File this under ‘ways that being anti-immigrant is hurting Republicans this fall.’ Colorado’s Andrew Romanoff, a Democrat running for Rep. Mike Coffman’s (R-CO) seat, has been slamming Coffman for trying to appear more pro-immigrant than he really is.
It wasn’t that long ago that Coffman was a hardliner Republican on immigration, calling the DREAM Act a “nightmare” and Tom Tancredo his “hero.” But then Coffman was redistricted into Colorado’s CD-06, with its 20% Latino population, and he’s been in a rush to moderate every since. The problem, as we and others have pointed out, is that Coffman has only been talking the talk. He hasn’t done anything to walk the walk — aka push House leadership to pass immigration reform, or take a principled stand when the House votes against DREAMers.
And Andrew Romanoff is trying his best to make that record painful for Coffman this fall. Check out this press release in which Romanoff challenges Coffman to a debate on immigration — and ties Coffman to anti-immigrant albatrosses like Tom Tancredo and Steve King:
(Warning to national Republicans: this trend is coming for you in a big way in 2016 and beyond if you don’t act soon on immigration reform.)
Romanoff Challenges Coffman To Debate On Immigration
Aurora, CO – Congressional candidate Andrew Romanoff today challenged Rep. Mike Coffman to debate immigration reform when the Congressman returns from Washington next month.
“Congressman Coffman owes his constituents an explanation for his opposition to sensible immigration reform,” Romanoff said. “His tone may have changed, but his votes have not.”
Romanoff proposed the debate take place during the first week of June, when the Congressman will be back in Colorado for a district work period.
“Our district deserves to know why Congressman Coffman tells us one thing in Colorado and does another in DC,” Romanoff said. “That’s why we’re proposing a debate. We’ll even furnish the questions in advance:
- “Does Congressman Coffman still consider the DREAM Act ‘a nightmare’?
- “Does he still regard Tom Tancredo as his ‘hero’?
- “Why does Congressman Coffman oppose the bipartisan immigration reform plan passed by the Senate nearly a year ago?
- “Why has he voted twice in the last 12 months to resume the deportation of DREAMers?
- “Why did he refuse to put the ENLIST Act to a vote in committee?”
- “Why was he raising money with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on the same day Cantor decided to block immigration reform?”
Congressman Coffman is scheduled to hold a press conference at the U.S. Capitol today with some of the DREAMers he voted to subject to deportation. He will share the stage with Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Jeff Denham, both of whom – unlike Congressman Coffman – support a comprehensive plan for immigration reform (H.R. 15).
“Only in Washington could you vote to deport DREAMers one day and pose for pictures with them the next,” Romanoff said. “We need leadership, not lip service.”
