Colo. congressional debate gets nasty

Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman took the gloves off at his debate Monday night with Democratic challenger Andrew Romanoff. He called Romanoff, a former Colorado House Speaker, “gutless” and a “fraud.”

Romanoff countered that Coffman had contributed to the partisan bickering in Washington and accused his opponent of running a “scorched earth” campaign.

{mosads}It was a fast-paced debate in one of the tightest congressional races in the country with plenty of jabbing from both sides.

Coffman highlighted his military service in both Iraq wars, his work for greater Veterans Affairs efficiencies, including for a local facility, and his membership in the bipartisan No Labels group.

But sparks flew when he aimed his comments directly at Romanoff.

Twice Coffman labeled Romanoff “gutless” for claiming to support a balanced budget, a requirement by state law in Colorado, without offering a roadmap on how to get there.

Romanoff responded that it was necessary to find fiscal solutions that did not involve “balancing the budget on the backs of the middle class.”

“It takes courage to balance the budget in Washington, D.C.,” Coffman said.

Romanoff cited a Government Accountability Office report from earlier this year to claim that as much as $45 billion could be salvaged by eliminating duplicative federal programs.

Each of his suggestions involved more spending, Coffman charged, and called Romanoff an “outright fraud.”

Romanoff, who at times seemed taken aback by Coffman’s combative tone, worked to paint the incumbent as contributing to partisan bickering, saying it would be hard for anyone in Washington “to forge common ground from the kind of scorched-earth campaigns we’ve seen, even tonight.”

Asked why so many Americans hate Congress, Romanoff said, “[There’s] some evidence of it on the stage.”

On ObamaCare, pushed by Coffman on whether he would repeal the requirement that individuals purchase health insurance, Romanoff defended the benefits of the law

“We ought to be fixing the Affordable Care Act, not repealing it and allowing insurance companies to discriminate against families on the basis of pre-existing conditions or charging women more than men or throwing people off the rolls when they get sick,” he said.

On social issues, such as abortion and the Supreme Court’s decision Monday to not weigh in on rulings against gay marriage bans in a handful of states, both candidates tried to keep from making waves. 

“I’m a legislator, I’m not a member of the judiciary. The courts have spoken,” Coffman said.

Romanoff said he believed “in full equality before the law.”

The debate showcased each candidate’s attempts to appeal to moderate voters, even while poking at the other’s record.

In a state where many were upset over gun control legislation signed into law just last year, the candidates were asked when they last fired a gun.

The Democrat said he practiced shooting a rifle in high school. The Republican said he was an “expert” with an M16 and fired a pistol at a gun range within the past year.