Blog
-by Andrew Romanoff
I called Sen. Bennet tonight to concede the Democratic nomination and to pledge my full support to him in the general election. I ask all my supporters to join me in that effort as well.
To the thousands of Coloradans who supported our cause, I offer my deepest thanks. I will always treasure your friendship and your vote of confidence in me.
Millions of Americans need our help now more than ever. I will continue to work as hard as I can to advance the goals we share.
Sincerely,
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-by Patricia Barela Rivera
Can you take the day off? How about an hour or two?
The next eight hours could determine the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. More than half-a-million registered Democrats have not yet voted. We’re going to spend the day trying to reach as many of them as possible.
Here’s how you can help:
- Vote. Ballot drop-off sites -- and, in some counties, vote centers and polling places -- will be open until 7 p.m. Call 303-586-6510 or log on to www.andrewromanoff.com/vote to find a location near you.
- Phone your friends. Volunteer at one of our field offices or at home. We’ll be making calls all day long. Call 303-586-6510 for instructions.
- Become a Democrat for the day. If you’re an unaffiliated voter, you can still join our party and participate in this primary. (You can become unaffiliated again tomorrow!) Log on to www.andrewromanoff.com/vote to learn how.
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-by Andrew Romanoff
Who’s in charge here?
That’s the question voters will answer tomorrow night. In one corner: the people of Colorado. In the other corner: BP, PhRMA, JP Morgan, and just about every other special-interest group in America.
For the last 11 months, I’ve crisscrossed the state -- outlining my agenda, meeting voters, and listening to their concerns. Despite the opposition of the national political establishment and a multi-million-dollar corporate machine, our team won the State Assembly by 21 points. We captured endorsements from the Colorado Springs Independent and the Greeley Tribune. And we earned the support of President Bill Clinton.
Click here to listen to a message President Clinton recorded for us today.
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-by Andrew Romanoff
"How do you still have a home phone number," a voter asked me recently, "if you don't have a home?"
The friendly jibe came from a member of the Optimist Club in south Denver, a group I addressed last week. The Optimists did their best to disprove their own name, expressing doubt about the willingness or ability of any candidate to reform Washington's pay-to-play culture.
My first opponent was in the audience as well. I recall the campaign he ran against me 10 years ago. One of his brochures labeled his hometown as Mitchell, Nebraska and listed mine as "unknown." (The implication, my friends and I concluded at the time, was that I had either been raised by wolves or abducted by aliens.)
I've thought a lot about that campaign over the last few days, as this primary draws to a close. The best part of a Statehouse race: You can meet just about everyone you hope to represent. That's a little harder in a statewide race -- although my volunteers have probably knocked on more doors than any other campaign in Colorado this year.
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-by Patricia Barela Rivera
Two extraordinary developments could shape the outcome of this race.
The first came this morning.� Today's edition of The New York Times reveals an "exotic deal" that Michael Bennet cut with Wall Street.� The deal cost Denver Public Schools $25 million -- and counting -- while making millions for JP Morgan and other Wall Street banks.� Sen. Bennet is now one of the top recipients of Wall Street cash in the U.S. Congress.
The second development will take place this weekend.� That's when the Democratic National Committee (yes, our party) will host round-the-clock phonebanks for our opponent -- in Washington, DC.� The national establishment is, in its own words, going "all-out" for Sen. Bennet.
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-by Andrew Romanoff
Washington is broken.
On that point, almost every politician agrees (or at least claims to). What voters want to know is this: Who is most likely to fix it?
Fortunately, the people of Colorado have a choice this year, and the differences are clear.
I’ve won recognition as one of the most effective legislative leaders in the United States. I worked hard to enact and defend Colorado’s campaign-finance law, enforce our ethics code, ban gifts to lawmakers, and penalize candidates who refuse to reveal their donors or their expenditures. I am the only candidate in this race -- and one of the few in America -- who refuses to accept contributions from political action committees.
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-by Andrew Romanoff
We must be doing something right.
Now we're under attack not only from my Democratic opponent, but also from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). The attacks may not have been coordinated, but they use the same script. "Andrew Romanoff is a dishonest, career politician," says the Bennet campaign. "Andrew Romanoff is a hypocrite, plain and simple," says the NRSC.
The source of this slander? The opposition said I couldn't win if I didn't accept contributions from political action committees (PACs) and then accused me of planning to do so in the general election.
Both statements are false. I don't take any PAC money now, I have not done so at any point in this campaign, and I will not do so in the general election. I don't know how to make my stand any clearer.
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-by Patricia Barela Rivera
Our campaign is on a roll, and the opposition is panicking. They're desperate to derail Andrew's momentum.
To do so, they've trotted out a series of specious arguments, each less credible than the last. First they said Andrew couldn't win because he captured the caucuses by "only" eight percent and "should have won by more." So we took their advice and won the State Assembly by 21 points. Then they said Andrew couldn't win because his opponent would outspend him. Our support continued to grow.
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-by Berrick Abramson
Our road to the Democratic nomination began nearly 11 months ago, at our kickoff in Pueblo. Tomorrow night, we're going to start one final, seven-day sprint.
What better place to fuel up for this race than Beau Jo's? (Not a paid promo, just really good pizza.) And who better to kick it off than Jeremy Bloom? The two-time Olympian, three-time World Champion, All-American, former NFL player, and philanthropist will join Andrew on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at Beau Jo's, 2710 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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-by Bill Romjue
The only poll that matters, as everyone likes to say, is the one on Election Day. So we're not taking anything for granted until August 10.
