Bentley Rayburn

The Fourth of July is about fireworks, barbecuing, parades and -- of course -- politicking.

After the jump, check out where Colorado candidates for U.S. Senate and Congress will be on America's birthday.

Fifth Congressional District Republican candidate Bentley Rayburn’s campaign has made its first media ad buys of the election cycle, purchasing both television and radio spots over the past couple weeks.

Rayburn’s first television ad, which began airing this week on broadcast and cable stations in Colorado Springs and Canon City, is an informational spot showing the retired Air Force general with his family and is interspersed with old photos of him in the military.

You know its Friday because you get the latest comments, emails and threats from Wally's World. In this supersized edition of Feedback, we talk about polls and endorsements. But we promise that because of the use chemical sweeteners in this column, it won't affect your weight loss plan. So read all you want! It's the weekend.     

The Colorado Springs Housing and Building Association issued a press release today, first published by ColoradoPols, which suggests that maybe one side in the Rayburn-Crank polling snafu wasn't all that honest about what happened.   

The campaign of Republican candidate Jeff Crank in the 5th Congressional District today released the first of what it says will be a series of television and radio ads.

Called "Courage and Commitment," the ad emphasizes Crank's native Coloradan heritage and patriotism. Recalling an event during Crank's junior year at Colorado State University, the narrator describes Crank stepping forward to extinguish an American flag ignited by a group of "liberal extremists" in protest of a law forbidding flag-burning. The ad promises that Crank has "the courage to lead; the conviction and commitment to bring conservative change to Washington."

You know its Friday because you get the latest comments, emails and threats from Wally's World. In this week's Feedback Friday edition we ignore comments about campaign finance reform, drilling on the Roan, likelihood of us burning in hell because we write this column and a lot of other merry topics from an assortment of villagers with torches and pitchforks!

The Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce endorsed U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in the 5th Congressional District Republican primary race on Thursday, according to the three CO-5 GOP campaigns in the race.

Lamborn got the nod over former Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce vice-president Jeff Crank, as well as retired Air Force General Bentley Rayburn.

“For Crank, being former vice-president of the Chamber and losing this endorsement, it’s a big deal,” said Rayburn manager Mike Hesse.

A day after a dispute over a secret agreement between 5th Congressional District candidates Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn was made public, the two candidates took a notably more hostile stance towards each other on Tuesday morning talk radio.

Rayburn and Crank held a mini-debate on "The Richard Randall Show" Tuesday morning on KVOR-AM in Colorado Springs. Crank also spoke for 20 minutes (Rayburn spoke on the show Monday for the same amount of time).

Up until now, the two candidates have both focused primarily on ousting incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs); Crank said Tuesday that he and Rayburn have talked since June of 2007 "about making this a two-way race."

But such camaraderie wasn't evident Tuesday, as Rayburn asked Crank, "Point-blank, am I a liar?" and Crank asked Rayburn to tell his 10-year-old son why it was OK to break an agreement.

Also Tuesday, Democratic CO-5 candidate Hal Bidlack released a statement saying he was "disappointed" with the candidates' "bickering."

UPDATED 4:19 P.M.

In today's Inside Edge Wally asks why Doug Lamborn should debate his challengers. He has one of his flunkies answer the question too. The smart alecks. We HATE when they do that!