I'm at CBS-4, ready for the start of the Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall debate.

5:45: They're trying to find Udall for the coin toss. Meanwhile, everyone is running the gantlet trying to get in the building -- there are Schaffer and Udall supporters facing off on all four corners of Lincoln and 10th, and I saw at least one car accident narrowly averted because someone was honking and waving at their favorite peeps. But which side, we don't know, because the different camps were mixed in, doing their best to agitate each other. Meanwhile, Channel 4 had one space left for the Bridgetblogmobile. Score!!

5:54: We're close to the start of the debate. I'm sitting in the press room, enclosed in glass with fellow members of my species, kept away from the decent people but available for remote scientific study.

6:00 p.m. Here we go!

• First question: We're all hardened and cynical about politics! Tell us about a promise that you made that you might not keep... huh? Udall starts waxing about the economy. Is this answering the question? I thought he's supposed to talk about how he might jack up. Oh, it's a promise he'll keep. Schaffer is committed to lower tax rates and stronger economic growth. He's looking unusually friendly tonight."
• Here goes our own Lynn Bartels asking about one word to explain debate Schaffer says "explaining" and repeats the word Boulder many times in his answer. Udall says "rude" -- LOL!! The closed captioning on TV says that Udall just said "filly blusstering," Schaffer fires back -- still with that forced smile -- about how he would represent values in U.S. Senate.
• The question is bipartisanship, something you'd regret on the campaign trail, etc. Udall starts talking about veterans, health care, wildlife, fuzzy puppies who wag their tails every time they see him... OK, almost that. Schaffer is smiling broadly while talking about how vicious Udall's campaign has been. I'm waiting for the word "Boulder," or the word "liberal," or hopefully some combination thereof. Bob reminds us of Congress' 9 percent approval rating (good call) and how you gotta replace the folks there.
• Udall rebuts by saying his feelings haven't been hurt by the campaign. Kumbaya.
  
• Raj is up with the negative ad watch -- woohoo! First up is shadowy evil looking oilman Bob Schaffer. Next up is Boulder Liberal Mark Udall. Now is veterans wanting to shoot down Schaffer. Next up is shadowy evil looking Mark Udall.
• Schaffer is asked about Udall voting against body armor and troop funding. Schaffer says it's cuz he voted against defensive bills that included such items. Fair enough. Udall says he served on armed services committee, so take that! Udall is now asked about the Schaffer Big Oil claims when Schaffer did vote for renewable energy. Udall ducks the question about why he won't give Bob credit, and waxes about wonderful renewable energy.
• Schaffer points out the obvious -- Marky Mark didn't answer the question. He's still forcing the smile, but his hands are starting to flail. This is Schaffer more in his element. Going for the jugular. You'd think he would have arrived at this point as soon as Udall called him rude earlier.
• Udall responds to veterans funding ads. Schaffer says it's "baloney," that he has a super-pro-veterans record. Raj did a good job of bringing these two gents out of their shells.
• Schaffer poses question to Udall about not caring about kids with disabilities, why he would direct the dough to education research. Doesn't want to "rob Peter to pay Paul." But what about little crippled Peter??
• Udall asks what Schaffer even did in Congress. Bob is on a tear, rattling off stuff from the CDC to ranchland to missile defense.
• Schaffer asks Udall why the National Endowment for Humanities was more important then clean coal technology. This is an awesome debate -- which is more important to you, humanity or coal?? Udall calls them gotcha votes.
• Udall needles him on going to Kurdistan for oil stuff, a question that we asked Bob about when he came to our edit board. We have his answer in our video player. But he stresses to Udall that China will take over Kurdistan if we don't jump into the economic opportunities.
• Greg from Arvada asks about S&L regulation. Schaffer says regulation wouldn't necessarily save the day and Congress should learn its lesson. Udall said he's the only one who stood up to Fannie and Freddie. It's like "Meet the Press" revisited.
  
