Posted on 08/30/2004 5:06:52 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak
A crowd of 65 Republicans packed into a Canon Inn conference room Thursday morning to cheer for U.S. Senate hopeful Pete Coors at his first campaign appearance in Fremont County.
The brewing magnate has been chosen by his party to challenge Colorado's Democratic Attorney General Ken Salazar for the seat being vacated by Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Ignacio) who sparked a race that is drawing national attention when he declined to run for re-election.
Coors spoke for about 45 minutes on issues ranging from federal budget priorities and health-care costs to illegal aliens and the war in Iraq, leaving about 30 minutes for questions from audience members, many whom were older voters.
"I really enjoy what I do. I don't need a job," said Coors, Chairman of Coors Brewing, a company with $4 billion in sales for 2003.
And though Coors is pro-life and against gay marriage, he said he disagrees with President Bush on budget issues.
Coors said Bush has allowed federal spending to get out of control.
Earlier this year, Bush presented a 2005 federal budget asking congress for a deficit of $364 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office, a non-partisan federal accounting agency.
"We're burning up the credit card," Coors said. "If you own a business, if you did your accounting like the federal government does their accounting, you'd be locked up."
However, Coors said he would vote to keep the president's recent tax cuts in place and fight to extend the estate-tax reprieve that is set to expire in 2011.
The estate tax applies to transfer of property or businesses after death of the owner and only applies when the value of assets reaches $1 million or above, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Coors did not specify federal programs or services he would cut to reign in deficit spending but said his experience as chairman of Coors Brewing would be useful in making those decisions.
"We have the least efficient health-care delivery system in the world," which results in higher costs, Coors said.
Although he didn't know how to make the American health-care system more efficient, Coors said reforming the tort system and reducing the number of plaintiff and class-action lawsuits could lower costs.
During the question-and-answer session, several Fremont County residents said illegal aliens are draining federal programs, such as welfare and Medicaid and asked Coors about his position on illegal immigrants.
"The vast majority of them are working," Coors said. "They are doing jobs that Americans don't want to do;" but immigrants should be documented, and he would be in favor of increasing penalties for companies that hire undocumented aliens.
To keep illegal immigrants out of the country, "my plan is to put military on our borders," both north and south, Coors said, receiving a round of applause from the crowd.
"I'll be an advocate of increasing our military budget," Coors said, pointing out military expenditures were 50 percent of the federal budget 40 years ago, when President John F. Kennedy was in office.
Addressing the war in Iraq, Coors said, "Our young men and women didn't go over there to pick a fight," but the war was a decision of Congress and the President, which American troops are bound to uphold.
"We need to support them when they come back home," he said.
Sorry, I can't get that link right.
last i read Salazaar was ahead
what is the situation now?
He's right about the budget, but thinking we should match military spending to what it was during the Kennedy years shows that his life as a megarich tycoon has skewed his perception. Guys like him are a big reason why most of Congress couldn't "connect" with their constituents if they wanted to.
And I don't believe for a moment that he'd be any harder on the illegal alien problem. I'd wager there's quite a few of them working in his plant and distribution centers.
Coors talks tough on budget issues, health care, illegal aliens
ping
Apparently Mr Coors isn't yet aware that most of the country considers this cliche a parody.
I would have to reconsider voting for any candidate who seriously believes it.
I heard him on Laura Ingram about 2 weeks ago. He is pro illegal alien. He disgusted me so that I turned the radio off. He must have changed his mind since that program. I don't trust him after hearing him.
Illegal aliens are here ILLEGALLY, Mr. Coors. They should be banned - just like your urinated, bottled water of beer should be banned in taverns and nightclubs.
To keep illegal immigrants out of the country, "my plan is to put military on our borders," both north and south, Coors said, receiving a round of applause from the crowd.
Thank you, Mr. Coors! Do not look for welcome from Mr. Rove's White House, however.
What is his opponents stance on illegal aliens?
Recent stories you may have missed:
I'm So Tired of Hearing that Mexicans Will Do the Work No One Else Will
Ay, caramba! Spanish-language radio stations filled with raunch
John and Ken Open Final Polling in "Political Human Sacrifice"
Migrant Education Program could potentially cost Maine millions
ICE opens first of five new bases on north border
Los Angeles County Feels Symptoms of Health Crisis Relapse
GOP Platform pushes Amnesty (nearing 500 responses)
Migrant trafficking still thrives south of border
How do Bush and Kerry differ on illegals?
The High Cost of Cheap Labor (Illegal Immigration and the Federal Budget)
LOL! Legend has it that Lyndon Johnson wouldn't travel anywhere without a few cases of Coors aboard. Haven't touched the stuff since hearing that.
any american who utters these words is a liar or a fool, or both.
He's a sellout.
The GOP nominated the right guy for the job. Coors is a SOLID conservative who's noticeably to the right of Bush and Senator Campbell, but he's also going to pick up swing voters because he's not a typical politician and has automatic name recongition and a sort of celebrity factor from his beer sales.
I'm amazed that some here think a guy who wants to put the millitary on the border is too weak on immigration.
Am I the ONLY one who remembers that Pete Coors "more conserative" primary opponent merrily tossed updates "en espanol" all over his campaign site? That told me all I needed to know about HIS position on American soveignity and regulating immigrants to adapt to American culture. Check Coors site and you won't find any hispandering, and you'll notice the site is written exclusively in ENGLISH, the language of American citizens.
Schaffer was a good conservative but Pete Coors is a better one. We really don't need any more career politicians in Washington. In Schaffer's defense, he has been a class act since the primary and whole-hearedily rallied around Coors. The rest of us should do likewise. It would be a blessing to finally see a moderate Republican senator succeeded by a staunch conservative Senator for a change!
Its that unfortunate slogan he used that I can't stand.
It would appear that his statement is perhaps a bone to the right wing dogs (that would be us), and that in reality, he sees illegals as a) willing workers in the old beer mines, and b) new customers, unwilling to judge the merits of his product as harshly as some have...quite justifiably... :^)
IOW, we don't trust him. Kinda sounds like he's saying what we want to hear to get elected...whoda thunk...
Last poll had them even. The momentum is on Coors side.
I would have to reconsider voting for any candidate who seriously believes it.
My father doesn't support illegal migration, but even he bought that line. (I hate to say this about my father, but I honestly think he's checking his brains at the GOP office door.)
If I had to give him one book to read, what should it be? Who Are We? Mexifornia? Any suggestions?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.