July 30, 2008 09:26 PM UTC
Oops!
21 Comments- by: Colorado Pols
After Monday’s debate between Senate candidates Mark Udall and Bob Schaffer, Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams sent an email to reporters, highlighting (we suppose) the best hit they could find in the transcript.
—–Original Message—–
From: Dick Wadhams [mailto:dickwadhams@—–.—] [redacted by Pols]
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 4:24 PM
To: Riley, Mike; Sealover, Ed; cashby@chieftain.com
Subject: Udall Missed 2004 Vote On Renewable Energy Tax Credit Extension
In 2004, when the recently expired renewable energy production tax credit came up for a vote to be renewed and extended, Mark Udall missed the key vote. See the vote summary below and the American Wind Energy Association Press Release explaining the legislation.
House Vote 472 – HR 1308: Family and Corporate Tax Breaks – Conference Report
September 23, 2004 – Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would extend the $1,000 per child tax credit through 2009, the upper limit for the current 10 percent bracket through 2010 and tax breaks for married couples through 2008. It also would provide a one-year extension of current income exemptions from the alternative minimum tax and extend the expiring research and development tax credit through 2005.
Adopted (thus sent to the Senate) 339-65: R 213-0; D 125-65; I 1-0.
UDALL NOT VOTING: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/200…
To back up his claim, Wadhams attached a press release from the American Wind Energy Association explaining the 2004 bill and thanking the sponsors (after the jump).
We’re guessing Wadhams really wishes he had read it before he sent it:
“Gaining the PTC extension became a reality through the cooperative leadership of Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA),” said AWEA Legislative Director Jaime Steve. “AWEA is also very appreciative of strong efforts by Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Tom Daschle (D-SD), Harry Reid (D-NV), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and many others,” Steve said. “On the House side, Reps. Jim McCrery (R-LA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Bob Matsui (D-CA), Jerry Weller (R-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Mark Udall (D-CO) [Pols emphasis] and Greg Walden (R-OR) were vital in gaining this extension.”
“Particular thanks go to the entire team responsible for this victory,” said AWEA Deputy Legislative Director Jon Chase, “including AWEA member companies and those participating in AWEA’s Legislative Committee…
Even better is the reason Udall apparently missed the vote on this bill, as the Denver Post added to their original report on Monday’s debate:
…Udall’s campaign said he missed the vote while visiting troops in Iraq. [Pols emphasis]
We’re convinced there was a point trying to be made here, but somewhere in the avalanche of mind-blowing, self-immolating stupidity we lost track of it. How can you not perform the most elementary level of fact-checking–reading the damn thing–before you send it out to reporters? Don’t staffers who screw the pooch this badly get fired? Isn’t this one of the most important Senate races in the country?
Bob Beauprez is turning over in his grave. And yes, we know he’s not dead.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 24, 2004 Contact:
Jaime Steve (202) 383-2500
Jon Chase (202) 383-2500
Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
Wind Energy Tax Incentive Wins Extension to End of 2005
Congressional Action Should Pave Way for Strong Industry Growth Next Year
Washington, D.C.–The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today that the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC)–a critical factor in financing new wind power installations–will be reinstated through 2005 as part of a major tax package (H.R. 1308) extending a number of individual and business tax provisions. The House and Senate approved the bill last night, and President Bush is expected to sign it into law. The PTC provides a 1.5 cent-per-kilowatt-hour tax credit (adjusted annually for inflation) for electricity generated with wind turbines.
The PTC, which had expired December 31, 2003, will be extended retroactively from that date to December 31, 2005. AWEA also continues to support a longer-term extension (to December 31, 2006) now included in the corporate tax/JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) bill (H.R. 4520) still pending before Congress. The JOBS bill also calls for creation of a new tax credit to encourage the use of small wind systems for homes, farms and small businesses.
“The American wind energy industry welcomes Congressional passage of a 15-month extension of the wind energy production tax credit,” said AWEA deputy executive director Tom Gray. “This action by Congress and the expected signature of President Bush mean that about $3 billion in wind energy investments forecast over the next several years are now back on track across the country. More importantly, hundreds of furloughed wind industry employees can now go back to work building and installing new high-tech wind turbines.
