Last Debate Between Schaffer, Udall In Greeley

In Greeley:

This Monday, October 20th, is your last chance to see Bob debate Boulder Liberal Mark Udall. The Young Republicans and Young Democrats of Colorado are the hosts of the final live audience debate. The debate will be held at the Union Colony Civic Center (701 10th Avenue, Greeley). We invite you to join us at 5:30pm for a rally prior to the actual debate. You can reserve a ticket for the debate by calling 720-377-1600 or emailing teamschaffer@bobschafferforsenate.com. Upon reserving a ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details.

Two More Debates Today Between Schaffer And Udall

Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall will square off twice today--covering economic and foreign policy:

The long road to winning Colorado's U.S. Senate seat is actually nearing its end as the candidates gear up for two more debates today.

Republican Bob Schaffer and Democrat Mark Udall are squaring off in a debate sponsored by Channel 7, the League of Women Voters and the Colorado Bar Association at noon at 7News studios at 123 Speer Boulevard. The half-hour debate will be aired on Channel 7 at 4:30 p.m. and at 10:35 p.m and will loop continuously on Comcast News Channel 247 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Tonight, both will speak to the Jewish Community Relations Council in Denver.

Economic issues have dominated the race as of late, as both candidates explain what must be done to fix a bailout package that neither supported. But foreign-policy questions are expected to crop up in today's events as well.

The Denver Channel and the Rocky Mountain News are liveblogging the first debate.

Low Turnout For Schaffer-Udall Debates

Last night at DU--empty seats throughout the venue, even after the debate commenced.

Today's debate was actually delayed due to lack of turnout--half of the RSVP's hadn't shown--but the Rocky is liveblogging.

Schaffer And Udall Spar At DU

9NEWS broadcast last night's debate from DU (video of the entire debate).

The atmosphere was testy, as Mark Udall dropped some of his "bipartisan" pretense, and both candidates exchanged heated comments about the other's record:

“He (Udall) said I saw no reason to reach across the aisle, that’s just not true,” said Schaffer. “The notion that somehow I’m partisan and you’re not Mark, you know you voted 94 percent of the time with the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, you have one of the most partisan records in the United States House of Representatives.”

“When Congressman Schaffer was in the Congress he only voted for President Bush 83 percent of the time, but the other 17 percent he was to the right of President Bush,” responded Udall to which Schaffer shot back, “That’s not true either, Mark.”

This debate was a wash--Udall scored no major points, Schaffer was careful to deflect Udall's accusations of partisanship and other points he felt had been mischaracterized by his opponent and the media campaign, and the debate itself provided little new content for voters who have already decided how they will vote. The three debates this week will, however, be important for the undecided voters who should be receiving their ballots in the mail this week, or be able to vote early in about two weeks.

Aside from nearly getting thrown out for having a video camera--even though I was taking photos, not video (which would be a waste of time considering the debate was being broadcast live in its entirety and would be available online from 9NEWS)--overall the debate itself was poorly structured, the questions bordered on the lame, and the crowd was less than enthusiastic and the venue only 60% filled, if that (no doubt in large part to Monday Night Football).

"Lightning round" questions are particularly annoying, asking for rapid-fire yes or no responses on questions that often require more nuance than a simple one word response. Questions from audience members vetted beforehand work better in a town hall style format, otherwise they appear contrived. Unlike the debate moderated by Adam Schrager back in July that featured substantive questions and a highly engaged audience, the DU event was characterized by low-brow questions ("what is your favorite Colorado thing to do?" was among the "winners") and a decidedly inert crowd. Even with Schaffer and Udall sparring over campaign rhetoric, there was little opportunity for substance in either candidate's response, a problem attributable more to the format, not the candidates themselves.

Hopefully the debate tomorrow will provide even a slight improvement in highlighting the glaring differences between the two men in philosophical approach and legislative temperament.

SvU will have reports and a wrap of the debate tomorrow.

Schaffer, Udall Debate Three Times In Coming Week

SvU will have coverage and analysis of the three debates taking place this week, starting tonight.



The Schaffer/Udall race is headed right where folks other than the MSM and hard core lefties predicted--down to the wire and most likely within the margin of error. Stay tuned to Schaffer v Udall for all the latest in perhaps the marquee Senate race of 2008.

