CO Senate: Salazar vs Coors Debate

Ken Salazar (D) vs. Pete Coors (R),   The two candidates had their first debate in Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday night.
Coors seems to have the republican playbook down.  He consistently uses the overall themes (junk science, trial lawyers, activist judges, frivolous lawsuits, you cannot tax your way to a better economy, enemies seek to destroy our freedom, etc) in campaigning.

As the vows to run clean campaigns seems to fade the contentious air will build as Salazar and Coors face each other in 12 more debates.

The next debate this Thursday, Colorado Contractors Association Forum, Thursday, September 16, Denver.

 
Some highlights:  

Coors said "junk science" has been used to bar drilling in national forests and said he would support drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
"If I had an opportunity, I'd vote for drilling in ANWAR," he told a crowd of about 1,000 people.

Coors drew jeers when he said President Bush was not responsible for the war in Iraq.
"He didn't ask for it; he didn't engage it," Coors said, turning red-faced.
"I sense Ken wants to return to the days of appeasement, ... to wait until after we are attacked," Coors said.

Salazar talked about growing up on a farm in the rural San Luis Valley, where the Salazar home did not have a phone or electricity until 1981. Salazar, who has been director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and now is attorney general, said, "I have walked in your shoes as a farmer and a small businessman."

Coors, the scion of the wealthy Coors brewing family, also tried that tack with the audience but generated loud guffaws when he said the Senate has enough lawyers and that we need "a few more people from Main Street - people like you and me."

When Coors said Bush inherited the budget deficit and did not ask for the war in Iraq, the factor he sees as the biggest reason for the deficit, he was soundly booed.

from the Denver post

Salazar made pointed references to "corporate greed" - Coors runs one of the nation's largest breweries - while his Republican opponent sneered at the notion of "some kind of more sensitive war on terrorism."

from rocky mtn news

•  Grand Dragon Coors...

  ...doesn't sound like he has a very good campaign message. And his facts are way off. AND the crowd recognizes it! Go Salazar!

  -fink

  by fink on Tue Sep 14, 2004 at 07:26:51 PM PDT

•  Thanks, cbsturf

  I'm out in California for the week, so it's great to  hear news from back home.

  What a joke - Coors making himself out to be more a "man of the people" than Salazar. When I see Coors driving around by himself in a pickup truck with his cowboy hat and string tie on, I'll believe it.

  by Blue the Wild Dog on Tue Sep 14, 2004 at 08:14:44 PM PDT

•  12 debates!

  I'm not in Colorado and wouldn't vote for him, but I do have a bit more respect for Coors for agreeing to show up for that many debates. It's so, unRepublican. BTW is drilling for oil in ANWAR an issue in Colorado? More important than, oh, jobs or healthcare?

  by PitterPatter on Tue Sep 14, 2004 at 09:54:10 PM PDT

  •  anwar

    While Coors fully supports anwar drilling, Salazar has done the political so-so support for drilling (although I suspect he would be with a block of dems not supporting drilling.)

    Salazar did touch on the drilling topic with the caveat of repairing the environmental impact.  This is a huge issue on the western slope of colorado near grand junction.

    Since Bush and co took office, there has been a real push to open up natural gas in western colorado.  The push is at the expense of the communities. Many residents are willing to give up some of the money to not destroy their hunting, fishing areas.

     Also, one of the companies that was trying to open up gas exploration on public land thought they could swap some worthless private land for some of the forest areas.

    Overall anwar style exploration is not unreasonable to many residents, so long as bush and cheney are in charge of it.

    by cbsturf on Wed Sep 15, 2004 at 02:37:31 AM PDT