Udall, Schaffer take to the road with energy high on agendas
Rivals' campaigns trade barbs over hot-button issue
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 20, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Mark Udall
Bob Schaffer
Energy continues to dominate the U.S. Senate race as Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Bob Schaffer criss-cross the state this week in search of votes.
Udall's stops during his six- county visit include a tour today of Colorado State University's biofuels laboratory in Fort Collins and of a natural gas field in Rifle on Saturday.
Schaffer's events - from Leadville to Durango - include a news conference on energy in Grand Junction on Thursday.
Political consultant Steve Welchert said high energy costs are a driving force behind the faltering economy.
"I think people went into a pretty significant panic this summer over gas costs, and not without cause," he said. "It's going to be a bumpy road for many, many years and it's going to require lots of different solutions."
Udall's campaign spokeswoman, Taylor West, said Udall's stop at a biofuels lab and a natural gas field reflect the candidate's "comprehensive approach" to energy.
"Unlike Bob Schaffer, Mark thinks the way to move forward is to take these massive tax breaks to the record profit-making oil companies and put them into research, alternative fuels and energy efficiency," she said.
Schaffer also supports a comprehensive approach, said his campaign manager, Dick Wad- hams.
"We need to increase drilling. We need to increase domestic exploration. But we also need to develop renewables," Wadhams said. "Boulder liberal Udall is trying to convince people he's been for drilling all along, which he hasn't. This is a new position for him."
Udall, a five-term congressman from Eldorado Springs, and Schaffer, a former three-term congressman from Fort Collins, are vying to succeed Republican U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard.
Also running for the U.S. Senate are Green Party candidate Bob Kinsey, Doug "Dayhorse" Campbell of the American Constitution Party and independent Buddy Moore.
bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5327
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August 20, 2008
7:38 a.m.
Suggest removal
JohnSmith2 writes:
The United States and Colorado in particular have seen increases in drilling--dozens of new wells per day--since at least 2002. Udall certainly hasn't opposed all that new drilling. Udall has been opposed to drilling in a couple of areas where the tourism economy would be destroyed by drilling (a fraction of the Roan Plateau for instance) as well as the moratorium on drilling in certain areas offshore that was originally put in place by a Republican president. So why does D--- Wadhams get away unchallenged with saying Udall hasn't been for drilling?
http://colorado.mediamatters.org/item...
August 20, 2008
1:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
HopiMedicineMan writes:
Udall supported Salazar's banning a pilot oil shale lease a year ago. The technology is ready. A pilot program is the next step. We have 7 times the Saudi reserves. We need to act now. I don't see any indication, though, where Editorialist Bartels asked if so cute Udall would reverse his earlier stand. I guess we're to assume that since he's now pro-drilling, that we're to ignore his previous life and record altogether. Suddenly Udall the Green, is Udall the Ol' Man based on polling data. And Mr. Bartels is going right along for the ride ignoring Udall's giant contradictions while focusing carefully on the gnat occupying Schaffer's left ear. Typical. Better photo of Bob Scaffer: http://media.rockymountainnews.com/dr...
August 26, 2008
11:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
SteveT8 writes:
Richard Nixon was a free trade advocate all his life, and as such, was strongly against wage and price controls. But in 1971 he suddenly reversed himself and instituted such controls. Why? He was facing re-election and the public favored wage and price controls. He was re-elected.
Understanding that, you will understand why Mark Udall suddenly wants to draw a line in the sand and "produce our own oil and gas, right here in this country." This after a career of doing anything he could to cripple oil and gas production in the United States. Voters want to avoid paying $4,$5, or $6 a gallon for gas and realize we have to increase supply in order to meet increasing world demand. Udall isn't worried about those high prices because he knows that will force the rest of us to ride bikes, take light rail, and buy electric cars. But he wants to get elected, so he's saying what we want to hear. After he's elected he can revert to his old self until the next election cycle.