Denver Post editorial board says Gardner endorsement was ‘mistake’

The Denver Post editorial board berated Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) Thursday, saying its endorsement of him was a “mistake.”

The op-ed was in response to Gardner’s vote against a Senate resolution blocking President Trump’s national emergency declaration to allocate billions in federal funds to pay for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

{mosads}“Gardner has been too busy walking a political tight rope to be a leader. He has become precisely what we said in our endorsement he would not be: ‘a political time-server interested only in professional security,’” the editorial board wrote. “Trump’s declaration is an abuse of his power, a direct overturning of Congress’ deliberate decision to pass a federal budget without funding for a wall.” 

“Put simply this is a constitutional crisis and one of Colorado’s two senators has failed the test,” the paper added. “We no longer know what principles guide the senator and regret giving him our support in a close race against Mark Udall.” 

Gardner is one of the Democrats’ top targets heading into the 2020 election cycle, as they hope to capitalize on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s victory in The Centennial State in 2016. Though the Colorado Republican often touts his bipartisanship, Gardner votes with Trump over 90 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. 

The Denver Post said they are not fully giving up hope on Gardner, saying he could still try to put country over party. 

“Gardner could still prove to be a great senator for Colorado, a man who puts his state and his principles above party and politics. It’s a rare person these days who can take that road. In our endorsement this November of former U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican from Aurora who was soundly defeated by Rep. Jason Crow, we stuck by someone who had shown a willingness to oppose that which he found morally reprehensible in his own party,” the editorial board wrote.