By NOELLE STRAUB
Star-Tribune Washington bureau Saturday, June 16, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Angry that state Rep. Colin Simpson publicly revealed a conversation they had on their political futures, U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin blasted her potential 2008 GOP primary challenger Wednesday as having "unbridled political ambition" and lacking judgment and discretion.
Simpson told a Capitol Hill newspaper earlier this week that he had met with Cubin last month to let her know he would run against her in the House Republican primary. Now a candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat of the late Craig Thomas, Simpson may no longer challenge her.
The paper also reported that Simpson said Cubin, who has not yet said publicly whether she will run again, told him she intended to announce in early 2008 that she is running for re-election.
Cubin released a statement in response to the news article.
"It's unfortunate that Mr. Simpson's unbridled political ambition would provoke him to share what I considered a private conversation with the press," Cubin said. "When the time is appropriate, I will make my own announcement about the 2008 election."
"While I will never fault anyone for enthusiasm, there are just some things you are trusted to keep to yourself," Cubin added. "This move shows a disappointing lack of the judgment and discretion I consider to be absolutely essential characteristics of anyone seeking to represent their fellow citizens in the U.S. Congress."
Simpson said he believes he only told the paper that Cubin said she'll make an announcement next year, but not which way she would decide. He said he has "great respect and affection" for Cubin.
"We've worked well together over the years," he added in a telephone interview. "I'm really surprised by her reaction. In my 20-year professional and political career I have practiced candor and honesty and integrity, and I know Rep. Cubin and I will move forward in a positive manner from here."
Simpson said he did not reveal Cubin's re-election plans and thinks the quote was inaccurate. He said he told the reporter only that Cubin would make an announcement on her political future early next year.
"I believe what I said is that she would announce her intentions in 2008, not her intention one way or the other, but that she would make a formal announcement in 2008," he said.
Simpson has been traveling the state meeting with members of the state GOP central committee, which will send Gov. Dave Freudenthal the names of three candidates to fill the seat of Thomas.
He said he'd been to 13 counties and covered 1,000 miles, meeting with 29 central committee members.
"It's great fun," he said. "We just filed the application with the state Republican headquarters."
The flap began when Simpson told The Hill newspaper earlier this week that he met with Cubin on May 20 to let her know he would run against her.
"I told her I was running in 2008 for the U.S. House and wanted her to be the first to know," the paper quoted Simpson as saying.
He said Cubin told him she intended to announce in early 2008 that she is running for re-election and that it was "a nice conversation," the paper reported. He also said he would still be interested in running for the House or Senate if he doesn't get appointed to the current opening.
Cubin faced a surprisingly strong primary challenge last year but won with 60 percent of the vote. She won the general election by about 1,000 votes against Democrat Gary Trauner.
Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, said the flap likely won't affect the current political situation.
"There may be an unwritten rule that candidates make their own announcement about running or not running," Gonzales said. "But I doubt this is going to have much of an impact on the Senate decision-making process or a potential House primary or House race."
Gonzales predicted that Simpson's comments won't hurt him.
"I don't know that there's a huge Cubin machine that will fail to support Simpson in a Senate run or other run for office," he said. "If he challenges her in a primary, they're not going to like each other anyway."
Until Cubin officially announces, it remains to be seen how the candidate field will shape up, Gonzales said.
"There are Republicans in Washington that would be concerned about the seat if Cubin does run for re-election," he said. "The race was pretty darn close last cycle, and I think that's a concern for Republicans."
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/06/16/news/wyoming/b20d8684c70a6699872572f90081af3e.txtAs he failed to make it down to the final three for the Senate nomination, Simpson could still challenge Cubin in 2008.