Massive contributions to anti-Colorado Recall groups by Bloomberg-backed machine were shifted around to avoid campaign contribution limits and reporting requirements. The billionaire would-be global dictator still lost

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9/11/13, "Court Battles key in Colorado Recall Election victories," Examiner.com, Matt Arnold

"Supporters of the incumbents spent over $3 Million (mostly coming from out-of-state special interests) while supporters of the Recall spent nearly $500,000....

Finally, the court case that didn’t happen (but probably should have) – allowing the out-of-state money machine to funnel massive contributions to the anti-Recall forces while skirting campaign finance laws. Challenging the multiple anti-Recall committees before an administrative law judge (ALJ) would have not only highlighted how money was shifted around by various special-interest groups to avoid campaign contribution limits and reporting requirements, but also (if successful) could have resulted in fines and penalties to the Bloomberg-backed machine in excess of $1M (yes, that’s one MILLION dollars)."...

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20% of voters who signed petitions to recall the Pueblo democrat in a heavily democrat county were democrat themselves:

9/10/13, "Colorado recall election voter turnout mixed, figures show," Denver Post, Lynn Bartels, Joey Bunch, Kurtis Lee

"Giron's district in Pueblo County, where Democrats comprise 47 percent of all registered voters and Republicans just 23 percent, Democrats have the vote lead, but there's a catch. Pueblo is a blue-collar, blue-dog Democratic town and 20 percent of the voters who signed petitions to recall the senator were Democrats."...

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The gun issue was likely secondary in their removal from office. The primary reason was their disdain for due process:

9/11/13, "The Colorado Recalls Explained,"  David Kopel, Volokh.com

"At Morse’s instruction, only 90 minutes of testimony per side were allowed on each of the gun bills. As a result, hundreds of Colorado citizens were prevented from testifying even briefly. Many of them had driven hours to come to the Capitol, traveling from all over the state.

That same day, 30 Sheriffs came to testify. They too were shut out, with only a single Sheriff allowed to testify on any given bill. So while one Sheriff testified, others stood up with him in support.

Admirably, Morse had urged his Committee Chairs to be polite and courteous to all witnesses, and they were. But President Morse did not follow the standard practice of the Colorado legislature, by which any citizen who wishes to testify is allowed to be heard, at least briefly. The patient endurance of Colorado legislative committees which have heard hour upon hour of testimony on bills about gay rights, motorcycle helmets, and other social controversies is a tribute to our republican form of government.

When Morse shut that down, and Chairperson Giron went along, they crossed the double-red line of Colorado government. Had the seven gun control bills (one of which I testified in favor) been heard on March 4-6, instead of being rammed through committees on March 4, the recall might never have happened. It’s one thing to lose; it’s another to thing to lose when you didn’t even have the opportunity to present your reasoning. While the gun control bills were before the Senate in March, President Morse urged his caucus to stop reading emails, to stop reading letters from constituents, to stop listening to voicemails, to vote for the gun bills and ignore the constituents. Giron, presciently following this strategy, had allowed citizens to raise Second Amendment concerns at a single town hall meeting, and thereafter refused to discuss the issue at public fora.

If an 8:1 Bloomberg money advantage can’t buy an election, then elected officials will be more reluctant to support repressive gun bills. As Giron told The New Republic, “”For Mayors Against Illegal Guns, if they lose even one of these seats, they might as well fold it up. And they understand that.”

There were other issues too, including the dubious claim the Republicans Herpin and Rivera would take away women’s birth control pills, as well as discredited financial ethic charges against Morse.

The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms was the secondmost important reason why Morse and Giron were removed from office. The first reason was the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment principle of Due Process of Law. The opportunity to be heard is the fundamental to Due Process of Law, and not solely in adjudications. When Morse and Giron squelched the testimony of law-abiding citizens and of law-enforcing Sheriffs, they grossly abused their constitutional office of being law-makers. And so, for abuse of office, John Morse and Angela Giron have been recalled from office by the People of Colorado, to be replaced by legislators who will listen before the vote."

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Commenter stunned that Giron "treats those who elected her like subjects, not citizens:" 
"Bill Dietrick. 4 hours ago
 

I attended that first Town Hall meeting, and was simply appalled at Giron's arrogance. Hundreds of our citizens showed up to be heard, and Giron refused to take more than a couple of questions, and quickly stifled any discussion. People were furious that she declined to even give them answers. At the next one, she refused to take questions at all on the subject of firearms. Her attitude was that she knew what was best for us, and we could damned well like it. I was also present at the Tanner Gun Show she came to. I was at the Firearms Coalition of Colorado table talking to Steve Schreiner when she came up and engaged us in conversation. She solicited our opinions of these wonderful new gun bills the Democrats were proposing. We politely explained to her that not only could we not support them, they were in contravention of existing law, unenforceable, and wouldn't sustaing a court challenge. We even gave her copies of the existing laws and pointed out where the conflicts arose. She smiled and left, but those near the entrance who watched her leave said she was highly irate. She just couldn't understand why we weren't on board with her "common-sense" gun laws. This woman has a highly inflated sense of her own self-worth, and treats those who elected her like subjects, not citizens. This was on display only too clearly at those Town Hall meetings, and I think that's what sealed her demise."

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