Schaffer camp taking aim at Udall ZIP code
Dem: Home is in Eldorado Springs, not in Boulder
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published May 26, 2008 at 11:45 p.m.
Mark Udall lives near the Eldorado Springs post office.
Bob Schaffer camp says foe is "ashamed" of Boulder ties.
Five years ago, Congressman Mark Udall and his family packed up and moved six miles and 11 minutes down the road.
In the process, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Boulder, became U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs.
But does he really hail from Eldorado Springs?
Yes, says the Boulder County Assessor's Office and the Rocky Mountain Fire Protection District.
No, says Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams, who has made Udall's address an issue in the U.S. Senate campaign between Udall and former Congressman Bob Schaffer, R-Fort Collins.
Wadhams, who also is Schaffer's campaign manager, never misses a chance to attach "Boulder liberal" to Udall's name.
Wadhams produced Udall's congressional financial disclosures, the warranty deed on his house and his voter registration record. All show the Democratic congressman's address as Boulder.
"His mailing address says Boulder, but his physical address where he is located is Eldorado Springs," said Trish Dunbar, Boulder County deputy assessor.
In a Wikipedia entry on Eldorado Springs, Udall is listed under "notable residents."
Wadhams dismissed that, noting that Udall's 80303 ZIP code is Boulder.
"The Eldorado Springs ZIP code is 80025," said Wadhams, who accused Udall of "lying and misrepresenting his residency."
The Udalls live 11/2 miles from the Eldorado Springs post office. There is no mail delivery in the tiny town, but the post office rents 270 boxes, said postmaster Melba Yeck.
She lives near the Udalls and, like them, has a Boulder mailing address and an 80303 ZIP code. Where does she tell people she lives? "I tell them I'm from Eldorado Springs," she said.
The area sits at the foot of the Flatirons at the mouth of Eldorado Canyon State Park, considered a rock climber's paradise.
"Living out here is as close to heaven as you can get," said Udall's wife, Maggie Fox. "The kids love it. We love it."
Blame the post office
Earlier this month, the spokeswoman for the White House, Colorado's own Dana Perino, was the featured guest at a fundraiser for Schaffer.
The invitation to the GOP event announced that a reception would be held at a private home in Englewood, Colo., 80113. But Cherry Hills Village police confirmed the address is in their jurisdiction.
Welcome to the strange world of Colorado ZIP codes.
Some Adams County dwellers write "Denver" on their return addresses.
Folks on one side of the street in Gunbarrel have a Boulder mailing address, while those on the other side have a Longmont address, although they all live in unincorporated Boulder County.
"Someone's official mailing address might not physically be the place they reside," said Al DeSarro, spokesman for the Western region of the U.S. Postal Service.
Considering that, it's hard to believe Schaffer's campaign is making an issue of Udall's address, said Udall campaign spokeswoman Taylor West.
"While Mark Udall is working to fix our economy, make sure Colorado kids have health care and get our national security right, Bob Schaffer is obsessing over ZIP codes," she said.
Mixed-up geography
The city of Boulder is regularly the butt of jokes by Republicans, who view it as liberal and loony and refer to it as the People's Republic of Boulder.
"There's only one thing worse in this state than being a liberal. That's being a Boulder liberal," Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, once joked.
But here's the kicker: Udall has never lived in Boulder's city limits, although he's always had a Boulder mailing address. When he served in the state legislature, he was referred to as D-Boulder, but he represented Louisville, Superior, a portion of Broomfield and the Gunbarrel area.
The Udalls in 1984 bought a house on the east side of Flatirons Golf Course, near Baseline and Cherryvale roads. They moved to their current location in 2003 because they love the area.
But Wadhams suggested the real reason Udall moved was to attempt to say he was from somewhere else.
"The real significance here is that Boulder liberal Mark Udall is a man who is apparently ashamed of his Boulder roots because he has gone to great lengths to try to distance himself from Boulder, to the point of almost acting like he's never heard of Boulder, Colorado," he said.
West called that "absurd."
"It's no different than if I accused Bob Schaffer of proposing to his wife on Pikes Peak so he could use it in a campaign ad," she said. "And given how badly they fouled that up, maybe they ought to get their own house in order instead of worrying so much about Mark's."
