July 18, 2012 01:10 AM UTC

Progressives Call on Coffman to Stop Hiding

• 1 Comments
• by: Alan

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) ponders how to evade ProgressNow Colorado members outside a fundraiser in downtown Denver.

ProgressNow Colorado, the state’s largest online progressive advocacy organization, and allies appeared yesterday outside a private fundraiser hosted for Republican Rep. Mike Coffman near Coors Field sponsored by the Western Energy Alliance and Newfield PACs–both funded by major oil companies.

ProgressNow Colorado was joined by a genuine Big Oil Fat Cat outside 1899 Wynkoop St. in Denver near Coors Field to tell Rep. Coffman to stop hiding from his constituents.

“A few weeks ago, video surfaced of Coffman questioning the citizenship of President Barack Obama during a fundraiser this past spring, repeatedly claiming the president ‘is not an American,'” said ProgressNow Colorado executive director Joanne Schwartz. “Since that ‘loose cannon’ moment, Coffman has virtually disappeared, holding no public events–the only exception apparently being fundraisers where well-heeled supporters pay for the privilege of meeting with him.”

“Coffman’s constituents have been asking for a town hall for weeks, and they should be able to meet with him for less than $1,000 per person,” said Schwartz. “Most of the voters Coffman represents don’t have that kind of money to spare.”

Coffman has carried numerous pieces of legislation in support of Big Oil. The latest example of Coffman’s special interest pandering: legislation that would create penalties for public participation in decisions to lease or drill on our public lands. H.R. 4383 would create a terrible burden on agencies while taking away their discretion in many drilling cases. This bill would force new leases to be granted for financial and speculative reasons, even though there are thousands of unused drilling permits in Colorado and around the county.

“While Mike Coffman hides from the voters he represents in Congress, his cozying up with wealthy donors in downtown Denver only adds insult to injury,” said Schwartz. “We’re calling on Rep. Coffman to start representing his district instead of special-interest campaign contributors. To simply stop hiding from the voters he represents would be a great start.”