Dan Caplis Show, Mike Coffman, October 17, 2014

Station:   KNUS, 710 AM

Show:      Dan Caplis Show

Guests:    Coffman, Mike

Link:        http://dancaplis.podbean.com/?source=pb

Date:       October 17, 2014

Topics:     Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), The Denver Post Endorsement, Military Experience, National Security, Andrew Romanoff, Israel, Marine Corps, Democracy, Cultural and Religious Ties with Israel, Ebola Czar, West Africa, International Non-Governement Organizations (NGOs) , United Nations (UN) , World Health Organization (WHO), Ukraine, Soviet Aggression

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[The following represents notes taken during this broadcasted interview.  All portions, except where identified as transcribed sections, are paraphrased from the questions and responses between the host and the guest.]

HOST DAN CAPLIS:

  • Viewed by many to be dead in the water after redistricting, showing strong in polls, DCCC pulling funding from Romanoff, and now winning Post endorsement.  Congratulations

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (CD-6) AND FORMER COLORADO STATE TREASURER AND SECRETARY OF STATE, MIKE COFFMAN:

  • Oh, thanks!
  • It’s not over, we’ve got a ways to go.
  • Pleased about the endorsement… they got it right, for all the right reasons
    • They talked about my military experience
      • Taking that to Congress and contributing in terms of National security issues
    • They talked about my opponent
      • In less glowing terms
      • Moving into the district more recently
  • Great endorsement
  • I think it’s going to help

HOST CRAIG SLIVERMAN:

  • You spoke at Israel rally, Romanoff didn’t show up.  I love your support for Israel.  Where does your support and love for Israel come from.  Event for Israel at Faith Bible this weekend (Sunday)
    • I got to go to Israel in the early 1980s as a junior officer in the Marine Corps
    • Went back in 2009 — better deal going as a member of Congress
    • I got to Appreciate
      • They’re a democracy
      • They really share the same values as we do
      • Cultural and religious ties between U.S. and Israel
      • It’s a tough neighborhood
      • I worry about the “lead from behind” strategy of this administration
        • That’s not working
        • It’s making things worse

CAPLIS:

  • What about the ebola czar, Ron Klain, appointed today, reaction?
    • Typical, unfortunately
    • So much of this administration is driven by this partisan loyalty and not competence
      • Not by having people with expertise
  • I think what it will do
    • Concerns about confidence, there’s already concern
      • About job their doing
      • And how they’re handling it
      • They bring on a czar to make things better — but it won/t
    • Bringing a czar on will not make things better
      • Despite their intentions
      • It will be seen through same partisan filter
      • No accountability and no transparency– everything is spin
      • The American people will not have confidence

SILVERMAN:

  • Do you support a travel ban with respect to West Africa:
    • I certainly do
    • We can call it a travel restriction
    • Some people raise objection, saying, how can we get health professionals in
      • We can work around that
      • It’s just common sense to restrict travel out
      • That would seem to be the first thing that you would do

SILVERMAN:

  • What about sending military… there’s talk of sending the national guard in.  Do you support that?
    • No, I really don’t
    • Those international NGOs are supposed to do that
      • UN
      • WHO
      • They have public expertise
      • We support them as taxpayers
  • This can’t be wholly and solely reliant on the United States

CAPLIS:

  • Most would agree.  Why do you think that Obama is defying logic on both (travel ban and sending military)?
    • You know, It seem kind of bewildering
    • Why didn’t we take appropriate action to this to begin with
    • Why are we exposing our troops to this
    • Why didn’t we seek the alternatives in terms of putting pressure on those orgs, that are affiliated with the UN that we support as taxpayers, and exercise leadership there in that direction
    • As opposed to sending our own troops in
    • None of it makes sense to me
    • When there are so many problems out there, and our policies aren’t working in the middle east right now
    • That we’re spending all this money and sending all these troops to Africa
    • And yet we won’t give a single bullet to the Ukrainian people to defend themselves against Soviet aggression

CAPLIS:

  • Thanks, congrats, How can people help?
    • Website:  Coffman for congress.com
      • Donate
      • Volunteer
  • Get your ballots in — get them in early
    • We’ll be chasing ballots,
    • And voting early will thin those lists

SILVERMAN:

  • Your success with latino voters should serve as a model for other campaigns