You read that right, Wadhams praises Nancy Pelosi. But…
Opposition to the motion to adjourn yesterday was nearly entirely Republican–Udall was trying to get back to DC so he could vote their way. Does it seem a little odd to have Wadhams praising Pelosi for doing the very thing his boss claimed was wrong–that is, adjourning the session without passing a “comprehensive” energy bill?
Bottom line: even if Udall had gotten in under the wire, it’s likely Pelosi would have whipped another Dem into voting for adjournment, because the leadership was determined to start their vacation early–according to the calendar, the session wasn’t supposed to have ended until August 11th, and no votes were scheduled to have occured until today. From Udall’s point of view the blame is pretty clear–it’s the same person Wadhams is “lauding.”
Schaffer’s release after the jump, followed by a new statement from Udall, trying to get the conversation back on track by methodically hammering Schaffer’s record on fuel efficiency, renewable energy, and support in general for the “Big Oil agenda.”
For Immediate Release:
July 31, 2008
Contact: Dick Wadhams
Kelly Brady
720-377-1600?
SCHAFFER CHALLENGES UDALL TO REVEAL CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING EVENT DETAILS AND DONORS
Udall misses two days of House votes while holding fundraisers,
reneges on pledge to force House to consider energy bill
ENGLEWOOD – The Bob Schaffer for Senate campaign today called on Boulder Congressman Mark Udall to reveal details of fundraising events in Colorado this past Tuesday that resulted in Udall missing two days of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“By his campaign’s own admission, Boulder Liberal Udall chose to attend campaign fundraising events in Colorado rather than to show up for the work in Washington that he was elected to do as a Boulder congressman,” said Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams. “Colorado voters deserve to know the identity of these campaign donors who Boulder Liberal Udall considers more important than showing up and voting in Congress.”
During a debate on KDVR-TV Fox 31 this past Monday, July 28, Schaffer challenged Udall to vote against adjourning for the summer congressional recess this week until an energy bill including increased domestic drilling was considered by the U.S. House of Representatives. Udall pledged to do so.
Yesterday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought the adjournment resolution up for a vote by the House which passed by only one vote, 213 to 212. Udall not only missed that vote, he missed three other votes on Tuesday, July 29 because, according to his campaign, he remained in Colorado to raise money for his Senate campaign. Udall blamed Speaker Pelosi for missing the vote, claiming he missed the votes by a few minutes.
“Speaker Pelosi is to be lauded for maintaining the integrity of the House voting process and not rewarding the irresponsible behavior of Boulder Liberal Udall who put campaign donors ahead of Coloradans who are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline,” Wadhams said. “Boulder Liberal Udall could have been the vote to kill the resolution had he been doing his job rather than raising campaign money.”
“Boulder Liberal Udall’s claim he missed the vote by only a few minutes is also curious,” Wadhams said. “Boulder Liberal Udall’s plane landed at Reagan Washington Airport at 12:49 PM and the vote ended at 1:04 PM. There is no way Boulder Liberal Udall could have been ‘racing up the steps of the Capitol’ as he claims when the vote ended. Apparently, Boulder Liberal Udall was one U-turn away from making the vote.”
For Immediate Release
JULY 31, 2008
Contact: Tara Trujillo
303.820.2008 (o)
720.333.3425 (c)
BOB SCHAFFER CARRIES BIG OIL’S AGENDA, BIG OIL RAKES IN RECORD PROFITS, COLORADANS PAY THE PRICE
It was another banner day for Bob Schaffer and his oil industry friends – at the expense of Colorado families – as Exxon Mobil announced they had pulled in the largest quarterly profit of any corporation in history. It’s no surprise that Big Oil is doing well, given the years of hand-outs and favors they’ve received from Big Oil boosters like Bob Schaffer, George Bush, and Dick Cheney.
