U.S. Senate hopeful angry at Democrats

DENVER, June 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate hopeful Mike Miles, who occupies the first line on the Colorado Democratic primary ballot, says his party's leaders are ignoring him.

Party leaders tried unsuccessfully to persuade Miles to quit the race after state Attorney General Ken Salazar entered the contest last March.

But Miles, a little-known educator and former U.S. Army Ranger, stunned observers by beating Salazar for the top slot on the party's primary ballot. "Now," the Denver Post said Wednesday, "they are simply ignoring Miles, who won the most votes at last month's Democratic State Assembly."

And his complaints go beyond the state. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which represents the interests of the party's incumbent senators, refuses to acknowledge Miles is in the race, despite his winning more delegate votes than Salazar at the party convention. The committee's Web site identifies Salazar as the Democrat who will face Republican businessman Pete Coors or former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., in the November election.

Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the DSCC, dismissed Miles' concerns, saying: "It's not a question of being fair or unfair. It's a question of reality."