Hal Bidlack

A day after a dispute over a secret agreement between 5th Congressional District candidates Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn was made public, the two candidates took a notably more hostile stance towards each other on Tuesday morning talk radio.

Rayburn and Crank held a mini-debate on "The Richard Randall Show" Tuesday morning on KVOR-AM in Colorado Springs. Crank also spoke for 20 minutes (Rayburn spoke on the show Monday for the same amount of time).

Up until now, the two candidates have both focused primarily on ousting incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs); Crank said Tuesday that he and Rayburn have talked since June of 2007 "about making this a two-way race."

But such camaraderie wasn't evident Tuesday, as Rayburn asked Crank, "Point-blank, am I a liar?" and Crank asked Rayburn to tell his 10-year-old son why it was OK to break an agreement.

Also Tuesday, Democratic CO-5 candidate Hal Bidlack released a statement saying he was "disappointed" with the candidates' "bickering."

UPDATED 4:19 P.M.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs) kicked off a four-day, 15-city statewide campaign tour today in Colorado Springs.

Udall started the "Standing Up For Colorado" tour Monday morning at the Retired Enlisted Association in Springs. 5th Congressional District Democratic nominee Hal Bidlack introduced Udall.

Later on Monday, Udall will visit Gunnison, Grand Junction, Craig and Denver.

COLORADO SPRINGS -- The day before the state Democratic convention, thousands packed a Colorado Springs hotel for three Democratic congressional assemblies - even though none of the assemblies were competitive.

The large crowds Friday led to long delays and logistical snafus during the assemblies.

Delegates turned out in record high numbers, waiting in line for hours to register for the CD-3, CD-4, and CD-5 assemblies, in which John Salazar, Betsy Markey and Hal Bidlack were set to be approved uncontested.

Hal BidlackNo Democrat has ever been elected to Congress from Colorado's 5th Congressional District since the district was created in 1972, but Hal Bidlack is confident he can change that this year. A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, Bidlack is running unopposed for the Democratic CD-5 nomination against the winner of a three-way GOP primary between incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs), Jeff Crank, and Bentley Rayburn.

In today's Monday Morning Politicking, Bidlack talks about why he thinks he can win in a heavily Republican district, his adventures dressing up as Alexander Hamilton, and his experience being in the Pentagon during the September 11 terrorist attack.

Bidlack talking to supportersCOLORADO SPRINGS- Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack opened his congressional campaign office in Colorado Springs on Thursday, telling supporters he plans to be the first Democrat ever elected in the heavily conservative 5th Congressional District.

"With a lot of hard work, with a lot of hours and asking a lot of people for help financially, helping in the office, we can actually really startle this country, and end the 30-year pattern of never electing a Democrat in CD-5," Bidlack said outside his office, a house south of downtown Colorado Springs. "I think that I may be that guy."

With Monday marking the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, Democratic congressional candidates in Colorado are united in supporting the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq - they just don't agree on how or when to go about it.

Tomorrow: the Iraq War views of Republican congressional candidates in Colorado

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Hal Bidlack, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel of El Paso County, has announced that he will be vying for Doug Lamborn's 5th Congressional District seat.