Thirty Years Ago This Week: This publication’s predecessor, The Colorado Statesman, had just received two competing faxes – back when these were a thing – in the same week each alleging the same thing: that 1st Congressional District incumbent Rep. Pat Schroeder, a Democrat, and her Republican challenger Bill Eggert were both on the take of special interest money.

According to the fax from Eggert’s camp, over 80% of Schroeder’s campaign funding had come from sources “outside of Colorado.” Eggert added that he’d refused to accept even a single cent from special interests and relied only on local donations.

Eggert said he had visited over 14,000 homes and promised to serve no more than three terms in Congress and he would “not take any retirement or pension fund with him” when he left Congress.

“The people want term limits and they will have them on election day,” Eggert said. “Empire builders and entrenched incumbents like Mrs. Schroeder are going to be sent home. The people do not want special interest PAC money to shape the future of America.”

But Jeff Dorschner, Schroeder’s campaign manager responded with another fax, “Bill Eggert, the right-wing Republican … has funded the majority of his campaign with his personal wealth. Not only is Bill Eggert the single largest contributor to his campaign, but also 55% of his total contributions came from his own pocket.”

“Bill Eggert is not telling you all the facts. It is important for my voters … to know that my campaign has always been, and always will be, a grassroots effort,” Schroeder was quoted saying in the response. “The only special interests I represent are yours.”

Dorschner supplied documents from Eggert’s filings with the Colorado Secretary of State showing that to date he only had 91 contributors to his campaign, totaling $23,038.84 and 55% of the contributions were his own money.

Highlighting filings from Schroeder’s campaign, Dorschner pointed out that over 99% of Schroeder’s contributions had come from small donors – not any single source.

“Clearly Bill Eggert, who tries to make the point that he does not take PAC money, is his own PAC. Since the only public appearance he’s made was at a pro-gun rally, its been difficult to determine his personal agenda … and apparently his personal contributions indicate that he’s promoting his agenda to bring back assault weapons,” Dorschner said.

Twenty Years Ago: At the Red Rocks Amphitheater Gen. Tommy Franks, U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-CD3, Senate candidate Pete Coors and Denver Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan introduced President George W. Bush to an excited crowd.

“I’m so honored to introduce my former boss,” Gen. Franks said. “I have seen this president… when the nights were long and the mornings were early … and you know what I saw? I saw character … courage … consistency.”

For the majority of his speech Bush took Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry to task for “flip-flopping” on the issue of the Iraq War, for promising to lower taxes on those making more than $200,000 and for miscalculating the cost of his spending plans.

Bush said that he was “a compassionate conservative” and had a very different philosophy regarding the economy.

“To create new jobs,” Bush said, “we must pass my energy plan, sell our goods overseas, and be wise about how we spend your money and keep taxes low.”

Bush said that it was important when asking people for their vote to remind them “what we’ve been through.” The President spoke of the stark market decline before he took office, the recession, corporate scandals and then the September 11th attacks “which cost us about a million jobs in the three months afterwards.”

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.