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Colorado Democrats Go on the Offensive Ahead of Ryan Visit

Kirk Siegler

After a quick swing through Iowa, GOP Vice Presidential hopeful Paul Ryan is on his way to Colorado where he'll hold a fundraiser in Denver Monday night and a public rally in Lakewood Tuesday morning. 

Local Democrats wasted no time blasting the Wisconsin Congressman for what they called his extremist economic policies.

"And it is going to take the Romney campaign further and further to the right which is going to be far too extreme for the voters of the state of Colorado," said Congressman Ed Perlmutter at a news conference Monday.

Ryan's only public event will be at the Lakewood High School which lies within Perlmutter’s district in Jefferson County; a key swing county in this swing state. 

Like Paul Ryan, Perlmutter's GOP challenger in the seventh congressional district race this year, Joe Coors, has Tea Party backing.

Perlmutter called Ryan’s budget plan flawed and extremist because it would keep in place tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. 

"At the expense of Medicare, at the expense of veteran’s programs, at the expense of transportation programs, and at the expense of Pell grants and other kinds of grants available to students throughout the country," he said.

Democrats staged their event in Denver's affluent Cherry Creek neighborhood Monday afternoon, just hours before Ryan was set to appear nearby at a private fundraiser.

In numerous campaign emails, meanwhile, Republicans hailed Ryan's visit to Colorado saying the Congressman and Gov. Mitt Romney have "a record of reform" needed to reverse course from what they consider is the failed path President Obama has taken the country.

Kirk Siegler reports for NPR, based out of NPR West in California.
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