Republican GOP hopeful Mitt Romney returned to Colorado Tuesday making a brief campaign stop in the state’s coal country.
Romney was in Colorado earlier this month stumping in front of an oil rig inWeld County and on Tuesday he chose one of the state’s most productive coal regions.
Speaking in downtown Craig, Romney took direct aim at President Obama’s economic and spending policies.
"I think it’s not just bad economics, I think it’s immoral for us to pass on those burdens to our kids." Romney said. "If I’m president I’ll go after that deficit and get America on track to a balanced budget."
Dozens of coal miners were reportedly bussed in from nearby mines. But coal was barely mentioned in the ten minute speech.
Nevertheless, Colorado Democrats called a telephone news conference shortly after the speech to criticize Romney's attacks on the president’s energy record.
One of the speakers on that call was the former mayor of nearby Grand Junction, Jim Spehar.
"Much as I appreciate Governor Romney’s decision to stop on the western slope, I have to say his rhetoric on energy couldn’t be further from reality," Spehar said.
Spehar said coal production has been on the rise in northwest Colorado in the past two years and he said partial credit is due to President Obama’s so-called all of the above energy strategy.
