Ken Buck called Donald Trump a "fraud" and said that "Trump's proposal (to ban all Muslims) violates the Constitution, the values of our nation, the Republican Party platform, and my conscience."
That was in December. Mr. Buck was correct.
But now Congressman Buck expects you to vote for Donald Trump; this fraud, this unconstitutional bigot, this violator of national values.
Ken Buck's conversion to Trumpism - even as other Republicans are backing away - is further evidence that the former prosecutor's concerns about the Republican presidential nominee were never about defending the Constitution or our national values. Mr. Buck wants power, or at least access to it. "If I call the White House, and President Clinton is in the oval office, no one is going to take my call," the Congressman told listeners on KNUS. "If I call the White House with a President Trump, I have a chance of influencing policy in the executive branch." Ken Buck will defend anything that supports his rather inconsistent sense of justice or his ability to impose his will on others.
Never mind that thus far in his career, Congressman Ken Buck has had very little success influencing policy in the House or even within his own Party, where he is widely regarded as too uncooperative to be effective.
Mr. Buck should stop trying to reign in some imaginary imperial president and start working on resolving real problems. Colorado's 4th Congressional District needs economic development, including investment in roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. We need trade agreements that work for Americans workers, including farmers and ranchers, and not against them. We have too many families with inadequate health care and too many people who work hard but whose wages are so low that they still qualify for food stamps and Medicaid. We have to find a way to resolve conflicts over water, energy production, and the environment. Ken Buck has addressed none of these issues.
Ken Buck was right when he called Donald Trump a fraud. He was wrong when he decided that being a fraud was OK.
Bob Seay is a candidate for the U.S. House for Colorado's 4th Congressional District. His website is at BobForColorado.org