But now his show, “La Voz del Pueblo,” has grown to be the biggest and most-trusted Spanish-language talk show in a state where Hispanics could easily decide the presidential election.

And so, on Tuesday morning, a woman’s voice on KBNO said, “Hi, give me one moment, the President will be on the line.”

“No problem. No problem,” replied Sergio.

A minute later, Obama said, “Hello, Fernando?”

So began an interview that was scheduled for 10 minutes but ran about 20. (Read about it here.)

“To the best of my knowledge it’s the first time a sitting president called into Spanish-language radio here in Colorado,” Sergio told me. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t appreciate that. It was a very positive experience for me and [my listeners] to have the most important man in the world calling.”

So how’d Sergio land Obama?

“We approached the Obama campaign,” Sergio told me. “They did their research and expressed interest. And then we approached Secretary Salazar, and the Secretary said, ‘I will ensure that they know your show is an important show and that the President should speak to you.’ We heard back in a couple days.”

“Four years ago, I was able to speak with John McCain twice, but we were unable to speak with Obama,” Sergio told me. “Instead, we got Joe Biden.”

Republicans are reaching out to Sergio this year as well.

“I had a conversation with [Colorado Republican Party Chairman] Ryan Call,” Sergio said. “He told me, ‘You can be sure that I will have Governor Romney on your show at least twice this year.’”

Has a date been set for Romney?

“Not yet,” Sergio replied. “It’s just a promise. It’s up to him. The doors are wide open. We will be as respectful with Governor Romney as we were with the President.

“At some point during this process I will make the case for one of the other,” Sergio said. “Twenty or 30 days before the election. Here is who I’m going to vote for, and here are the 10 reasons. But let people become well informed first.

“I stress how important it is to vote. Every single day, I say, ‘You go out there and you vote. Don’t let anyone else decide this for you.’ This will be a permanent theme until November.”

It’s an approach that’s in keeping with how Sergio runs his radio show, which he sees as a “platform is to try to help people.”

The show, which airs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 1280 AM, mostly addresses consumer issues, like problems with the banking industry and issues with police and immigration. Immigration attorneys make regular appearances on the program.

“The platform has worked out for us,” says Sergio, who’s been doing radio for 18 years. “It’s kind of like Martino’s show, but we’re more into helping people than promoting businesses.”

Sergio has an active presence on Facebook, but his show isn’t streamed online, because of steep fees that are required due to the fact that KBNO mostly airs music, Sergio told me. He hopes a solution can be found and online streaming will be added at some point.

Asked about the issues he thinks are most important to Hispanics, Sergio said he wavers between the economy and immigration.

“From my perspective, of course, it’s the economy, but immigration, for me, it’s a matter of respect. It’s emotional. I feel it. There is no other issue that has the same emotional impact. I was born in United States. But I witness the difficulties they face. I listen to the phone calls and the abuse.”

“I am an independent,” said Sergio, who supported Michael Bennet in 2010 and is leaning toward Obama. “I try in my own wisdom to do what’s right for my listeners.”

Jason Salzman runs the BigMedia blog and writes frequently at Huffington Post and Colorado Pols.

(Image of Obama: Hooper)

The agreement, which calls for millions in spending by Denver Water on Western Slope projects and creates a limit on how large Denver Water’s service area can be, had already been signed by Eagle County. Ultimately, the agreement will involve more than 40 parties across the state.

The agreement was first reported more than a year ago by The Colorado Independent and Mountain Town News, but it has taken awhile for details to be agreed on and signatures obtained.

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter applauded the signing of the agreement as a major shift in how water is managed and developed in Colorado.

“This is a significant turning point for our state,” Perlmutter said. “Through five years of work, more than 40 parties came together to form an agreement to protect our environment and ensure more reliable supplies of water for millions of Coloradans.”

