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GRAND JUNCTION — In the Democratic surge to get a fillibuster-proof 60 percent majority in the U.S. senate this year, Colorado’s race between U.S. Rep. Mark Udall (D) and Bob Schaffer (R) could be one of the races to watch in the country, Schaffer said Saturday following a Club 20 debate with Udall.
When asked if a Republican majority in the senate was possible, Schaffer responded, “I don’t think that’s likely.” But he expects to go neck-and-neck with Udall to squeeze into the senate despite frequently running six points behind his opponent in various polls. Udall has hopes he’ll win the seat because he thinks the country wants a change.
Udall or Schaffer will replace term-limited Republican Sen. Wayne Allard.
Schaffer said the debate went well. Cheers erupted from both sides, but Udall received some boos from the right side of the room, something Club 20 Executive Director Reeves Brown said was “inappropriate” and prompted him to consider giving a candidate 30 extra seconds in future debates every time supporters of the other candidate boo.
Udall said there was a “clear contrast” between himself and Schaffer during the debate.
“I came to talk about how we’re all together. Bob Schaffer wants to talk about what I haven’t done. That’s old politics,” Udall said. “What I heard him do was attack me.”
Schaffer pounced on Udall for supporting drilling in Cuban waters of the Gulf of Mexico, something Udall said he backed in order to give Americans the opportunity before someone else got to it.
“My plan for reducing energy prices would be to propose drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but in the United States,” Schaffer said after the debate.
Udall said he’s for ending the war in Iraq in a “responsible” time period. He said — and Schaffer denied — that Schaffer is for an open-ended time frame for the war.
“I’ve always been for victory in Iraq,” he said. Schaffer did not say when that will come.
He also held up an English-language Afghani newspaper with the headline “Iraq War is Lost: Democrat Leader” saying the message sent by Democrats would only encourage those in the Middle East to believe the war is a lost cause.
The candidates agreed the United States should work on its relationship with Russia in light of the situation in former Soviet state Georgia and approve of off-shore drilling, but find little common ground on other topics.
Echoing Colorado Democrat Sen. Ken Salazar’s statements at Club 20 earlier in the day, Udall said he wants to solidify oil shale policy only with both eyes open and plenty of questions answered about what it will take and what it will do when oil shale is harvested in the region.
“We’re going to do it, but we’re going to take the time to do it right,” Udall said.
Schaffer would prefer to start the process now and believes Democrats are stalling.
“They’ve done nothing to answer those questions. They’ve done everything to prevent them from being asked,” he said.
Udall said working on illegal immigrant documentation will be at the top of his list of priorities if he goes to the senate. He’s in favor of fining people for being here illegally and kicking out criminals who are in the U.S. illegally.
Schaffer said he wants to make it riskier to break the law and enter the country illegally.
The candidates had plenty else to discuss, including water policy and Schaffer’s trip to the Marianas Islands. To view video of the Club 20 debates, look to the right of this page.
Reach Emily Anderson at eanderson@gjfreepress.com.
When asked if a Republican majority in the senate was possible, Schaffer responded, “I don’t think that’s likely.” But he expects to go neck-and-neck with Udall to squeeze into the senate despite frequently running six points behind his opponent in various polls. Udall has hopes he’ll win the seat because he thinks the country wants a change.
Udall or Schaffer will replace term-limited Republican Sen. Wayne Allard.
Schaffer said the debate went well. Cheers erupted from both sides, but Udall received some boos from the right side of the room, something Club 20 Executive Director Reeves Brown said was “inappropriate” and prompted him to consider giving a candidate 30 extra seconds in future debates every time supporters of the other candidate boo.
Udall said there was a “clear contrast” between himself and Schaffer during the debate.
“I came to talk about how we’re all together. Bob Schaffer wants to talk about what I haven’t done. That’s old politics,” Udall said. “What I heard him do was attack me.”
Schaffer pounced on Udall for supporting drilling in Cuban waters of the Gulf of Mexico, something Udall said he backed in order to give Americans the opportunity before someone else got to it.
“My plan for reducing energy prices would be to propose drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but in the United States,” Schaffer said after the debate.
Udall said he’s for ending the war in Iraq in a “responsible” time period. He said — and Schaffer denied — that Schaffer is for an open-ended time frame for the war.
“I’ve always been for victory in Iraq,” he said. Schaffer did not say when that will come.
He also held up an English-language Afghani newspaper with the headline “Iraq War is Lost: Democrat Leader” saying the message sent by Democrats would only encourage those in the Middle East to believe the war is a lost cause.
The candidates agreed the United States should work on its relationship with Russia in light of the situation in former Soviet state Georgia and approve of off-shore drilling, but find little common ground on other topics.
Echoing Colorado Democrat Sen. Ken Salazar’s statements at Club 20 earlier in the day, Udall said he wants to solidify oil shale policy only with both eyes open and plenty of questions answered about what it will take and what it will do when oil shale is harvested in the region.
“We’re going to do it, but we’re going to take the time to do it right,” Udall said.
Schaffer would prefer to start the process now and believes Democrats are stalling.
“They’ve done nothing to answer those questions. They’ve done everything to prevent them from being asked,” he said.
Udall said working on illegal immigrant documentation will be at the top of his list of priorities if he goes to the senate. He’s in favor of fining people for being here illegally and kicking out criminals who are in the U.S. illegally.
Schaffer said he wants to make it riskier to break the law and enter the country illegally.
The candidates had plenty else to discuss, including water policy and Schaffer’s trip to the Marianas Islands. To view video of the Club 20 debates, look to the right of this page.
Reach Emily Anderson at eanderson@gjfreepress.com.
