The Hill News

Former Colorado House Speaker and Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff said Friday that the Senate did the "wrong thing by going home when so many Americans are out of work." 

In an interview on MSNBC's "The Ed Show," Romanoff took a shot at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in answer to a question about a new Senate proposal to extend unemployment benefits.

Schultz asked whether Reid did the wrong thing by leaving the bill on the table and adjourning for the Senate's summer recess.

"Yes," Romanoff responded. "I think the Senate itself does the wrong thing by going home when so many Americans are out of work. They did the same thing, you'll remember, over the Fourth of July, when people were crying out for an extension in unemployment benefits. The Senate decided to take a holiday." 

Romanoff is locked in a tight battle with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) ahead of Tuesday's Democratic primary. The White House is backing Bennet, but! Romanoff has surged in recent weeks and polls now have the race in a dead heat.

The two camps are feuding over a New York Times story that claimed as superintendent of Denver's public schools, Bennet promoted a risky loan that ended up costing the state's schools millions in the long run. 

Romanoff released a new ad hitting Bennet over the story Friday, accusing the senator of cutting "an exotic deal with Wall Street."   

Bennet's campaign is pushing back hard against the claim, saying in a statement the paper simply "got it wrong." 

The campaign is also criticizing the involvement of Romanoff supporter Jeanne Kaplan, a member of the Denver school board. Kaplan had admitted pushing the story to the Times and is quoted. Romanoff's camp pointed out Saturday that Kaplan wasn't identified as a R! omanoff backer in the piece. 

How much of an impact the! last-mi nute flap will have on the race is questionable. Voting in the primary is mostly via mail-in ballot.