“We believe wind energy can provide 6% of U.S. electricity by the year 2020, or about as much electricity as hydropower generates today, and this action allows us to go forward toward that goal. AWEA will continue to pursue policies-such as a long-term PTC extension and a renewables portfolio standard (RPS)-that will move the wind industry beyond the boom-and-bust cycles that have resulted from short-term PTC extensions in the past.”
The delay in extending the PTC came following a banner year for the U.S. wind industry, in which it installed a near-record 1,687 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity-enough to serve nearly half a million average American homes. This year, a sharp drop in new installations is expected due to the absence of the incentive for nine months.
“Gaining the PTC extension became a reality through the cooperative leadership of Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA),” said AWEA Legislative Director Jaime Steve. “AWEA is also very appreciative of strong efforts by Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Tom Daschle (D-SD), Harry Reid (D-NV), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and many others,” Steve said. “On the House side, Reps. Jim McCrery (R-LA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Bob Matsui (D-CA), Jerry Weller (R-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Mark Udall (D-CO) and Greg Walden (R-OR) were vital in gaining this extension.”
“Particular thanks go to the entire team responsible for this victory,” said AWEA Deputy Legislative Director Jon Chase, “including AWEA member companies and those participating in AWEA’s Legislative Committee.
“This winning effort has spanned the tenure of two AWEA presidents: current president Sam Enfield (Atlantic Renewable Energy Corp.) and previous president John Johansen (Sunfire, LLC). It also has spanned the terms of two AWEA legislative committee leaders, Mark Haller (Haller Wind Consulting) and Roby Roberts (PPM Energy, Inc.).”
Since beginning the PTC extension effort, AWEA and its allies have achieved a number of milestones, including:
• Attracting 76 sponsors to the original stand-alone House PTC bill (H.R. 570, by Rep. Mark Foley, R-FL), including numerous members of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
• Gaining 15 sponsors on the original stand-alone Senate PTC bill (S. 395, by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA), including numerous members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee.
• Gaining support from the Bush Administration through inclusion of a PTC extension proposal in the last three budget proposals and the Bush-Cheney energy plan.
###
AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association’s membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org
How dare he miss a vote on an issue Bob Schaffer pretends to care about for something as trivial as meeting with troops in Iraq? It’s also his fault gas prices are high, and he voted for the Iraq War before he voted against it.
they’ll look back at the Beauprez campaign as “the good ol’ days.”
While it seems to me that Rep. Udall laid the wood to Schaffer in debate 2, and at this point the republican senate race is in shambles, one thing stands out in my mind. In ’04, wadhams had a poor candidate running against Tom Daschle. While Thune is a native Soudakker, he was generally regarded as a weak runner. wadhams used negative attacks, namely calling Dasclhe a racist, accused Tom of “giving comfort to the enemy” (who was the “enemy”?) by defying “w” during the gin up to hitting Iraq, and lied continually about Daschle’s positions during the fabricated flap over the “protection of traditional family values” con thune ran. wadhams hammered and hammered, buoyed by boatloads of cash thrown into the race by the rnc. Daschle didn’t hit back until Native Americans actually believed wadhams’s “Tom Daschle hates American Indians” slop and South Dakotans thought he was an “Al Qaeda sympathizer” simply because he didn’t go along with the lies that Iraq had wmd AND was behind 9/11. Too late. Daschle honestly believed the folks in his district would see through the facade and wow, was he wrong . Daschle’s seat was the top red target in ’04. wadhams was charged with winning at whatever the cost. He did it. No conscience, no remorse, no looking back. A job. Another assignment. That’s all. Just another day at the plant. A negative to the 10th power campaign netted the reds the seat. Same wadhams. Same game plan. Keep the focus off the alternative energy scam, the oil contract with the Kurds, the “school choice” grift, forced abortions and sweatshop conditions and ties to delay and abramoff. Throw out never ending slurs, misrepresentations and revisions to history. Unless Udall understands the nature of this enemy, the depths he’ll sink to, and the emphasis the reds have on this seat, a repeat of South Dakota is very possible. I look forward to that day when political races are about real, not fabricated, differences. That’s not the case with wadhams and anyone he represents or manages. Udall , in my opinion, must react strongly, even visciously to every below the belt shot wadhams and schaffer throw. People believe lies when they’re not refuted. Udall could lose if he allows these guys to reshape him the way they want to.