But we are excited about the momentum we've been seeing, in every corner of Colorado. Three new polls show Andrew doing better and better. The latest findings, in fact, show Andrew leading his primary opponent, by a margin of 48% to 45%.
Keep our Romentum going by contributing $48, $480 or even $4800 right now!
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-by Patricia Barela Rivera
I've known Andrew Romanoff for 15 years. I've never met anyone with greater compassion or a more profound commitment to the people of Colorado.
Andrew is not only the best qualified candidate in this race; he also the best chance to hold this seat in November. But don't take my word for it. The polls agree: Andrew consistently outperforms his Democratic opponent in matchups against both Republican candidates.
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-by Andrew Romanoff
For the second time in a week, my opponent has attempted to mislead the citizens of Colorado (1). Here are the facts:
- I oppose the privatization of Social Security. I said so in the vote I cast in the state legislature (2), and I renew that pledge now. The resolution my opponent cites has nothing to do with privatizing Social Security; in fact, it specifically urges Congress NOT to cut Social Security benefits (3).
- My leadership on issues of concern for seniors represents 100% support for the interests of AARP, the Colorado Senior Lobby, and the Colorado Gerontological Society (4).
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-by Berrick Abramson
When is a debate not a debate?
The producers at KBDI, a public television station, tried for more than six months to schedule a debate between Andrew Romanoff and Michael Bennet. The debate took place yesterday -- minus one of the candidates. The role of Mr. Bennet was played by an empty chair.
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-by Andrew Romanoff
For as long as I can remember, my family has shared a commitment to public service.
My father's parents owned a small grocery store in Schenectady, New York; they lived in an apartment above it. They helped many of their customers -- fellow immigrants -- endure the war years, offering them food on credit and forgiving the loans.
My mother was a social worker. Her father traveled around the world with Project Hope, bringing medical supplies to children in Africa, Latin America and southeast Asia.
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-by Patricia Barela Rivera
The last week has brought more good news to our campaign, including endorsements from one of Colorado's leading newspapers and a new grassroots group: Firefighters for Romanoff.
The Greeley Tribune said Andrew Romanoff has the experience and the "know-how" to navigate a complex environment in an especially contentious climate. In the Tribune's words, "Romanoff is a man who knows how to get things done." The Tribune joins the Colorado Springs Independent, which called Andrew "potentially one of the premier senators and statesmen of this generation."
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-by Patricia Barela Rivera
It was inevitable.
Losing altitude, our opponent is lashing out. Unable to defend the money he takes from the oil industry or the big Wall Street banks -- or the votes he casts in their favor -- Sen. Bennet is instead attacking Andrew's character.
That's the way Washington works: Ignore. Distract. Attack.
We will fight back -- not by engaging in the same type of gutterball tactics, but by sticking to the facts. And the facts, from financial reform to energy and the environment, are on our side. Tellingly, the opposition does not dispute a single fact in Andrew's advertising -- because they can't.
That's a big difference in this race: While Andrew confines his arguments to the truth, his opponent practices the politics of personal destruction. Colorado deserves better. America deserves better.
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-by Berrick Abramson
Our opponent has spent nearly five million dollars -- most of it from out-of-state donors and special-interest groups -- promising to change the way Washington works. Unfortunately, not everyone in the campaign seems to have gotten the memo.
Yesterday, Sen. Bennet's campaign manager sent out a fundraising plea calling Andrew Romanoff deceptive, irresponsible and disingenuous. And those were just the nicest words in an appeal to end "negative campaigning"!
Here's the catch: In a 500-word character assassination, there's not a shred of evidence -- not a single instance of the "half-truths" or "character assaults" the Bennet campaign complains about. We have seen a steady stream of personal attacks in this race -- from our opponent's spokesmen and surrogates. (Take yesterday's email, please.)
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-by Andrew Romanoff
“I firmly believe with all my heart,” Tom Tancredo declared yesterday, that “the greatest threat to the United States today, the greatest threat to our liberty, the greatest threat to the Constitution of the United States, the greatest threat to our way of life, everything we believe in -- the greatest threat to the country that was put together by the founding fathers -- is the guy that is in the White House today.”
Rep. Tancredo’s words drew cheers at a Senate rally for Ken Buck. (Mr. Buck said, “Tom tends to exaggerate sometimes.”)
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-by Bill Romjue
We’re winning the ground game. Now you can help us dominate the airwaves.
Andrew’s first television ad aired yesterday, thanks to the generosity of supporters like you. Now we need the resources to reach as many voters as possible. Each second of air time on the local evening news costs approximately $30.
Please contribute $30 to buy one second, $300 to buy 10 seconds -- or even $900 to fund an entire 30-second spot.
As the only candidate in this race who refuses to accept special-interest money, Andrew will be accountable to his constituents. That’s the way democracy should work.
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-by Berrick Abramson
I hope you saw the endorsement Andrew earned from President Bill Clinton. We've received an amazing response over the last 24 hours. Hundreds of supporters are joining our grassroots campaign. I urge you to do the same -- before midnight tonight.
Our fundraising quarter ends in just eight hours. We're asking you, in honor of our 42nd President, to contribute $42, $142, or even $1,042 right now.
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