U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, facing the fight of his political life as he seeks a fourth term in Congress, played up his willingness to work across the aisle and his support for measured immigration reform Thursday during his first debate with Democrat Andrew Romanoff.
But Romanoff hammered Coffman hard during a sometimes-feisty debate that stretched nearly two hours. Suburban Denver’s 6th Congressional District, which arcs around Denver on the south, east and north, is seen as one of the tightest contests this fall. It’s equally split between Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters, and a large Latino population.
As they neared the end, Coffman and Romanoff, a former Colorado House speaker, ratcheted up the digs at each other’s records and stances.
At one point, Coffman told Romanoff, after brushing off his challenge to reject special-interest donations: “The difference is I lead, and you follow.”
“I’m about finding solutions,” Coffman said later, during his closing remarks. “I’m about working across the aisle. I am about advancing the principles that benefit this district and benefit this country.”
Romanoff repeatedly tried to link Coffman to the U.S. House’s majority Republicans and their attempts to obstruct Democrats’ efforts on immigration reform and other issues.
“What the country needs is neither blind loyalty to the president nor equally blind opposition,” Romanoff said, citing his own criticism of President Barack Obama on the troubled roll-out of the health care reform law.
The South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce and other suburban business groups sponsored the debate at the Hilton Garden Inn in Highlands Ranch.
The candidates played to a crowd of hundreds who jammed into the small ballroom and punctuated many statements with applause, cheers or, in some cases, vocal disapproval.
Asked about ways to substantially cut the budget, Coffman suggested that “one good way to save money very quickly” would be to repeal Obamacare and replace it with system that provides protections for patients, “but which doesn’t bankrupt the country.”
The crowd erupted in cheers, but an undercurrent swelled of people shouting “Boo!”
“It seems to me if every district were as evenly divided as Colorado’s 6th,” Romanoff said, “Congress would be a much more productive institution, because it would actually force members of Congress to work across the aisle to get things done.”
Coffman cited several examples of working with Democrats to get bills passed, including a recent bill, signed by President Obama, that makes big changes to the backlog-ridden veterans health care system. Coffman, a veteran himself, served on the conference committee.
Romanoff agreed with Coffman, calling it a disgrace that veterans in need of help were treated so poorly.
The candidates also found some common ground on foreign policy, with both drawing lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan to urge a cautious approach that avoids overseas entanglements for American troops. The candidates both expressed support for defense budget cuts, though they also want to protect the district’s Buckley Air Force Base.
They disagreed most sharply on the right approach to reform the immigration system.
Romanoff backs a comprehensive reform bill passed by Senate last year that has languished in the House. Coffman prefers what he considers a more realistic step-by-step approach, beginning with securing the borders. Then he wants to provide a limited path to citizenship for children, including by serving in the military, but rejects a large-scale citizenship path for adults who broke the law by coming to the United States.
“At the end of the day, unless you’re proposing to deport millions of Americans and tear families apart,” Romanoff said, “it seems we have an obligation to reform the law, to enforce the law and to grow our economy.”
Coffman suggested that approach would be a disaster, saying: “This whole notion that we’re going to do one comprehensive, sweeping thing — I think we did that to our health care system.” His supporters cheered.
After the debate, Coffman’s camp hammered Romanoff for discussing several broad efforts that might reduce the deficit but failing to cite specific big cuts.
And Romanoff’s camp seized on a moment in which Coffman lost track of the right words, after the moderator asked him about women’s reproductive rights.
“I’m pro-life,” Coffman said, to applause. “I’m proud of that, and I do not support personhood. But I do support women’s access to, uh…” He struggled to find the phrase, until someone in the crowd shouted “birth control.”
Coffman smiled and laughed, repeating that phrase and then laying the microphone on the table.
His campaign manager reiterated after the debate that Coffman supports the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision, which absolves some employers from providing birth control coverage based on religious objections, but also supports maintaining access to birth control.
Coffman and Romanoff also tangled over a pending decision on whether to allow the Keystone XL oil pipeline to proceed. As he has before, Romanoff punted.
“I will weigh in on this decision once the review is complete,” he said, “but I think it would be a mistake for both sides to force the decision now.”
Coffman retorted: “I think Speaker Romanoff’s answer is what’s wrong with Washington, D.C. And that is, they’re afraid to make a decision.”
In another blunt exchange, during a discussion about campaign finance issues, Coffman contrasted his military background with Romanoff’s Ivy League education.
“You went to Harvard and Yale,” he said. “I went to the Army and the Marine Corps.”
“I’m glad I got a good education,” Romanoff said, “and I want to make it possible for everyone in America to get a good education.”
The candidates will meet again Friday morning at a forum hosted by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce at the Denver Airport Marriott. Four other debates are set before the Nov. 4 election, including one The Denver Post will host Sept. 23.
Jon Murray: 303-954-1405, jmurray@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JonMurray
