"Party over person?" Not according to Brown, Beauprez and Andrews.

Hopefully, Mike Rosen's utterly absurd "party over person" mantra can be put to rest.

Rosen and other GOP apologists have recited the line like a Buddhist koan.

Now that highly respected Republican patriarchs are calling for their duly nominated gubernatorial candidate, Dan Maes, to step down, will Rosen cling to his mantra like Louise clinging to the steering wheel in her final scene with Thelma?

First, former Senator Hank Brown withdrew his endorsement, and declared "I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Brown is now "looking around" for a candidate to support.

Then former Congressman Bob Beauprez advised that “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing."

Now former Colorado Senate President John Andrews has declared that "[a]s a conscientious Republican who earlier voted for Dan, I cannot support a manifestly unfit nominee." He said he will write in Jane Norton.

These respected Republicans have rejected the laughable "party over person" mantra. All principled people - regardless of political affiliation - should reject it.

I applaud and respect Brown, Beauprez and Andrews for their rejection of the mantra. However, I believe Dan Maes should abide by HIS principles and stay in the race. He won the GOP nomination fair and square. He worked hard to earn the nod. He has overcome numerous obstacles to attain the nomination. He played by ALL the rules.

He should make the GOP accept reality and ignore those calling for him to quit.