A weekly dive into the pages of Colorado Politics’ predecessor, The Colorado Statesman, which started in 1898:

Forty Years Ago This Week: Just when no one thought the two candidates for U.S. Senate had anything in common, Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Hart and his Republican challenger, Mary Estill Buchanan, both bemoaned the same state of affairs – being picked on.

With less that two weeks before the Nov. 4 general election, television ads and media releases were flying out of both campaign offices.

Hart’s campaign complained that Buchanan’s media releases, written by communications staffer Walt Klein, unfairly attacked Hart’s credibility and integrity. Hart staffers argued that the television commercials portrayed Hart as two-faced — voting one way in Washington, but talking a completely different game when back in Colorado.

Meanwhile, Buchanan’s campaign vociferously accused Hart of running distorted commercials portraying the Republican as wanting to go to war in the Middle East for foreign oil.

Klein argued that these ads made Buchanan look like a warmonger, when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. He said to reporters, “Actually there is little difference between the two candidates on the issue of military preparedness.”

Kathy Bushkin, Hart’s campaign press secretary, said, “We don’t want to be the new Hal Shroyer (a jab at the Republican activist). But if you look at what is happening, it’s Gary who’s being picked on.”

But Klein disagreed, adding that the advertisements that pointed out Hart’s contradictory votes were well documented in the public record.

“Besides,” Klein said, “some of the things Hart is complaining about are variations of his own 1974 statements.”

Klein added that Hart had been quoted in 1974 accusing Republican challenger Peter Dominick of changing up his positions on very basic issues, all for the sake of political expediency. Klein said his favorite Hart quote, though, was one he had made shortly after he announced his intention to run for Senate. Hart had said about Dominick, Klein told reporters, “’You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth.’”

Thirty Years Ago: In an development of Republican infighting, a group of well-connected and high-placed members of the GOP published an anti-Colorado Amendment One letter that was distributed around the Denver Metro area. The letter, signed by Gov. John Love, Denver GOP Chairman Kathie Finger, Jefferson County Chairman Chris O’Dell, Adams County Chairwoman Beth Gallegos and fifty other notables, infuriated both Republican gubernatorial candidate John Andrews and the Colorado Republican Party.

The Andrews campaign considered the tax limitation amendment as a cornerstone of his “freedom agenda” platform and were not thrilled that so many Republicans actively opposed it.

Larry Dye, executive director of the Colorado Republican Party, wasn’t pleased either that the letter had been inserted along with other pro-Republican literature to be distributed for statewide drops. Finger explained that she had signed the letter as an individual, not in her official capacity as county chair but had still faced angry outbursts from several prominent Republicans. According to Colorado Statesman reporters,

Finger seemed overly cautions about saying anything too negative about party headquarters, for fear of falling into state chairman Bruce Benson’s bad graces.

Ten Years Ago: Vandals caused over $2,000 in damage to the Denver Republican headquarters at 1000 N. Speer Blvd. and destroyed “several hundred dollars” worth of campaign signs.

The damage to the red stucco was confined to the building’s south side. GOP Chairman Ryan Call said he did not know who was responsible and could not say whether the vandalism was politically motivated. Call did tell Colorado Statesman reporters that it was clear that the GOP office was targeted and “people can draw their own conclusions.”

The building also housed a Montessori School and the campaign offices for Scott Gessler and 1st Congressional District candidate Mike Fallon.

“The damage appears to have been caused by someone striking the exterior walls of the building or the signs attached to it with a hammer, and that left 17 holes,” Call said. “I would hope people would be more respectful. We’re not letting this phase us.”

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Colorado Springs Gazette.