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September 10, 2014 03:18 PM UTC

Udall Presses Attack On Gardner Over Floods, Shutdown

  • 34 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Image via Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Golden)
Image via Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Golden)
​

A press release from Sen. Mark Udall's campaign on their new TV spot hitting GOP challenger Cory Gardner over last year's shutdown of the federal government–which occurred just after major flooding along the Front Range of Colorado, requiring an emergency federal response. After several weeks of skirmishes on the issue, Udall takes the proverbial gloves off:

“Congressman Gardner would like us all to forget that he chose to shut down the government while thousands of Coloradans were struggling to put their lives back together after last year’s flood,” said Udall for Colorado spokesperson Kristin Lynch. “Gardner’s reckless shutdown delayed Colorado’s flood recovery and hurt our small businesses and local economies when they were at their most vulnerable. Congressman Gardner let us down when he decided to make a political point at the expense of Colorado flood victims.”

Despite Colorado’s clear need for disaster assistance from the federal government, Gardner voted along with Sen. Ted Cruz and the Tea Party to shut down the government just to prove a political point about the health care law. This delayed our flood recovery and forced Colorado to pick up the tab for National Guard personnel who were performing essential flood recovery work.

But Gardner’s reckless move hurt more than just flood victims. As the government shutdown continued for weeks and 40,000 Coloradans were furloughed, middle class families across the state felt the effect of Gardner’s shutdown on their pocketbooks. Shuttered national parks robbed small businesses of the tourism they depend on, veterans’ disability claims were delayed, and 2 million acres of public lands were closed to sportsmen from around the country during the busy fall season.

There are two parts to the story of the shutdown of the federal government in terms of consequences for Coloradans digging out from the massive floods that hit the Front Range just about exactly one year ago. First and most obvious is the delay in federal response to the flooding, which included delays in National Guard response from neighboring states. The second consequence was the effect the shutdown of Colorado's national parks and monuments had on local communities dependent on tourism. Estes Park, the gateway town to Rocky Mountain National Park, had already seen bookings cut by 50 percent after the floods, and the closure of the park drained millions more from the local economy.

Still another issue is the blowback against Colorado as a whole from East Coast politicians in both parties, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who branded Gardner a "hypocrite" for seeking disaster relief money for Colorado after voting against the second Hurricane Sandy relief bill. It was negotiations by Sen. Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet that were able in the end to mollify New Jersey's anger and secure the relief funds needed.

The harm done to Colorado by the post-flooding shutdown of the federal government is a matter of record. With that established, the question becomes, who was responsible for the shutdown? This is a point that Republicans refuse to concede a year later, even though the public overwhelmingly blamed the GOP in contemporary polling for forcing the shutdown in an effort to defund the Affordable Care Act. In the months since the shutdown, Republicans hoped to mitigate their culpability in that unpopular action by mercilessly attacking Obamacare–a strategy that is increasingly a failure as Obamacare continues to produce positive outcomes and the health insurance marketplace's startup problems fade from memory.

It's important to remember that until the polls started clearly showing that the GOP had lost the battle for public support, Gardner and the rest of the Colorado GOP delegation were solid backers of the confrontational strategy that ended in the shutdown. The AP's Nick Riccardi cut through the spin last month:

Gardner spokesman Alex Siciliano contended that congressman never supported the shutdown. However, Gardner, who is close to House Republican leadership, voted with other House Republicans to shoot down Democratic efforts to reopen government and for spending bills designed to be rejected by the U.S. Senate during the 16-day standoff. [Pols emphasis]

Gardner may not have been the most enthusiastic Republican as the shutdown loomed just before the beginning of October last year, perhaps sensing the danger–but the record is full of examples of Gardner defending the overall strategy. And as Riccardi notes, none of Gardner's supposed trepidation before the shutdown manifested in the form of votes.