The CRCA resolves historic disagreements over water management and development and creates a new approach based on cooperation. The agreement brings environmental benefits to the Colorado River Basin and provides additional water to communities from the Denver Metro and across the Continental Divide to the West Slope.

“Denver Water and West Slope leaders put us on the path toward a more secure water future,” Perlmutter said. “I support their effort to work together to the benefit of all Coloradans.”

Perlmutter noted that CRCA enables Denver Water’s Moffat Collection System Project to move forward. The project addresses a looming supply shortage in the Denver Metro area and improves the reliability of Denver Water’s system.

“The Moffat project will address serious problems that threatened the water supply for many of my constituents in the 2002 drought,” Perlmutter noted. “The CRCA will enable it to move forward while protecting and improving the health of Colorado’s rivers and streams. The partners to this agreement created a model for how water issues should be handled in the West and are to be commended for this historic achievement.”

Sen. Michael Bennet was equally laudatory.

“Today’s signatures on the cooperative agreement mark a significant step towards the consensus-based and sustainable future development of Colorado’s water resources. This document puts Colorado on a cooperative path for the future that protects the health of our state’s rivers and streams, the quality of life for Coloradans and the state’s economy. It is my hope that these important discussions will continue so that all of the stakeholders will be able to sign and the agreement can be fully implemented.”

“Water is the lifeblood of Colorado,” said Sen. Mark Udall in a prepared statement. “Our ability to sustainably use it to fuel economic growth and preserve our Colorado heritage is critical for the state,” Udall said. “This cooperative agreement between Western Slope water users and Denver Water embodies the kind of solution we should strive for in response to our water challenges. This agreement — and the process that shaped it — is a high water mark for cooperation on water issues and should be a model for the entire state to follow. I commend Denver Water, Grand and Summit Counties and others who have negotiated this agreement for their leadership.”

A statement issued by Denver Water almost makes the agreement seem like the beginning of a Colorado watertopia:

A secure and sustainable water future for Colorado is essential. It is vital for those who live in our cities and towns, for a healthy economy, for farmers and ranchers across the state, for wildlife and the aquatic life in our rivers and streams, and for those who enjoy the wonderful recreational opportunities our state offers. In short, it is essential to all that makes Colorado special.

Yet, competition for our water resources continues to increase. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Colorado River Basin, where conflicts between these competing interests have existed for generations.

A different approach is possible. It is an approach that provides proper balance among competing interests, a shared vision for better river health, reliable supply for all water users, and a future of cooperation, not conflict. It is precisely that approach that this agreement — among more than 40 water providers, local governments and the ski industry — embodies.

(Image of the Colorado River: Protect the Flows)

The Colorado river cuts a mighty bend in Utah. (Image: Protect the Flows)

A study released earlier this month and presented at a small forum in Denver makes the case that the river — simply as an object of enjoyment — is the largest employer in Colorado.

The study — commissioned by Protect The Flows and performed by Southwick Associates — only looked at the money spent by residents of the six-state Colorado River Basin. It did not consider money spent by people from outside these states.

The study contends that nearly 80,000 Coloradans owe their livelihood to the river and that river-related retail sales alone generate more income than agricultural production in Colorado.

Of the six states studied, which included Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, Colorado was by far the leader in terms of jobs generated and money spent. Direct spending in the region amounts to just over $17 billion a year, with just under $6.4 billion of that spent in Colorado. California was left out of the study because by the time the river reaches California it has lost most of its recreational value.

The forum, which drew only a couple of dozen people to a conference room at the Denver Chamber of Commerce, was nonetheless attended by both of Colorado’s U.S. senators. Panelists included business owners from throughout the region.

They included the predictable: rafting company owners, fishing guides and hotel owners and the unpredictable: the owner of a tile business.

Lee Gruber, founder and co-owner of Syzygy Tile Works in Silver City, Nev., said her business, which sells hand-crafted art tiles worldwide, would have trouble finding employees if it wasn’t for a healthy Colorado River system, several tributaries of which run nearby.

