Mark Udall Campaign Drunken Sailor Spending Strategy May Be Cause for Regret

For two straight quarters, the Mark Udall campaign reports that it's spending like a drunken sailor:

Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams argued, however, that Udall is burning through money at an unsustainable rate, noting he spent almost $300,000 more than he raised from April through June. The $2 million cash-on-hand advantage the Democrat held over the former Fort Collins congressman in April has been cut almost in half by Schaffer, he said.

"The only thing that matters from here to the election is how much money you have in the bank, how many more bullets you have left to shoot," Wadhams said. "Even though he had a very good fundraising quarter, when you spend $2.3 million, it negates everything."

Back in April, we speculated about where the money was going:

Patent leather office chairs or golden bathroom fixtures at campaign headquarters? Solar-powered Blackberries? Or maybe it's being wasted on high-paid online staffers? Udall's friend Governor Bill Ritter probably wishes some of that money could be shared to cover his outstanding campaign debts.

This time some of the money was spent on buying television ads - which along with 527 smear ads, has helped to forge a small advantage for Mark Udall. But this rapid depletion of funds - combined with Bob Schaffer's more cost-effective strategy - may later be a source of regret for the Boulder liberal.

After all, there are more painful debate experiences to come.

Rasmussen Poll: Schaffer 44, Udall 43 ... The Dead Heat Continues

The highly-reliable Rasmussen tracking poll has released fresh results for Colorado:

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that former Republican Congressman Bob Schaffer holds a statistically insignificant lead over Democratic Congressman Mark Udall 44% to 43%.

Following the last Rasmussen release in late November, when Schaffer led Udall by an equally narrow and insignificant 42-to-41 edge, the race remains unmoved.

Based on the new Rasmussen survey, we now see one more reason why the Left is orchestrating a campaign to smear Schaffer early - their own candidate lags slightly in favorable opinion:

The two Congressmen have very similar favorability ratings. Schaffer is viewed favorably by 48% and unfavorably by 35%. Udall is viewed favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 39%.

Get ready for the liberal slime and distortions to begin pouring in soon to try and bring down public opinion of the Republican candidate, as a way to make Boulder-based Udall seem less unappealing by comparison. But don't expect their expensive attacks to change the fundamental dynamic of the race: a closely-contested dead heat between candidates with clearly distinct records.

Exposed: Left-Wing Billionaires' Plans to Smear Schaffer Early

Not that this news is terribly surprising, but the Rocky Mountain News reports today that the Colorado Democrats' Left-wing billionaire power bosses are planning to spend a hefty amount attacking U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer and other Republicans:

Two years ago, two of Colorado's richest Democratic benefactors plowed more than $7 million into Democratic candidates and causes.

Now a confidential memo to one of their advisers suggests that it would take contributions of nearly $12 million to finance independent political groups trying to influence the outcome of the presidential, U.S. Senate and 4th Congressional District races.

The money - to be spent by political groups known as 527s - would help buy TV ads, radio time and mailings, according to internal documents obtained by the Rocky Mountain News.

The memo was prepared by political consultant Dominic DelPapa and sent to Al Yates, who wears many hats, including adviser to Pat Stryker, a Fort Collins heiress. Stryker and philanthropist Tim Gill, of Denver, spent $7.46 million in 2006 to try to swing elections for Democratic candidates and causes.

More specifically, on the Schaffer-Udall race:

The memo doesn't say who would contribute the money, and DelPapa wouldn't reveal any details. His memo outlines a proposed media strategy that suggests spending $5.1 million of the proposed $11.7 million budget on the Senate race alone.

Part of the Senate budget calls for a $1.9 million advertising campaign in March and April that would target Republican Bob Schaffer, who likely will face Democrat Mark Udall in the U.S. Senate race. "Define Schaffer/Foot on Throat," the campaign effort reads, according to a financial spreadsheet marked "very rough preliminary paid communications budget."

These few paragraphs sum up the attitudes of the respective sides:

"I would be careful if I were you about reading more into this than actually exists," said Yates, a former Colorado State University president active in civic affairs.

But [state Republican Party chair Dick] Wadhams said that the memo seemed clear to him.

"This is nothing short of coordinated character assassination by a handful of left-wing billionaires," he said. [Emphasis added]

Is it just me, or does that remark by Yates sound like a line from a movie script where the Mafia boss gives a little friendly advice to a potential informant? Maybe not how he intended it, but it sure sounds funny.

Some may expect that inconvenient figures like investigative journalists shouldn't get in the way of the powerful Left-wing political machine and its Boulderized agenda for Colorado, including its Boulder liberal U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall. But their job will be made more difficult by the fact the truth is out there, including the well-chronicled months of information on this site.

Most telling, it says a lot about the Left's expectations for this race that they plan to spend so much money, and to start the dirty campaign smear in the spring. Brace yourselves.