July 29, 2013 12:12 PM UTC

New Coffman® Writes Checks His Caucus Can't Cash?

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Denver Post's Ryan Parker reports from Rep. Mike Coffman's packed event yesterday:

Speaking in Spanish, Coffman said he had been reaching out to the Hispanic community to "better understand your challenges."

"A comprehensive immigration reform proposal must include three essential elements; it must secure our borders and provide for effective enforcement of our immigration laws, it must contribute to the economic growth of our country, and it must be compassionate in keeping families together," Coffman said.

In a press release from Together Colorado, Coffman commits to "talk to Speaker Boehner" about bringing a comprehensive immigration reform bill to the House, as well as to bring less supportive Colorado Republicans to the table to hear the proponents' case:

Congressman Coffman said he will support a comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes a pathway to citizenship for both DREAMers and adults who make up the 11 million aspiring Americans in the country…  
 
"I am going to talk to Speaker Boehner about bringing an [immigration reform] bill to floor," said Congressman Coffman. "In regard to Congressmen Tipton and Gardner, I plan to have them meet with you in my office or you in their district offices during the August recess," said Congressman Coffman.

We have repeatedly made plain our skepticism over Rep. Coffman's supposed "conversion" on the issue of immigration reform. Coffman's significant rhetorical shift on the issue, after years of taking a hard line more in common with his predecessor Tom Tancredo, is better explained by the dramatic reshaping of his congressional district–from Tancredo's deep-red Republican stronghold to one of the most competitive districts in America. Coffman's Hispanic constituency more than double during that redistricting process, from 9 to 20 percent. Coffman's change of heart on immigration reform has already failed at least one major test, when he voted against a popular program to defer immigration enforcement against so-called "DREAMer" undocumented students.

So the question becomes, what is Coffman offering to do? Coffman says he will "talk to" GOP House Speaker John Boehner about bringing some kind of immigration bill to the floor, but Boehner and House leadership have already rejected the comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Senate. As of this writing the House plans to take up piecemeal immigration bills, which risks undoing the hard-won compromise reached by the Senate. There's an understanding among immigration reform supporters that a "big bill" compromise with concessions from both sides will ultimately be necessary, but that's not where the GOP-led House is going.

Immigration reform supporters are giving Rep. Coffman tremendous–maybe questionable–latitude to wholesale reverse his position on the issue. There's no question that helping to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year would work in Coffman's favor in an expected uphill 2014 re-election battle. Given the totality of circumstances, we think immigration supporters need to be extremely wary of empty promises from Coffman. Coffman has yet to align a single vote with his newfound rhetorical compassion for immigrants, and there is nothing easier in politics than making promises for which you can blame somebody else when they aren't kept.

The answer will be obvious soon enough.