Tag: Co-04

LOVELAND - When Democrat Betsy Markey booked a town hall meeting in Loveland Wednesday to talk about the economic bailout, er, rescue plan, she probably expected to say more than the couple of sentences she was able to squeeze in, between a barrage of questions and comments from a group of about 50 people talking about the worries, fear and anger they have over America's troubled economy and the credit crisis that caused it.

Criminal complaints. Accusations of lying and public smears. Nasty TV and radio attack ads. It's election season in Colorado's 4th Congressional District, and this year's race -- much like those of the past -- has not proven healthy for the faint of heart. But this year's race between three-term incumbent Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and Democrat Betsy Markey has a new dimension: Despite voter registration numbers that favor Republicans by 13 percent, recent polls indicated Markey, a never-before-elected former Senate staffer, stands a clear chance of yanking Musgrave's seat out from under her.

In a negative race that just won't quit, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave filed a complaint with the Larimer County District Attorney last week alleging her Democratic opponent Betsy Markey knowingly made false statements about her in a recent television advertisement. In Musgrave's complaint, the three-term Republican from Fort Morgan said Markey's recent television ad that claimed Musgrave made votes to allow lobbyists to "wine and dine" her and sponsored legislation to reduce capital gains taxes on precious metals which would have directly benefited her Musgrave's husband Steve.

The mud just keeps getting thicker in Colorado's 4th Congressional District. The campaign of Democrat Betsy Markey filed a complaint with the Larimer County District Attorney's office on Sept. 17 over what Markey claims are knowingly false television advertisements aired by her political opponent Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave. Under Colorado law, it is illegal to knowingly make false statements about an opponent in a political campaign. If the Larimer County District Attorney Larry Abrahamson accepts the complaint it will be forwarded to a six-member, bipartisan commission established by the Colorado District Attorney who will investigate what wrong-doing, if any, occurred.

Bring out the shovels, it's going to take a lot of digging to get out of this mud. The campaigns of Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and her challenger Democrat Betsy Markey both released television ads Tuesday that are highly critical of one another. Musgrave's ad calls Markey corrupt while Markey's ad calls Musgrave a liar.

Sen. Ken Salazar on Saturday called for an investigation into a new Marilyn Musgrave TV ad, terming the ad's claims "absolutely false in every way." Rep. Musgrave's opponent, Democrat Betsy Markey, also called on the 4th District Republican to "immediately stop airing" the ad, which attacks Markey with claims she enriched herself with "non-competitive Halliburton-style contracts" and "used her congressional job to double her company's contracts."

Fanning the flames in an unusually competitve 4th District challenge to three-term Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, Democrat Betsy Markey announced Wednesday morning she will begin running a second TV ad this week.

The trend of traditionally Republican districts in Colorado leaning left appears to be gaining momentum. While the Democratic National Convention continues to steal headlines this week in Denver, important but quiet developments in Colorado’s traditionally Republican 4th Congressional District are afoot.

Betsy Markey has YouTubed her first video spot in CO-04, and despite its weird rock and roll-y soundtrack, the ad hits the mark. (According to the Markey campaign, they hope the upbeat, twangy music will help draw a strong contrast with her GOP opponent, incumbent Rep. Marilyn Musgrave.)

Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) worked the Cenex gas station this afternoon pumping gas and answering constituent questions on education, Mexican immigration, Pi