Mike Coffman Responds To Bipartisan Screwing...Badly

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by: Colorado Pols

There’s a lot of misinformation today about the status of Rep. Mike Coffman’s residence, and how his district may be affected by redistricting maps from both parties that were made public for the first time yesterday. AP misreported, just as one example:

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman said Friday he was upset after Democrats drew up six maps that all take his home in Aurora out of the 6th Congressional District. [Pols emphasis]

Coffman could still run for re-election next year if he doesn’t live in the new district, but he said it would divide local communities he served for the past four years. Coffman won his first election by 60 percent and last November he won by 66 percent, and he’s going for his third term next year.

Here’s the problem: the assertion that Democratic maps have taken Coffman’s Aurora home “out of the 6th Congressional District” is, as you can see below on the actual proposed map, flatly untrue. Coffman’s current residence is on East Hampden in Aurora, and according to his voter registration on file, located in Arapahoe County precinct 421. We’ve asked our sources to triple-check for us, and they confirm that Arapahoe County precinct 421 remains in the 6th Congressional District in all six of the Democratic “City Integrity” maps.

Detail from “City Integrity 5”

But that’s not the best part. Apparently, both of GOP Rep. Dave Balmer’s proposed maps actually move Coffman’s Aurora address out of CD-6, and into CD-7! So it’s not Democrats who “penciled Coffman’s home out of his district” at all! That would be his fellow Republicans.

Detail from “Balmer 2”

Now, Lynn Bartels of the Denver newspaper seems to be the only reporter who took note of a critical detail in all of this: Coffman mentioned to Bartels that he is “planning” to move to Greenwood Village! So, if that’s right, Coffman wants a redistricting map drawn to accomodate some future residence, not the one presently registered with the Secretary of State.

Which–to put it mildly–makes it a little tough to share Coffman’s outrage.

To summarize: Coffman is not being truthful about the disposition of his current residence to the extent that it was misreported around the state today, and in truth wants district lines drawn to cater to his future personal living choices. News reports say Democrats want to move his Aurora home out of CD-6, when in fact that is a Republican proposal. And, this is the not-so-funny part, Coffman really foolishly thumbed his nose at all of Aurora, who he might well be called on to represent, in whole or in part, based on both Democratic and Republican proposed maps.

We think it’s safe to say, Coffman is not reacting to this situation very productively.

20 thoughts on “Mike Coffman Responds To Bipartisan Screwing…Badly”

RadioFreeDenver says:

April 16, 2011 at 8:05 pm

Who could possibly have predicted that?

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1. reubenesp says:
  
  April 17, 2011 at 6:16 pm
  
  Greenwood Village? Give me a break.
  
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bullshit! says:

April 16, 2011 at 8:16 pm

This is how it was reported everywhere. There had better be a zillion corrections.

Actually, Coffman is a former SoS. This is worth a whole new front page story. Either he can’t read a map, or he’s a lying sack of shit.

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1. droll says:
  
  April 16, 2011 at 8:19 pm
  
  I have doubts.
  
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  1. bullshit! says:
    
    April 16, 2011 at 8:31 pm
    
    This is a really stunning untruth to have been told all over the state yesterday, though, whether deliberate or just incompetent. Something needs to be done about it.
    
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    1. droll says:
      
      April 16, 2011 at 8:35 pm
      
      I’m sure it’s bad politics for him to run around saying it truthfully, but it sounds like he’s going to have more primary or abandonment issues before lying on Democrats is going to become relevant.
      
      I’d feel bad for him if he weren’t a little shit. Politically. As a dinner guest he’s fine.
      
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JeffcoBlue says:

April 16, 2011 at 8:55 pm

Epic #fail. Pure reality mirror doublespeak.

Forwarding to a LOT of press people right now.

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BlueCat says:

April 16, 2011 at 11:17 pm

I stopped paying attention after reading about how CD6 could very likely become more competitive. Went into a kind of dream state. Wake me when it’s a reality. But, seriously, Coffman is complaining that the map screws up his relocation to ritzier GV plans? Does he have a deposit down to lose? As a resident of HD38, of which Greenwood Village is a part, though a detached one, I’m all for losing GV.

Was surprised to see it so clearly pointed out that all the Dem plans stress competitive districts while the R plans stress moving Dems into a two district ghetto, the rest for them! Didn’t know Bartels had it in her.

