The year was 2014.
John Hickenlooper and Michael Bloomberg were bros, Bloomberg’s interference in the state legislature with gun control measures resulted in the successful recall of two Democratic lawmakers, and the former New York mayor thought we were all a bunch of bumpkins.
Interesting times.
Asked about three Colorado Democrats being forced out of office by a recall movement that arose last summer after the legislature’s passage of laws expanding background checks and banning magazines of more than 15 rounds, legislation Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns lobbied hard for, the former mayor said this:
“The NRA went after two or three state Senators in a part of Colorado where I don’t think there’s roads. It’s as far rural as you can get. And, yes, they lost recall elections. I’m sorry for that. We tried to help ’em. But the bottom line is, the law is on the books, and being enforced. You can get depressed about the progress, but on the other hand, you’re saving a lot of lives.”
Colorado Springs is one of the largest cities in the state, so yeah, roads are a thing there.
Bloomberg has since tried to make up for that disaster by dropping more than $10 million in Colorado — some to charities and money also went to local government in the form of grants, the Denver Post reported this week.
But Bloomberg was also using his millions to influence political issues here.
But after last night’s disastrous debate, we’re wondering if anyone in Colorado, including Hickenlooper, is still taking Bloomberg’s calls?