Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and other supporters of expanded oil exploration in environmentally sensitive areas are engaged in a “cynical ploy” to capitalize on public concern about high gas prices, a leading environmentalist said this week in Fort Collins.

Jason Thielman, Musgrave’s campaign manager, dismissed the criticism.
“Increasing our domestic exploration for energy will improve supply and lower the price of gas,” Thielman said. “Marilyn Musgrave supports drilling as part of a comprehensive energy plan that lessens our dependence on foreign oil and ensures that we aren’t paying millions of dollars to hostile foreign leaders like Hugo Chavez.

“The only cynical play going on is Betsy Markey’s surrogates purposely misleading the voters of the 4th district about Congresswoman Musgrave’s record and efforts to lower the price of gas for working families in Colorado.”

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund so far has spent $460,000 on independent expenditures to target Musgrave, a third-term Republican from Fort Morgan. Schlickeisen, head of the environmental group since 1991, was in Fort Collins Tuesday to visit the group’s office that’s directing a door-to-door drive to carry anti-Musgrave messages to voters.

He said Musgrave has “one of the worst records in Congress in terms of conservation votes.”

Thielman said Musgrave has a record of working with Democrats on key regional environmental issues, like wilderness designation for Rocky Mountain National Park and blocking the Army’s planned expansion in southeastern Colorado’s Pinon Canyon.

“As a key negotiator on the Farm Bill, she ensured that the legislation contained more than $6 billion in increased funding for water, soil and land conservation,” he said. “Then she led the GOP effort to overturn the president’s veto.”

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund has endorsed Musgrave’s Democratic challenger, Betsy Markey. Federal law prohibits an independent group from coordinating campaign messages or other activities with a candidate once the organization has spent money on behalf of a candidate.

Markey has supported expanded exploration in coastal areas, a stance opposed by Defenders of Wildlife.

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