Schaffer's first campaign ad mistakenly used a picture of Alaska's Mount McKinley when talking about the marriage proposal.
The ZIP code for Pikes Peak, by the way, is 80809. The ZIP code for Mount McKinley is 99755.
Not one and the same
Be careful when on the lookout for:
* The Independence Institute think tank is in Lakewood, although it has a Golden mailing address.
* Clint Hurdle, the Colorado Rockies manager, lives in Highlands Ranch, although he has a Littleton mailing address.
* The Loveland Ski Area is actually near Georgetown.
* U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter lives in unincorporated Jefferson County near Wheat Ridge. But the Democratic congressman has a Golden mailing address.
* Legal powerhouse Steve Farber lives in Cherry Hills Village but has an Englewood mailing address.
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May 27, 2008
1:05 a.m.
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jacka writes:
Boulder Liberal Mark Udall.
Boulder City - Boulder County, its all Boulder baby.
p.s. his wife is a radical Enviro Lawyer, crazy like a fox she is.
May 27, 2008
3:06 a.m.
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platoro79 writes:
My god, don't we have bigger fish to fry??
May 27, 2008
4:39 a.m.
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samsmargolis writes:
Udall's uni-brow resides in Boulder; he and his family reside in Eldorado Springs. There. Everyone happy?
May 27, 2008
5:11 a.m.
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roger44 writes:
Don't care what his zip is, what's he going to do? Both of them need to come up with specific plans for what they are promoting, and doubt if either one will. Then another do nothing double talking politician will join the ranks.
May 27, 2008
5:44 a.m.
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socrates writes:
Who freakin' cares? Does shaffer think one of the two is "out of the district"? They're running for Senate for chrissake! It doesn't matter if he's from Eldorado Springs - Schaffer's going to call him a "boulder liberal" anyway - that's what his whole platform is based on.
If Schaffer ever had an actual idea his head would explode.
May 27, 2008
6:25 a.m.
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JonBen writes:
"I'm shocked - SHOCKED - that Clint Hurdle has been LYING TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF COLORADO by saying he lives in Highlands Ranch when he actually has a Littleton mailing address. Kick the bum out!" - Dick Wadhams
May 27, 2008
7:19 a.m.
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becket writes:
This is stupid. Schaffer is a brilliant guy with a lot of good ideas and his campaign manager is going to blow it.
May 27, 2008
7:31 a.m.
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snowbelly writes:
Career politicians are exactly that,usurpers. If your father or grandfather were politicians maybe you should find a real job. Just a suggestion. It's pretty obvious who the real carpetbagger is.
May 27, 2008
7:34 a.m.
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Scott writes:
The label "Boulder Liberal" is not limited to those that live in The People's Democratic Republic of Boulder. It also refers to a state of mind and/or political view. The state of mind is "stoned", the political views are to the left of Timothy Leary.
Scott
May 27, 2008
8:09 a.m.
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kmcconnon writes:
Dick Wadhams' claim to fame in the '06 cycle was managing Sen. Allen's re-election campaign. He lost a 20 point LEAD in that race in under 60 days. Hire a loser, so you can win? This is the kind of judgment we need in the Senate?
May 27, 2008
8:19 a.m.
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anya writes:
Boy, this is really important. I'm glad that the Republican candidates don't have to deal with things like real issues and stuff any more. This hard-hitting in-the-trenches reporting that the Rocky Mountain News is doing these days really hits home and connects with us voters!
May 27, 2008
8:24 a.m.
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soccermom writes:
Dick Wadham has made a career out of trying to destroy the careers of others. Let's look at Scaffer's record. In January he was listed on the League of Conservation Voters (non-partisan) as one of 2008's Dirty Dozen.
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the independent political voice for the environment, today announced that former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-CO) has been named to its 2008 “Dirty Dozen” list.
“During his tenure in Congress, Bob Schaffer worked to get Big Oil $33 billion in tax breaks by supporting an energy bill written by Dick Cheney and the oil industry. Bob Schaffer is a career politician turned oil executive. His anti-environmental record in Congress and his misplaced loyalties are clear. He has accepted more than $75,000 in donations from the oil and gas industry and was a major supporter of the Bush-Cheney energy plan, which doled out $33 billion in tax breaks for the energy industry. He has consistently voted against incentives for developing alternative fuel vehicles and has fought increased fuel efficiency standards for automobiles. He also has voted against increasing funding for energy efficiency and conservation programs.