Gruber said healthy rivers and ecosystems are a quality of life issue for her and her 25 employees. She said all of her employees live in the area because of the lifestyle offered by the rivers and nearby wilderness areas. She said she would have no employees if it wasn’t for those factors, and noted that her business brings in more than $1 million a year from out-of-state buyers alone.

Protect The Flows has nearly 400 business members from the region, all of whom believe that a healthy river is vital to their own economic well-being.

“We represent 400 businesses who need water in the Colorado River to support the economy,” said Molly Mugglestone, coordinator of Protect the Flows.

She said all the trends show the river is losing water at a precipitous rate. “Think about the consequences of that,” she said. “If we do nothing, the price of water will spike and families will be forced to make drastic changes in how they use water.”

Karen Avery, who owns the Box Canyon Lodge and Hot Springs in Ouray, said her business and the economy of Ouray are dependent on a healthy Colorado River system. She said that in Ouray, 80 percent of sales tax revenue comes from visitors.

“Our business depends on a healthy river and a healthy environment. We need healthy flows in the river in order to support our way of life,” Avery said.

She said Ouray’s year-round population of 900 swells to 3,000 in the summer. “A healthy river makes that possible,” she said.

Sarah Sidwell, who manages a rafting business in Moab, Utah, said her business has more than 100 seasonal employees, all of whom rely on the river for their livelihood. “Our stake in this is huge. We need a flowing river for me to have a job. Moab is very dependent on sustaining flows in the Colorado River.”

Sidwell said Moab is home to burgeoning high-tech and manufacturing sectors, both of which rely on the outdoor lifestyle created by the river for the bulk of their employees.

“You don’t have to spend much time around rivers to understand their importance,” U.S. Sen. Mark Udall told the businesspeople.

Sen. Mark Udall addresses the Colorado River conference. (Kersgaard)

“Cynics might scoff at the importance of non-consumptive uses,” he said, adding that such uses are extremely important not just from a lifestyle point of view but from an economic one. He said the river supports 85,000 jobs and generates $9.5 billion a year in Colorado, numbers slightly higher than those documented by the study, which was limited in its scope.

He said climate change and drought are real concerns in Colorado. “Our economic future depends on preserving our water supply,” Udall said.

Sen. Michael Bennet hit on one of his recurrent themes when he told the gathering that politicians in Washington, D.C., are detached from the real lives and real problems of people in the United States.

Sen. Michael Bennet speaks at Protect the Flows meeting in Denver. (Kersgaard)

He said, though, that people in Colorado and the West have a history of rising above their differences in order to work together to solve problems such as those presented by an overtaxed river system.

He said the region depends on “our stewardship” of such natural resources as the Colorado River and the state’s natural areas.

According to the study, 1.74 million Coloradans recreate on the river or its tributaries each year. If you looked at the river system as a business, Rob Southwick said the recreational spending by regional residents alone would rank the river #155 on the Fortune 500.

In Colorado, he said, 3.5 percent of the population rely on the river for their jobs.

Proposed drilling land next door to Big B's organic apple orchards. (Image: Big B's)

Reached by telephone this afternoon, Shannon Borders, spokeswoman for the BLM in Montrose, said officials there had no additional comment.

The North Fork Valley is home to one of the highest concentrations of organic farms in Colorado and is one of just two designated wine regions in the state. Wildlife also thrives there.

A delegation of local business owners and residents in the North Fork Valley recently went to Washington, D.C., urging federal officials to withdraw the leases. Protestors also took to the ESPN Winter X Games in Aspen and other highly visible locales.

A few coal mines and dozens of oil and gas wells are already scattered throughout the area, but many residents say additional drilling could be detrimental to the region’s rural economy.

