June 16, 2007 06:59 PM UTC

Big, Weird Week for Colorado in Congress

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• by: Colorado Pols

From the Marilyn Musgrave/John Salazar alliance that resoundingly stripped the Army of funding to expand its Pinon Canyon training site yesterday (making fellow Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn look like a squeaking, toothless jerk in the process), to Tom Tancredo’s long sought anti-“sanctuary city” amendment that somehow got through a Democrat-controlled House, it’s been an unusual but productive week for Colorado’s congressional delegation.

The Rocky Mountain News reports on the remarkable Musgrave/Salazar Pinon Canyon tag team:

Prodded by two members of Colorado’s congressional delegation, Republican Marilyn Musgrave and Democrat John Salazar, the House passed an amendment to a military spending bill that would deprive the Army of money to plan for the [Pinon Canyon] project. The Army wants to add 418,000 acres of ranch and grasslands to the existing 238,000 acre maneuver site, which is used by Fort Carson.

The amendment passed overwhelmingly, 383-34. The bill itself passed later Friday by a wide margin as well…

The floor debate on the amendment included a spirited exchange between Musgrave and another Republican, Rep. Doug Lamborn, who represents the Colorado Springs area.

For those of you keeping score, that was Musgrave 383, Lamborn 34. Squeak squeak. A major victory for the “New Musgrave” and Rep. Salazar, and further proof that Doug Lamborn should have been content with his war on Mt. Democrat instead of trying to play in the big leagues. Even in the unlikely event you agree with him on the Pinon Canyon issue, he came off like a buffoon and widened the margin of defeat just by taking the floor.

And then there’s Tancredo, who is never, ever going to let you forget about his big win yesterday, even though it’s much less likely to survive the legislative process than the Pinon Canyon amendment. Again, the Rocky Mountain News:

The U.S. House of Representatives [Friday] morning voted to withhold federal emergency services funding for “sanctuary cities” that protect illegal immigrants.

Anti-illegal immigration champion Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., sponsored the measure, which he says would apply to cities such as Denver and Boulder. He was elated by its passage, which stunned critics and supporters alike…

The House passed the amendment, 234 to 189, with 50 Democrats voting in favor.

Tancredo and his staffers hooted and cheered from his office across the street from the Capitol immediately after the vote.

Tancredo has introduced similar amendments at least seven other times since 2004, but each has failed — often by wide margins.

It’s a very interesting development, and Tancredo should certainly chalk it up as a win for his agenda (not to mention weeks of fodder for his presidential campaign), but we hope he remembers to use licensed footage in the commercial about it.

However you feel about the issues involved, this was the kind of week that makes it hard for partisan bomb-throwers to get their thing on. Musgrave holding hands with John Salazar, Tancredo passing his hard line anti-immigrant agenda with Democrats’ help. Enjoy, spin doctors.