In 2003 he supported Referendum A, a $4 billion blank check to the state legislature that would have raided Western Slope water for farms, ranches and people and delivered it to developers on the Front Range. As a member of the House he voted against enforcing arsenic and radon water standards and opposed protecting water from mining pollution. In addition, Schaffer argued in favor of allowing nuclear waste to be transported on Colorado highways.
Now, as an executive at Aspect Energy, Schaffer develops international oil and gas opportunities, including making oil deals in Iraq.
LCV’s trademark “Dirty Dozen” program targets current and former members of Congress – regardless of party affiliation –
Indeed, his new cartoon commercial where he supports clean, renewable energy is pure fantasy.
May 27, 2008
8:41 a.m.
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davies writes:
Slow news day I guess...
May 27, 2008
8:54 a.m.
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SheikYurBooty writes:
Schaffer and Wadhams are showing real desperation here. This campaign could end up being a "worst of Pete Coors + worst of Bruce Benson + worst of Bob Beauprez" Shake-n-Bake. Note to Bob S. - don't quit your day "job."
May 27, 2008
8:57 a.m.
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bugmenot writes:
Can't stop laughing. This is as absurd as it gets.
I'd move the short distance down Broadway/ CO 93 to ElDo from Boulder if I could afford it. It's fabulous. Lot's of open space and hiking trails right outside your door, amazing mtn vistas. Much better than living over by the Flatirons golf course.
The putting Denver as your return address was because it used to take longer to get a letter across DenverMetro then to NY or LA. Days longer. As in I mailed something to LA on Monday afternoon it was there on Wednesday morning. I mailed something across town Monday morn. and it still hadn't arrived Thurs afternoon. The theory was that if you wrote your correct street address and the closest Denver zip the mail might get to you a day or even two faster. That all changed when they built the new sorting facility.
May 27, 2008
9:04 a.m.
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DougH writes:
Wadhams started the Boulder Liberal name smear and now he is trying to justify his cheap political trick. Are things that desperate all ready ?
It will be Good riddance to Wadhams by November. what a joke he has become.
May 27, 2008
9:17 a.m.
Suggest removal
kayaker80206 writes:
Wadhams might be surprised to learn that thousands of rural Coloradoans don't have home mail delivery, and very often pick their mail up in a town that is different from where they live.
And to say that Udall is trying to disassociate himself with Boulder, when Udall chooses to have a Boulder mailing address. Where is the logic there?
It looks like to me that its a real benefit to Udall to have Wadhams working for Schaeffer.
May 27, 2008
9:18 a.m.
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rickg19611 writes:
Why does Udall need to lie about his address? Everyone in Colorado with an IQ above 12 is ashamed of Boulder, so its not a surprise. But then if voters can't trust Udall to tell the truth about his address, why should voters trust anything else the BOULDER LIBERAL has to say?
May 27, 2008
9:35 a.m.
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JustSayin writes:
rick19611 - you have it wrong - everyone in northern Colorado with an IQ above 12 is ashamed that Schaffer was ever our congressional representative........
May 27, 2008
9:44 a.m.
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jbowen43 writes:
"Don't care what his zip is, what's he going to do?'
You can usually tell what politicians will do in the future by looking at their past. Don't expect to learn much from the local media tough. They could print information daily or weekly on how the state's delegation voted on bills, and excerpts from their speeches but they won't.
Mr. Udall's history is that he is liberal on the environment (that seems to be a family history) and he supports funding the occupation of Iraq and the war on Afghanistan. On other issues he seems to be all over the board. Hardly a "Boulder Liberal" if there is such a person.
May 27, 2008
9:54 a.m.
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athought writes:
rickg: This might have more clout if Schaeffer hired campaign consultants from CO that know the difference between Pikes Peak and Mt. McKinley. If the GOP has to resort to ticky tack fouls already, how can they expect to win anything this year? If you want to paint Udall as a Boulder Lib (which he is), just point out that he lives near Boulder or lives in Boulder County. It would be better to go on issues rather than the good ol' American smeer campaign.
