Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), who is seeking re-election in 2014, made it clear that campaigning with President Barack Obama is not at the top of his priority list.
FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 file photo, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republicans say Udall tried to put pressure on state health officials to change the number of people who had their health insurance policies cancelled. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh,File)
When asked repeatedly by CNN’s Dana Bash whether he would campaign side-by-side with the president, Udall managed to dodge every single inquiry. The interview took place following the Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday.
“Is he a liability for you, the president back home?” Bash asked.
“When the president comes to Colorado and talks about our all-the-above energy approach -- we've got lots of natural gas and solar power -- that resonates with Coloradans,” Udall responded. “When he talks about making sure our veterans are treated properly that resonates with Coloradans.”
Bash then asked if that meant he would campaign alongside the president of the United States.
“We're going to be running a strong campaign based on Colorado's interests and Colorado's future. My job, I think, is to protect Colorado's way of life,” the Democrat said.
“That was not a yes or no,” Bash pressed. “Yes or No?”
“We'll see what the president's schedule is; we'll see what my schedule is. But Coloradans are going to re-elect me based on my record, not the president's record,” he replied, skirting the question for the third time.
Bash gave Udall one more chance to provide her with a yes or no answer.
“We'll see what the schedule allows,” he added. “I’m running for re-election, not the president of Colorado.”
As Bash points out in the video, “I think that’s our answer.”
Watch the clip put together by Revealing Politics below:
