Herb Rubenstein Lashes Out At Heated Primary Rhetoric

Criticizes Ed Perlmutter and Peggy Lamm for attacking each other and making Rick O'Donnell's task in November that much easier in a tightly contested district:

One of three candidates in the 7th Congressional District primary all but bowed out of the race Friday while claiming that his fellow Democrats' negative campaigns hurt the chances of taking the seat back from Republicans in November.

"Whoever wins this race, and obviously it's not going to be me, is going to have to come to me to help try and mend fences," Herb Rubenstein said. "This race has broken the Democratic Party in the 7th district."

Ed Perlmutter, who was endorsed by labor unions and almost all of the big-name Democrats who chose to weigh in on the primary, said he appreciated Rubenstein for broadening the debate. But both he and Peggy Lamm, the other Democrat in the race, disagreed that the mudslinging primary had fractured the party.

"We're going to do everything we can to win in November, and I am completely confident we are going to win," Lamm said.

That will depend on how much damage was exacted in the primary race and how unified the Democratic party is after August 8.

technorati: colorado primary peggy lamm herb rubenstein ed perlmutter rick odonnell democrat 7th congressional district