Tipton says he's building support

Voters of the 3rd U.S. Congressional District will not see Nancy Pelosi’s name on the 2010 general election ballot.
But her name was invoked more than ten times at a town-hall meeting Monday by Republican Scott Tipton, who’s facing incumbent Democrat John Salazar for the 3rd District seat.

Tipton, a Cortez businessman who also opposed Salazar in 2008, told The Durango Herald this time around the flagging national economy has brought out more voters, and more vocal voters, to his campaign events.

He said he’s the same man, it’s the policies in Washington that have left more people disenchanted with the “Pelosi agenda,” and Salazar’s support of it.

Crossed out images of Salazar and Pelosi appeared on bumper stickers left out for attendees. One campaign volunteer wore a red “Fire Pelosi” T-shirt.

“Help me fire John Salazar, and I will help you fire Nancy Pelosi,” Tipton told the audience to applause.

The crowd of about 30 was largely supportive, but Tipton took a few direct questions.

Ryan Demmy Bidwell, director of Colorado Wild, asked the candidate if he supported recent attempts by Salazar to protect two local areas considered for gas and oil development: Animas Mountain and Perins Peak.

Bidwell said after the meeting that Tipton’s response – that he supported “responsible” development so long as there is a sufficient public process – was appropriate, given the candidate’s limited knowledge of the subject.

The candidate was appearing at his 10th town-hall meeting of this election at the Durango Community Recreation Center.

Tipton, a Fort Lewis College graduate, is the owner of Mesa Verde Pottery in Cortez. He said he’d approach the federal deficit with a “small-businessperson’s point of view.”

“What I’m proposing is that we go in and independently audit every agency, every department in Washington, D.C., to look for inefficiencies, to look for wasteful spending and redundancies,” he said.

After the meeting, Tipton said he’s running on Salazar’s record in Washington, D.C.

“Here are the facts: We have a congressman right now who voted for the failed stimulus package. He voted to better than triple the national deficit … We have a congressman who voted with Nancy Pelosi not once, but twice, for Obamacare,” Tipton said.

“He’s voted with Nancy Pelosi 97.2 percent of the time.”

Recent articles in The Wall Street Journal and the Politico website report a shift in momentum that has brought Tipton, an unknown on the national stage, neck-and-neck with three-term congressman Salazar.

Tipton campaign volunteer Scott Streit of Montrose said he’s seen excitement build in Tipton’s campaign as election season draws to a close.

“People are sick and tired of not having anybody listen to them,” Streit said

Click here to read the full story.