WINDSOR — Neither candidate in the 4th Congressional District race pulled punches tonight at the final public matchup between Republican Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and Democratic challenger Betsy Markey.
More than a dozen attacks flew between the lecterns, starting with Musgrave’s characterization of Markey as a “rule breaker” less than two minutes into her opening remarks and ending with the same criticism in her summation an hour later. At times, the attacks veered toward personal insults.
People filing out of the Windsor High School auditorium grumbled about hearing the same lines about the same policies. The grenades — mostly from the Musgrave campaign — are being lobbed as internal polls show an even or better chance that businesswoman Markey leads.
Musgrave four times returned to her campaign’s allegations of wrongdoing tied to Syscom Services, Markey’s family business.
“Rule breakers should never be allowed to be rule makers,” Musgrave said more than once. “Why don’t you think these rules apply to you (Markey)?”
Markey has shown that she followed Senate Ethics Committee recommendations, divesting herself from Syscom while she worked for Sen. Ken Salazar and the firm received government contracts.
But the pair branched out beyond the typical barbs traded in the press and on television to criticize each other’s campaign contributors, lack of bipartisanship and alleged flip-flops on positions.
Musgrave pointed out that Markey accepted money from U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, who is facing allegations of tax evasion. Markey responded by pointing out Musgrave contributions from the recently bailed out insurance company AIG.
“People are hurting, Marilyn, and this is not helping,” said Markey of the attacks, though she took her share of jabs at Musgrave. “People want to talk about the issues, and that’s why I’m here tonight.”
Markey said Musgrave dragged her feet on a plan to give enhanced protection for Rocky Mountain National Park and that she largely ignored efforts to work in a bipartisan manner on the bill.
Musgrave countered by saying Markey was “shrill” as head of the Larimer County Democratic Party.
Both booed the $700 billion federal bailout of financial institutions and blamed the crisis, in part, on Congress being “asleep at the wheel.”
Each expressed support for renewable energy. And in what Musgrave characterized as an about face, Markey joined her in supporting domestic drilling.
They differed on budget cuts.
Musgrave favors rolling back spending by 50 cents for every hundred dollars for every agency and every program that seeks an increase.
Markey rattled off a handful of programs to cut, including the millions agencies spend on media operations each year to promote themselves.
In her closing remarks, Markey struck a tone that’s been successful for presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
“I am tired of the politics of the petty of the insignificant and of the five-second sound bite,” Markey said. “There is a yearning in this country for leaders who will bring us together and who want to take us in a new direction.”