May 27, 2008
10:06 a.m.
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urnfndbag writes:
Udall lives in Boulder or El Dorado. Shaffer lives in desperation.
May 27, 2008
10:11 a.m.
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davies writes:
athought: You are right on here; this is just dumb 'us vs. them' politics. If the Republicans had a candidate with the same type of address discrepancy, the Dems would probably try to exploit it in the same way. I'm glad most people seem to see through this bullsh*t strategy; the reaction being: "Is this all you've got?" "Is this the best thing you have to talk about?"
Because if it is, one may conclude that Mr. Udall apparently doesn't have very big weaknesses.
May 27, 2008
10:15 a.m.
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buffsblg writes:
Expect more of this. Wadham's entire political career is based on two things, throwing the most mud and hiding the facts about his candidate. There are very significant policy differences between these two candidates on energy, education, environment, and Iraq. These are the issues we need to hear about. What zip code people live in or what mountain is on a campaign ad are not important and anyone who votes based on those demonstrates the problems with today's political campaigns.
May 27, 2008
10:45 a.m.
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soccermom writes:
Important questions are: why did Pete Coors win over Bob Schaffer in the last Republican primary for the Colorado senate? Why is Schaffer a better candidate now? why have his positions changed from being so far right he is off the teeter totter seat, to inching towards the middle?
At the Colorado Democratic Dinner a few months ago, guest speaker Jim Webb said it best when commenting on the campaign that Wadhams ran against him.
"I’ll say something else. When our election was finally decided, we knew we were going to win Tuesday night. We had to go through counting of some areas that hadn’t come in. When I stepped up on the platform on November the ninth [2006] and held my son’s boots up in the air, I literally felt like I was climbing out of a sewer. I made a comment then. I called on President Bush to stop this kind of campaigning, to put the reins on this Karl Rove-mentality and put the issues on the table. And I would renew that call tonight: ‘You lost. You lost. Clean up your act.’ We need to start facing the issues in this country. I think one of the things that we’re seeing, one of the reasons we’re seeing such incredible turnouts and such enthusiasm this year, is that the public finally has an avenue with which to express its disgust with that kind of politics.”
May 27, 2008
11:12 a.m.
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HolierThanThou writes:
Bob Schaffer is a lobbyist for Aspect Energy, LLC. The primary business of Aspect Energy, LLC is developing oil, more oil, and a little bit of coal and shale. See http://www.aspectenergy.com/
They develop oil in Kurdistan http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.a... . So, naturally they want our troops there to protect their investment. This particular prospect prevents unification of the Iraqi government. It makes it practically impossible to extract concessions from the Kurdish part of the country that would pacify the Sunnis. Bob Schaffer is using our military tax dollars to protect his business interests while prolonging the conflict that puts our military people in harm's way.
Bob Schaffer doesn't have to carry a rifle and ride around in Humvee where he could get his ass blown off by an IED. His zip code protects him from that kind of dirty work.
The choice is yours. You can buy the patriotic-sounding hogwash coming from Bob Schaffer and let thieves continue to rob your country and bleed it dry. Or you can use your vote to keep Bob Schaffer inside the zip code that he is obviously so proud of.
May 27, 2008
11:58 a.m.
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Mikefreed924 writes:
More Republican theater of the absurd...LOL
May 27, 2008
12:13 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
Too bad Sweatshop Schaffer's camp weren't geographical wizards a few weeks ago. Maybe they would have put the right mountain in their ad...
At any rate, if Schaffer had an ounce of the common sense he's trying to run on, he'd find another campaign manager before Wadhams derails everything like he did with George "Macaca" Allen's campaign.
May 27, 2008
1:35 p.m.
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mytwosense writes:
HolierThanThou: "Bob Schaffer is using our military tax dollars to protect his business interests while prolonging the conflict that puts our military people in harm's way."
Very, very good point. In fact, it's related to another: that the war in Iraq is the most privatized military conflict in the history of the United States. There are companies making billions upon billions of dollars in Iraq, while soldiers are making meager wages. Does anyone really think these companies want us to leave Iraq anytime soon? Does anyone really think these companies aren't doing whatever they can to influence our politicians into invading Iran next?
