Coors Ad Targets GOP Senator
Panel chairman's pet project cited as unnecessary spending
By Mark P. Couch
Denver Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pete Coors' latest television ad aims at an unlikely target: the Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee.
Coors' ad, which began airing Tuesday, criticizes "politicians and lawyers" for larding their districts with unnecessary projects.
The prime example: a $50 million indoor rain forest in Iowa.
The problem: The Iowa rain forest is the pet project of Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa.
Not only is Grassley a Republican, he chairs the Finance Committee, which Coors has said he wants to join if he's elected in November.
"The powers in the party want team players," said Keith Ashdown, vice president for policy at Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog group in Washington, D.C. "If the first thing he does out of the gate is criticize a well-respected lawmaker, I think it will be hard for him. I think it's a virtual guarantee that he's not going to be on that committee."
Cinamon Watson, spokeswoman for Coors, said the ad is proof that he's willing to take on politicians regardless of their party.
"Pete's going to Washington to represent Colorado," Watson said. "He's simply saying that spending is out of control in Washington."
Coors, who touted his relationship with senators during a debate in July, didn't warn his fellow Republican that the attack was coming.
"Pete Coors didn't contact Sen. Grassley," said Jill Kozeny, Grassley's spokeswoman.
Kozeny said the senator wasn't offended by the Coors ad. She said Grassley backed the project because it would provide economic development and educational opportunities in Iowa.
The ad wouldn't affect Coors' committee assignment, Kozeny said, because Republicans assign them based on seniority.
But Ashdown warned that Coors will have problems getting his own pet projects through if he gets elected.
And Ashdown said the ad could hurt: "If there are any Colorado-related tax bills, you can just say 'nada' for a couple of years."
And, Ashdown added, it's a rare senator who resists the temptation to land pork-barrel projects, no matter what campaign promises have been made.