“I am glad to see that the BLM made the right decision,” said Pete Kolbenschlag of Mountain West Strategies in Paonia. “Secretary Salazar’s leasing reforms worked — the agency took a closer look and realized that leasing these parcels was problematic and likely contrary to law and regulation. There will be many celebrations — big and small — in the North Fork Valley tonight. We also owe appreciation to our senators — Michael Bennet and Mark Udall — who helped get a comment extension and who passed along constituent concerns to BLM and others.”

Bennet was seeking to rally support for the bill as it moves to the Republican-controlled House and to take measure of how the legislation translates for people working on campus and in the city of Boulder with victims and perpetrators of stalking, domestic violence and sexual assault.

“It’s nice to meet with people working on the ground, particularly when politics in Washington is as screwed up as it is right now,” Bennet told roughly 30 people gathered in a conference room hemmed in by the Flatiron mountains.

He referenced his time as the superintendent of the Denver Public School system. “There’s not much of a feedback loop [in Washington]. You watch laws get passed, but on the ground sometimes they don’t make a lot of sense. It can be a one-way game of telephone.”

Representatives from rape centers and legal assistance offices told Bennet that funds provided by the Act were critical in establishing resources. Barb Paradiso from the University of Colorado Denver said there was no office or staff to deal with the issue on her urban campus just three years ago. She said grant money awarded through the Act was crucial to getting services up and running and hiring employees.

“In just three years, we’ve come a long way. We have a foundation [on which] to build now,” she said.

Bennet said it was unfortunate that the Senate five year reauthorization would slash $150 million from the Act’s previous $800 million budget. That was a response to fiscal realities, he explained.

“I call Washington the land of flickering lights, because the standard these days is just to manage to keep things running.”

The people gathered at CU told Bennet that, although great strides have been made in providing help for victims, the culture surrounding the issue hasn’t changed in ways that would work to head off the violence and decrease the number of victims.

“We reach out to victims but we don’t reach out to perpetrators,” said Celeste Montoya, a political science professor and faculty adviser for the campus Gender Justice League. She said a lot could be done to intervene before any crime or harassment takes place. “We know where to begin,” she told the Colorado Independent, “the sports teams and the fraternities.

“We have a great policy on paper to support victims but to target prevention, funding for that would be tremendously appreciated.”

The Violence Against Women Act, originally sponsored by now-Vice President Joe Biden, was passed in 1994 and has been reauthorized consistently. It pays for programs that provide, for example, legal assistance and temporary housing for victims, enforcement of court-ordered protection services and youth prevention programs.

This year, however, reauthorization has been charged with election-year politics. Democrats added provisions that would extend services to same-sex and undocumented immigrant victims. Conservatives have argued that Democrats are, in effect, daring them to vote against reauthorization, looking to gain more material to fill out a portrait of the party as insensitive to women.

Bennet, secure in his seat for another four years, is nevertheless the poster boy for “war on women” election campaign strategies bubbling up across the country.

As a candidate in 2010, Bennet looked to win over women across Colorado by highlighting the hardline social conservative policy stances struck by his Republican opponent Ken Buck. Bennet, appointed to office two years earlier when Ken Salazar became Secretary of the Interior, was an underdog in the race. It was the first time he had ever run for office and it was the year Republican candidates notched victories in record numbers coast to coast.

Yet Buck, who as Weld County district attorney years before had declined to prosecute a rape case partly because he thought a skeptical jury would see the defendant as merely suffering a case of “buyer’s remorse,” was portrayed by critics as an unyielding relic of a past era. In the end, Bennet succeeded in winning the votes of women by a wide margin and did so in a contest where every vote mattered. He elbowed past Buck at the finish line, winning the election by something like 10,000 of roughly 800,000 votes cast.

[ Image of Senator Bennet at CU by The Colorado Independent ]

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If Congress does not act, the tax credit will expire at the end of the year, putting thousands of jobs in Colorado at risk and even more nationwide. The wind energy sector has already begun layoffs in anticipation of the tax credit, according to Bennet and others.

