CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Republican Senate candidate Jane Norton is weighing in on Tom Tancredo's statement made during a rally Thursday for her opponent Ken Buck.
At the rally, Tancredo called President Barack Obama the "greatest threat" to the United States.
Immediately afterwards, Buck, who'd been hosting South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, distanced himself from Tancredo's comments.
"I love Tom, but I don't always agree with him," Buck said. "I don't agree that the greatest threat to the country is the man in the Oval Office."
Norton, who's never been enamored of Tancredo, is sounding off Friday. On her campaign's Facebook page, Norton wrote, "There was a real measure of truth to what Tancredo said. Obama is spending this country into bankruptcy. 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."
Notice, Norton, still trying to seal the deal with hard-line conservatives, is stopping just short of calling Obama "the greatest" threat to America. According to political analyst Eric Sondermann, the two different responses fit within the context of the close, contentious Senate GOP primary.
"Buck's conservative credentials speak for themselves," Sondermann said. "For most people, Jane Norton is and always has been a conservative; but in this particular race, where Republican primary voters are saying 'How conservative can you be?', Norton continues to have to prove that point over and over again."
Tancredo's comments also offer a political opportunity to Democrats, with Colorado Democratic Party chair Pat Waak issuing a statement Thursday trying to hold Buck accountable for what Tancredo, the emcee at his rally, said.
On Friday, Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff, who would face Buck or Norton upon beating Sen. Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary, sent supporters an email with "Beyond Dissent" in the subject line that attacked Tancredo's statement on its own merits.
"What's going on here is not mere criticism or dissent," Romanoff wrote. "It is a deliberate attempt to frighten the American public by casting our Commander in Chief as a traitor -- or worse. Comparing President Obama to a terrorist is not just ridiculous. It's reprehensible."
At the rally, Tancredo called President Barack Obama the "greatest threat" to the United States.
Immediately afterwards, Buck, who'd been hosting South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, distanced himself from Tancredo's comments.
"I love Tom, but I don't always agree with him," Buck said. "I don't agree that the greatest threat to the country is the man in the Oval Office."
Norton, who's never been enamored of Tancredo, is sounding off Friday. On her campaign's Facebook page, Norton wrote, "There was a real measure of truth to what Tancredo said. Obama is spending this country into bankruptcy. 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."
Notice, Norton, still trying to seal the deal with hard-line conservatives, is stopping just short of calling Obama "the greatest" threat to America. According to political analyst Eric Sondermann, the two different responses fit within the context of the close, contentious Senate GOP primary.
"Buck's conservative credentials speak for themselves," Sondermann said. "For most people, Jane Norton is and always has been a conservative; but in this particular race, where Republican primary voters are saying 'How conservative can you be?', Norton continues to have to prove that point over and over again."
Tancredo's comments also offer a political opportunity to Democrats, with Colorado Democratic Party chair Pat Waak issuing a statement Thursday trying to hold Buck accountable for what Tancredo, the emcee at his rally, said.
On Friday, Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff, who would face Buck or Norton upon beating Sen. Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary, sent supporters an email with "Beyond Dissent" in the subject line that attacked Tancredo's statement on its own merits.
"What's going on here is not mere criticism or dissent," Romanoff wrote. "It is a deliberate attempt to frighten the American public by casting our Commander in Chief as a traitor -- or worse. Comparing President Obama to a terrorist is not just ridiculous. It's reprehensible."
