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February 18, 2010 12:01 AM UTC

Bennet vs. Trippi In the AM760 Progressive Dojo

  • 61 Comments
  • by: davidsirota

( – promoted by Middle of the Road)

This morning, we had both Andrew Romanoff’s strategist, Joe Trippi, and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in the AM760 progressive dojo. Listen to the Trippi interview here (starts around 32 minutes in) and the Bennet interview here (starts about 11 minutes in).

Trippi seemed to step up the Romanoff campaign’s rhetorical assault on Bennet by saying the primary election is referendum on the corrosive effects of money in politics – an implicit suggestion that Bennet represents that money. As you’ll hear, Bennet didn’t take too kindly to that attack, insisting that his record displays independence from powerful special interests.

I also discussed health care with Bennet, after his terrific letter about the public option yesterday. Despite all the talk about how primaries supposedly hurt parties (talk I don’t buy into),  I think this primary is actually creating a productive dynamic whereby the candidates are competing with each other to show who will be more of a leader on such kitchen table issues.

We’ll be discussing all of this tomorrow in light of President Obama’s visit to Denver. Tune in weekdays from 7am-10am on your radio dial or at www.am760.net.

Comments

61 thoughts on “Bennet vs. Trippi In the AM760 Progressive Dojo

  1. “…if you study hard and eat all your vegetables, someday you may grow up to be able to debate the douchebag strategist for a candidate for the United States Senate.”

    1. Did you ask Trippi why Romanoff apparently said last night that he would have voted against the Senate health care bill (and single-handedly stopped the bill) because he didn’t like the deals offered to Nelson and Landrieu?

      I didn’t think so.

  2. Glad you had them on, glad you like Senator Bennet’s letter.

    But Senator Bennet came out for the public option in June.

    ANd he said he’d support reconciliation to get healthcare- with public option – passed at least as early as early September.

    I.e., we didn’t need a primary for him to “get it” on either of these kitchen table issues.

    If Romanoff-Trippi would  just find one policy difference around which to build a message that Romanoff would be a better Senator, then we’d have something.

    As it is, on policy difference- crickets

    1. It is messy cleaning up my blown-up head every time the Romanoff campaign lies about the date Bennet came out for the public option.

      I’m running out of Sham-wows and Mr. Clean.

  3. Romanoff sent out an absolutely ridiculous e-mail blasting Bennet for sending United States Congressman Jared Polis to debate him (at what was not supposed to have been a debate but an informational forum) and yet Bennet was gracious enough to debate a member of Romanoff’s staff.

    Romanoff can’t pretend to be nice and then turn around and act like a dick and expect the conclusion to be that he’s nice.

    1. They both appeared on Sirota’s show, about an hour and a half apart, and Sirota asked Bennet to respond to what Trippi had said — that’s not exactly a debate, as gracious as it might have been.

      But you’re right, the way Romanoff’s campaign, and BTC, have played what happened at that event shows a real lack of class.

      1. The title “Bennet Vs. Trippi” would seem to indicate they were on at the same time.

        Imagine Mohammed Ali vs. Joe Frazier if Ali had been there an hour and a half after Frazier.

        1. I just read it–and it just reiterates why his campaign continues to turn off undecideds. His strident tone, his pissyness–Andrew, whoever is writing your stuff these days makes you sound like a complete asshole.

          1. and sly.

            His campaign is going to run against the President- but get all Obama-ey  with the quotes and the language?

            His campaign is going to  protest the President, quoting Obama out of context?

            I love the- Hey Obama refused PAC money, that must be a good thing.  Yeah, Obama had more than enough to run the greatest presidential election campaign the country has ever seen. And the candidate. And the moment.  Romanoff has  he wouldda killed the Senate healthcare bill and hiring Cadell.  Somehow it seems like a different equation.

          2. When some Bennet volunteer made a caucus canvassing call to my house maybe 2 months ago (are you going to caucus, whom are you supporting, etc), I said I was undecided.  But in the past several weeks I’ve become strongly pro-Bennet because of Romanoff’s (A) bitchy tone, and (B) pandering statements (like “I’d vote no unless there’s a public option” — BS, you’re not more of a lefty purist than Bernie Sanders and Tom Harkin).

          3. sure qualified as pissy, and petty.  Not impressive.

            I debated my shadow last night.

            That’s what it felt like, for a little while.  Having sent a surrogate to our first forum on Saturday, my opponent himself showed up yesterday, at a debate hosted by the Denver Young Democrats.  At least I think it was my opponent.  He used most of his time to agree with me.

            . . .The “debate” turned so silly that I finally offered him a spot on our team.  He declined.

            This is senatorial?  Yeah, I know it’s “campaign.”  Maybe I’m stodgy, but I like to see a little gravitas in someone who’s auditioning to be my U.S. senator.

            1. It’s tough to debate, shadow, delayed or otherwise, when you agree with the other guy on every significant point. That’s why AR’s campaign lit is pretty much issue free. Take away the “one vote” plaint and the attacks on Bennet for taking the money AR would have to take if Dems were stupid enough to let him win the primary because nobody can run a Senatorial campaign in a small state without it and what have got? Apparently not even charm.  

    2. Romanoff was upset that Bennet sent Polis last week, then when he has the opportunity to go up against Bennet, sends Trippi. Yes they were one after the other, but it was still the pair invited to Sirota’s show today.

      With that said, this is politics as usual – complain about anything you have a bit of a hook for and see what resonates. (Speaks well of Bennet that he didn’t do the same though.)

      1. Sen Bennet sent Rep. Polis because the event was scheduled on a day that the sponsor was told Sen. Bennet was booked. The sponsor could have negotiated for a day he wasn’t. They chose not to do so.

