U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) is usually (like many politicians) a big talker. But these days, when he's not hiding, he sounds more like a robot or the Coneheads of Saturday Night Live or a prisoner of war reeling off his name, rank and serial number.
That's probably because he's facing continued fallout from his May 12 comments about President Obama, prompted by a "birther" question at a fundraiser in conservative Elbert County.
"I don't know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don't know that," Coffman said. "But I do know this, that in his heart, he's not an American. He's just not an American."
A supporter recorded Coffman’s statement, which prompted Coffman's written apology four days later (May 16).
"I misspoke and I apologize," the statement began. "I have confidence in President Obama's citizenship and legitimacy as President of the United States."
He also tried to clarify the intent of his comments with a classic "I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry" attack line.
"I don’t believe the president shares my belief in American Exceptionalism. His policies reflect a philosophy that America is but one nation among many equals."
For the next week, Coffman refused requests for interviews and stayed out of sight. But KUSA-TV's 9NEWS reporter Kyle Clark caught up with him outside a closed-door fundraiser last night to see if he would elaborate.
But Coffman would not elaborate. Instead, he invoked his statement five times this amazing exchange:
CLARK: After your comments about the President, do you feel voters are owed a better explanation than just, I misspoke?
REP. COFFMAN: I think that... Umm... I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.
CLARK: OK. And who were you apologizing to?
REP. COFFMAN: You know, I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.
CLARK: I apologize, we talk to you all the time, you're a very forthcoming guy. Who's telling you not to talk and to handle it like this?
REP. COFFMAN: I stand by my statement, that I wrote, that you have, and I misspoke and I apologize.
CLARK: Was it that you thought it would go over well in Elbert County where folks are very conservative and you'd never say something like that in the suburbs?
REP. COFFMAN: I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.
CLARK: Is there anything I can ask you that you'll answer differently?
REP. COFFMAN: You know, I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.
CLARK: Thank you, congressman.
REP. COFFMAN: Thank you.
Coffman represents Colorado's 6th Congressional District, which was redrawn from an overwhelmingly conservative district to one evenly divided among Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. He faces Democrat Joe Miklosi in November.
Ed will go deeper on the birther issue tonight on The Ed Show at 8pET on MSNBC!
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We found out yesterday that documentation has been received in Arizona that will allow the President to be on the ballot in Arizona. Can we just let these stupid claims go away? Now we just need to shut up our stupid sheriff. He is usually a day late and a dollar short anyway. In the past he had some good ideas but lately I think he is truly losing it.
Robert,
they were never going to keep President Obama off the ballot in arizona. this is just more hate speech coming from the repub party. it gets their base fired up, because there are people who believe that our president is not an american citizen. some of those very people post right here on this blog. they seem intelligent enough, but they sure have swallowed the birther ideology hook, line and sinker.
if repubs/baggers have to slander our president to make him a one-termer, they don't care. in fact, they see it as godly because they feel democrats shouldn't even exist. if the end justifies the means, to repubs, it doesn't matter what it takes. there is no boundary they are not MORE THAN WILLING to cross.
One must file to run for any political office, including the presidency. To be able to run for office, getting on a ballot, one must first PROVE that he/she meets all the legal requirements to run for that office. Proof of US citizenship is an absolute requirement to run for the presidency. And they don't just take your word for it. You must provide documentation, and this documentation must be verified. This is a national security issue. In other words, there is no way that a non-citizen can run for the office of the presidency. Is there some way we can convince birthers to get a 6th grade civics book to learn how this process works?
wow Kristall Balls is on the Big Eddie show.
Shes hot as hell....
But I should listen to her opinion....Why????
There is nothing more sexier than a smart woman.
To Coffman is he a real American if so Prove it put your non- American birth so every one can past Judgement on you don't do to others what you don't want done to you
These birther republicans are racists. That is all there is to it.
I do hope Obama gets re-elected but the American electorate has a history of being ignorant, stupid and bigoted. Don't forget they elected bush and reagan TWICE each. How stupidier can you be?
This is one of the subtexts of comments such as what Coffman said:
Only Republicans are American.
Obama is not a Republican.
Therefore, Obama is not an American.
Of course, there's also the racist subtext, the class subtext, and the free enterprise=patriotism subtext. It's not going too far to observe that the Republican party's ultra-nationalism is starting to bear a creepy resemblence to the early days of Nazi Germany - they are the only bulwark against the decline of the State, they have all the answers, there is no room for debate, dissent or compromise, and anyone who disagrees is ultimately an enemy of the State.
The way this guy repeated himself over and over again, reminded me of mafia types, left-wingers and others who pleaded the 5th Amendment in various Congressional hearings.
I just want to know who it was out here that dropped the dime on Coffman. OK, Elbert County Dems, who infiltrated and actually gave money to him?
I can't think of one reason for me to vote for ANY REPUBLICAN, RUNNING FOR ANY OFFICE ESPECIALLY THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT.
The only thing the Rep. can do better than the Dem. is TALK as much as possible,as loud as possible without taking a breath so no one else can get a word in --oh yes and they can tell one lie after another non stop. When will more of the Media call them out on all the lies?? It's disgusting!!!!
lets stop talking about the birth certificate and start talking about off shore bank accounts.
want proof that romney was born in usa,his parents lived in mexico,were is his birth certificate.come on come on come on show it.
He didn't mis-speak. He went out there and pandered to the haters like he knew he should. I'm so tired of this game of say it and then apologize for it. How many times are we suppose to believe this? He meant every word of it.
It's okay though. I want the birthers to go buck-wild this summer. I want the undecideds to see how ugly, hateful and racist the Republicans really are and then decide if these are the kind of people you want to get in bed with.
Let the birthers shoot themselves in the foot just like they did in 2008
hmm...
Rusty, I will answer your question, the reason Obama's budget failed is because he wanted to cut medicare/medicaid, he wanted to raise the social security age to 68y/o as well as cut other other entitlements by 8.2% but he also wanted to keep the Bush era tax cuts for the middle class, those making less than 1 mil per year (personally that's not middle class to me but that's for another day). Democrats were unwilling to cut entitlements and republicans were unwilling to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest. Of course you could have read this if you would read the Congressional record, here's the link!
Rusty, I will answer your question, the reason Obama's budget failed is because he wanted to cut medicare/medicaid, he wanted to raise the social security age to 68y/o as well as cut other other entitlements by 8.2% but he also wanted to keep the Bush era tax cuts for the middle class, those making less than 1 mil per year (personally that's not middle class to me but that's for another day). Democrats were unwilling to cut entitlements and republicans were unwilling to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest. Of course you could have read this if you would read the Congressional record, here's the link!
Birthers? Birthers are pathetic and incurable racists.
Birthers so fervently want to believe that President Obama is not an American citizen because they so fervently want to believe there's no way a black man can legitimately become president of the United States.
A black president changes what America is to them; makes it worse, and wrong, and broken, and that simply cannot be, so Obama simply cannot be president, not really.
It's occured to me the definition of mispeaking has changed. To the neo-cons now mispeaking means saying something they think intentionally on an issue and then being caught by the public at large who are outraged at the insanity of what these neo-cons believe and then backpeddling.
Mispeaking is saying something accidently. These birther congress people did not mispeak. Coffman said what was in his heart and doesn't have the balls to stand up for it later. That or he is just lying from the beginning either way not positive behavior for someone who is supposed to be a congress person. The birthers are just one example of the crazy base roots of what the GOP is based on today. They know it's not going to be accepted so they hide it. But scratch the surface, it's there.