Udall opens campaign tour with stop in Springs

   Mark Udall kicked off a statewide campaign tour in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, saying he wants to end the war in Iraq "responsibly" and fight terrorism by promoting democracy.

    The Democratic U.S. Senate nominee also told a 30-person crowd at The Retired Enlisted Association that he will push for a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee if elected.

    Udall, a congressman from Eldorado Springs, used much of his time in the state's military hub to emphasize his stand on defense issues.

    While Republicans have criticized him as being a pacifist liberal, he argued that the current war, driven by the GOP president, has hurt the U.S. military. The war on terror needs to be more targeted and can be done by sitting down and discussing issues, he said.

    He hopes also to put more money toward educating returning soldiers and treating those suffering from brain injuries or posttraumatic stress disorder, he said.

    "We face real forces of extremism all over the world. But I have to tell you, the Bush administration's policies, I believe, have weak- ened us," Udall said.

    The speech came just five days after Udall missed House votes on 11 key defense bills, including the $601.4 billion funding measure for next year. The congressman said he had returned home to see his daughter, Tess, graduate from high school.

    Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Owen Lentz, who introduced Udall, said later that his positions on military issues could gain support even in Colorado Springs. Udall, after all, is emphasizing the need for the country to support the soldiers not just when they're on the battlefield but when they return home as well, he said.

    Though the talk was military-centered, people in the crowd came for other reasons as well. A group of six people came to push for health care policy emphasizing prevention of chronic disease, and five Stonewall Democrats showed up to represent the gay community.

    Udall's nine-minute speech secured their support.

    "It's not too dogmatic or being too preachy," Stonewall Democrat Derrick Lewis of Colorado Springs said of his speaking style.

    The early-morning event was followed by fly-around stops in Gunnison, Grand Junction, Craig and Denver on Tuesday, and he plans to visit an additional 10 cities this week. Udall's first extensive speaking tour comes about a week after he officially accepted the Democratic nomination.

    CONTACT THE WRITER: (303) 837-0613 or ed.sealover@gazette.com