Colorado's Senate Candidates Bennet, Buck Trade Allegations Over Rape Case

Colorado’s Democratic Senator Michael Bennet accused his Republican opponent, Ken Buck, of showing insensitivity in handling an alleged date-rape case as district attorney in Weld County.

Buck used the term “buyer’s remorse” to describe how a jury might view the woman’s change of heart about the man she accused of the rape. That’s the “wrong way to talk about these issues” for a prosecutor, Bennet, 45, said during a joint appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The case had been reviewed by an attorney with more than 30 years experience before his office declined to prosecute, Buck said. Three other attorneys looked at the case and agreed with the decision, he said.

The race between Bennet and Buck, 51, is one of a handful of close contests as Democrats seek to stave off Republican gains in the Senate. A poll released yesterday found Bennet had 45 percent support to Buck’s 47 percent.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report projects that Democrats will lose 7 to 9 seats in the 100-member Senate where they currently have a 57-seat majority that includes the backing of two independents.

The two Colorado candidates differed over government spending and debt on NBC. Voters are tired of politicians not answering questions directly, Buck said.

‘Live With Less’

“We have to tell the people that we’re willing to live with less,” Buck said.

Bennet, when asked to explain what he meant by a statement that the U.S. has “nothing to show” for the $13 trillion in debt on its balance sheet, said all the spending hadn’t made a dent in the condition of the nation’s roads and bridges.

“That stimulus package kept us out of a second Great Depression, but that’s hardly enough to improve on what our parents left us,” Bennet said.

Senate fundraising reports submitted Oct. 15 showed Bennet raised $2.7 million between July 22 and Sept. 30, leaving him with $1 million in cash at the end of the month. Buck raised $2.1 million in that time and had $1.4 million in the bank.

Colorado is also the top battleground for independent groups, which reported spending $9.4 million on federal campaigns there, more than any other state, between Sept. 1 and Oct. 12. Eighty percent, or $7.5 million, went to help Republican candidates, records show.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jeff Plungis in Washington at jplungis@bloomberg.net; Nicole Gaouette in Washington at ngaouette@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net