Marilyn Musgrave

Many prominent Colorado Republicans came out for Saturday's rally with GOP presidential ticket John McCain and Sarah Palin -- some with jobs to do, others to watch the rally.

"We haven't had an event like this since the president came here in 2004," said Jeff Crank, a former 5th Congressional District Republican candidate who was in the grandstand behind McCain and Palin.

MINNEAPOLIS--U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) told the Colorado delegation to the Republican National Convention on Thursday that like GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, she has a degree of immunity from attacks by male opponents.

"I think when (Barack) Obama picked (running mate) Joe Biden he thought he had his scrapper -- somebody who would get him there," Musgrave said. "But you know, one thing that I've found: no matter what kind of opponent I have and no matter what kind of outside groups are going to come in and attack me, when I've had a man for an opponent, they have to treat you like a lady."

MINNEAPOLIS--U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave got an early tip that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be named John McCain's running mate -- even if she didn't realize it at the time.

During Musgrave's five-day visit to Alaska last month to tour the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Fort Morgan Republican was scheduled to have dinner with Palin just a few days before Palin was announced as McCain's vice presidential pick.

"And oddly enough she canceled on us," Musgrave told Colorado delegates to the Republican National Convention Thursday morning. "So you know, now I know what she was doing, I should've seen it coming.

"Obviously, she had gotten a way better offer," Musgrave said to laughter.

MINNEAPOLIS--U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) distanced herself from President Bush on cuts to Medicare and military veterans in her first television ad of the 2008 campaign, which was unveiled Wednesday.

The push away from Bush comes as Musgrave has been trailing Democratic opponent Betsy Markey in recent polls - especially among independents and moderate voters in the 4th Congressional District.

The 30-second ad, titled "Resilience," gets quite personal about Musgrave's troubled childhood and her connection to constituents who are going through tough times.

"Staging a political ad won't hide the fact that Musgrave has spent years in Congress voting against the homeless, the hungry, the broken and the battered," responded Markey spokesperson Ben Marter.

Fourth Congressional District Democratic nominee Betsy Markey spoke out against incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) Thursday, saying the incumbent's campaign is "doing really silly things" instead of focusing on "the real issues."

Speaking before the Colorado delegation to the Democratic National Convention, Markey said Musgrave has been "focusing on narrow social issues like choice and like gay marriage.

"These are issues that divide us as Americans," Markey said. "We need to find Issues where we can find common ground. And she has not done anything on the real issues, that people of the 4th Congressional District, people of this country care about," such as offering health care for everyone and repairing America's image abroad.

Fourth Congressional District Democratic nominee Betsy Markey visited the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, attending an EMILY's list event with U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and speaking at a reception for the National Women's Political Caucus.

More and more Democrats are paying attention to Markey as she puts U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's re-election hopes in jeopardy.

But Markey said didn't think introducing herself to people at the Democratic National Convention would help win her votes in November.

"I don't think (the DNC) really has that much impact on my race," she said after the NWPC reception. "(It) gives me some national recognition, but I'm really more concerned about recognition within the district."

A new 4th Congressional District poll shows Democrat Betsy Markey with a 7-point lead in the 4th Congressional District race, Roll Call is reporting. And analysis of the poll results show even worse news for incumbent Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan).

The automatic phone poll, conducted among 618 likely voters by SurveyUSA and commissioned by Roll Call, found Markey leading Musgrave 50-43.

The details of the poll provided startlingly bad news for Musgrave.

Markey holds an eye-popping 30-point lead among independent voters in the district, the survey found, as well as a 41-point lead among self-described moderates.

It also found Markey essentially tied with Musgrave in the eastern plains region of the 4th District - Musgrave's home turf that has until now been reliably supportive of her.

The National Republican Congressional Committee reserved more than $1 million in TV spots Tuesday, the Fort Collins Coloradoan is reporting.

That trumps the $667,000 put into the race by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last month on behalf of Betsy Markey, who has overcome early skepticism to pose a serious challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan).

Spending is well ahead of where it was at this point in the race two years ago, when Musgrave and Democratic opponent Angie Paccione spent more than $9 million combined.

Colorado's 4th Congressional District race was featured prominently in an article in Friday's New York Times focusing on the difficulty of campaigning on the energy issue.

"The fierce tactical positioning" around energy in the 4th District and elsewhere, the Times article states, "is producing a convergence of sorts around the idea that more is better, that an expansion of energy production from all sources and places will somehow fix things, lower prices and restore stability to the economy."

"It's a very fine line to walk," 4th District Democratic nominee Betsy Markey told the Times.

Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling is one hotspot issue: Markey opposes ANWR drilling, while U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) is headed to the refuge this week to decide for herself, the Times stated.