With all of this in mind, it will be up to Colorado voters to decide whether the shutdown, and Gardner's role as a House Republican in causing it, are deciding factors in the 2014 U.S. Senate race. But what's not up for debate, as the polls demonstrate, is that the shutdown has gone down in history as a Republican gambit that failed. The old saying is that success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan. Had the shutdown succeeded in forcing concessions from the President over Obamacare, Gardner would almost certainly be singing a different tune. But it didn't succeed. It was a disaster–in Colorado a disaster compounded on another.

And Gardner, whether he likes it or not, was on the wrong side.

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34 thoughts on “Udall Presses Attack On Gardner Over Floods, Shutdown”

    1. The war on women is a flat out lie. More women see that every day.

      Here is Cory's excellent response to Udall's latest despicable smear tactics.

      DENVER, CO – Cory Gardner for Senate released the following statement today regarding Senator Udall’s misleading latest ad on Cory Gardner’s work on Colorado’s flood relief efforts:

      “A day after being forced to apologize for putting words into the mouths of two American journalists beheaded by ISIS, Senator Udall’s campaign has become so desperate they’ve decided not only to lie about Cory’s record of opposing the government shutdown but also to politicize and exploit another tragedy,” Gardner spokesman Matt Connelly said.  “It’s even more disgusting because Cory stood proudly with Senator Udall and other members of Colorado’s congressional delegation to fight for Coloradans during the flood and even helped rescue flood victims from a Colorado National Guard helicopter. Coloradans deserve better than a Senator who would exploit victims and divide Colorado for his own selfish personal gain.”

      BACKGROUND:

      Charges: Senator Udall has claimed that Cory voted to shut down the government in the middle of theflood recovery efforts and insinuates that Cory didn’t care nor help with those efforts. He also notes that Cory voted against the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief package and claims that that vote impacted disaster relief funding for Colorado. And finally, he asserts that Cory opposed funding for HUD block grants that would help Colorado.

      Response: Cory was recognized at the time as a lead Member of Congress working to secure relief to affected communities and has a well-documented history of his work, chronicled below. As demonstrated in this Washington Post article, the funds for transportation-related disaster relief did not come out of the Sandy relief bill. Cory also sent two letters with Senator Udall requesting the aforementioned HUD block grants, in September 2013 and January 2014, and both requests were granted. Cory supported $3.8 billion in funding for that HUD fund when he voted in favor of the Rogers Amendment to the Sandy bill. Brandon Rittiman at 9News set the record straight, even showing video of Governor Hickenlooper and Senator Bennet praising Cory for his help during the flood.

      Flood Timeline

      September 12, 2013: Cory releases a statement urging residents in flooded areas to exercise caution and heed emergency warnings. He also thanks emergency personnel, passes on his thoughts and prayers, rebroadcasts local evacuation warnings, and reaffirms his commitment to help.

      September 13, 2013: Cory immediately traveled to Colorado to survey the ongoing damage and assist in recovery efforts. On this day, he spoke to Longmont’s Mayor Coombs and Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway. He also traveled to the Greeley Emergency Operations Center and snapped this photo of the St. Vrain River on his way through Ft. Lupton. He also captured this image of Highway 85 near La Salle, showing the significant destruction of the floods. As water levels continued to rise, Cory documented their impact as seen here in a photo he took of the South Platte River near Kersey. By4:30pm, Cory was in a Weld County emergency briefing with local leaders learning that flood waters would continue to rise, at least until the evening. He is pictured here at the briefing with Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway. After the briefing, Cory traveled the area and caught this scene of residents trying to save their livestock from rising waters. Throughout the day, Cory continued to rebroadcast shelter notices and evacuation warnings.