Your analysis sounds exactly right. I’d like to believe the Udall crew knows what’s going on and has the will and wherewithal to hit back hard, but I’m skeptical.
This morning, from about 6 a.m. to noon, I had the morning shows and news on in the background, switching stations, and saw the CEG “You Don’t Know Udall” ad a good six times and the Udall rebuttal not once. So far I’ve only seen it on the front page of Colorado Pols, which is great to reach insiders and junkies. But I fear the Udall campaign might think that’s enough, that a refutation that reaches opinion leaders, reporters and assignment editors does the job, when it won’t. I’m sure we’ll see the ad plenty, but I’m worried that we’re not seeing it already.
You’re also right that AFF represents the serious Red threat — it’s portions of the old Rove machine, and this ad is just an opening volley. The Udall campaign has yet to unveil its radio response, but better have one fast and blanket the air with it.
The difference is, Wadhams ’08 isn’t the ’04 model. Webb kicked his ass when he lost control of his smears, and Schaffer is at least as prone to running off at the mouth as Allen was. Dick is also making mistakes left and right, and getting called on it (Vince Carroll? Who saw that coming?) by a state that’s savvy to his tactics, which South Dakota wasn’t.
Know thy enemy. Punch back and set the record straight.
The nonsense and lies will keep coming from Wadhams, and will intensify as we approach the election.
Great post.
To this point it seems his strategy is to run as a stealth candidate-run away from his core principles, don’t rock the boat, ride the Dem wave, let Schaffer beat himself.
That approach is not inspiring to Udall’s natural base, and as you say it leaves him open to this kind of negative campaign.
Ads are not about inspiring the base, they are about persuading the uninformed. Especially in July.
I was referring to Udall’s reticence about speaking out (and acting) with more forceful positions on issues–one example being his acquiescence on FISA amendments, which drew a lot of criticism from liberals on this site and elsewhere.
Your mention of July is right, normal people are checked out right now. I have no idea what the lasting impact of any of these current skirmishes will be, but rocco points out the danger of letting this stuff slide.
That’s how these yokels are getting to me.
July and August are dangerous times because it sets the narrative for the fall. Kerry lost the 2004 election in August when he got Swift Boated. Here’s hoping Udall and Obama have learned not to go windsurfing in August.
but Schaffer also has major problems. The latest public polls a few weeks ago showed him with a 45% negative rating among the public. That means he is unelectable unless they can raise Udall’s negatives to the same level. That is why we are seeing an all out attack on Udall on TV at the moment. udall needs to respond or a 527 needs to. If the response maintians Schaffer’s present negative rating with the public he will loose.
Hello 527s…
Udall can’t possibly respond to the onslaught of Republican independent groups when he is limited to $2,300 contributions and they can take unlimited corporate money.
It’s going to take the fab four and/or Dem-friendly independent groups to step up to the plate and stop assuming this thing is in the bag.
Not for federal electioneering, they can’t.
So far, the LCV ad has roughly matched the CEG ads, but AFF is on the scene and they have tremendous pockets. The DSCC better throw in with actual on-the-air ads if they’re serious about this seat, they just won Alaska without even trying.
Sorry about the acronym soup.
The unaffiliateds are the largest voting group in Colorado and over the last three elections (including Ref. “C” in 2005) that group has broken heavily for the Democrats. However, negative advertising has the effect of depressing voter turnout especially among unaffiliated voters. Schaffer and his advisors, along with the 527’s that are supporting him, know this. The last thing they want is a large turnout from that voting group. If the unaffiliateds turnout in large numbers, Udall will win.
that I read “A negative to the 10th power campaign netted the reds the seat.” and thought: Hmm, a negative to the 10th power is positive; did he mean 11th power, maybe?
…I thought maybe he was having a stroke or something. Thank the gods.
Your thoughts contribute much to the dialogue here.
But could you break them into paragraphs? Much easier to read, more welcoming.
Thanks.
HA
HA
Isn’t it a tad presumptious of Udall to visit the troops before he is elected President?
That’s what John McCain told me, anyhow.
told us that after he told us the opposite…
Absolutely. Thank you for the tip.