is running the worst campaign in the country, political insiders said in a poll released Saturday by the National Journal.

Fifty-three percent of Republican and 66 percent of Democratic “insiders” think George Allen's campaign is the sloppiest of the 2006 season, according to the survey of 138 political experts with campaign experience, insider knowledge and ties to key voting blocs.

Allen has suffered “numerous self-inflicted wounds,” one Republican respondent said. “This onetime presidential wannabe has ushered himself off the national stage, and he will be lucky to win re-election.”

A Democratic respondent said the race “should never have been in play. But Allen's ineptness and, frankly, stupidity, as well as the campaign's inability to dig itself out of the mess the candidate makes has been a textbook case of how not to run.”

From the editorial “Leadership needed” in the January 10 edition of The Pueblo Chieftain:

One of the most capable political operatives in the nation has thrown his hat into the ring to guide the Colorado Republican Party.

Dick Wadhams said this week he will run for state Republican Party chairman in an effort to help the GOP rebuild after two straight election-year losses. And the party needs to be rebuilt.

[...]

Republicans are still a nominal plurality among Colorado voters, but independents and even some Republicans went with Democratic candidates last year, as the Grand Old Party totally lost its vigor. Mr. Wadhams is considered by many to be the tonic his party needs.

A native of Las Animas, he has run successful GOP campaigns in Colorado, including those of Sen. Hank Brown in 1990, Sen. Wayne Allard in 1996 and 2002 and Gov. Bill Owens in 1998, when Mr. Owens became the first Republican elected governor of the state in 24 years. In 2002, he managed Montana Sen. Conrad Burns' campaign and turned it around from an apparent loss to a victory. In South Dakota, he was credited with engineering the defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004.

Last year Mr. Wadhams had Virginia Sen. George Allen in a comfortable lead for re-election until the candidate committed a public gaffe and some of his campaign staff forced Mr. Wadhams out. But we have to assume that he learned important lessons from that one shipwreck, lessons that he can use to bring renewed vigor to this state's GOP.

Mr. Wadhams says former House Speaker Lola Spradley of Pueblo West, who had talked of running for the state chairmanship, and several others have said they would step aside and support him when the Colorado GOP Central Committee meets in March. Thus, it appears at this point he is the only one in the running.

We believe a strong two-party system is healthy for the body politic. We'd welcome Mr. Wadhams as the leader of his party in Colorado.

From the editorial “Harm, but no foul” in the November 2, 2006, edition of The Pueblo Chieftain (accessed through the Nexis database):

All's fair in love and war -- and politics. Even though we disdain negative campaign attacks, particularly when they're untrue, we understand Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut's decision to not file charges against political groups that attacked the two candidates in House District 47.

Mr. Thiebaut determined there was not enough evidence to prove negative attacks against Rep. Buffie McFadyen and her opponent, Jeff Shaw, were criminal in nature.

His decision against prosecution ultimately avoids further politicizing what already is a politically charged election campaign. In their struggle to win control of the Colorado House, two political groups have made District 47 race in Pueblo and Fremont counties an ugly battleground.

[...]

No law can legislate morality, especially not of the political kind. The voters, however, are free to draw their own conclusions and either condemn or, better yet, simply ignore negative campaigning. Don't be swayed by political attacks that have a nasty smell.