Mark Udall finds little time for Obama in Colorado

Colorado’s vulnerable Sen. Mark Udall won’t stump beside President Obama in Denver this week but will join him for a fund-raising event, the senator’s campaign said Monday.

Mr. Obama will visit Denver on Wednesday, delivering a speech about the economy at the city’s Cheesman Park and then participate in a fund-raising luncheon hosted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Udall campaign.

Udall campaign spokesman Chris Harris said the senator couldn’t make it back from Washington in time to welcome the president at the airport or attend his economic speech.

“He’s traveling back from D.C. that morning, so won’t make the Cheesman speech but plans on attending the DSCC event,” Mr. Harris said.

Mr. Udall is in a neck-and-neck re-election race versus Republican Rep. Cory Gardner and has tried to distance himself form Mr. Obama, who has low approval scores in Colorado as in the rest of the county.

Colorado voters disapprove of Mr. Obama’s job performance 53 percent to 43 percent, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey last month.

But the president still can be a powerful fund-raising ally.

Mr. Udall raised additional campaign cash by raffling off $5 chances to meet Mr. Obama at the luncheon.

Otherwise, tickets start at $1,000. Tickets that include a photo with the president cost $10,000 a person or $15,000 per couple.