Exclusive — Colorado Senate Candidate Ad Calls for 47-Year Ban on Members of Congress Becoming Lobbyists

A new ad from Colorado GOP senatorial candidate Robert Blaha calls for a 47-year ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists.

Blaha says in the ad, as images of bobble head dolls made to look like politicians dance bounce on the screen:

Michael Bennet and the Washington talking heads just bobble on. Let’s restrict anyone that’s been a Congressman, senior staff member or key government official from being a lobbyist for 47 years after service. And if you’re caught lobbying you’re going to go to prison—and not some white collar Club Med. No, we’re talking Rikers Island—10 years, hard time. People get on the ferris wheel, collect the money, stay on K Street, enrich themselves and their special interests—and never get off, ultimately to make themselves filthy rich. We’ve got to stop this never-ending ride by implementing behavioral changing legislation. Taking this action can substantially change the self-serving attitude that dominates Washington at the expense of taxpaying Americans. It’s time to end this ripoff.

Since, constitutionally, someone has to be at least 25-years-old to be elected to the U.S. House–30-years-old to be elected to the U.S. Senate–that means that after just one two-year term in the U.S. House, under Blaha’s plan, a person wouldn’t be able to lobby until they were at least 74- years-old. Blaha’s plan would effectively eliminate the revolving door between government and lobby firms. Current bans are only two years for an ex-member of Congress and one year for their staffers.

Throughout Blaha’s ad are bobble-head dolls made to look like various well-known politicians, including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid–whose likeness includes sunglasses and a bandage over his eye, recalling the injury Reid suffered last year.

Blaha is running in a crowded field in the GOP primary to challenge Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) in the general election, but he is gaining national and statewide attention with these eye-popping and bold ads.

In a previous ad rolled out at his campaign launch, Blaha compared illegal immigration to an exploding toilet—and promised he’d throw himself out of office if illegal immigration isn’t cut down at least in half by the end of his first term.

Blaha is also an outsider in an outsider’s year in politics. He’s never held political office before and like billionaire Donald Trump in the presidential race, the Colorado businessman is self-funding his campaign.