U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., was going to use the influence of his New Mexico cousin, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, to make sure Denver Broncos games were not bumped off TV in Southwest Colorado in favor of the Dallas Cowboys, which has been a crushing disappointment for fans of the Orange Crush.<\/p>\n
Colorado\u2019s senior senator said he negotiated a deal with Albuquerque Fox affiliate KASA that will allow football fans in La Plata and Montezuma counties to watch Broncos games on TV this season.<\/p>\n
In explaining his negotiating tactics, Udall said,\u201dIf we didn\u2019t get the job done I was going to Albuquerque, and I would use whatever means necessary, including imposing on and encouraging my cousin, the senator from New Mexico, to help me get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Udall, who toured the Visitor and Research Center at Mesa Verde National Park on Sunday, acknowledged that some people might think professional football is a trivial matter for a U.S. senator.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know people smile, but this is important,\u201d he said. \u201cThis what Colorado prides itself on, our athletic teams. This corner of the state is as Colorado as any other corner of the state. People down here deserve to see those football games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pleased we were able to lift the uncertainty and assure people that the best football team in the country will be seen by anybody in Colorado who wants to see the Broncos.\u201d<\/p>\n
In making his tour of the new visitor center, Udall, the chairman of the U.S. Senate\u2019s National Parks Subcommittee, marveled at the building\u2019s energy efficiency and use of renewable power through solar panels and micro hydroelectric power.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the future right here today at Mesa Verde National Park,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In response to a question from The Durango Herald, Udall expressed reservations about other forms of cutting-edge technology, the surveillance programs of the National Security Agency.<\/p>\n
He called for an end to Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which has been interpreted to allow the bulk collection of Americans\u2019 phone records. He described it as a \u201cmeta data\u201d because it targets \u201cwho you called and when\u201d but not the content of the phone conversations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NSA makes the case by taking all that meta data, we can examine it and get a sense of patterns. Well, they\u2019re right. They can. Some people think that\u2019s not a violation of your privacy; I think it is,\u201d Udall said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they need those records, go get a warrant,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s ways to get warrants quickly. We can give the president emergency powers. If there\u2019s a plot we discover looking to blow up New York City, the president would have those powers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Udall said there should be \u201ca big, national discussion to the size of the intelligence complex. We have 400,000 contractors. Think of an Eric Snowden figure who wanted to use this data for malevolent purposes. We can debate whether he\u2019s a hero or a traitor or a leaker or a whistle blower. He ought to come back and stand trial, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy point, though, is that the American public did not know about this (program). Whatever we decide to do ought to be on the basis of the public being informed, not on the basis of blind trust, which is how I think the previous administration and this administration has been acting,\u201d Udall said.<\/p>\n
Udall does not think the program has been effective in stopping terrorism, either. He said defenders of the program have confused it with another program which targets foreigners\u2019 phone data.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are lumping these two (surveillance) programs together,\u201d Udall said. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit disingenuous what\u2019s going on right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
One surveillance program, however, got Udall\u2019s wholehearted endorsement on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Mesa Verde officials told the senator of plans to allow the public to look through a window into an archive room to see artifacts getting unpacked and prepared for exhibit.<\/p>\n
The senator said such a demonstration would be better than watching a chef at \u201cany sushi bar\u201d or \u201canything on the Food Network.\u201d<\/p>\n