Today marks the 211th day Bob Schaffer has been a candidate for the U.S. Senate and the 211th day he has refused to take a position on drilling atop the Roan Plateau. It now appears that one of the nations top five “Worst Senators,” as determined by Time Magazine, Colorado’s own Wayne Allard is attempting to set the stage for Schaffer and more bad policy.

“Schaffer has followed in Allard’s meek footsteps all the way to Congress and now he wants to take his place in the U.S. Senate,” said Pat Waak, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. “We don’t need another invisible Senator ignoring the wishes of Colordans on issues like drilling on the Roan Plateau. Bob refuses to tell us where he stands on the Roan or anything else. Community leaders, sportsmen, and the citizens of Colorado deserve to know if he is with us or against us when it comes to drilling on the Roan.”

Representatives John Salazar and Mark Udall were successful in including an amendment to the House-passed energy bill that would keep drill rigs off the top of the Roan Plateau by requiring energy companies to extract gas by the use of directional drilling methods. This would have been a permanent solution to the numerous local concerns about the environmental sensitivity and wildlife habitat on the top of the plateau.

Unfortunately this amendment was recently excluded from the compromise package that was passed by the House and sent to the Senate. The Senate will determine the final composition of the energy bill.

“Senator Allard appears to be protecting Bob Schaffer from taking a position on this issue,” said Waak. “If the Roan Plateau goes unprotected by the efforts of Allard and his allies, Bob Schaffer ducks another issue that would pit him against sportsmen, local residents, and the citizens of Colorado.”