  4. “Romanoff Supporters Mad Obama Is Coming To Denver” Channel-4 Denver CO

    http://cbs4denver.com/campaign

    These Colorado Democratic leaders are trying to counter those Millions

    and the pressure of Obama breaking the rules to come here to raise more Millions for Bennet, who already has seven times as much money as Romanoff,

    But Romanoff polls so much better.  

    1. when you bold everything. That way we know what’s important!

      By the way, that’s one of the news reports you said didn’t exist, by a TV reporter whose name you didn’t get right. That darn mainstream media! Drives me cra-a-a-a-azy!

  5. Q1: Who does he believe in the Colorado Senate since has been bought by PAC money?

    Q2: Does he support AIPAC?

    My belief?

    Q1: He’s made up a mythical figure.

    Q2: If he says no, then he loses over half the Jewish vote.

    I doubt that he will have the guts to answer these questions.

  6. I still think that primaries have the potential to hurt parties. Voyageur’s diary today brought up a couple good examples in Tom Strickland getting the Millionaire Lawyer-Lobbyist tag from his Democratic US Senate opponent, and Bob Beauprez getting tagged Both Ways Bob by Marc Holtzman in the GOP primary. Both are recent examples of how primaries can be harmful.

    That being said, I think that as long as the primary sticks to the issues, which I believe it has so far, then it can have the positive effect of putting the media spotlight on the Democrats. That is a very good thing, especially with two such qualified and likable candidates as Romanoff and Bennet.

    As MADCO said above, and as I’ve pointed out many, many times (and probably will continue to do so) Bennet was there before the primary. The only thing that the primary has done is put more focus–not more pressure–on Bennet’s positions.

    I’ve always said that if the primary stays clean, and there’s a good debate on the issues (like we had last night) then it can prove to be beneficial.

          1. That AR is making Bennet out to be an evil corporate crony which will inevitably make Dems  complacent and uninspired leading up to Nov.

            RSB- this isn’t sticking to the issues. He has blatantly set forth a false premise.  

            1. If he’s going to be the nominee in November, he’s going to have to deal with much worse attacks than that from Jane Norton or whoever.

              All I’m saying is that the primary isn’t going away. Better to try to reinforce the good than dwell on the bad.

            2. While the whole PAC money = evil is a total canard by Romanoff, it’s still based on policy. He’s trying to talk about campaign finance reform, and he’s using it is as one of the only ways he can differentiate himself from Bennet to voters.

              If this is the worst thing that comes from this primary, then we’re all going to look back on this and wonder what the fuss was all about. Whether or not it is depends solely on the Romanoff campaign.

              1. Hope this is the worst of it, however, based on what’s happened over the past couple of weeks I think things are really going to heat up and AR is going to be left with no other choice than to go negative.  

                1. Huh?  Romanoff’s whole campaign so far has been nothing but negative. Bennet was appointed and is bought and paid for has been the entire message all along.  Adding an anti-Obama, throw the incumbent bums out message while Dems hold the WH and both houses of congress is not just negative, it’s stupid beyond belief. After all, the best way for the middle to heed that message in the general would be to vote for a non-incumbent Republican, not for AR.  And Trippy’s best days do seem to be behind him, don’t they?

                  1. That’s really not fair, BlueCat, though the campaign does attack Bennet on the points you say (Romanoff is, after all, the challenger). But Romanoff spends the bulk of his time talking about what he accomplished as speaker and what he wants to see the Senate do. He’s got a lot to say that doesn’t focus on corporate cash and corruption, though that is his main point.

                    1. where he spoke (was there to hear someone else)) but get e-mails and see lit and they are all pretty much negative and issue free. Even his talk of his legislative experience and accomplishment is geared toward implying Bennet lacks leadership skills. That’s getting to be a tougher sell these days, too.  Maybe why more of my fence sitting friends are off the fence on the Bennet side every day.

              2. He made it up because he wasn’t getting any PAC money. With the new Supreme Court ruling he’s asking the Dems to go to combat againt a heavily armed army with tanks with nothing but switch blades.  

        1. Made Barack vs. Hillary look like a round of golf.

          Ed (who I would lay down my life for) would not have won this year even against someone as feckless as Little Ricky if he had to contend with a primary that ugly. And that primary, like this one, was between two people whom I knew well, liked, and respected.

          There was never any party unity after that primary–there wasn’t time. There’s 90 days between the primary and the election. Ed won without throngs of Peggy’s staff and volunteers burying the hatchet and making lovey-dovey to band together and kick Republican ass. It was just that good of a year.

          This isn’t.

          1. well, the first one, anyway. Talk about unburied hatchets. Of course, the 5th is that favorable of a district. The whole state isn’t, not this year.

            But listen, i was being a bit sarcastic above. I don’t expect Andrew to walk away. it’ll be curious to see in six weeks if he’s raising much money, but he’s got enough to maintain a campaign through caucuses, where he’ll do well, and on to the state assembly.  

              1. But that was probably the nastiest election I’ve seen in a long while. Although O’Donnell was pretty nasty, but it backfired. He sent out a mailing that warned voters that a sexually violent predator had moved in next door thanks to Ed Perlmutter.

                After their phones lit up from panicked citizens, the cops endorsed Ed. And I don’t think they’d endorsed a Democrat in decades.

              2. His dissembling staff and advisers that he supposedly doesn’t VET are lying more and more everyday.

                Mr. Romanoff  becomes the Democrats Marilyn Musgrave with every lie his campaign puts out.

                He needs to answer the AIPAC question.

                If not for AIPAC support through the years, Israel may well have had more wars, and perhaps lost them.

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