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March 19, 2012 06:42 PM UTC

Former CD-6 Candidate Breaks Silence On Coffman, Farber, Miklosi

  • 5 Comments
  • by: nancycronk

Those who know Former CD6 Candidate Hank Eng, know he is a man of integrity and few words. Hank rarely grabs the media spotlight for himself. Last night, Hank sent this message, and gave me permission to distribute it. The letters in bold are my emphasis. ~ NC

Friendship and Conscience – By Hank Eng, Former Congressional Candidate CD6

Friends and friendship are things we cherish and nurture. This is a normal part of being human. We will do anything for a friend, right? Well almost anything. This is where another human trait enters the picture; that is conscience. As human beings we all have one. As much as we may want to suppress a conscience, it is what tells us right from wrong, good from bad and helps us navigate our behavior throughout life.

By now many of you have read the Denver Post article reporting that Steve Farber, a well-known Denver attorney and registered Democrat will co-host a fundraiser for 6th Congressional District Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman. Fundraisers are not unusual. It is that political season once again. What is a bit of a shock is the fundraiser is being co-hosted by a Democrat for a Republican, and hence this commentary.

Steve Farber is an unquestionable leader in our community and commands a great deal of respect including mine. Although Steve has never held public office, he has been in public service. He has been appointed to numerous public commissions by both Democratic and Republican Governors. He could always be expected to conduct his work in an ethical and non-partisan manner.

He has hosted or co-hosted many fundraisers for the community at large. I have attended some of these fundraisers in part because I wanted to learn more about causes being championed by a community leader and in part because these were causes I believed in too. And so we come to this particular cause.

Representative Coffman has served two terms in Congress. In 2008, he did not bother to campaign taking for granted his electorate and the election. In 2010 he again counted on a district that was still highly tilted in favor of a Republican in a year in which anti-administration sentiment fostered by faux grass-roots (AstroTurf) groups and general disappointment by Independents and Democrats with the pace of economic recovery slowed by a Republican more interested in culture wars than creating job. Now facing an election is a highly competitive district due to redistricting, Representative Coffman is calling on friends for help.



Mike Coffman voted for the Ryan plan which would end Social Security as we know it. In fact he has voted along party lines over 90% of the time he has been in Congress. He supports the Republican agenda to roll back affordable healthcare, defund Planned Parenthood, declare war on women health, and cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class. He may not have voiced outright support for this agenda, but he has not voiced opposition either. Campaigning on job creation, he has joined the majority in culture wars. Rather than cherishing the right to vote, he has made it more difficult for Americans to do so. He has voted for the narrow interest of the reactionary right against the better interest of all his constituents, which brings many of us to the dilemma we face.

Usually when a community leader such as Steve Farber calls for a fundraising event, we heed his call. This is the respect he commands. However, this is not a non-partisan event for a friend. It is a Republican fundraiser pure and simple for someone who already has the backing of powerful interest in Washington whose unlimited funding due to Citizens United, can buy an election. You’ve seen the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ad that spread the Republican talking points on behalf of Congressman Coffman. Undoubtedly we will see more of these disinformation ads come out as we move into this election cycle. So how do we reconcile attending a fundraiser co-hosted by a community leader we respect and the cause for which Democrats and many Independents cannot support?

If conscience plays a part in your decision, you can show your support as a Democrat by contributing the $500 minimum to attend Steve Farber’s fundraiser to the campaign of Joe Miklosi. Of course any amount contributed, large or small will be welcomed if we are to counterbalance the advantage an incumbent always holds. For Independents and Democrats you have more options. One is to contribute to Joe Miklosi’s campaign if you believe we must take back our country from those wanting to destroy the middle class. Another is to make a contribution to Planned Parenthood. Both organizations are in need of your support.

2012 will be an important election year. There is much at stake. We can see what issues are front and center for the Republican. It is playing out in news story after news story. It is culture wars that divide us as a nation and not job creation that will bring us together. In fact, there really is no dilemma. I know where my conscience will lead me.  

Comments

5 thoughts on “Former CD-6 Candidate Breaks Silence On Coffman, Farber, Miklosi

  1. When I campaigned recently for a relatively obscure office (board seat on a rural electric co-op) I received help from several environmentally oriented folks and organizations around the state. But only one elected official provided me with any help, and that was Joe Miklosi. Joe was generous with his time – calling frequently to see how things were going, and offering this novice candidate encouragement and advice on funding, strategy, using the party data base, etc.

    Joe Miklosi seems to be a quality human being who honestly wants to make a difference for Colorado’s citizens. It disturbs me that Colorado Pols seems to be dismissive of his campaign, using snarky phrases like “embarassing” and “boring” far in advance of any real campaigning.

    After reapportionment this seat seemed to be one that could be won by progressives. Now, when power broker Steve Farber joins the regressive campaign of Mike Coffman, Pols doesn’t seem to have much to say. Am I missing something here? I appreciate Kronk and Eng’s comments and I wonder: why the seeming negativity of Colorado Pols toward this important and potentially winnable campaign?

    1. I am a supporter of Joe and think the world of him but to your point elections are won on money.   As much as we wish they happened to be won by the most qualified, best well meaning and nicest person… they are not.

      A number of other good democrats both here in Colorado and nationally who have better chances at getting reelected and winning seats to control the House are taking funds out of the state that may have gone to Joe’s race.

      As of Dec 31st

      Mike Coffman

      Raised: $1,294,044

      Spent: $737,356

      Cash on Hand: $961,374

      Last Quarter – Per Day Fundraising $4,604

      Compared to  Joe Mikiosi

      Raised: $233,756

      Spent: $62,181

      Cash on Hand: $173,700

      Last Quarter – Per Day Fundraising $1,135

      Joe can turn it around and has been able to highlight the fact we did not know the final lines but this is his full quarter with the district set.  

      If he cannot close the gap and have Coffman raise half of what he did last time the national powers that be will not move the funds around to help him.

      The Dems have a ton of seats in play this year and are expecting the folks to carry a big part of the fundraising burden.

      1. CD6 is a whole different ball game since you last visited. It now includes Aurora, the state’s third largest city, which includes a relatively high number of non-white and non-English speaking residents, and a median age of 30. It is a mostly working class suburb, and is predominantly Democratic. All Joe needs is for every Pols reader to come volunteer in Aurora for voter registration, voter turn-out, and poll-watching (the latter is the only one that concerns me — that and the electronic voting machines). We need lawyers to watch this race (I heard there are a few on Pols, btw.) I am being very practical when I say we have a good shot this time.  

        1. Coffman is a member of Michelle Bachmann’s looney-tune Tea Party Caucus. That is kryptonite in Congress this year. Why Pols readers and other bloggers are not saturating the airwaves with that association is beyond me.

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