After being chided by both Democrats and Republicans over remarks he made this summer about renegotiating the Colorado River Compact, Sen. John McCain said at a recent Colorado campaign stop that he would “never, ever” try to take more of Colorado’s water.

“As a citizen of the great state of Arizona, I want to say on behalf of all my fellow citizens: Thank you for the water,” said McCain to a group of about 2,000 supporters in Pueblo, Colorado.

In August, McCain said the Colorado River water compact should be renegotiated because of the added pressures of growth and development. The comment brought immediate attacks from the state’s top Democrats and even a surprisingly strong response from Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bob Schaffer who said the compact would only be renegotiated, “Over my cold, dead, political carcass.”

As The Straight Talk Express rolled through the swing-state of Colorado this past week, Sen. McCain went out of his way to reiterate that his August comment was taken out of context. In an interview with the Denver Post and in recent stump speeches, McCain made a concerted effort to mend fences wrought by the gaffe - but will that effort stick? Some are not so sure if it will.

John Orr writes at the Denver Examiner:

“Voters will have to decide if McCain’s current position really reflects his views. He has done an about face on many issues over the summer in an attempt to shore up his faltering campaign. Which statement contains the “straight talk,” renegotiate the compact to provide more water to Arizona or never, never, renegotiate?”

States in the upper Colorado River Basin are extremely sensitive about the water compact they have negotiated with lower basin users (California, Nevada, Arizona).  In Colorado, “renegotiation” is considered synonymous with reallocation, and that is something most Coloradoans—regardless of their political affiliation—consider fighting words.

Image credit: jdnx via flickr under a Creative Commons License