Republican U.S. Representative Mike Coffman made an appearance earlier this week in Politico’s Morning Score as they talk about how Coffman is fighting back against the million dollars already spent by Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi against him.

Coffman, who represents a key swing district in the Denver suburbs, has already been hit by Democratic ad dollars in his district. He’s fighting back with a new campaign called “Bring It, Pelosi,” arguing that without his district, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can’t become Speaker of the House again.  For reference, look up.

Coffman’s assessment that Pelosi can’t become Speaker again without capturing his seat is back up by independent pollster Floyd Ciruli’s assessment of the race as he told The Denver Post:

“Nancy Pelosi is not going to add 17 seats (for Democrats to retake the House) without getting this one,”

The leftist blogosphere is already blowing up believing Coffman is attacking a straw-(wo)man in his attacks on Pelosi.  Yet, as Pelosi clearly demonstrated when she was Speaker, especially during Obama’s first two years in office, she has no problem sacrificing any number of moderate Democrats to push her extremely-liberal, San Francisco-centric brand of progressivism.  Don’t believe us?  Just ask any one of the Blue-Dog Democratic caucus (known to be fiscal conservatives and socially liberal) that got entirely wiped-out when Democrats lost 60-plus seats in 2010.

After such a resounding defeat, the norm is for the party leader to step aside, but Pelosi blinded by power still thinks she can recapture the Speakership and pull the entire country as far left as they are in San Francisco.  In bad news for both her and Andrew Romanoff, her numbers haven’t gotten any better since she was booted back to the minority as this Gallup poll calls her the “best known, less liked” of Congressional leaders.

We tip our political hats to Pelosi, as she clearly demonstrated she knows how to break Democrats arms to get her legislation passed (Boehner could take notes).  Yet, it is this very effectiveness that makes any House race less about the Democrat running and more about how soon Pelosi will have them kowtowing to her if they are elected.  Less of a straw-(wo)man and more a strong arm.

Hence, a vote for Romanoff is a vote for Pelosi.