Colorado Republicans are up in arms over former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's snide insult of two anti-gun control districts he described as so "far rural" that "I don't think there's roads."
The slam came in an interview Bloomberg, a gun-control advocate, gave to Rolling Stone magazine that was
accidentally posted Wednesday, and then taken down.
The magazine told Politico
it would repost the interview on its intended Monday publication date.
"In Colorado, we got a law passed," the big-city billionaire told the magazine. "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."
With the help of Bloomberg's gun-control group, Democrats passed a bill expanding background checks and banning magazines with more than 15 rounds in Colorado last year.
In response, gun rights supporters mounted a recall effort,
succeeding in two of the state's largest cities — Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
"Michael Bloomberg is absolutely out of touch with the values of Pueblo," railed Republican state Sen. George Rivera,
The Colorado Observer reported Thursday.
"In Pueblo, we value our Second Amendment rights and we don't appreciate East Coast elites stereotyping us as some area so remote that we don't even have roads."
Rivera was elected to the state Senate in the Sept. 10 recall election that ousted state Sen. Angela Giron.
"Pueblo is a proud city composed of proud people from all different walks of life, and, while it might be hard for a New York billionaire to comprehend, we do in fact have roads and running water," he added. "I promise the people of Pueblo I will never sit idly by as outsiders insult our outstanding community."
The state senator from Colorado Springs, Bernie Herpin, also lashed out, the newspaper reported.
"Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado, Mr. Mayor," said Herpin, who replaced Senate President John Morse in the recall.
"And not only do we have plenty of roads, but we are also home to the United States Air Force Academy, the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Committee Headquarters (which moved here from New York City), major military commands, and many high tech and defense related companies."
"It's no surprise that Mayor Bloomberg is so out of touch with Coloradans, but it is disgusting the lengths he is willing to go to disparage those who believe in protecting our Second Amendment rights," he added.
Republican Rep. Cory Gardner, who's running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in a tight Senate race this November, used the Bloomberg remarks to needle Udall.
"Senator Udall and his biggest supporters continue to show what they really think of Coloradans,"
he said in a statement to Politico.
"Instead of listening to his constituents, Sen. Udall decided long ago that he prefers to rubber-stamp agendas from his out of state backers and the President — Coloradans are seeing proof of this once again."
Later Thursday, Udall's spokesman slammed Bloomberg as a wrong-headed "East Coaster."
"Not since New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie attacked Colorado's way of life [over marijuana legalization] has an East Coaster gotten us so wrong," spokesman James Owens wrote, The Colorado Observer reported. "Christie and Bloomberg should stick to what they know best: traffic jams and tiny sodas."
"Just for the record, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Jefferson County all have roads. I just traveled them,"
Bob Beauprez, who's running against Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, told Fox affiliate KDVR.
"Michael Bloomberg's infuriatingly ignorant remarks show how far removed he is from Colorado, and how wrong John Hickenlooper was to let Bloomberg force his radical agenda on Colorado."
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