There are three debates coming up in the next week--not sure how many tickets (if any) are left, best to call ahead or email the campaign:

Monday, October 6th, Bob will debate Boulder Liberal Mark Udall during a live television debate sponsored by 9News. The debate will take place at Gates Concert Hall at the University of Denver (2344 Iliff Avenue, Denver). We invite you to join us at 5:00pm for a rally to welcome Bob and cheer him on to victory! Following the rally, you are invited to attend the debate which will air live at 7:00pm on channel 9. You will be able to see firsthand the clear differences between Bob and Boulder Liberal Mark Udall.

The second debate is sponsored by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and will take place on Tuesday, October 7th at the Hyatt Regency Denver (650 15th Street, Denver, Colorado). We again invite you to join us before the debate at 1:30pm for a rally. The debate will immediately follow the rally at 3:00 pm. The chamber will host a reception with the senate candidates after the debate which you are invited to attend.

One of the traditional events of the campaign season, the Pueblo Chieftain debate, will take place on Monday, October 13th. The debate will be held at the Hoag Recital Hall on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus (2200 Bonforte Boulevard, Pueblo). We invite you to experience the tradition for yourself and attend the debate at 7:30pm.

There are a limited number of tickets available for each of these debates. You can reserve a ticket by calling 720-377-1600 or emailing teamschaffer@bobschafferforsenate.com. Upon reserving a ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details.

Meet The Press: Bob Schaffer And Mark Udall Square Off

Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall met on Meet the Press this morning, moderated by Tom Brokaw:

KBDI Debate Posted Online, Weekend Debate Followup

The debate taped Thursday at KBDI Channel 12 is now posted online in its entirety.

Quick thoughts:
Unlike the July 14 debate moderated by Adam Schrager for 9NEWS' "Your Show" or the July 28 debate hosted by Ron Zappolo for Fox 31's Colorado 2031, this debate suffered from an incoherent format, the baggage of two extra candidates (the windbag Bob Kinsey of the Green Party, and the brief but humorous Doug "Dayhorse" Campbell of the American Constitution Party), terse questioning from panelist Lynn Bartels of the Rocky that didn't blend well with Aaron Harber's more open questions, and way too much crosstalk from the candidates. SvU wasn't able to attend the Friday debate, which once again focused on oil, energy, and gas prices.

Neither Udall nor Schaffer did poorly, but due to the above factors, weren't able to score any points either. There were questions about health care, Udall's slip in the polls and his flip-flop on domestic oil drilling (along with Sen. Ken Salazar), and more exploration on the subject of energy from all the candidates.

You can watch the candidates discuss the topic of illegal immigration and immigration reform from video at the Colorado Springs forum.

Here are the shorthand notes from the KBDI debate that touched on a wide variety of topics:

Mark Udall—energy plan and energy independence introduced w/Salazar, wants Schaffer to join
Bob Kinsey—Green, unaffilliateds largest group, like to have another choice, upset with Democrat Party
Doug “Dayhorse” Campbell—American Constitution Party, people dissatisfied, government get out of the way of private enterprise

1st question—Bartels, discuss effect of Nader voters and differences between two parties
--Kinsey, Schaffer not a supporter of Milton Friedman, Udall has broad humanistic view, both support military/industrial complex makes us a pariah
--Udall, Russians waited for an excuse, diplomacy and sanctions, draw attention through UN, Russians are aggressors
--Bob, clearly aggressors, Russians create environment to exploit Georgians, Ukraine next, Udall ridiculed Ukraine work, divert loyalty back to Moscow
--Campbell, Georgia as ally to West, back them within constraints of Constitution, Iraq had no declaration of war

2nd question—Harbor, changed views on drilling, how to expand domestic oil production
--Udall, for “responsible drilling,” always been for drilling?, throw “kitchen sink,” Gang of 10 (5 each), wants Schaffer to join him, not opposed
--Schaffer, Congress low ratings, Udall as “Rip van Winkle” on the issue, Udall not for drilling, energy bill stands for nothing, against drilling everywhere, now Udall is “Big Oil Mark”
--Udall, always been for drilling, walks in lockstep with Bush, McCain/Obama oppose ANWR drilling
--Schaffer, “this is all baloney,” Denver Post writes about reversing opposition to drilling, Paris Hilton is more consistent on energy policy
--Kinsey, can’t talk about energy without talking about the environment, “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic”

