Ken Salazar

A new television ad by U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) alleges Democratic opponent Betsy Markey could face up to five years in prison for not divesting her interest in a company that received government contracts while Markey was a U.S. Senate staffer.

The ad, which began airing on broadcast TV on Tuesday, provoked a strong rebuke from Markey and her former boss, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver), who said the ad was "a new low" in Colorado politics and a tactic of a "desperate" campaign.

U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver), former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer (D), and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will be touring rural Colorado areas later this week to campaign for Barack Obama's presidential bid, Salazar said Monday.

The rural policy tour, which will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, includes stops in Sterling, Fort Morgan, Windsor, Greeley, Pueblo, Canon City, Salida, Gunnison, Montrose, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Edwards and Dillon, Salazar said during a conference call Monday.

Klobuchar, who serves with Salazar on the Senate Agriculture Committee, will join Salazar and Romer on part of the tour, Salazar said.

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave’s latest television ad accuses Democratic opponent Betsy Markey of using her position as a congressional staffer to enrich her company through no-bid government contracts.

Markey and her former boss, U.S. Ken Salazar (D-Denver) quickly denounced the ad as “absolutely false in every way” and pointed out that Musgrave’s campaign has not offered any evidence of wrongdoing.

The ad claims “Millionaire Markey” used her job as a Salazar’s Northern Colorado district director in Fort Collins to get “rich on non-competitive Halliburton-style government contracts” given to her information technology company, Syscom Services.

With the Republican National Convention wrapping up, expect Republicans to take the driver's seat against Barack Obama, said Rich Beeson, political director for the Republican National Committee.

"We are on the offense. We are no longer on our heels," Beeson told Colorado delegates to the Republican National Convention Thursday morning. "We are no longer on the defense. We are no longer explaining why we are for something or against something. We are now fully on offense. This race is about Barack Obama and what he represents."

U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver) told CNN Friday that he didn't think Sarah Palin would help the Republican ticket pick up Hillary Clinton supporters.

"What's going to happen here is that desire to change that Hillary Clinton has helped bring about will ultimately lead to [an Obama]-Biden win in November. I don't think it changes the dynamics," Salazar said to CNN.

U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar speaks at the Democratic National Convention: Getty Images PhotoBelow is a transcript of remarks made by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver) during the presidential nomination process at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday evening, as prepared for delivery.

U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) will be one of three Democrats to second the presidential nomination of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at the Democratic National Convention Thursday, the event's organizers said today.

Salazar will second the nomination along with U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) and Artur Davis (D-Ala.), after Iraq War veteran Michael Wilson formally nominates the Illinois senator, the DNC said in a release Wednesday.

DENVER--While leaders from Colorado, New Mexico, Washington and Massachusetts talked about starting to change to a green-centric economy, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland)  was able to sit back, relax and list Oregon’s accomplishments in the march toward a green economy.

While wearing a cowboy hat and a shoestring tie during an appearance on MSNBC's "The Morning Joe," Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo) pledged that Colorado will swing for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) in this fall's presidential election.

DENVER -- Gov. Janet Napolitano joined Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar to express their belief that the west is turning increasingly "blue."

Addressing a coterie of reporters at the Colorado Convention Center, where the caucuses and meetings for the Democratic National Convention are being held, Napolitano reiterated earlier comments she made to the Arizona delegation to the DNC, with a slightly sharper edge.

"I remind people that McCain may be the senator from Arizona, but he's really not of Arizona. He's of Washington, D.C."

Of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's chances in Arizona, Napolitano pointed out that one in four voters in the state have never voted in an election where John McCain was on the ticket.