National Wind Technology Center turbines near Golden. (Photo by Troy Hooper)

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton testified on behalf of extending the tax credit at a House Small Business Subcommittee hearing last week. Vestas Wind Technologies is a large employer in the 3rd Congressional District, where Tipton is up for re-election. His opponent, state House minority leader Sal Pace, has been critical of Tipton for not doing enough to get the wind production tax credit extended.

In the Senate, both Bennet and Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., have repeatedly tried in vain to attach the tax credit to bigger pieces of legislation. Here is today’s Fox News report:

“Right now the biggest oil companies are raking in record profits, profits that go up every time folks pull up into a gas station,” President Barack Obama said Thursday morning. “But on top of these record profits, oil companies are getting billions a year in taxpayer subsidies – a subsidy they’ve enjoyed year after year for the last century.”

The president’s pitch in the Rose Garden came just minutes before the Senate rejected a bill that would have repealed the breaks for oil companies. With resistance from every Republican except one and four Democrats from oil-rich states, the measure garnered 51 votes to 47 but it failed to meet the needed threshold of 60. Had it passed the Senate, the GOP-controlled House was expected to kill it.

The measure also would have extended the wind energy production tax credit, along with other renewable energy incentives, and paid for it through the repeal of tax breaks for the five biggest oil and gas companies while preserving incentives for small independent producers of oil and natural gas. About $2 billion a year in breaks for oil companies would have been diverted to finance clean energy development.

“The conversations happening in Washington remain a million miles from the conversations happening in Colorado and the rest of the country,” U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, said afterward. “The wind energy tax credit is too important to the thousands of Coloradans whose jobs are at risk for us to give up. Standing on its own, this tax credit has bipartisan support, and I believe it has the votes to pass. We will continue to look for every available avenue to advance the extension to provide certainty to this burgeoning industry, save jobs and move toward a clean energy economy.”

Republicans have attacked the Obama administration’s commitment to alternative fuels as a reason for soaring gas prices. But a CNN/ORC International poll released today shows most Americans blame oil companies for the pain they are feeling at the pump. The poll also indicated that seven in 10 of those surveyed say rising gas prices have caused hardship for them and their families.

It is no secret that oil and gas companies pour obscene amounts of money into the campaign coffers of the very politicians who make their rules. The Center for Responsive Politics notes the “industry has long enjoyed a history of strong influence in Washington. Individuals and political action committees affiliated with oil and gas companies have donated $238.7 million to candidates and parties since the 1990 election cycle, 75 percent of which has gone to Republicans.”

The Koch brothers, billionaire oil barons who own tony homes in the Aspen area, have nearly doubled their contributions to Colorado politicians in each of the last three election cycles.

Tense relationships with Iran, economic concerns in Europe and uncertainty in global oil supply are contributing to high prices at the gas pump but U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colorado, also pointed out in a recent letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (pdf) “the current disjointed system of energy trade leaves open the possibility of market manipulation and practices that can distort the price of energy. … I strongly believe that we need improved mechanisms for global energy trade to discourage collusion, fraud, and manipulation and to incentivize transparent, competitive, and efficient global energy trade.”

The average price of a gallon of gas in Denver is $3.71, up 9 cents from last week. Prices have been rising quickly across Colorado. Earlier this month, the state had the third least expensive gasoline in the nation. Today Colorado ranks No. 17 on the least expensive list with an average of $3.77.

Sen. Mark Udall is passionate about Colorado's outdoors. (Photo by Troy Hooper)

The San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act would designate 33,000 acres as wilderness — mostly as expansions of the existing Lizard Head and Mount Sneffels wilderness areas — in addition to adding mid-elevation lands to the system with a new area around 7,933-foot McKenna Peak, where imposing sandstone cliffs jut out of the plain. The bill would additionally designate about 22,000 acres as a special management area allowing some outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, hunting and fishing. Over 6,000 acres within Naturita Canyon would also be withdrawn from oil and gas development under the legislation.