3rd question—Bartels, Udall missed vote July 29th, why did you miss work?
--Udall, I kept that promise, Schaffer wants to talk about the past, doing district work and fundraising
--Benemann, but constituents want you there to vote
--(Bartels to Schaffer—you missed 13% of votes)—Bob--all votes are important, meetings in the White House, Udall committed to being there for the adjournment resolution, Friday was just a confirmation of Wednesday’s resolution, challenges Udall to release schedule and details of fundraising

4th question—Harbor, on health care, address those without coverage
--Udall, enhance current situation, not for government or private only, tax credits, expand for children, invest in biotech
--Harbor, cost and how many of 49 million helped?
--Udall, must be affordable, not everyone helped, cost not insignificant (in billions), one reason for ending war in Iraq
--Schaffer, don’t support open-ended commitment to war in Iraq, universal access indeed possible, use market and government forces through competition, lower lawsuits, to drive costs down, provide poor a tax credit to purchase health care on open market, system too bureaucratic and monopolistic

5th question—solar panels?
--Schaffer, have windows
--Udall, from Amendment 37, has “solar system” on house
--Kinsey, solar panels on house he sold

6th question—runaway growth in Federal spending disappointing?
--Schaffer, everyone should be disappointed, balanced budget, feeding frenzy on earmarks
--Udall, earmark reform, line item veto reform, pay-as-you-go budgeting, irresponsible tax cuts and unfunded war

7th question—manufactured evidence in war on Iraq
--Udall, a lot of mistakes made, take eye of the ball on Afghanistan, no plan to win the peace, let’s move forward, responsibly and honorably exit Iraq, hold oversight hearings, investigate and bring violators to justice, Kinsey impeachment push is a fool’s errand
--Schaffer, the answer isn’t more Congressional hearings, if evidence is available criminal proceedings should be brought to bear
--Kinsey, evidence that Bush acted illegally, can’t declare war on terrorism (on a noun), dereliction of duty by not impeaching
--Campbell, definition of insanity is voting for same parties and expecting different results

8th question—Bartels on “gotcha” from Schaffer in first debate
--Udall, it was a gimmick, no place for it in debate
--Schaffer, not a gimmick, “I know it’s embarrassing Mark”

Closing statements
--Campbell, thanks for inviting minor parties, listen to advice from R and D not to vote for the big parties
--Kinsey, economics should incorporate environment
--Schaffer, differences distinct, how undecided voters vote, we need to explore and pursue every opportunity for new energy sources, Udall has no solid position and flip-flopped, crude oil vs. snake oil, Udall selling snake oil
--Udall, take Bush/Cheney/Schaffer road or another road of a comprehensive energy policy, take care of middle class, change politics as usual

Schaffer Udall Illegal Immigration Forum

On Saturday Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall attended the Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs’ Immigration Debate--"Towards a Spirituality of Justice: A Day on Immigration" in the gym of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Colorado Springs. The following video recaps highlight the opening statements, Q&A, and closing remarks from the two main candidates, Schaffer and Udall.

While Bob Kinsey of the Green Party blamed Bush for 9/11 and decried what he called the "demonization" of illegal immigrants and Doug "Dayhorse" Campbell provided a few moments of levity on behalf of the American Constitution Party, Schaffer and Udall were the big draw, and only their responses (in their entirety) are included below. Each question is marked by an introductory title--"On Mexico" or "On Free Trade"--and due to the format, Udall repeatedly ended up talking after Schaffer, who was quick to point out Udall's mistatements and fabrications.

Introduction and Opening Statements:



Part 2--On Illegal Immigration and Border Security:



Part 3--On Free Trade and Mexico:



Closing Statements:

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:

Schaffer - Udall Debates Reminder

Three debates starting tomorrow--Thursday, August 14, with another each on Friday and Saturday. Check out our earlier post for details and RSVP information.

Upcoming Schaffer - Udall Debates

Let's see how many campaign promises Boulder liberal Mark Udall can make--and then break--this week.

If you've got the time, get your campaign cheers ready--there will be three debates between Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall coming up at the end of this week, August 14-16 (from a campaign email):

The first debate will be held at KBDI Public TV-12 Studios in Denver on Thursday, August 14th. The debate will not have a studio audience. However, we invite you to join us at a pre-debate rally. The excitement begins at 12:00pm. We will be waving signs and greeting Boulder Liberal Mark Udall as he arrives for the debate.

