A nasty and unusual Democrat vs. Republican split erupted today in Colorado’s U.S. Congressional delegation, with junior Sen. Ken Salazar accusing senior Sen. Wayne Allard of repeatedly taking recognition for Salazar’s work.
Allard said that he couldn’t understand Salazar’s criticisms, and that they were untrue.
The barbs came after Allard, along with Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan, introduced a bill to give Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness designation. If passed by Congress, wilderness designation would bar any new roads or buildings as well as cars, snow machines and other motorized vehicles.
Salazar had introduced a bill in July 2005 offering the park wilderness designation. Rep. Mark Udall has offered similar bills in the U.S. House since 1999.
Allard and Musgrave as recently as July resisted that designation, writing an editorial in the Fort Collins Coloradoan detailing their opposition.
But Allard and Musgrave and their aides were talking with Salazar and Udall and their staffs about legislation everyone could agree on. Salazar and Udall said they had an agreement with Musgrave and Allard to jointly introduce legislation, and that the Republicans abruptly introduced their own bill.
Allard said “it’s true” that the four had that agreement, but that the Republicans wanted their own bill to have “a marker to negotiate from.”
Salazar then said he felt “violated,” that Allard broke his agreement to work together on a bill, and said that it jeopardizes the chances of Congress giving the park the wilderness designation this year.
“I do resent the fact that people have decided to play politics with some of Colorado’s national treasures,” Salazar said.
The squabble over legislation ballooned beyond the Rocky Mountain National Park issue, however.
Salazar said it’s the latest example of Allard stepping in to put his name on legislation Salazar initiated.
“Over the last 21 months I have done everything I could to work closely with you on Colorado-specific issues, including co-sponsoring many of your bills,” Salazar said in a letter he hand-delivered to Allard’s office. “Indeed, on many occasions I have done the work on these bills and let you take credit for them in part out of deference to you as Colorado’s senior Senator.”
Allard said “there isn’t a piece of legislation where it’s been his work entirely” and that the two have worked together. “I don’t understand why he thinks he’s done all the work, frankly.”
“I hate to get into a public squabble with him,” Allard added. “It doesn’t pay to get upset and get in a dirt fight with your colleagues.”
He said Salazar is new to the Congressional process.
“Having never been in a legislative body before, I think sometimes he doesn’t understand the frustrations you can experience,” Allard said of Salazar, who was Colorado’s Attorney General before he was elected to the Senate in 2004.
The split echoed in the U.S. House, where Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs questioned the motivation behind Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan, introducing legislation that Udall said duplicated a bill he’d introduced.
“Today’s announcement, which comes one day before Congress adjourns, seems to be more about taking credit for the legislation rather than protecting the park,” Udall said about the Allard-Musgrave bill. “A cynic might think that this timing is aimed at helping Mrs. Musgrave in her re-election campaign.”
Musgrave’s staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
