Marilyn Musgrave and Ken Salazar: no longer bipartisan buddies

Marilyn Musgrave alongside Ken Salazar (not to mention Mark Udall and Wayne Allard) in an image from one of her campaign commercials. Democratic Senator Ken Salazar will never be confused with a charismatic wordsmith. But his blunt way of speaking proved hugely entertaining yesterday, when, during a conference call, he...

By Michael Roberts

October 16, 2008

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Marilyn Musgrave alongside Ken Salazar (not to mention Mark Udall and Wayne Allard) in an image from one of her campaign commercials.

Democratic Senator Ken Salazar will never be confused with a charismatic wordsmith. But his blunt way of speaking proved hugely entertaining yesterday, when, during a conference call, he went off on Republican Marilyn Musgrave and her most recent attack ad against opposing Dem Betsy Markey. Salazar called Musgrave "an agent of hate" and claimed that the commercial was "so absolutely over the top that it should make the people of the 4th Congressional District throw up."

Musgrave campaign manager Jason Thielman responded by calling Salazar's swipe a "sideshow." Not too long ago, however, Musgrave made the senator a co-star in her own show. In a soft-focus commercial that screened frequently a month ago, before the race turned wholly negative, Musgrave used the photo seen here to emphasize her willingness to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. If Salazar vomited on her after the pic was snapped, she left that part out.

Click "More" to see the earlier commercial, as well as the one that triggered Salazar's gag reflex. -- Michael Roberts

The Musgrave commercial featuring Salazar:

The latest anti-Markey spot:

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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