Bob Schaffer’s been handsomely rewarded for standing on the side of the oil companies, receiving nearly a quarter-million dollars in campaign cash from the industry, including over $180,000 in this election cycle alone. He’s also been paid nearly a million dollars as an oil company executive, including a quarter-million dollar “golden parachute” that’s bankrolling his ability to run for the Senate.
“While Coloradans across this state are struggling to pay outrageous prices at the pump, Bob Schaffer and the oil industry are just watching their wallets get fatter,” said Udall campaign spokeswoman Tara Trujillo. “Bob Schaffer spent six years in Congress giving hand-outs to Big Oil and opposing alternative energy, and they’ve rewarded him by filling his bank account with the record profits they’re making off struggling Colorado families. So we shouldn’t be surprised that Bob Schaffer’s only answer to the gas price crisis is more Big Oil hand-outs, but what’s good for Bob Schaffer is disastrous for our state’s families.”
FACT: OIL EXECUTIVE BOB SCHAFFER SPENT SIX YEARS IN CONGRESS VOTING FOR THE BIG OIL AGENDA AND RECEIVED A QUARTER-MILLION DOLLARS IN CAMPAIGN CASH IN RETURN. THEN HE CASHED IN WITH AN OIL INDUSTRY JOB.
Schaffer Campaigns Have Taken Nearly A Quarter of a Million Dollars from the Oil & Gas Industry: According to the FEC, Schaffer has taken close to $250,000 from the Oil & Gas Industry as a candidate for the U.S. House and US Senate, including over $180,000 this cycle alone. [Center for Responsive Politics, OpenSecrets.com and FEC]
The Oil And Gas Industry Has Been a Top Contributing Industry in Each of Schaffer’s Campaigns.
http://www.opensecrets.org/rac…
http://www.opensecrets.org/rac…
http://www.opensecrets.org/pol…
http://web.archive.org/web/200…
http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-…
Since Leaving Congress, Schaffer Has Been Paid Over $1 Million in Salary and Severance as an Oil And Gas Executive. As soon as he left Congress, Bob Schaffer took a six-figure job as an oil and gas executive. When he resigned from the job to run for Senate, he received a severance package of more than a quarter of a million dollars. [Schaffer Personal Financial Disclosures]
FACT: BOB SCHAFFER HAS SUPPORTED THE BUSH ENERGY POLICY OF BIG OIL HANDOUTS AND SKYROCKETING GAS PRICES EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
Schaffer Supported the 2001 Bush Energy Plan Which Included Nearly $13 Billion in Tax Breaks for the Oil and Gas Industry, and was described as “larded with costly subsidies” and “an old-fashioned boondoggle that uses taxpayer dollars to degrade the environment.” [HR 4, Roll Call #320, 8/2/01; Boston Globe editorial, 8/3/01]
Schaffer Supported the 2004 Bush Energy Plan, Which Even John McCain Called “No Lobbyist Left Behind”: “I support all aspects of the president’s [energy] plan. I think the president is on the right track.” [Bob Schaffer, NFIB Debate, 7/1/04]
The 2004 Energy Bill Included Nearly $12 Billion in Tax Breaks for the Oil and Gas Industry. “Senators, notably Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) refused to swallow it. He called it the ‘No-Lobbyist-Left-Behind’ bill.” HR 4503, 6/15/2004; HR 6, 11/18/2003;Gas Prices Have Almost Tripled Under the Bush-Schaffer Approach. When George Bush took office, gasoline cost HR 4503, 6/15/2004; HR 6, 11/18/2003;.51 per gallon. Since that time, gas prices have increased 275%. [Energy Information Association, Department of Energy
FACT: OIL EXECUTIVE BOB SCHAFFER HAS OPPOSED BIPARTISAN EFFORTS TO INVEST IN AMERICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY ECONOMY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY EFFORTS.