You can squawk all you want about being a patriot, but until you realize your kind of patriotism is killing US soldiers while fattening the wallets of war profiteering "executives," you're anything BUT.
And that means YOU, BOB SCHAFFER.
May 27, 2008
2:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
GladysKravitz writes:
hmmmm let me get this right..... while in other zip codes throughout the state people are being forclosed upon, and losing their homes, Bob Schaffer's priority is to worry about whether Udall lives in Boulder or El Dorado Springs....yet Schaffer can't find his way around Colorado much less tell the difference between Pikes Peak and Mt. McKinley where he proposed to his wife. This is going to be a fun comedy or errors for the republicans. One misstep after another.
May 27, 2008
3:16 p.m.
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plzgetreal writes:
Wow, I'm going to follow this issue very closely. This is probably the MOST important issue of the upcoming election. I mean, does he or doesn't he live in Boulder. It's really going to weigh heavily on how I cast my ballot.
Only someone with nothing to offer would attempt to make this an issue. But then the republiKans haven't had much to offer except fear and smear for quite a long time.
What a joke this guy is.
May 27, 2008
4:11 p.m.
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Jonah writes:
THANK YOU, SOCCERMOM!!!
P.S. I find myself not ashamed of Boulder. Should I be?
May 27, 2008
4:27 p.m.
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SenWidestance writes:
*yawn* now THIS is news about Big Oil Bob...
from TPM http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo...
Colorado GOPer Bob Schaffer Tied to Federal Criminal Investigation
By Andrew Tilghman - May 27, 2008, 3:00PM
Last we checked in with Bob Schaffer, the GOP's Senate candidate in Colorado was fending off news reports about parasailing in the Mariana Islands on Jack Abramoff's dime while supposedly personally investigating the plight of foreign workers there.
Now we learn about a federal criminal case in Colorado against former business and political associates of Schaffer's involving government contracts with a nonprofit foundation where Schaffer was a member of the board of directors.
Schaffer, a former House member who is battling with Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) to replace the retiring Sen. Wayne Allard, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. But the federal prosecutor handling the case told TPMmuckraker in a telephone interview that Schaffer was added to prosecutors' witness list in the federal fraud trial of Bill Orr, a Denver businessman accused of bilking the government out of more than $2 million
May 27, 2008
4:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
huskerco writes:
What does Wadhams think of the El Paso County Republican Party's ad for Bob Shaffer in which the narrator says that George Soros should take a long walk on a short pier? http://schaffervudall.blogspot.com/20...
Isn't that a relevant issue.?
May 27, 2008
6:56 p.m.
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DAT writes:
Dear Becket:
If, as you say, "Schaffer is a brilliant guy with a lot of good ideas," how come he was so incredibly stupid as to hire WaddleDick as his "campaign manager" who is now going to blow it? Any thoughts on that?
May 27, 2008
9:38 p.m.
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PonchoVia writes:
Apparently Bob Shaffer lives in Alaska...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuZByA...
May 27, 2008
9:44 p.m.
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windbourne writes:
Makes sense to me. When all else fails, pick something real odd and hope that you can make it stick. You would be surprised at how many idiots think that Obama swore in on a koran or that he is muslim. This is the same thing. In the mean time, shaffer keeps quiet on his own record and does not want to debate Udall in the open.
May 27, 2008
9:45 p.m.
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Iggy writes:
Wadhams is a hack. Please keep up this type of campaign (note the RMN won't let me use Richard's nickname of D***.although he is one so I will call him)Richard. People for some reason seem to care about the economy, the transfer of our wealth and sovereignty to our enemies through oil addiction, a never ending war and exploding debt all brought about by Richard and his GOP overlords.
I'll take Udall for Senator of the state of Colorado and let Schaffer be Senator for the State of denial.
May 28, 2008
5:40 a.m.
Suggest removal
BJ writes:
Somebody should look into where Rep Dan Gibbs lives and works.
He volunteered for Udall and was State Rep. seems like Democrats can't figure out where they live and whom they represent. Ever seen Gibbs resume and work experience? Where does he get his money to live, not as a State Rep! Somebody should investigate this guy for the place of residency and cost of living do not add up.