• Kathy in Aurora asks about securing the border. And she's right -- nobody's talking about immigration. Udall says physical borders "where they make sense," more Border Patrol, bringing "undocumented workers out of the shadows." Schaffer should be in his element. Brings up Udall's votes on tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants, etc. He looked really happy at that question.
• Marilyn in Straburg wants to know why we should give $$ to other countries when there are poor people here. (Um, because we care about other people who are worse off than we are??) Udall talks about funding community health care, but didn't really answer the question. Schaffer thinks the question was cool. He's not going to be joining in on the next "We Are the World' anytime soon, and nitpicks on funding to Africa.
• Glenda of Denver asks about gay marriage. Schaffer says it's too much to expect the state to sanction it. Udall takes the safe road with civil unions and domestic partnerships.
• Back to the panel and question about success in Iraq. Schaffer sums it up nicely if wordily by saying it's about Iraq maintaining its territorial integrity. Why doesn't he see when he's on to a good point and wrap it up in a nice little soundbite package? Udall calls Iraq a "misadventure" twice and then declares that we have won the war and it's time to get out and hand it back to Iraqis. (Um, we already handed it over. That's when it went from the coalitional authority to the Iraqi government.)
• Lynn asks about Department of Peace moonbattery proposal. Udall said it was "duplicative" and "made some sense at the time." He said he made his point and then it was time to move on. Is Congress just for grandstanding, then? No wonder nothing gets done.
• Lynn asks Bob about school choice being No. 1 issue for GOP. Schaffer says he can't speak on behalf of all Republicans but feels for poor kids who can't go to a better school. He just doesn't feel for poor African kids. :(
• Both are asked about political ideological independence. Schaffer is asked about the Dream Act, college for kids of illegal immigrants. Schaffer open to foreign students,but not tax dollars subsidizing kids of illegals. Udall looks like he's now in his element, and says you can't punish kids for their parents' illicit border crossing.
• Udall is asked on card check, without the panel describing that it's a labor bill for the folks at home. Schaffer happily provides the explanation and goes after Udall's jugular on it. The closed captioning called it "car check." This debate is so unfair to the deaf.
• Lightning round! Zapp! Schaffer advocates "belt-tightening" in Congress and Udall says Congress should be sure that "liquidity is injected into banks." He counters how Schaffer dissed Congress for taking vacation. We're all campaigning, counters Udall. Fair enough, but they were voted into office to get things done, not hit the trail again.
• Schaffer is on a cool tear against socialism. No redistributing of wealth and take from those of ability to give to those in need, he says.
• Schaffer reminds us that he's unemployed and had to buy his own health insurance. Another reporter grumbles about Bob's $200K severance check. I suggest that maybe he donated it to African children, and that's why he's in financial straits. Udall says we all can't eat out that much. The closed captioning is talking about "welsh spending." That's right. Our economy depends on how much the Welsh sink into the U.S.
• What do they drive? Bob drives a Ford-whatever. He doesn't know the model. Oy. Udall, of course, is driving the powdery blue Prius I saw parked in the lot. Remember the "South Park" episode where they called it the Pious? I'm thinking of that know.
• Closing statements. Udall tries to paint himself as super-independent. Schaffer barks that Udall drives a "bus... big luxury motor home." Udall just looks down at his podium. He's entitled to say, "Yeah... you don't even know what you drive!!" Schaffer makes the case that he's new blood and that the current Congress stinks.

After the debate I went into the studio to talk to each of the candidates, but turns out that they'd been quickly scuttled to other areas. I asked Udall about the fact that he says his feelings weren't hurt by negative campaign advertising, but then when asked to assign one word to the debates he said rude... how frustrated are you feeling with the tenor of the campaign by this point, I asked? Udall responded that it's been "fierce" and "combative," and said he "wants civil discourse" but thought that Schaffer was rude and interrupted him in early debates, on "Meet the Press," etc. "People want the approach I bring," Udall said. I then asked Udall if he thought Schaffer was "rude" tonight. Udall smiled. "Congressman Schaffer was polite tonight, relatively speaking," he responded.

I left the studio to find Schaffer disappearing down a stairwell and Dick Wadhams talking to our own Ed Sealover in the hall, yet some apparent Udall staffer were needling Wadhams -- they began snapping at each other about Web sites being illegal. Wadhams said he'd continue talking with Ed only away from the Udall folks, and as he disappeared down the stairs the Udall guy snapped, "Watch out for those DUIs, buddy!" Ed quickly asked what he meant, but the Udall folks walked off.

I think East and West Coast rappers are more civil with each other.