During Schaffer’s Tenure in Congress, Majority Republicans Only Funded 12% Of President Clinton’s Requests For New Investments In Renewable Sources Of Energy And Energy Efficiency Programs.”Republicans in Congress have funded only 12 percent of the administration’s request for new investments in renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency initiatives.” [Congressional Record, 06/27/00]
Schaffer Was 1 of Only 15 Members to Vote Against a Renewable Energy Partnership. In 2001, Schaffer voted against a partnership program between the EPA and the private sector to conduct outreach on renewable and alternative energy. [HR 4, Vote #310, 8/1/2001; Passed 411-15]
Schaffer Voted Against Energy Efficiency Programs: On July 21, 1998, Schaffer voted against an amendment to increase funding for energy efficiency and conservation programs. LCV strongly supported the measure. [HR 4193, House CQ Vote 313, 7/21/98, LCV Legislative Scorecard Vote]
Schaffer Opposed Increasing Fuel Efficiency for Cars and Providing Incentives for Alternative Fuel Vehicles: On August 1, 2001, Schaffer voted against an amendment requiring increased fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks and offering incentives for alternative fuel vehicles. [HR 4, vote 311, 8/1/01; CQ Weekly, 8/4/01]
Schaffer Voted to End the Department of Energy’s Gas Efficiency Program for New Vehicles: Schaffer voted to eliminate funding for the Energy Department’s Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles program. The PNGV program invested in supplier companies, national labs, and universities who engage in research and development into advanced batteries for electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, lightweight materials, vehicle recycling, fuel economy and further reductions of emissions. Federal partners involved in this research include the Departments of Commerce, Energy, Transportation and Defense, along with the EPA, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and 21 federal labs. [Congressional Record; Vote #274, 6/14/00]
Schaffer Mentioned Renewable Energy Just Once on the House Floor During His Six Years in Congress. Comparatively, Mark Udall Mentioned It 53 times in His First 6 Years: “Schaffer mentioned renewable energy once in the Congressional Record during his six years in Congress; Udall mentioned it 53 times in his first three terms.” [Denver Post, 06/17/08]
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July 31, 2008 11:01 PM UTC
9 Comments
I’m lost, these posts are WAY too long, I fall asleep before the end. Maybe we can have quick, concise points, perhaps use flow charts or diagrams.
…he was going to vote with the GOP! Hmmm…can Udall really blast her for representing and effecting the wishes of her party? Maybe that why he’s been so (allegedly) polite to her?
because he had vowed to vote yes and Pelosi didn’t need to block his vote to win. She could have let him make a point of keeping his promise, deprived Wadhams of another talking point ( he didn’t show after promising support) and still won her vote.
It’s common practice to let folks vote against the party if they need to and the leadership can muster the votes without them. This is a tight race and Pelosi should have been thinking big, not petty. Besides, Wadhams is praising her. Either hell has frozen over or she screwed up.
Let’s face it these Liberals are trying to cover Udall’s screw-up. Not going to happen…Udall made a bad choice.
Does Udall have the balls to admit he let the People of Colorad down and he messed up? Heck he is a Dem…my bet is NO!
How exactly did he let the People of Colorad down? If he’d materialized for the sudden vote, Pelosi would’ve twisted an arm to pass it anyway. Then you’d be slamming him for not having enough influence.
And if by some miracle Udall prevailed, he would have worked contrary to your positions on the energy bill, in a Democratic Congress. So you’re really just complaining he didn’t provide Wadhams with more ammunition?
The People of Colorad want to know.
Yes too bad there was not more ammo…we will take what we can get since the Liberal media never prints anything bad about a Dem.
Sorry I did not type the O in Colorado. You Liberals are really jerks!
And you have a halo on your head. Along with Bob Schaffer. Will you be taking another trip to the Marianas Islands with him to go sailing, uh, I mean to investigate working conditions?
Yeah. I know, I’m just a Liberal Jerk. But, hey, takes one to know one.
Since we’ll be running things, you should be glad we don’t bear a grudge.