I have been saying that immigration will be the issue that hurts Republicans in Colorado the most and this confirms it:
http://www.lavozcolorado.com/...
Recently, the Service Employees International Union rallied in front of a downtown hotel to protest against Republican leaders who came to Denver to raise funds for Doug Lamborn and Mike Coffman. It seems that the Republican stance against Immigration Reform in the U.S. House is creating a major backlash in Colorado.
This particularly affects Coffman whose district is now 20 percent Latino. Even worse is the resurgence of Tom Tancredo in Colorado Republican politics and his immigrant hatred that is poisoning the Republican well in a state where Latinos will take second seat to no one.
This also directly affects Cory Gardner as he tries to move over from a safe Republican House district to a state-wide run for the Senate. Tancredo’s run for governor is amplifying the anti-immigrant image of the Republican Party and distorting its ability to negotiate its way to more reasonable alternatives.
Tancredo’s influence along with that of the Tea Party on this matter puts major pressure on the Republicans to radicalize even further to the right on immigration. This can create an attitude that discounts the Latino vote.
Some Conservatives have taken heart from the fact that many in the national Latino leadership have taken President Obama to task as the “Deportation President” and may think that it gives them cover to continue to block the legislation that would repair our immigration system. Calling the President out on deportations however, shows that Latinos will not allow anyone or any group regardless of political affiliation to take the community for granted.
And there's a good reason Republicans should be scared of Tancredo:
http://www.denverpost.com/...
Some of the same people who want to recast the Grand Old Party as the Great Opportunity Party — in an effort to attract minorities and young voters — believe Tancredo spells disaster in a year that is supposed to be rough for Democrats. For weeks, behind-the-scene movers and shakers in the Republican Party have tried to talk Tancredo into dropping out of the June 24 gubernatorial primary.
They haven't gotten anywhere.
"If you want a traditional candidate and a traditional campaign you will get the traditional outcome: the Republican loses," Tancredo said. "I'm not a traditional candidate. I pride myself on that."
Tancredo wouldn't names names of those who have approached him. Likewise, Republicans involved in lobbying Tancredo wouldn't go on the record.
But in their arsenal: an article written last month by KOA talk-show host Ross Kaminsky for the conservative magazine American Spectator. He explored the impact of immigration on Colorado politics, and a Tancredo candidacy.
"If he's the eventual Republican nominee for the governor's race in 2014, he will poison the entire ticket for the GOP," Kaminsky wrote.
And fears abound that Republicans won't rally around Tancredo if he wins the nomination.
At stake: the governorship of Colorado, control of the state Senate where Democrats now have only a one-seat lead and a ferocious battle for the U.S. Senate between Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Cory Gardner.
Tancredo was incredulous that Republicans are holding him responsible for Gardner's fate.
"They're beating the living crap out of Cory right now," Tancredo said of attacks from the left. "I have nothing to do with that." - Denver Post, 5/15/14
Gardner has his own record on being anti-immigration reform that he will have to defend:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
In the U.S. Senate, there is a clear choice. Since Rep. Cory Gardner entered the Senate race, he has tried to portray himself as more moderate and centrist on a variety of issues. But when it comes to immigration, he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
Gardner now says we need a more "humane approach" to immigration. But when he's had the chance to act more humanely, he hasn't. Every time Gardner has had the chance, he voted with the majority of House Republicans who are blocking reform. Despite the strong support for immigration reform in Colorado, even among Republicans, Gardner has stood with the extremists.
Last June, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) offered an amendment to defund the DACA program and subject DREAMers to deportation. That program, started by President Obama in 2012, has already benefitted thousands of young immigrants here in Colorado, including me. In fact, we're in the top 10 states for DACA recipients.
But, Gardner sided with King, who you may recall, famously said that most DREAMers have "calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert." Instead of doing what Colorado voters want, Gardner is following the lead of an extremist, like King.
Last month, Gardner voted with King for "The ENFORCE the Law Act" and "The Faithful Execution of the Law Act" -- both of which sought to strip the President's executive authority powers to deliver targeted relief from deportation to DREAMers and military families.
Cory Gardner apparently believes that not only should DREAMers be deported but so should the undocumented spouses, children or parents of people who risk their lives serving our country every day -- military families. - Huffington Post, 4/17/14
And Coffman is trying to paint himself as someone who does care about immigration reform but his past actions speak differently:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Fox 31 Denver's Eli Stokols reported this morning that Rep. Mike Coffman will stage a press conference today calling on his Republican colleagues in the House to pass the Enlist Act, which would offer a young undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship through military service.
News coverage about Coffman's bill, which has been rejected by Republican leadership, will naturally touch on broader immigration reform, as Stokols' piece did this morning, quoting Coffman thusly:
"There's got to be a path down the middle," Coffman told FOX31 Denver in an interview last week. "Let's secure our borders, enforce our laws, let's have immigration policies that are going to grow the economy, but let's also be compassionate and keep families together."
Reporters need to stop letting Coffman throw out these platitudes without asking him, what's his specific plan? He doesn't support the bipartisan immigration bill passed by 68 Senators, so Coffman is siding with 32 Republican opponents, led by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. What's Coffman's specific problem with the Senate bill? What amendment(s) would he offer to fix it, to try to move it out of the House, where it's stalled. - Huffington Post, 5/20/14
With Colorado's growing Latino population, we will need them come out and fend off these anti-immigration extremists. If you want to get involved with Governor John Hicklooper (D. CO), Senator Mark Udall (D. CO) and Andrew Romanoff's (D. CO-06) campaigns (who all support immigration reform), you can do so here:
http://www.hickenlooperforcolorado.com/
http://markudall.com/
http://www.andrewromanoff.com/