Colorado: Jeff Crank

Many prominent Colorado Republicans came out for Saturday's rally with GOP presidential ticket John McCain and Sarah Palin - some with jobs to do, others to watch the rally.

"We haven't had an event like this since the president came here in 2004," said Jeff Crank, a former 5th Congressional District Republican candidate who was in the grandstand behind McCain and Palin.

Crank's primary rival, retired Air Force Major General Bentley Rayburn, was in the crowd, as he was in charge of the cadre of ushers.

Doug Lamborn has done it again.

The first-term Republican U.S. Representative from Colorado Springs, seen as vulnerable ever since a narrow primary win two years ago, won a decisive victory Tuesday against two of the same candidates he faced in 2006.

With 96 percent of the vote in, Lamborn had 45 percent of the vote. Businessman Jeff Crank had 29.3 percent, while retired Air Force Major General Bentley Rayburn polled a surprisingly high 25.7 percent.

The final 5th Congressional District Republican primary debate, scheduled for this week, was canceled by the organizing group's national office after receiving a call from U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn's congressional chief of staff, according to the group's ex-president.

The national executive director of the group, though, called the accusation "a flat-out lie."

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."