Bob Beauprez re-emerges -- as a pro-Catholic robo-caller for Bob Schaffer

Bob Beauprez.

We haven't heard much from former Congressman Bob Beauprez since the Republican got crushed in the 2006 gubernatorial race won by Democrat Bill Ritter. So imagine my surprise Sunday afternoon when I picked up the phone and there he was. Of course, he was recorded, and of course, he was pitching for a Republican -- in this case, senatorial candidate Bob Schaffer, whose poor standing in the polls against Democratic opponent Mark Udall (not to mention the reported pull-back of advertising on his behalf from the National Republican Senatorial Committee) suggests that come November 4, he and Beauprez will have more in common than they already do.

However, Beauprez's pitch was more interesting than his mere presence. He identified himself as a Catholic before arguing that on the issues most important to people of his faith, including the sanctity of life and opposition to gay marriage, Schaffer -- a Catholic, too -- was much more in line with the church's teachings than was Udall.

Not a lot of mystery why my family was targeted to receive this message; my wife is a principal at a school in the Archdiocese of Denver. Does that mean the Catholic hierarchy in the area, or perhaps individual parishes, provided the Schaffer campaign with lists of church members? Wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world. After all, Archbishop Charles Chaput recently thrust himself into the presidential campaign, declaring Barack Obama to be the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate for president in more than thirty years.

Whatever the case, it's probably not a good sign if one of the people Schaffer loyalits are counting on to help turn things around is a certain Mr. Beauprez. -- Michael Roberts