The speaker of the House came to Denver on Wednesday to raise money for the Republican candidate in the 7th Congressional District, prompting the Democratic candidate to say his opponent will be a rubber stamp for the current administration.
House leader Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., cast Republican candidate Rick O’Donnell as the one most likely to push policies that will protect America from terrorism.
“We have to find someone that isn’t weak and someone who will come to Congress and doesn’t cave in and say wave the white flag,” Hastert told about 50 supporters attending the fundraiser at the Denver Athletic Club.
O’Donnell has benefited from a steady stream of President Bush’s Cabinet officials who have come to Denver to raise campaign money for him. Bush held a fundraiser that netted the campaign about $600,000.
Democratic candidate Ed Perl mutter said O’Donnell’s ties to national Republican Party officials show he won’t be an independent voice if elected to Congress.
“This just shows how these guys are joined at the hip,” Perl mutter said in an interview. “The president and the speaker of the House and members of the Cabinet come out time and again to raise money for Rick.”
O’Donnell told the crowd that while his opponent is trying to frame the election as a referendum on Bush, he believes it’s a failed strategy.
He said that when he talks with voters in the district, they tell him they’re concerned about local issues, such as how to ensure the former Fitzsimons Army base is successfully transformed into a medical hub where doctors and scientists conduct research.
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-820-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com.
