“This calls for… another letter!”
The secret is out: Sen. Mark Udall has been pretty much useless when it comes to his time in the Senate. The “accomplished” record he often tries to tout amounts to little more than a letter-writing campaign. On the plus side, Udall can continue “fighting” for Coloradans from his kitchen table after he loses this election (just kidding, he’s already committed to Steyer. ‘Til death do they part).
Mark Stricherz at The Colorado Observer digs deep into Udall’s record during his time in the Senate to see exactly what Udall has been up to (SPOILER ALERT: not much):
In an interview last week, one Senate Republican aide noted the Senate has not voted on an amendment that the Colorado Democrat has sponsored since 2012.
“What does he do here? Why does he show up? He doesn’t do anything,” the aide said on background to discuss the matter candidly.
A look at Udall’s legislative record confirms the upper chamber has not taken a recorded vote on an amendment he has sponsored in two years. [the Peak’s emphasis]
That’s not entirely accurate. We mean, he did go to that Senate sleepover that one time. Yet, the really depressing thing for Udall has to be that even when he tries, it only ends up emphasizing how impotent he is as a legislator. While, his opponent, Rep. Cory Gardner, can easily pass legislation out of the House, Udall can’t even get a similar piece of legislation out of a committee his own party controls. Perhaps Udall should think about writing his fellow Senate Democrats a letter.
“Since he was elected to the Senate in 2009, Mark is routinely praised for his practical approach to problem solving and his independent, Western-minded approach, which has enabled him to build an impressive record of accomplishment for Colorado,” the site markudall.com says.
The website mentions that Udall was the lead sponsor of a balanced-budget amendment, supported a presidential-line item veto, and provided leadership in ending the process of formal earmarks in the Senate in 2011.
Neither the balanced-budget amendment nor the presidential-line item veto has been signed into law. [the Peak’s emphasis]
This is covering old ground here at the Peak, but it’s worth repeating: Udall’s own campaign list bills that have gone nowhere as his “impressive record of accomplishment for Colorado.” They do know this isn’t AYSO soccer where you just get a trophy for showing up, right? Average Coloradans are facing real problems that need more than a press release or a letter to solve.
If Udall would rather talk about hiking mountains than the issues that Coloradans really care about, then it’s time to free him to do so on his own time.
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