In an August 30 article reporting on retiring 5th Congressional District Rep. Joel Hefley's (R-Colorado Springs) decision not to run for re-election as a write-in candidate, The Denver Post reported a statement by a spokesman for Doug Lamborn, the Republican candidate for Hefley's seat, that “Lamborn is the Republican nominee, and Republicans are going to get behind him.” The Post did not note that Hefley has refused to endorse Lamborn and has called Lamborn's primary campaign “sleazy” and “dishonest.” An August 30 Rocky Mountain News article on the same topic also did not report on Hefley's refusal to endorse Lamborn.

In an article by reporter Ed Sealover posted August 29 on its website, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported “Hefley said Tuesday that he will stick to his plan to retire at the end of the year, despite an effort to have him seek re-election as a write-in candidate.” The Gazette further reported Hefley “said, however, that he will not back GOP nominee Doug Lamborn” and that Hefley said of Lamborn: “I feel that he ran the most sleazy, dishonest campaign I've seen in a long, long time, and I can not support it.” According to the Gazette article, Hefley left open the possibility he would endorse Democratic candidate Jay Fawcett:

Though he will not endorse Lamborn, Hefley said it would be “very difficult” as well to support Democrat Jay Fawcett because he wants Republicans to keep control of the House. But he added: “I don't know what I'm going to do at this point about that.”

An August 30 article by Denver Post staff writer Erin Emery made no mention of Hefley's refusal to endorse Lamborn, who had defeated former Hefley aide Jeff Crank, and quoted Lamborn spokesman Jon Hotaling's statement that “Doug Lamborn is the Republican nominee, and Republicans are going to get behind him.” Emery's article also reported that "[s]ome Republicans say Lamborn ran a dirty campaign, portraying Jeff Crank -- who was endorsed by Hefley -- as a candidate who favored tax increases and a homosexual agenda" but did not report that Hefley had called Lamborn's campaign “sleazy” and “dishonest.”

An August 30 Rocky Mountain News article by reporter Dick Foster also omitted Hefley's criticism and refusal to support Lamborn, noting only that “Republicans from national, state and local levels had approached Hefley to mount a campaign to oppose Lamborn in November, said Hefley's press secretary Jenny Walberg. Hefley was 'flattered' but decided it would be better for the party if he did not, Walberg said.” The News added, “Some Republicans were upset by ads from two independent organizations, the Club for Growth and the Christian Coalition of Colorado, that Lamborn's opponents said distorted their positions on taxes and gay issues.” But the article did not mention Hefley's criticism of Lamborn's campaign.

In contrast to the news coverage in the Post and the News, an August 30 Post editorial citing the Gazette's reporting noted Hefley's criticism of Lamborn's campaign, Hefley's refusal to support Lamborn, and the fact that Hefley did not rule out endorsing Fawcett:

Congressman Joel Hefley made that perfectly clear Tuesday, blasting the GOP nominee, state Sen. Doug Lamborn, for running a “sleazy” primary campaign.

“I feel that he ran the most sleazy, dishonest campaign I've seen in a long, long time, and I cannot support it,” Hefley told the Colorado Springs Gazette on Tuesday.

[...]

Some Republican activists even went so far as to launch a campaign to draft Hefley as a write-in candidate. Hefley told the Colorado Springs paper Tuesday that he won't run as a write-in, even though he can't support the Republican nominee.

He wouldn't rule out supporting Democrat Jay Fawcett, even though he conceded that would be “very difficult” to do. “I don't know what I'm going to do at this point about that,” he told the Gazette.

In addition, Post editorial writer Dan Haley posted an item on his Denver Post weblog “Haley's Comment” on August 29 that referenced Hefley's comments in The Gazette. After repeating Hefley's criticism of Lamborn, Haley asked, “Of all their big races, Republicans figured they would have to worry the least about the Fifth Congressional District. Could that be changing?”

In an article published August 30, The Gazette elaborated on Hefley's criticism of Lamborn:

In withholding his support for the party's candidate as his successor, Hefley blasted the campaign Lamborn waged in defeating five other Republicans, including Crank.

In particular, Hefley noted the Federal Election Commission is investigating claims of illegal ties between Lamborn and thirdparty groups that sent out mailers accusing Crank of being a tax hiker and an advocate for the “radical homosexual lobby.”

“I am not supporting Doug Lamborn. And it is not because my candidate lost,” the former House ethics committee chairman said in a telephone interview. “I feel that Lamborn ran the most sleazy, dishonest campaign I've seen in a long, long time, and I cannot support that.”

From the August 30 Denver Post article by Erin Emery:

Efforts by Republican insiders to persuade Rep. Joel Hefley to run as a write-in candidate in November for the 5th Congressional District seat he has held for 20 years have failed.

Jenny Walberg, spokeswoman for Hefley, said the congressman had been approached by Republicans at the local, state and national levels to run as a write-in candidate.

Hefley, 71, “thinks it's better for the party not to run,” Walberg told The Associated Press. She said he was adamant when she spoke to him Tuesday.

Jon Hotaling, spokesman for GOP nominee Doug Lamborn, said the flare-up is “much ado about nothing.”

“Doug Lamborn is the Republican nominee, and Republicans are going to get behind him,” Hotaling said.

Hefley announced in February he would not seek an 11th term. After Lamborn won the GOP nomination in a primary election Aug. 8, Republicans began asking Hefley to run against Lamborn and Jay Fawcett, the Democrats' nominee.

Some Republicans say Lamborn ran a dirty campaign, portraying Jeff Crank - who was endorsed by Hefley - as a candidate who favored tax increases and a homosexual agenda.

Fawcett, an Air Force Academy graduate and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, said Tuesday: “Just the fact that they were discussing it speaks volumes about how they feel about my opponent.”

From the August 30 Rocky Mountain News article by Dick Foster:

Retiring 5th Congressional District Rep. Joel Hefley said Tuesday that he won't try to regain his seat to block Republican nominee state Sen. Doug Lamborn from winning it.

Hints of a possible write-in Hefley campaign revealed what could be rifts in the Republican Party growing out of a divisive primary election captured by Lamborn, described as the most conservative of the six-candidate primary field.

Republicans from national, state and local levels had approached Hefley to mount a campaign to oppose Lamborn in November, said Hefley's press secretary Jenny Walberg. Hefley was “flattered” but decided it would be better for the party if he did not, Walberg said.

Republicans have never lost the 5th Congressional District seat since its creation in 1972, but the bitter primary battle may cool support for Lamborn.

Some Republicans were upset by ads from two independent organizations, the Club for Growth and the Christian Coalition of Colorado, that Lamborn's opponents said distorted their positions on taxes and gay issues.