Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) is running against incumbent Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) this November, and when it comes to where he actually stands on immigration, Gardner’s schtick is getting a little old. Jason Salzman nails it at Huffington Post Denver today:
Colorado Senate candidate Cory Gardner, who’s challenging Democratic Sen. Mark Udall, has been hitting the radio airwaves recently with his thoughts on immigration
You don’t have to listen too closely to see a pattern in how he talks about the issue.
He usually starts with point number one and works through point four: 1. Sound like you’re for immigration reform. 2. Attack others for immigration-reform failures. 3. Sound like you have an actual factual immigration-reform plan, when, in fact, you have nothing specific to offer. 4. Go back to point number 1.
Salzman even lists multiple examples of Gardner’s step-by-step strategy:
Gardner, sounding like he’s for immigration reform: We have a humanitarian crisis at our Southern border that underscores the broader need for responsible immigration reform.
Gardner, blaming others: My opponent, Senator Udall, voted in favor of the Senate legislation that the Congressional Budget Office estimates would decrease illegal immigration by as little as 33%. Our current problems require long-term reform, not short-term Washington fixes.
Gardner, sounding like he has a plan when he doesn’t: I believe we should move forward with an immigration policy that prioritizes border security, and that includes a viable guest-worker program that capitalizes on the benefits of legal immigration to this country.
It’s no wonder that Gardner has to go through all these verbal contortions. A supermajority of Colorado voters support immigration reform — yet Gardner’s party has done nothing to pass legislation, and Gardner himself has done even less to push them to try.
And, Gardner attacking Udall for supporting S. 744 is new, since the Senate actually did its job on immigration reform, while Gardner and House Republicans, again, haven’t even tried. What’s particularly rich about Gardner turning against the Senate bill is the fact that he calls it a “short-term Washington fix,” when Gardner himself has absolutely no position on the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country. Talk about not solving the problem? He’s duck and fake moves just can’t hide the fact that he can talk all about border security and guest workers, but until he has a plan for the people that actually live here – many of them for decades – his critiques of Udall and the Senate plan will continue to be laughable.
Oh, and then there’s the fact that the Senate bill has huge support across the political spectrum in Colorado — check out the below list of businesses that signed a letter of support last year:
Immigration Letter Signers as of December 31, 2013
- A+ Denver
- Action 22
- Aspen Chamber Resort Association
- Aspen Skiing Company
- Boulder Chamber
- Catholic Charities – Diocese of Pueblo
- Clear Creek County Commissioners
- Colorado Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals
- Colorado BioScience Association
- Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
- Colorado Competitive Council
- Colorado Concern
- Colorado Corn Growers Association
- Colorado Dairy Farmers
- Colorado Egg Producers
- Colorado Farm Bureau
- Colorado Forum
- Colorado Livestock Association
- Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association
- Colorado Women’s Bar Association
- Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA)
- El Comite de Longmont
- ELCA-Lutheran Synod
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver
- Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
- League of Women Voters of Denver
- Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance
- Mesa Park Vineyards
- Pitkin County Commissioners
- Progressive 15
- Pueblo County Commissioners
- Pueblo Latino Chamber
- Regis University
- Rocky Ford Growers Association
- South Metro Denver Chamber
- Talbott’s Mountain Gold
- Together Colorado
- Mayor Michael B. Hancock, City and County of Denver
- Mayor Steve Hogan, City of Aurora
- Aurora City Councilmembers Bob Broom, Barb Cleland, Debi Hunter Holen, Bob LeGare, Molly Markert and Brad Pierce
- Brad Feld, Foundry Group
- Dr. Daniel Carroll, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary
- Nick Lillo, Lead Pastor, WaterStone Community Church
- Dennis Rivera, Superintendent, Central District, Assemblies of God
- Susan Thornton, Former Mayor of Littleton
- Will Stoller-Lee, Director, Fuller Theological Seminary in Colorado
