Barry Noreen: For many, Douglas Bruce is just a bad movie

Mr. Smith carried a bucket around Saturday, doling out baggies, each containing Jelly Bellys and his business card.

Mr. Smith , you know, Jefferson Smith, from the 1939 classic movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," is the man who single-handedly defeats a corrupt big government machine by means of a heroic, solitary stand on the floor of the U.S. Senate. In the movie, the political machine controls the media, which vilifies Smith, who actually is a humble, honest, decent man (played by Jimmy Stewart) who merely tries his best to represent the people.

At Saturday's El Paso County Republican Assembly, Rep. Douglas Bruce was playing the Mr. Smith role he loves best, and it turned out that 43 percent of the delegates in Colorado House District 15 still find the performance believable.

The bad, perhaps ominous news for the perennially rumpled Bruce was that 57 percent of the delegates aren't buying it anymore. They decided to support challenger Mark Waller, who won top-line designation for the Aug. 12 primary election ballot.

Bruce refused to answer a question about his affinity for the movie, but he has repeatedly likened himself to the Jimmy Stewart character. When he became the first legislator in Colorado history to be censured in January, Bruce evoked Jefferson Smith and he did it again Saturday when he was nominated for the House District 15 seat he has held since taking office in January.

In a few weeks Bruce has:

• Showed up days after the beginning of the legislative session so he can serve four full terms under the state's term limits law.

• Created a stink when legislative leaders refused to swear him in during the open session of the General Assembly, a privilege that never has been extended to anyone else.

• Kicked a newspaper photographer who was taking pictures during the morning prayer - a routine practice for Statehouse photographers for decades.

• Voted "no" on a resolution aimed at honoring military veterans.

It's hard to say which antics displeased delegates the most, but there clearly is an element of "anybody-but-Doug" in the GOP.

Delegate Allen Harmon said he'll support Waller "because he's not Doug Bruce. Anybody but Doug Bruce. I think we need someone who will work with the rest of the representatives."

Delegate support at an assembly does not necessarily translate into success in an election. Bruce backer John Heimsoth said, "The race has just begun. There are a lot of people out there who like Doug."

In August, Bruce said, "The voters will have a clear choice between someone who wants to reform government and someone who wants to vote with Democrats."

Then, with a straight face and without a trace of irony, Bruce said: "I think most people are tired of negative politics."

If they are, maybe you should be a little more like Mr. Smith, Doug. Go watch that favorite movie of yours again.