DENVER — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s decision Wednesday to grant Chuck E. Cheese killer a temporary reprieve continues to draw outrage from Republicans across the state.
And the first “soft on crime” attack ad, a foregone conclusion for next year’s campaign cycle, is already finished.
On Thursday, shortly after Tom Tancredo announced his candidacy for governor calling the Dunlap decision the “last straw,” the state Republican Party released a web ad condemning Hickenlooper for “denying justice” to Dunlap, who was scheduled to be executed in August.
“Gov. Hickenlooper has denied justice for the innocent victims who were killed in cold-blood,” state GOP Chairman Ryan Call said.
“In Colorado, the death penalty is used sparingly, and only for the most heinous crimes. It is clear that Hickenlooper’s cowardly decision was not about ensuring justice is done, but was all about his inability to make the difficult decisions required of a Governor.”
The web video features audio of Bobby Stevens, who survived the 1993 shooting at the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora.
“What I saw was this cold anger and hatred in the eyes that stared right back at me as he smiled and shot me,” Stevens says.
The ad also features audio of Dunlap saying, “If you think you can take my life. Come do it. I’m going to take yours before you take mine.”
Then it dissolves the video to an image of a smiling Hickenlooper; on screen, text reads: “How can we protect our families when Governor Hickenlooper allows a cold-blooded murderer to escape justice?”
