U.S. Sen. Mark Udall complimented his 2008 opponent, Republican Bob Schaffer, when offering his take on the presidential debate in Denver last week.
Republican Bob Schaffer, left, and Democrat Mark Udall, right, wave to the crowd before their debate in Pueblo in 2008. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Bryan Kelsen)
Most pundits and Americans said that Republican Mitt Romney beat President Obama in the 90-minute debate at the University of Denver.
Udall told a crowd of Democrats gathered for a state House fundraiser Wednesday that Obama had a “tough night.” He then talked about his race against Schaffer, a former congressman, four years ago.
“I debated Bob Schaffer 16 times and I had some good nights and I had some great nights and I had couple nights where I wasn’t at my best,” Udall said. “But I’ll give this to Bob Schaffer. The same Bob Schaffer showed up every time. The same Bob Schaffer took the same positions for 16 debates. I took the same positions.
“The Gov. Romney that showed up on that stage was not the Gov. Romney we’ve seen the last year.”
Critics say Romney’s position on taxes, in particular, changed.
Dick Wadhams, former state GOP chairman and the manager of Schaffer’s campaign, was asked about Udall’s comment. “Sounds like my friend Sen. Udall is part of the ‘Great Excuse Machine’ that President Obama and his allies built in the aftermath of the president’s debate defeat last week,” Wadhams said.