On Friday, August 15th, Bob and Boulder Liberal Mark Udall will meet again at North Metro Chamber of Commerce debate. It will be held at the Westin Westminster in Westminster from 7:00 – 9:00am. There will be a pre-debate rally. You are also invited to attend the debate. Tickets are available for $30 if you rsvp with the Schaffer campaign. Your ticket will grant access to the chamber’s breakfast as well as the debate.

On Saturday, August 16th, Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs will host the final debate of the week. The debate will focus on immigration. It will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Colorado Springs from 4:00 – 5:00pm. There will be a pre-debate rally. The debate is also open to the public. Seats are available on a first come, first serve basis.

You can rsvp and receive additional information for these exciting events by calling 720-377-1600 or emailing teamschaffer@bobschafferforsenate.com.

SvU will have coverage of the debates (photos/video) and liveblogging where possible, and will certainly cover post-debate analysis and wrapup.

Udall's Day Off--The Feature

And that voice vote? Looks like Steny Hoyer did a little damage control favor for Rep. Udall.

Broken promises.

Blogging The 2nd Debate--Recap, **Update--Video Posted

**Update--Fox 31 has posted the entire debate online, scroll for the link . . .

In case you miss it, here is a steam of consciousness recap of the 2nd debate.

First segment--

What are the issues for Colorado voters?

Udall--Gas prices, energy independence, avoid war, create new jobs, release oil from strategic petroleum reserve, crack down on oil speculators, oil companies drill on current leases, drill responsibly, alternative energy "new energy economy"

Schaffer--without a doubt energy, energy costs to education, problem of oil price a function of bad decisions by Congress, partisanship has created need to send money overseas due to lack of opportunity to drill here, Congress' low approval rating attributed to these deficiencies, comprehensive energy plan includes "doing it all" including renewable energy tax credits

Udall--it's all Schaffer's fault, can't have oil executives in government

Schaffer--company was not primarily an oil company, cadmium telluride--next step in solar energy, companies receiving tax credits can push technology to create jobs and credible alternatives to traditional energy sources

Udall--we need to work together

Schaffer--vote no on an adjournment resolution?

Udall--yes

Second segment--

War on Iraq?

Schaffer--we can agree that surge in Iraq is working, reconciliation between Sunni and Shiites, Iraqi security forces policing their own and taking the lead, still a lot of uncertainty, but progress has been made

Udall--troops performed with great valor, take care of them when they come home, "honorable, responsible exit," been 2 times to Iraq, accuses Schaffer of meeting with Kurds to cut a deal, take attention back to Afghanistan and where Osama Bin Laden is

Schaffer--didn't cut deal with Kurds, not in favor of open-ended engagement in Iraq, draw down based on real goals and not a timetable, Iraq as a bulwark against Iranian aggression

Udall--back to Afghanistan, rebuild the military, wanted a more specific declaration of war to avoid fiscal and human costs

Schaffer--Udall's resolution was partially correct, but too much even for fellow Democrats

Udall--must go back to central front of war on terror, accuses Schaffer of not supporting veterans

Schaffer--veterans know Schaffer's support, small minority in DC still believe we would be better off if we hadn't gone to Iraq, Bin Laden not "full definition of terrorism"

Third segment--

527 ads? Not good, not healthy?

Udall--don't like them, ask Bob about them, denounces 527s, its part of the game

Schaffer--why people are fed up with duplicity, McCain-Feingold on bipartisan basis, limits ability of people to speak in a campaign, laws passed to protect politicians to protect themselves from criticism, I'm running because I'm critical of government, I voted against it, Udall voted for it

Udall--broad bipartisan coalition wanted to take money out of politics

Schaffer--people want to have their say

Zappolo--you were ahead 10 points, but it is tied, why?

Udall--it's going to be a close race, need to listen to Coloradans, tax breaks not beneficial to Americans

Zappolo--it is difficult to run as a Republican?

Schaffer--Bush is not on the ballot, polls have closed in recent weeks due to energy and the inability of Congress to pass any meaningful reform, Udall has voted to close options, mine has been to open all avenues

Udall--oil companies like higher energy prices

Final segment--

Udall--elections about choices, if you like Bush/Cheney, bad health care, more of the same, vote Schaffer--if you want an honorable exit, health care, change, vote for Udall

Schaffer--people want fresh leadership in DC, Udall has been in Congress without much success, bipartisanship bickering, I'll bring energy prices down, I won't constrain options and will bring a different voice to Washington

Whew!