“The bill protects existing water rights, allows continued grazing, does not affect the continued operation of a hydroelectric plant, continues to allow established heli-skiing on Sheep Mountain, and does not interfere with an important and popular footrace, called the Hardrock 100. It does not affect any current legal motorized or mechanical access,” Udall said.

The San Juan Wilderness Act was first introduced in 2009 by former U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colorado, and has since been championed by Udall and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, who co-sponsored its reintroduction last fall. U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colorado, has discussed the bill with stakeholders in the area but he has not taken a clear position on the bill.

In the past, Tipton has favored rolling back wilderness protections for public lands.

Leslie Weldon, deputy chief of the national forest system, said her agency supports the proposal and recognized “the wide support in Colorado for this bill.” But she also recommended softening language in the bill that would limit water projects so that it wouldn’t contradict existing laws.

Supporters of the bill include Ouray, San Miguel and San Juan county commissions, the city of Ouray and the towns of Ophir, Ridgway, Mountain Village, Telluride and Norwood as well as a number of local homeowners’ associations and landowners. The Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Trout Unlimited and many businesses also back it.

“Colorado’s population is expected to double by 2050, and we need to be proactive so that future generations can experience the beauty, clean air and water, and wildlife that we have today,” Udall said. “I’m proud of my successful past work to designate wilderness at James Peak and in Rocky Mountain National Park, and I look forward to this bill and to my new collaborative, community-driven processes that I hope will ultimately lead to additional legislation to protect two other very special places in my state — the Central Mountains and the Arkansas River and Browns Canyon.”

The San Juan Wilderness Act now awaits a committee markup where its fate could be determined. Udall maintains he will do whatever he can to get the legislation approved in this Congress.

One such bill has already passed in the House and two similar bills are currently competing for support in the Senate.

The Respecting States’ Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (S 2213), sponsored by Sen. John Thune (R-SD), and the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act (S 2188), sponsored by Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are mostly similar except that Thune’s bill matches the one already passed in the House and would allow people who live in states that require no permits to carry their guns in states across the country. Support is shifting behind Thune’s bill.

The Begich/Manchin bill is the companion to the House bill that passed and is also the preferred bill of the National Rifle Association.

Colorado Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet voted in favor of a 2009 version. That year’s bill fell only two votes short of the 60 required to pass. The Senators didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the coming vote.

Colorado representatives split along party lines on the House version of the bill, with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats against. Republican Rep. Cory Gardner did not vote.

Among states that require no permits for concealed weapons are Arizona, Wyoming and Montana.

The NRA and other gun-rights groups make up the main organizations supporting the bill.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has come out against the bills, as have the mayors of Colorado cities such as Boulder, Golden, Manitou Springs and Salida.

“The mayor believes that our government must to do more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. When public safety is at stake, he will not support any legislation that weakens state and local authority to regulate concealed weapons” said Hancock’s spokeswoman Amber Miller by email.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office chose not to comment.

A long list of local police organizations and personnel oppose the bill, including the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, Bellingham Police Chief Todd Ramsay, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, Broomfield Police Chief Thomas Deland, Retired Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers, Denver Police Chief Robert White, Pueblo Police Chief Luis Velez, and Wheat Ridge Police Chief Dan Brennan.

The Colorado opponents are joined by a loose coalition of urban mayors, police organizations and gun control advocates, led by Our Lives, Our Laws, which is a project of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

“States and cities across the country have always had the authority to decide whether some people are just too dangerous to carry a loaded, hidden gun in public,” said coalition co-chair New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “This bill would take away that authority and force states to allow out-of-state permit holders who have records of domestic violence, have certain misdemeanor convictions, or haven’t completed basic gun safety training to carry loaded guns in public. When it comes to public safety, Congress has no business telling states, cities and police how to do their jobs,” Bloomberg said in a press release.

