By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck held a unity rally of sorts yesterday with his former opponent, Jane Norton.
Norton joined Buck at a meeting at the Arapahoe County Men’s Club yesterday, marking the first joint appearance by the former rivals since the contentious Republican primary. Norton said the Republican Party in Colorado needs to rally behind Buck to defeat Democratic incumbent opponent Michael Bennet.
She said Buck would reign in government spending if elected.
“This is a really important election and we have an opportunity to take the Senate back,” said Norton. “He is going to go to Washington, he is going to vote to take our country back and to get us on sound financial footing.”
The Republican U.S. Senate primary became a battle of attacks between Norton and Buck. The battle came to a climax in July when Buck made a controversial statement about Norton wearing “high heels.”
When asked by a voter, “Why should we vote for you?” Buck responded, “Because I do not wear high heels. I have cowboy boots. They have real bulls–t. That’s Weld County bulls–t.”
Norton’s campaign immediately fired back with an ad suggesting that Buck’s comment would be par for the course in Washington.
“Now Ken Buck wants to go to Washington,” the ad stated. “He’d fit right in.”
Norton had also attacked her former Republican primary opponent for calling a fringe part of the Tea Party movement a bunch of “dumbasses.” Buck was secretly caught on tape slamming “birthers,” a fringe part of the Tea Party movement that questions whether President Barack Obama has a valid birth certificate and is a U.S. citizen.
“Ken Buck’s childish insults about Tea Partiers once more raise the question: exactly who is Ken Buck and can we really trust him?,” Norton said back in July. “And just as pointedly, does Ken Buck have the temperament and character to be a United States Senator?”
But all the primary controversy seemed to be behind Norton and Buck yesterday. Buck thanked Norton for her support.
“I said on primary night that we had a little dust up in the family, and the family is coming together, and I really appreciate what Jane has done for us and what all of you have done,” he said.