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nancycronk says:

April 17, 2011 at 12:58 am

I want to see his birth certificate (not a certificate of live birth, btw). And if he refuses to show it to me and Donald Trump, we can assume he is not a citizen, and his voter registration should be purged immediately.

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Dan Willis says:

April 17, 2011 at 1:44 am

At the Redistricting hearing, when the GOP released their maps, they all mentioned how badly Greenwood Village did not want to be part of CD1.

That little tidbit did not make sense to me and was actually counter to feedback from residents of Greenwood Village I had heard.

NOW it is cyrstal clear that one particular soon-to-be resident of Greenwood Village adamantly does not want to be in CD1.

Advice for Coffman: get a cheap apt. in Aurora to maintain residency there.

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1. BlueCat says:
  
  April 17, 2011 at 2:19 am
  
  wouldn’t want to be stuck with DeGette. Not that I, stuck with Tancredo and then Coffman, can sympathize.
  
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Diogenesdemar says:

April 17, 2011 at 2:52 am

Before you finalize any plans to move to Greenwood Village, have you looked at any of the fabulous housing deals to be had in Summit County?

Breckenridge is spectacular. Only minutes from all sorts of year-round world class outdoor recreation.

Interest rates won’t stay this low much longer. Given the market right now your dollar will never go further than it will at the Summit.

Sincerely,

Under Represented in Douglas County

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1. The realist says:
  
  April 17, 2011 at 6:19 pm
  
  Maybe Eagle County? Or Pitkin?
  
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CastleMan says:

April 17, 2011 at 8:53 am

He actually provides constituent services to, and responds to inquiries or comments sent by, Republican residents of his district.

If you are not a Republican or, God forbid, you’re a registered Democrat, Coffman simply ignores your letters and your requests for constituent services.

This is well known in the district. Dems and indies down here have to go to Udall or Bennet for help with government agencies and services.

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1. reubenesp says:
  
  April 17, 2011 at 6:37 pm
  
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2. Half Glass Full says:
  
  April 18, 2011 at 5:24 am
  
  I’m a Democrat who has contacted Coffman numerous times and he’s just totally ignored me. Heck, even Tancredo had the courtesy to write back.
  
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3. nancycronk says:
  
  April 18, 2011 at 5:45 pm
  
  Every Democrat or independent I know who has approached Coffman via his office has been treated like garbage. Unless you are a registered R or carrying a large wallet, you get nothin’.
  
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  1. ThillyWabbit says:
    
    April 19, 2011 at 1:51 am
    
    It’s both illegal and against House rules to inquire about or track any constituent’s party affiliation or to treat a constituent differently based on party affiliation.
    
    Or move to Denver for awhile so Diana DeGette’s lousy constituent services can convince you it’s not a party thing but a safe seat thing. If you live in the 7th, you are a very, very lucky person, because it’s competitive enough that the member of Congress knows having excellent constituent services is sort of helpful for re-election. Ed’s staff is great, and Beauprez’s was pretty good considering.
    
    DeGette and Coffman don’t give two shits because they don’t need to. Re-election is a foregone conclusion, so there’s no incentive to put in any extra effort. Most of their staffing is concentrated in DC to help them build their respective power bases there, rather than in-district to help ensure re-election.
    
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MADCO says:

April 17, 2011 at 6:27 pm

I always assumed Balmer was planning to take Spence’s seat int he Senate when she’s term limited. Who knew Blamer thought he could take his lying resume back east?

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americus says:

April 18, 2011 at 6:44 am

Still can’t believe McNulty chose Balmer to lead this charge given his map in NC was struck down by the US S Crt!

Circa 1993: “Two gerrymandered majority-black districts were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Sandra Day O’Connor, writing for the majority, proclaimed that “racial classifications of any sort pose the risk of lasting harm to our society. They reinforce the belief, held by too many for too much of our history, that individuals should be judged by the color of their skin.”

…

“David Balmer, a boyish Charlotte lawyer and soon-to-be minority leader in the N.C. House, stepped forward with some alternative maps. He proposed that at least one more minority district, encompassing blacks and Indians, could be drawn in the southeastern part of the state. Not coincidentally, drawing such a district would make as many as five Democratic districts suddenly competitive.”

by John Hood “Republican quota fiasco – including the Republican party in the blame on reverse discrimination http://findarticles.com/p/arti…

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