Latching On to Bridget Johnson's Live-Blog of the Final (Phew!) Schaffer-Udall Debate

We here at Schaffer v Udall are too burned out for the final debate between Colorado's two major U.S. Senate candidates. The Rocky Mountain News' Bridget Johnson live-blogged the CBS4 showdown. Here are a few key excerpts we enjoyed:

The closed captioning on TV says that Udall just said "filly blusstering," Schaffer fires back -- still with that forced smile -- about how he would represent values in U.S. Senate.

And:

Udall asks what Schaffer even did in Congress. Bob is on a tear, rattling off stuff from the CDC to ranchland to missile defense.

And:

Lynn asks about Department of Peace moonbattery proposal. Udall said it was "duplicative" and "made some sense at the time." He said he made his point and then it was time to move on. Is Congress just for grandstanding, then? No wonder nothing gets done. [link added]

And:

Udall is asked on card check, without the panel describing that it's a labor bill for the folks at home. Schaffer happily provides the explanation and goes after Udall's jugular on it. The closed captioning called it "car check." This debate is so unfair to the deaf. [link added]

And finally:

Schaffer is on a cool tear against socialism. No redistributing of wealth and take from those of ability to give to those in need, he says.

Thanks, Bridget. We look forward to meeting you in person some day.

I think CBS 4 Got It Wrong-Fact Checking the Fact Checker

In the late 1990's, I worked for the Strategic Defense Initiative Office (SDIO), sometimes referred to as "star wars," and now called BMDO.

One day, either Ben or Jerry of ice cream fame came by and wanted a million dollars to do anti-SDIO peace stuff. They didn't expect Congress to allocate an extra million dollars for their boondoggle. They wanted to take it out of the program's hide. We were polite to them.

Now comes the CBS 4 analysis of the peace department ad by Freedom's Watch which says in part:

Bottom line. [ Mark ] Udall did support what appears in hindsight to be a goofy legislative proposal. It's certainly fair game in a tough Senate campaign. However, to imply Udall withheld money from the troops because he wanted it for a department of peace, is a misleading claim unsupported by the facts.

I think they are wrong, but don't have the time to do the research to prove it.

Like Ben (or) Jerry of a decade earlier, Mark Udall wasn't asking congress to appropriate extra billions of dollars to fund his "goofy legislative proposal." If memory serves, he wanted billions taken out of the defense department budget and he didn't care whether it meant fewer bullets, fewer uparmored vehicles, or less care for wounded soldiers. If I am correct, and I think I am, to claim that Udall wasn't trying to take funds from programs that supported troops is a "misleading claim unsupported by the facts."

Otherwise, CBS4 did a good job on a humorous commercial produced at a time when humor is needed.

Schaffer, Udall Face Off At KBDI 12, 3rd Party Candidates Included

I liveblogged (in Word, no WiFi) today's KBDI Channel 12 debate between Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall that also featured appearances by Bob Kinsey of the Green Party, and Douglas "Dayhorse" Campbell of the American Constitution Party. Jim Benemann of CBS4 moderated, and Aaron Harber of The Aaron Harber Show and Lynn Bartels of the Rocky Mountain News provided the questions.

I'll have a bigger writeup later, but here is the information on where to see the closed set, recorded debate:
Colorado Decides, a joint production of KBDI Channel 12, CBS4 and RMN, will air on KBDI Channel 12 Friday Aug. 15 at 8pm. The debate will also be available online.

The pre-debate rally was loud and boisterous on both sides:

NRSC, CBS4 Pan Mark Udall's Military Ad, "Wacky" Support for Department of Peace

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has followed our lead and debunked Boulder liberal Mark Udall's attempt to portray himself as strong on national defense:

Even the local CBS4 News affiliate noticed some of the Mark Udall ad's deception (click on video to play), and highlighted Udall's "wacky" co-sponsorship of the Department of Peace legislation.

The verdict is clear for honest, clear-thinking Coloradans: Mark Udall's attempted pro-military makeover simply doesn't jive with his "wacky" Boulder liberal record on national defense issues.

Frugal Bob Schaffer

A mini-scandal is brewing on the state board of education concerning reimbursable expenses. One member, in one year, claimed almost $26,000 in expenses.

Bob Schaffer continued his record of protecting the taxpayer, spending just over $500 in the same period. The scandal, if it is a scandal, won't touch him.

Jared Polis got going away gifts and a $3500 going away party. It must have been some party. There are a lot of weddings that don't have that kind of budget.

Polis is in a hurry to distance himself from the scandal and has offered to reimburse the state.

CBS4 has the story.