"Smoke-Filled Van" Makes Catchy Point about Mark Udall and Department of Peace

Freedom's Watch does it again. I think we've found another nominee for most creative ad of the political season in Colorado's U.S. Senate race:

You've heard of the proverbial "smoke-filled back room" in politics? In Mark Udall's case, it appears to be a "smoke-filled van."

Writing at The Colorado Index, a watcher speculates that the vehicle featured in the ad might be the missing car confiscated from Mark Udall three decades ago. I don't know about that, but it's clear that Udall's co-sponsorship of the Department of Peace has been good for humor more than once in this campaign - this time perhaps the best of them all.

Here's the other TV ad nominee from Freedom's Watch.

On Mark Udall's Crucial Missed Vote: Just One Minute Late? Fundraising with Whom?

Blogger Civil Sense over at The Colorado Index has some keen insight into Mark Udall's disastrous missed vote in Congress on Tuesday:

Apparently, Mark Udall missed the vote by one minute as he traveled from the airport, and the House leadership would not delay it any longer for Udall to arrive at the Capitol. Congressman Udall would have voted yes on the issue and plans to issue a statement for the Congressional Record noting this....

We at this blog are tough on Democrats, but we also try to be fair. As the Denver Post story confirms the Udall staffer's telephone call to a friend, Mark Udall deserves the benefit of the doubt in this situation. Nancy Pelosi likely did throw Udall under the proverbial bus. It is unlikely that lefty bloggers would cut a Republican candidate similar slack for inadvertently breaking a promise.

However, I agree with Ben DeGrow that even though it was not Mark Udall's fault that he missed the vote, his alliance with the Delay, Don't Drill, Do-Nothing Democrat energy agenda will continue to harm the people of Colorado.

My commentary that Civil Sense is referencing can be found here.

Meanwhile, the Bob Schaffer campaign has issued a challenge to Mark Udall:

The Bob Schaffer for Senate campaign today called on Boulder Congressman Mark Udall to reveal details of fundraising events in Colorado this past Tuesday that resulted in Udall missing two days of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“By his campaign’s own admission, Boulder Liberal Udall chose to attend campaign fundraising events in Colorado rather than to show up for the work in Washington that he was elected to do as a Boulder congressman,” said Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams. “Colorado voters deserve to know the identity of these campaign donors who Boulder Liberal Udall considers more important than showing up and voting in Congress.”

It's a good question: From whom was Mark Udall raising funds that cost him apparently one crucial minute to follow through on an important promise to represent Colorado's domestic energy needs? We'll be waiting with bated breath for a response.

Blogosphere Pushback

Yesterday, we reported Mark Udall's ill-advised decision to use Cara DeGette as its front person on any subject.

Today, we note that the blogosphere is beginning to comment on the eight year old document she published:

Best Destiny has a memo to Cara Degette - go back to logic class:

Your writing is without a point...

But, again, what's most laughable is the complete lack of an argument from [ Cara ] DeGette. Maybe it no longer matters in the Democratic world to actually articulate your points and defend them with reason--certainly, Barack Obama seems content not to actually make an argument about anything.

Best Destiny then proceeded to make arguments about several issues that DeGette could only mention as part of a reprinted list with no supporting argument.

Also today, The Colorado Index produced an essay observing that DeGette needs to check her dictionary before she tries to use words longer than four letters, having abused the use of the word "screed." She seems to understand four letter words and use them regularly without problem.

The real point of that essay was laid out in its title: Gun Rights - Still a Sharp Contrast Between the Parties.

One of the dirty little secrets of the 2006 campaign is that the Democrats bamboozled a number of Republican voters into voting for Bill Ritter because he claimed that he would build shooting ranges throughout the state and because he would protect "hunter's rights." So far, there doesn't seem to be money for shooting ranges and Bill Ritter's record on guns more closely matches his earlier gun control stance than any expansion of rights.

It is difficult to see what value Mark Udall's campaign got from 1) using Cara DeGette as its publicist and 2) digging up a document that will help Bob Schaffer far more than it will hurt him, if it hurts him at all.

Spilling Secrets

For those who might wonder about the "spinning" post and the earlier "Schaffer pot" post, you can read about the motivation and strategy this morning at thecoloradoindex.

It did work.

Blogging can be fun!

Udall's Four Months of Lies

As is our custom, we write long essays on our other blog and just link them here.

We have been following Mark Udall closely for four months and in that period he has told five lies. This link lays them out.

New Co-author

I will be writing here from time to time on Mark Udall. I have another blog that would be neutral in the very unlikely event that there is a Republican Senate primary. My appearance here should not be read as an endorsement of Bob Schaffer until it is certain that he is the nominee.

While I do not plan to mention Bob Schaffer's name again, at least in the near term, I believe that it is important that someone keep tabs on Boulder liberal Mark Udall and what is being said about him. The left will try to pass him off as some sort of "moderate." He doesn't look all that moderate to me. I will try to bring forward information and issues that illustrate just how liberal, how far out of the mainstream he is.

I plan to write short comments and do a lot of linking to Udall related material. From time to time, I will link to my own blog in the third person when it publishes information relating to Udall. I will not cross post essays. My blog may also link here, again in the third person.

I will start with some old links and mix in some new.

I am new to blogspot and it will take a bit to learn the software. This essay is not being spellchecked because I haven't figured out how.

I will always be ... A Watcher