      September 14, 2013: Cory continued to rebroadcast evacuation warnings. He traveled near Fort Morgan and captured this image of the South Platte continuing to rise. Cory traveled to Morgan County to speak with Commissioner McCracken, where he learned that there were concerns about livestock and more impending evacuation notices for the area. He also participated in a briefing with Senators Udall and Bennet regarding the flood. After the briefing, Cory joined Governor Hickenlooper, Senators Udall and Bennet, and Congressman Perlmutter on a helicopter survey of the damage. During the flight, Cory spotted desperate civilians stranded by the floodwaters and the chopper landed to rescue them. Cory continued to chronicle the devastation as he flew the area, including a significant portion of Boulder County. He released another statement re-emphasizing his commitment to working together and amassing the resources necessary for flood recovery. Cory noted that Morgan County flooding was getting worse and scheduled an aerial tour of the region for the next day.

      September 15, 2013: Cory surveyed the damage done in Morgan County and captured disaster workers clearing debris from a local bridge. He rebroadcast evacuation warnings from Logan County and the City of Longmont. Cory also documented the devastation wrought by the rising South Platte near Highway 144. He also captured unbelievable flood waters rushing toward the city of Sterling.

      September 16, 2013: Lynn Bartels, a reporter at the Denver Post, noted that Cory “hadn’t shaved today, wore same pants he wore Friday.” Cory continued to document the devastation resulting from rising waters. He also posted a series of photos to underscore the damage. Cory was a guest on KOA to discuss what he had seen of the flooding and to promote recovery efforts. He also appeared on FOX News with Jenna Lee to highlight the disaster underway in Colorado. Cory took a brief break in his floodcoverage to offer thoughts and prayers for the victims of the tragic Navy Yard shooting. He attended a FEMA briefing with Senators Udall and Bennet, Congressman Coffman, Governor Hickenlooper, mayors and other elected officials. (Of note, he was sitting directly next to Senator Udall at this briefing judging from Cory’s photo.) Cory shared FEMA’s advice for farmers and ranchers suffering losses as a result offlood damage. He also passed along the link and phone number for disaster relief assistance. Cory joined the Longmont Police Commander on a tour of the city to see the aftermath of devastatingflood waters. Cory met with the Longmont Mayor and members of the City Council to discuss relief efforts. He also visited the Longmont Emergency Operations Center.

      September 17, 2013: Cory continued to rebroadcast evacuation warnings, this time for northeast Colorado. He also posted flood warnings for southeast Colorado in the La Junta area. Cory continued to notify constituents of the latest highway closures and disaster-related information. He returned to DC and spoke on the House floor in support of the volunteers, local officials, emergency responders, and many others who were critical in helping with flood recovery efforts.

      September 19, 2013: Cory continued to relay disaster relief information for flood victims and promote opportunities to assist in helping them recover. He also met with Mayor Hancock of Denver to discuss the flooding and other topics.

      September 20, 2013: Cory joined in a colloquy to request that the Appropriations Chairman deliver disaster relief funds for Colorado. He secured that commitment from Chairman Rogers. Cory also thanked a group of veterans who were assisting in recovery efforts near Longmont. He also sent a letter with other members of the delegation urging the Appropriations Committee to lift the cap for transportation-related disaster relief.

      September 21, 2013: Cory spoke with leaders and elected officials throughout the state about disaster relief recovery efforts and progress being made. He expressed his admiration for the tenacity of more than 1,000 Weld County residents who, despite reeling from the floods, managed to organize and participate in a fundraiser for finding a cure to cancer.

      September 23, 2013: Cory visited Evans, Kersey, and other communities on the Eastern Plains to survey flood damage. He took this photo of a destroyed home and Highway 34 near Kersey. Vice President Biden held a press conference in Greeley where he asserted: “None of the federal assistance that we’re providing–none of it–is going to be impacted even if there is a government shutdown.” Cory attended that press conference with other members of the delegation.

      September 24, 2013: Cory attended a briefing in Erie with Mayor Joe Wilson to discuss the flooding. He also thanked Mountain View’s Fire Chief for his efforts during recovery.

