Midday on Wednesday, almost thirty Hank Eng supporters made their way by car or light rail to KBDI - Channel 12 for a rally before Eng's debate with Mike Coffman, his opponent in Colorado's 6 th Congressional District. When Hank's supporters got there, only two people stood with Coffman signs across the street. They didn't stay long, missing out on the juice dropped off by a young man in the neighborhood even though the rally was for a candidate outside his district.
It was the kind of autumn day that puts a smile on your face. Cars honked hello; drivers and passengers waved. Hank Eng supporters on every corner held up their handmade signs which read Hank Cares about People, An Extraordinary Man for Extraordinary Times, and Vote for Hank if Coffman will Let You. The last was in reference to the current Mike Coffman news reported in the
New York Times and Colorado papers, how he as Secretary of State has been purging registered voters from the rolls.
According to Eng, "Coffman needs to clean up his office and leave it better than he found it. That's what I have done in every position I've held. But instead of finishing the job and serving out his term, Coffman's expecting the voters to reward him with a golden political parachute by sending him to Congress."
Strong words from the strongest Democratic candidate the 6 th Congressional District has ever seen. Said one supporter at the rally, "Hank's great turnout today indicates the grassroots nature of his candidacy against the corporate nature of Coffman's." Another likes that Eng "is an engineer rather than tied to politics, because engineers come up with carefully thought-out solutions to problems. They consider all the angles."
"Hank Eng has the best resume of any politician I've ever seen," chimed in a third supporter. "He has vision, integrity, and compassion," said a fourth, "plus he's brilliant and humble." You can tell his supporters admire him when they see him parking his car a half hour before the debate. "Hank for change!" someone yells and the rest chant the phrase as Eng crosses the intersection.
Hank talks to the group for a few minutes, smiling broadly, shaking hands, and thanking them for coming. He seems sure of himself in a race traditionally won by Republicans. "I'm ready to go to Congress," Eng said. "The enthusiasm of the volunteers here, the fact that they would travel out of their district to support me shows their desire for change." He walked deliberately up the steps into the studios, followed by a few staffers.
Hank's supporters waited around hoping to see Coffman, who must have gone in the back door. They weren't permitted to watch the debate, which is part of the "Colorado Decides" series this election season. A panel of three were there to ask the questions: Eric Sondermann of KBDI, Jim Benemann from CBS Channel 4, and Berny Morson from the
Rocky Mountain News. The 6 th Congressional District debate airs on KBDI - Channel 12 Mon. Oct. 13at 8:00 PM (repeats Fri. Oct. 18 at 8:00 PM).
The Congressional District 6 Debate will also be available online at
http://www.kbdi.org/on_demand/video_player.cfm?series=12298678.