Fox has posted the entire debate online.

2nd Schaffer-Udall Debate On Fox 31

Don't forget, the second debate In its entirety--August 3, 10 pm.

Schaffer's challenge to Udall on voting against the resolution to adjourn, well chronicled on this blog, is around the midway point of the show (with commercials).

Udall's Day Off

From the NRSC--a trailer for "Udall's Day Off":



Face the State's political cartoonist riffs on Udall--Udall? Udall?

U-Turn Udall Reneges On Monday's Debate Pledge To Vote Against Adjourning And Push For New Energy Bill

**Update--Udall claims he was "on his way" to the vote and couldn't get the vote delayed, but was able to vote on another resolution just 10 minutes later:

Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall missed a critical vote today that might have kept Congress from going into summer recess until it passed an energy bill, breaking a vow he made in a recent debate.

Udall spokeswoman Taylor West said the Boulder County lawmaker was on his way back to Washington at the time and that the vote was called with only 10 minutes' notice. Udall asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to delay the vote without success, and the resolution passed by one vote, 213-212.

With gas prices the No. 1 financial worry of voters, promising to try to keep lawmakers in session until they took action was a bold stroke, but missing that vote could be an equally costly political mistake by the five-term congressman.

Whoops! When even the MSM points out the failure . . .

There was an excuse a reason for the missed vote, of course:

Udall's staff said the Democrat stayed in Colorado to attend several campaign-related events, including a meeting with business leaders and a fundraising event — which Udall's Republican opponent quickly jumped on.

"While Coloradans are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, I guess it wasn't important enough for (Udall) to show up for work this week," said Dick Wadhams, the campaign manager for Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer. "He made a commitment Monday, he didn't even show up for work Tuesday and then he missed the vote today."

West said that her boss would send a letter to Pelosi today objecting to the fact that the vote wasn't delayed long enough for him to make it from the Washington airport to the Capitol.

Udall missed the 1:04 pm vote on adjournment, but made the next vote just 10 minutes later.

Missing a vote you make a pledge on in debate just two days earlier should be a top priority. We expect Udall to do the job he has already been elected to do. If a campaign can't balance an actual work schedule with fundraising and campaigning needs, then Udall needs a better day planner or to reorganize his priorities.

By the time the debate yet-to-be-aired segment appears Sunday, it will already be clear--Udall can't keep his promises.

That's some U-turn.

The Rocky:

Rep. Mark Udall learned Wednesday there are some political promises he shouldn't make.

Like pledging to oppose sending Congress on its summer break — and then missing the vote altogether.

Wednesday, the House voted 213-212 to adjourn this week.

The vote came two days after Udall vowed, in a televised debate, to oppose recessing unless the House first took up a crucial energy bill.
. . .
But Dick Wadhams, campaign manager for Republican Senate nominee Bob Schaffer, said Udall not only broke a promise, but that his non-vote was worse than had he voted in favor of the adjournment resolution.

"It's one thing to vote wrong, but to not even show up for the vote? Even by 'U-turn Udall''s standards, that's extraordinary," Wadhams said.

Udall's campaign tries to explain the missed vote, but it doesn't seem to add up--if Udall asked for a delay, and most likely explained why it was needed (even symbolically), then why would the Democrats throw him under the bus and not hold off for a few minutes as he "raced up the stairs"?

Udall, who spent Tuesday campaigning in Colorado, had just landed in Washington Wednesday afternoon when he got word that the adjournment vote was imminent.

He phoned House leaders, asking them to delay the vote, but they didn't.

Udall was racing up the Capitol steps when voting closed. He was one of 10 members absent for the tally.

Tara Trujillo, press secretary for Udall's Senate campaign, said that the Eldorado Springs Democrat was "extremely upset" he was not allowed to cast a ballot.

Perhaps the Dem House leaders failed to grasp the significance of Udall's vote?

Hmmm.

---

Well, that didn't take long--Mark Udall took less than two days to break a recorded promise made during Monday's Fox 31 debate to push for an energy solution and against adjournment for Congress:

Boulder Liberal Congressman Mark Udall reneged on a pledge to vote against an adjournment resolution until Congress passed an energy bill when he failed to show up for the vote today in the U.S. House of Representatives. Udall’s vote could have killed the adjournment resolution since it passed by only one vote, 213-212.