“Police put their lives on the line to protect us every day,” said coalition co-chair Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “And when they encounter someone with a gun, they need certainty about the legality of that gun and whether the carrier is a danger to the public. This legislation would remove that certainty and replace it with chaos and confusion, because officers would have no way to verify that a permit is real. It undermines local laws, it undermines police and it undermines public safety.”

Newark Mayor Cory Booker voiced strong opposition to the legislation.

A moderately liberal lawmaker and a westerner at heart, Udall’s gun-rights position can be hard to pin down. His website give a general overview:

Responsible gun-ownership is also an integral part of our Western heritage. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is an individual right, and I’m committed to protecting the rights of citizens to own firearms for personal protection, hunting, collecting or for other legal purposes. When it comes to stricter gun control legislation, the burden of proof should be on those seeking to change existing laws. My priority is on ensuring we do a better job of enforcing the laws already on the books before embarking on new restrictions or regulations.

However, I’m reminded of the tragedies at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, in Tucson, Arizona, and other instances in which terrible crimes have been committed with guns. These horrific events are national tragedies that should concern us all. We should all be able to agree to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. There is much we can do with existing laws and regulations to prevent gun crime, and that’s where our emphasis should be placed…

I generally support the self-rule of residents and their local governments because they, like the residents of Colorado, should largely be free to set their own policies.

Bennet’s website contains no information on gun rights.

The NRA awarded Bennet a C+ on gun rights and Udall an F, but Udall’s grade is from 2003 and Bennet’s is from 2010.

[ Images of Udall and Bennet are from their websites. ]

Along with Bennet, the task force includes Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island), Tom Udall (New Mexico), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Jeff Merkley (Oregon), and Al Franken (Minnesota). Senator Charles E. Schumer (New York), chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, formed the group late last year.

Bennet said in a press release that the group will “pursue all available legislative and administrative avenues to shine a light on who is influencing American elections and to stem the tide of secretive spending that is already having a corroding and corrupting influence on our political system.”

Senator Michael Bennet. (Kersgaard)

Bennet has been involved in this issue virtually since the Supreme Court decision. He and Udall have proposed a constitutional amendment to give Congress and the states the power to regulate campaign finance.

“The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has subjected the American people to a flood of unlimited, anonymous corporate money in our elections. The Rhode Islanders I’ve heard from know that corporations aren’t people and that this is wrong,” said Whitehouse. “With my colleagues, we are working to put the power over elections back into the hands of the people, so that our government continues to be of, by and for the people, not the giant corporations.”

“The unchecked flow of money into our elections corrodes our democracy and drowns out the voice of the people,” said Udall. “Over the past few months, the unfair influence exerted by Super PACs has become abundantly clear to voters in New Mexico and elsewhere, and they are calling for sensible campaign finance reform.”

“The simple, genius idea of American democracy is that the people are in charge,” said Merkley. “President Lincoln described our government as ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ Citizens United stands for the opposite. It changes ‘We the People’ to ‘We the Powerful’. It gives the wealthy and well-connected a stadium sound system, drowning out the voice of the people. We must restore the people’s voice and put an end to unlimited, undisclosed spending by corporations.”

“Americans deserve fair and transparent elections,” said Franken. “Making sure that every American knows who is funding the election ads they see and hear is even more important now that the Supreme Court has allowed companies to contribute unlimited amounts of corporate cash to influence elections.”

“We believe that the unlimited cash allowed by the Citizens United decision must at least be disclosed,” said Schumer. “The Supreme Court’s decision has given corporations and the very wealthy unprecedented sway over our elections, and represents one of the most serious threats to the future of our democracy. This group will fight back with every tool at its disposal.”

So far this year, almost $90 million has been spent by outside groups, many of which are able to raise funds anonymously, from corporations, and in unlimited quantities, the senators said.

Small image of Sen. Michael Bennet courtesy of Sen. Michael Bennet.