      September 25, 2013: Cory led and introduced legislation with every other member of the House delegation that would lift the cap on transportation-related disaster relief funding. He also sent a letter with Senator Udall asking HUD to provide grant funds in the flood recovery efforts. Cory also took to the House floor and led his delegation colleagues in a moment of silence for the flood victims.

      September 27, 2013: Cory sent a letter with other members of the delegation requesting that the Department of Defense continue National Guard relief efforts in the event of a government shutdown. Every single member of the House delegation signed on and reminded Secretary Hagel that Vice President Biden promised not a dime in recovery funds would be impacted by a shutdown.

      September 30, 2013: After successfully navigating with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY), Cory succeeded in getting his legislation passed through the House on voice vote, without opposition. This was the first successful legislative effort in either chamber of Congress to secure funding for Colorado’s flood relief and recovery efforts.

      October 1, 2013: After the government shut down, a move that Cory never supported, he issued a reminder to the Vice President to stand by his commitment that no relief funds be affected by the shutdown and sent a letter to the President about this commitment.

      October 16, 2013: Flood recovery funds were included in the final deal to reopen the government and avert debt default, legislation that Cory supported among a handful of other Republicans.

      ###

      1. Per his comment regarding the fallen journalists:  if I was ever executed by nuts like this, I'd hope to God someone on our side exploited the FUCK out of my death so that future deaths would be minimized. 

    2. We are kicking LIAR CON MAN CORY'S ASS with THE TRUTH, trollscum!

      It's working just fine. And you know it. Which is all I need to sleep like a baby at night.

          4. I feel your pain, Moddy.  It's gotta' suck getting paid as little as you do at a job you hate.  Maybe if you show some initiative? — ask for that promotion! — convince your bosses that you're competent to place those campaign signs to always face the street!!! 

            Call me crazy, but it just might work . . . 

    1. No. Your comment contained an excessive number of links and was held for approval as part of our spam protection system. We've approved it and it is now visible.

      1. Absolutely right, Andrew. What the Pols never show their readers is that Gardner responds to their lies every time, and with good answers. Because Pols is biased against Gardner, no one here will ever see it unless a "troll" brings it to them. Then they complain about copy/pasting

        What a deluded little world of denial liberals live in…

          1. From the AP story Pols quoted. Why didn't they include this?

            Siciliano noted that, before the shutdown, Gardner had warned against requiring Democrats to defund the Affordable Care Act as a requirement for keeping government open. Gardner was also one of a minority of Republicans who eventually voted to reopen government.

            1. Key word here is "eventually," as in, only when finally it started to bite into Con Man's poll numbers at home in CD-3, and by extension began threatening his upcoming statewide quest for higher office. Everyone recognizes that.

              Even when you teabag turds ostensibly do the right thing for CO and/or the nation, it's always grudgingly/kicking and screaming, always against your will and your natural inclination, and always with self-serving underlying intent.

              FAIL.

        2. Great response, Zippy.

          Why thank you, Skippy. The Koch Borg assured us we'd get extra troll pay whenever we double-team our Koch talking points!

          Right you are, Skippy! Oh boy – beans tonight!

  3. Ah, I wondered where that disgusting odor (smells like bullsh-t) was coming from.

    It was from this comments thread!

    Nighty-night, troll scum. You're gonna LOSE.

  5. Let's see the GOP's story is that the shutdown is Obama's fault because he refused to negotiate with this amazingly generous offer:

    GOP:  Deny 8 million people health insurance, keep medical inflation roaring along, make sure that insurance companies can continue to deny any claims they want, make sure that pre-existing conditions prevent millions of other people from getting coverage, let 35,000 people die each year from lack of access to proper care, hey, and privatize Medicare while you're at it!  Otherwise, we'll shutdown the government, throwing millions out of work, and cost the economy tens of billions of dollars!  You know, because we want something out of this shutdown, but we just may not know what.

    A bit long for a campaign slogan, but I bet one of your sharp GOTPers can turn that into quite the campaign song!

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