Michael Bennet: NPR gives him common-sense showcase for surviving Tea Party onslaught

Michael Bennet.

Soon after Michael Bennet was declared the Senate race winner, we asked Bennet spokesman Trevor Kincaid if he thought the Dem's victory amid a Republican landslide would enhance his power and profile. Kincaid deferred, but days later, the answer appears to be "yes" -- with an extended spotlight segment today on National Public Radio's Morning Edition offering supporting evidence.

In response to the aforementioned question, Kincaid said last Wednesday he feels "people will look at Michael the way they do now, which is as a common-sense legislator -- someone who's not interested in getting mired in partisan politics." And that's certainly the formula Bennet was selling during a nearly five-minute chat with NPR's Renee Montagne.

After noting that the race between Bennet and "Tea Party Republican Ken Buck" attracted more donations from outside groups than any other campaign in the country, Montagne allowed Bennet, speaking from KVOD's Denver studios, to come across as the Voice of Reason amid the divisiveness of Washington. The tone is exemplified by his assertion that voters want politicos to "get out of the muck and get to a place where people feel the work in Washington is relevant to them."

Expect more news agencies to provide Bennet with similar platforms, simply because he was among the few Dems in heavily contested races to live beyond November 2 in order to legislate another day.

Here's the NPR segment, followed by a just-issued plea from the Bennet forces asking supporters to donate $5 or more toward retiring his debt so that he can close the books on the campaign and move forward:

Bennet campaign release:

We went all out in the final weeks of the campaign, and it paid off.

But going all out to win means we now have a little leftover debt.

Could you help us pay it off with a contribution of $5 or more now?

We were up against one of the best-funded, most cutthroat campaigns in the country -- and we turned back the tide that flooded so many other corners of the country.

This win was a major achievement, and a testament to what a strong grassroots campaign can do. Now, we have to shoot even higher and work even harder. We need to use this election as a springboard.

And as good as it feels to savor this win, I'm ready to get back to work and get back to the business of moving Colorado and the country forward. Before we start this next chapter, however, we need to close the last. And that means closing the books on the campaign.

Help me do that -- help retire our campaign debt this week with a final contribution of $5 or more now.

Thank you again for all that you've done. As we get back to work, I know there's going to be some tough fights ahead -- and, I'm thankful to have supporters like you fighting alongside me.

Sincerely,

Michael Bennet
U.S. Senator

More from our Politics archive: "Dan Maes spokesman offers post-mortem on bizarre race for Colorado governor."