Former Bush administration strategist, Karl Rove, spoke to Colorado Republicans at a fundraiser in Denver at the Brown Palace Hotel and the annual Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser in Colorado Springs on Wednesday.
With the 2012 presidential election on his mind, Rove's speeches at both events were intended to energize the Colorado GOP because of growing concern that Colorado could be a swing state in next year's election. The Denver Post reports Rove's statements to the crowd of Republicans at the Colorado Springs event:
In 2012, as goes Colorado, so goes the nation. You've got a lot of work to do.
106 people paid to attend the Denver fundraiser and over 600 Republicans came out to the Colorado Springs dinner, according to reports by 7News and The Denver Post.
In Denver, Rove focused on strategies to try and keep President Barack Obama a single-term president offering advice to Republican attendees to focus on issues like the economy, the deficit, federal stimulus spending and Obama's hotly contested health care overhaul, according to 7News.
It was mostly supportive in Colorado Springs, but there were some protesters, including a Republican party precinct captain, Chris Nixon. Nixon, on his bullhorn, criticized Rove saying he should be tried for war crimes, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette:
He should be held accountable for everything he's done. He obviously thinks he's above the law.