A while back we wrote about the possibility that Senate President John Morse was actively considering resigning his Senate seat, throwing himself on the proverbial grenade so that a vacancy committee could appoint another Democrat to serve out the last year of his term.
His resignation would, in effect, render the recall moot.
As we noted then, this would be a resounding victory for gun rights supporters, conservatives and especially local recall organizers. It’s not every day, after all, that the Senate President gives up the Senate presidency willingly.
It would be tantamount to Morse pleading guilty to overreach. What a win it would be.
When we floated the possibility, which was widely rumored as possible among political insiders, Morse Shermanesquely denied it to KDVR’s Eli Stokols:
DENVER — Senate President John Morse, who may be facing a recall election in Colorado Springs later this year, says he will not resign his seat early.
“I am in now until the bitter end,” Morse told FOX31 Denver Tuesday.
Contrast that “no wiggle room” denial to Morse’s statement to 9News this weekend about resigning to stop the recall from going forward:
“But at this point, that’s not in my plan.”
Morse’s interview has got people again talking about a Morse resignation.
Waiting in the wings, as we also previously reported, is long-time Michael Bloomberg henchman Mike Merriefield. Merrifield served as state director for the group bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg’s billions — Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG).
It is hard to hear Morse’s interview this weekend and juxtapose it to his open and shut denial from a few weeks back.
Will John Morse plead guilty to an overreach? We think it is very clearly possible. What a win it would be — Democrats concede the argument, in essence pleading guilty to the crime of political overreach, and heading into 2014 their gun-grabbing replacement, Mike Merrifield, will be covered head-to-toe in the taint of it all.
UPDATE: Morse is now again denying he will resign. If that’s true, why would he use weasel words this weekend to leave the possibility open?
Sen. John Morse says he has no intention of resigning if the recall folks have enough signatures. Law allows for that. #copolitics
— Lynn Bartels (@lynn_bartels) June 3, 2013
Asked whether he'll resign, adamant @SenJohnMorse: "Absolutely not." Adds "What we did here is common sense. We're standing behind it."
— Kristen Wyatt (@APkristenwyatt) June 3, 2013
This effort says otherwise Rick, as does the failure at the Federal level. You are so far behind you think you're ahead. But keep on trolling…
How do you limit yourself to just five????
Better check the score Rick … us gun nuts: 1, John Morse: 0.
Our own little world? Rick, we don't delete comments and block users like "A Whole Lot of People for John Morse" does when polite questions are asked.
We even engage trolls like you.
wonderful news
Mike Merrifield – one of my top five least favorite politicians.
Common sense, I love that phrase. What the PEOPLE did here, standing up to a tyrant, is "common sense." What the people did by saying to the legislature, "NO!" is "common sense." What the legislature did was anything but "common sense," by ignoring their constituents and listening to New York they threw that right out the window.
Excuse me… the quote was "deserve a special place in hell".
Let's not forget it was Mike Merrifield who said charter schools could all go to hell in 2006. That's how he lost his House Education Committee chairmanship. ColoradoPeakPolitics covered this before: https://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2013/05/20/bloombergs-plan-b-if-morse-is-forced-out-state-director-of-bloomberg-front-group-poised-to-be-democrat-candidate/.
This would be his best move then move to California
Recall effort turned in 16,000 signatures today. More than double needed. Will he be a man and face his constituents or a Morse and resign?
Nice research Ian.
From Colorado Revised Statute 1-12-109:
If an officer whose recall is sought offers a resignation, it shall be accepted and the vacancy caused by the resignation shall be filled as provided by law. The person appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation shall hold the office only until the person elected at the recall election is qualified; except that, if the recall election is canceled in accordance with section 1-12-110 (1), the person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold the office until it is filled at the next regularly scheduled election for that office.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/colorado/?app=00075&view=full&interface=1&docinfo=off&searchtype=get&search=C.R.S.+1-12-109
My understanding, which is always open to correction, is that the appointee if Morse resigns would only fill the vacancy until the recall election is held. The appointee could be included in the recall ballot…
Nullifying the recall will really upset a lot of people – and have statewide consequences for Democrats.