DENVER - Not surprisingly, GOP Senate candidate Ken Buck wasn't all that pleased with Tom Tancredo for stealing the headlines at Thursday's rally when the former presidential candidate and Colorado congressman told a crowd of conservatives that President Barack Obama is "the greatest threat" to the United States.
In a new audio recording obtained by FOX 31, Buck is discussing the Tancredo firestorm roughly a day later, on Friday, and said, "I can't believe that guy opened his mouth."
Listen here.
It's a seemingly reasonable reaction, given that Tancredo completely stole the headlines following Buck's Thursday rally with South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint; and it aligns with Buck's initial response to the media when, moments after Thursday's rally ended, he told a group of reporters, "I think there are a lot of threats to the White House and I don't think the man in the White House is the greatest threat to this country at all."
But, things started to change a day later when Buck's opponent in the GOP Senate primary, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, jumped to Tancredo's defense.
"There was a real measure of truth in what Tancredo said," Norton wrote on her Facebook page. "Obama is spending this country into bankruptcy. [Joint Chiefs Chairman] Admiral Mullen said our debt is a greater threat than terrorism. It's time to end the culture of political correctness. Obama's brand of big government is a threat to America."
Norton's decision to back Tancredo illustrates how the Senate primary continues to be battle over which candidate can out-conservative the other.
That dynamic is largely responsible for Buck's recent momentum; and it may explain why, on Saturday, Buck himself took a notably different stance on Tancredo's remarks while speaking at the Conservative Western Summit.
"The other day my good friend and supporter Tom Tancredo said that the greatest threat to this country is the man who occupied the White House, Barack Obama," Buck said Saturday. "And there is a lot of truth, a lot of truth in what Tom Tancredo said. "The greatest threat, folks, is not a single man, but rather the progressive liberal movement that is going on in this country. It is the $13 trillion of national debt; it is a huge threat to our security and financial system; Obamacare, cap and trade, card check, our disintegrating relationship with Israel. It is a huge threat to this county."
Democrats have been quick to characterize Buck's Saturday statement as a "flip-flop." Now, Norton's campaign is following suit.
"Its tough to trust Ken Buck. One day he agrees with Tom Tancredo, the next day he throws him under the bus for Barack Obama," said Norton's spokeswoman, Cinamon Watson, referencing what she views as a history of inconsistent statements. "One day he wants to abolish Social Security, the next day he changes his mind. One evening he wants to bomb Iran, the next minute he backs away from his statement. I don't think voters can trust him."
As opponents look to get more mileage out of this story -- even the national media is picking it up now with Politico Monday reporting that the Tancredo statement "has sent ripples" through the Colorado senate primary -- Buck's campaign is looking to move past it.
"This is a minor disagreement between Ken and Tom Tancredo," said Buck's spokesman, Owen Loftus. "On the big challenges facing the country, like reducing spending and sealing our boarders, they are in agreement. Ken and Tom are focused on doing what's right for Colorado and the nation. Tancredo continues to be one of Ken's biggest supporters."
In a new audio recording obtained by FOX 31, Buck is discussing the Tancredo firestorm roughly a day later, on Friday, and said, "I can't believe that guy opened his mouth."
Listen here.
It's a seemingly reasonable reaction, given that Tancredo completely stole the headlines following Buck's Thursday rally with South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint; and it aligns with Buck's initial response to the media when, moments after Thursday's rally ended, he told a group of reporters, "I think there are a lot of threats to the White House and I don't think the man in the White House is the greatest threat to this country at all."
But, things started to change a day later when Buck's opponent in the GOP Senate primary, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, jumped to Tancredo's defense.
"There was a real measure of truth in what Tancredo said," Norton wrote on her Facebook page. "Obama is spending this country into bankruptcy. [Joint Chiefs Chairman] Admiral Mullen said our debt is a greater threat than terrorism. It's time to end the culture of political correctness. Obama's brand of big government is a threat to America."
Norton's decision to back Tancredo illustrates how the Senate primary continues to be battle over which candidate can out-conservative the other.
That dynamic is largely responsible for Buck's recent momentum; and it may explain why, on Saturday, Buck himself took a notably different stance on Tancredo's remarks while speaking at the Conservative Western Summit.
"The other day my good friend and supporter Tom Tancredo said that the greatest threat to this country is the man who occupied the White House, Barack Obama," Buck said Saturday. "And there is a lot of truth, a lot of truth in what Tom Tancredo said. "The greatest threat, folks, is not a single man, but rather the progressive liberal movement that is going on in this country. It is the $13 trillion of national debt; it is a huge threat to our security and financial system; Obamacare, cap and trade, card check, our disintegrating relationship with Israel. It is a huge threat to this county."
Democrats have been quick to characterize Buck's Saturday statement as a "flip-flop." Now, Norton's campaign is following suit.
"Its tough to trust Ken Buck. One day he agrees with Tom Tancredo, the next day he throws him under the bus for Barack Obama," said Norton's spokeswoman, Cinamon Watson, referencing what she views as a history of inconsistent statements. "One day he wants to abolish Social Security, the next day he changes his mind. One evening he wants to bomb Iran, the next minute he backs away from his statement. I don't think voters can trust him."
As opponents look to get more mileage out of this story -- even the national media is picking it up now with Politico Monday reporting that the Tancredo statement "has sent ripples" through the Colorado senate primary -- Buck's campaign is looking to move past it.
"This is a minor disagreement between Ken and Tom Tancredo," said Buck's spokesman, Owen Loftus. "On the big challenges facing the country, like reducing spending and sealing our boarders, they are in agreement. Ken and Tom are focused on doing what's right for Colorado and the nation. Tancredo continues to be one of Ken's biggest supporters."