“Boulder Liberal Mark Udall not only did not fulfill his pledge to vote against adjourning for the summer until an energy bill passed, he didn’t even bother to show up for the vote,” said Schaffer for Senate campaign manager Dick Wadhams. “Boulder Liberal Udall’s u-turns are pretty common but this is extraordinarily low even by his standards.”

During a debate on Monday, July 28 at KDVR-TV Fox 31, Bob Schaffer challenged Udall to vote against adjourning for the summer recess until an energy bill was passed. Udall agreed to the challenge.

His failure to keep his promise aside, Udall also failed to show leadership and could have cast an obviously critical vote to keep Congress on task and in the business of finding energy solutions including domestic oil exploration rather than skipping out on holiday.

Ben was right--the only place Udall wants to drill is your wallet. And by failing to make any attempt to find any solutions now, Udall continues to let Colorado voters foot the bill.

You can see part of Schaffer's challenge to Udall in a preview clip at myfoxcolorado (first video on the right). Udall ultimately concedes to Schaffer's challenge and says "yes" to voting against adjournment.

Schaffer Udall Fox 31 Debate--Photos

Behind the scenes at the Fox 31 debate--"Colorado 2031 to air next Sunday, 10pm, on Fox 31 after the news.


The set, bare just a few minutes earlier, has been prepared and awaits the candidates Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall, and the host Ron Zappolo.


Zappolo prepares his mic.


Host Zappolo encourages an "anything goes" atmosphere and what would become a "guided conversation" rather than a traditional debate.


Schaffer argues a point during the first segment, which of course focused on energy--what mattered most to Colorado voters.


What we have here is a not only a closeup of the Fox 31 camera, but an example of Udall's most frequently used gesture--the double "click" position.


Schaffer explains his positions on energy as Zappolo looks on.


Udall responds--there's those hands again.


Waiting his turn.


Likewise.


Yep. The hands. Again.


A view from the inside.


The host was able to see what the audience will see with the use of this monitor.


From the other angle.


A wide shot (the hands!)


A friendly exchange.


Udall's closing remarks.


Bob's closing remarks.


Schaffer--gotta bring down the energy prices.


Conclusion.


A spirited and frenzied dialogue, and handshakes all around.


Media swarms Schaffer (foreground), while Udall (background, next to ladders and obscured by the reporter in the white shirt) answers a few questions after abruptly exiting the studio following the debate.


Udall gets his opportunity to chat with the reporters.

Schaffer Udall Fox 31 Pre-Debate Rally--Photos And Video

Photos/video of the rally outside--




Yep, it's evil.


Signs of the times--commuters along Speer and Lincoln were treated to a lot of signs, and responded with honking.


Anti-Udall protestors--from his left--brought out the impeachment signs and asked for Udall to bring President Bush and Vice President Cheney on charges.


The battle is joined--Boulder liberals welcome!


These guys have appeared at both of the debates--"Where is Mark Udall on EFCA?"


Showin' liberals a little love.


Like the "Veterans for Udall," it wasn't quite clear if those holding signs were actually veterans or firefighters.


There was a large youth contingent among Schaffer's supporters.


The wall of Udall supporters make their case--"M A R K, vote for Udall all the way!"


But the high cost of energy was on the minds of Schaffer's supporters--"drill here, drill now!"


Big Time Bob Schaffer fans brave the late July heat--with fan-favorite "U-Turn Udall" signs highlighting the Democrat's record.


Bob Schaffer greets supporters outside the Fox 31 Studio as Dick Wadhams looks on.


Schaffer chats with supporters before heading inside.

Second Senate Race Debate Hosted By Fox 31

Monday July 28, noon, at the Fox 31 Studio, 100 E. Speer Blvd.

Bob Schaffer will address the rally before the debate, which will be filmed in a closed set and aired later this week.

I'll have pictures and video tomorrow afternoon.

Will the lack of an audience actually help Mark Udall? It'll be interesting to see which questions will dominate this debate, but I'm sure energy and the Iraq War will continue to play a major part in driving the conversation. Recent polls (a Dem pollster's 9-point Udall lead notwithstanding) have indicated a much tighter race, within the margin of error, than polls conducted earlier this summer.

Another apparent Schaffer victory in tomorrow's debate might help solidify not only his credentials and bolster his image, but also open even more questions for a somewhat disappointing Udall campaign showing of late.

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.