Fifth Congressional District Republican candidate Jeff Crank is trying to collar incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) for voting against tougher dogfighting penalties last year.

A new Crank mailer blasts Lamborn for his "nay" vote on the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act in March 2007.

Crank's campaign also held a press event Wednesday to introduce a tongue-in-cheek "Dogs for Jeff Crank Coalition."

The mailer, sent out in El Paso County July 13 and in the CO-5 mountain counties two days later, shows a black-and-white photo of a dog attacking another dog and asks, "Why did Doug Lamborn vote to protect criminals like Michael Vick who abuse animals?"

The mailer references Lamborn's "nay" vote on the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act in March 2007. The legislation, H.R. 137, passed the House 368-39 and the Senate unanimously prior to President Bush signing it into law.

In a statement Wednesday, Lamborn said new federal rules weren't needed since state and federal laws were already in place.

"I support states' rights over federal power grabs," Lamborn said in the statement. "Besides, FBI agents and federal prosecutors are already concentrating their efforts on issues such as fighting terrorism. Shouldn't they keep their focus on protecting citizens and prosecuting dangerous criminals?"

Lamborn stated it was "absurd" to claim the vote "was somehow a 'Right to Life' issue, or a litmus test of one’s affection for animals."

Lamborn noted both he and his children grew up with dogs and animals, and said he and his wife Jeanie "have fond memories of our dog Squeaker.

"For the record," he said in the statement, "I love dogs and animals."

But Crank, speaking to PolitickerCO during a "Dogs for Jeff Crank" event at Nancy Lewis Park in Colorado Springs on Wednesday, said it was an "extremist" position to oppose the legislation, which Crank pointed out was backed by U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Loveland) and the National Sheriffs' Association.

"I think Doug can defend it any way he wants to - he's entitled to do that - but it was the wrong vote to cast if you love dogs and frankly if you're against crime," Crank said. "If you're strong on crime, that wasn't the right vote to cast."

Mike Hesse, manager for Bentley Rayburn, the third GOP candidate in the CO-5 race, said the Rayburn campaign agreed that Lamborn was wrong to vote against the legislation.

But Hesse added that Crank "kind of went for the lowest common dominator" with the mailer.

The dog-fighting issue is "about more than just killing Fluffy," Hesse said.

Crank, he said, could have mentioned in the mail that many violent criminals "started out by abusing animals, (then) shifted into murder, abusing their spouse or abusing their child."

Crank made a similar point when he appeared on "The Richard Randall Show" on KVOR-AM Wednesday morning, saying dogfighting was associated with "drug-running, counterfeiting, (and) a lot of gambling, obviously."

Crank owns two dogs which are pictured on the back of his mailer: a 2-year-old Hungarian vizsla named Indiana Jones, and Grace, a Walker Coonhound he found and rescued a few years ago while pheasant hunting.

But like his dog's fedora-wearing namesake. Crank isn't a fan of all animals -- as he found out one day when his daughter brought home a dead snake to show him.

"I hate snakes," Crank said.

[img_assist|nid=1803|title=Crank mailer, side 2|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=420|height=272][img_assist|nid=1802|title=Crank mailer, side 1|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=420|height=272]