UPDATE #3: The Colorado Republican Party overshares its displeasure with those pesky voters:
Disruptive fake protestors @RepMikeCoffman town hall. Coffman stood ground in a room of organized, left-wing activists. #Proud #CoPolitics
— The Colorado GOP (@cologop) April 13, 2017
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UPDATE #2: The Denver Post’s Brian Eason recaps a wild night for Rep. Mike Coffman:
Coffman stayed for nearly twice his scheduled time, fielding questions on topics such as health care, education, federal spending — and, repeatedly, what he would do to serve as a check on Trump.
After other Republicans have been heckled and shouted down at town halls across the country by liberal protesters and constituents angry about Trump’s agenda, those in attendance found themselves subject to strict rules designed to maintain order. The event was open only to people who signed up for tickets, and questions were selected based on a lottery. Large signs were barred.
More often than not, the predominantly liberal crowd wasn’t pleased with his responses — which at times deflected yes or no questions with vague replies. For long stretches, the meeting was orderly, but often the crowd erupted into jeers, shouting over Coffman and questioners.
At one point, one exasperated woman asked, “What will it take for you to vote with your constituents?”
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UPDATE: Watch live:
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The line is just starting to form outside Rep. Mike Coffman’s town hall meeting tonight on the Anschutz Campus of the University of Colorado in Aurora–but as photos forwarded to us from the scene indicate, the cops are ready for anything:
That’s a big bag of zip-tie handcuffs, folks. As for the guys on the roof…just stay calm in line and we assume everything will be okay.
We’ll update with photos and coverage of Rep. Coffman’s town hall, watch this space.
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Coffman must be afraid someone will try a First Amendment solution
Is this a town hall or a United flight? 🙂
Better live feed through CNN here:
Cheezun Rice, this is a rowdy crowd. Coffman is being ruthlessly mocked and heckled. Wonder if they're going to break out those zip tie cuffs soon.
Coffman seems to be handling himself fairly well. Not that his answers to questions make much sense…but he’s not fleeing the interview. His hand and arm gestures are very stiff and weird, marionette-like, like John McCain’s without the excuse of a shoulder injury.
OMFG, I think Coffman just said that Sean Spicer has to go.
aaannnd…he’s quitting at 7:50. Some people just don’t learn.
Anyone shout out, "You lied"" like they did in South Carolina for Joe "You Lied" Wilson the other night?
Didn't hear anyone yelling "You lied!," but there was plenty of yelling, mostly when Coffman tried to defend the Republican health care plan.
I tried ABCnews, but all I could find was this smug hit piece on how the noble lawmakers are suffering the wrath of their "professional protester" crowds. Tiny violin, please.
When I finally t. found the CNN feed because the KUSA one didn’t work, Coffman was saying that “Those of you on the extreme left will never be satisfied.”
I don’t know about that. Some truth and accountability would go a long way to satisfy.
As soon as someone manages to put decent video of the event up, it will be entertaining to watch. Coffman really did call for Spicer to resign. That, at any rate, was news.
Then again, this is probably more courageous than what Gardner is doing.
I'm with you on that…it did take some guts to go out there and keep on taking questions. It would have been even better if he had given any real answers.
Cue the three stooges, lecturing us on the virtues of civil town hall meetings. Their people would never do anything like this.
Here's APs reporting on the event, via the Washington Post:
Here's Channel 90seconds news on youtube, just posted, pretty good quality. Enjoy.
Regarding the GOP's reaction:
Their own Republican Congressman Coffman made certain that only his constituents and the press attended his town hall. A non-constituent literally could not get in the door without a ticket.
So if people were unhappy with the Congressman's answers, that's because people in hiis district are not happy with his non-answers. I watched the entire 1:41 90second news tape, as well as about 10 minutes of live broadcast at the very end of his town hall. I saw people asking about their loved ones with severe health conditions, and how repealing the ACA would let their loved ones die.
Coffman had no answers for them. Instead, he tried to baffle them with bureaucratic bullshit, wading into the wonky weeds with Medicare this and Medicaid that, this provision of that bill, how he really cares but premiums keep going up, etc. So the crowd got tired on non answers and bs and booed him. Good for them. Because when you come down to it, the GOP AHCA plan would have let their loved ones die without access to health care.
Karma is an evil bitch, isn't it, GOP? You broke the rules of civil discourse a long time ago – you just don't like it when Democrats do as you did, not as you say you did. Those 800 people at Coffman’s town hall pay his freaking salary. They are who he is accountable to. Now maybe his salary is pretty small potatoes compared to the millions his campaign takes in in donations…but they’re still the boss – they still make it possible for him to have that congressional platform and voice.
And when you don’t listen to your boss, regardless of whether her / his “tone” irritates you, you can say goodbye to your job.
Great, great post.
MJ, Unless the "boss" you don't listen to is not really the "boss" and just some disgruntled losers who voted for the person who lost. Per pols Coffman has been saying goodbye to that job for years, only to be reelected.
CD6 is definitely "woke" now, as opposed to before the election. People are seeing that passivity and uninvolvement could cost them their standard of living, the lives of their loved ones. I think the Trump agenda scares the bejeezus out of people, and it will make a difference.
Coffman's bosses are his constituents. His constituents showed up 800 strong and let Coffman know that they were not happy with much of what he stood for. Will he take that message to Washington? Time will tell.
Coffman is a survivor. He stood up there and took everything the far left could throw at him and asked for more. Say what you will about Coffman but he is NOT afraid of the left.