U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff tried Friday to move thefocus of his campaign from reports that a top official at the WhiteHouse alluded to possible job openings if he ended his Senate bidagainst a fellow Democrat.
'I hope we'll have a chance to actually talk about why we'rehere, too,' said Romanoff, who was in Colorado Springs as part of a10-week tour of the state, after visiting Rocky Mountain Health CareServices on East Bijou Street.
The questions, however, were focused on discussions last yearbetween Romanoff and Jim Messina, deputy White House chief of staff,who suggested that three jobs might become available if Romanoffdropped out of the primary against Sen. Michael Bennet.
Romanoff reiterated his earlier explanation.
'I received a call from Mr. Messina. He informed me that theWhite House would support (Bennet),' Romanoff said. 'I informed himthat I was going to run for the Senate. Nonetheless, he told me thatthree positions might be available were I not pursuing the Senaterace. I told him I would not change course.'
Romanoff said most people in Colorado don't seem too concernedabout the conversation.
'It's important to point out, as we travel around the state, thequestions most folks are asking me: How are you going to help us getjobs? What are you going to do to strengthen our economy? How areyou going to hold down the cost of health care? What are you goingto do about the oil spill in the Gulf and revolutionize energypolicy so we no longer have to spoil our oceans or foul our skiesjust to power our planet?? he said.
Romanoff said he doesn't plan to make the White House's politicalmaneuvering a campaign issue.
'In fact, I declined comment on this issue until this weekbecause I did not want to politicize this matter. I still don't,' hesaid. 'It was pretty apparent, in the meantime, that a great deal ofmisinformation was filling the void. That's why I laid out thefacts, and I will continue to do so. In the meantime, we're going tocontinue on our trip across Colorado.'
Romanoff made two stops in Colorado Springs, first at RockyMountain Health Care Services and then at Colorado TechnicalUniversity for the Juneteenth Caribbean American Festival.
'This is not my first trip to El Paso County. It will not be mylast,' said Romanoff, who won the county assembly in April. 'This isa critical county for any candidate, Democrat or Republican, tocapture.'
During his stop in the Springs, only one person, 89-year-oldSonya Modlens, asked Romanoff about his dealings with the WhiteHouse.
Modlens said she had read about the suggested job opportunitiesin the newspaper and wanted to ask the candidate if the story wastrue.
Modlens, a Democrat, asked Romanoff whether 'another Democrat wastrying to offer you a bribe to take another job other than going forsenator.'
Romanoff told her no bribe was offered and that the conversationwith the White House 'didn't make any difference to me because Idecided to run for the Senate anyway.'
