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Winter: District could be target

Challenger says retaliation possible to Tancredo remarks

By Mary Winter, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 25, 2006 at midnight

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LONE TREE - Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo could be making his district a target for terrorists with his statements about Islam, Democrat Bill Winter said Sunday.

Winter, who is challenging Tancredo in Colorado's 6th Congressional District, said in an interview, "Back in 2005, he (Tancredo) said that maybe we ought to bomb Muslim holy places, including Mecca, in response to terrorism. And last week he sent the letter regarding the pope's comments about Islam and radical Islam."

"I think what he fails to take into account is that it is very easy to find out where he's from. When he makes comments like that, he has to remember he is in the public eye and he's a public official," Winter said.

Tancredo last week sent a letter urging Pope Benedict XVI to hold fast despite criticism to a recent speech in which the pope quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who said, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith that he preached."

That, combined with Tancredo's 2005 comments, which also touched off worldwide criticism, could put his constituents at risk, Winter said.

"They (terrorists) are not going to strike back against him because he's not easy to get to. They are going to come back and strike against us," Winter said. "It's like a bees' nest. We want somebody to come in and get the bees' nest out of there, but for crying out loud, you don't want them to go poking the bees' nest with a stick."

A message left with a Tancredo spokesman late Sunday seeking comment was not returned.

The interview with Winter came on the heels of a campaign appearance at the Lone Tree Civic Center in which Winter said some people in the 6th District, which he called the seventh-wealthiest congressional district in the nation, are living "paycheck to paycheck" because of the spiraling costs of health care, higher education and fuel.

Democrats, Winter said, must "reach across the aisle" for bipartisan solutions to those problems. "We have to go out and find ways to work together."

Winter, an attorney and former teacher, said his opposition to the way the war in Iraq is being waged is what drew him into the congressional race against an incumbent in a heavily Republican district.

He disputes those who say it is un- patriotic to oppose the war.

"I've got 10 years in the Marine Corps and the Navy, so I can disagree with the president any damn time I want to," Winter said.

Holding up a copy of the U.S. Constitution, Winter told the partisan audience, "But more importantly, you don't have to be a veteran of the Marine Corps or the Navy or any other branch of the service because you've got this. It says you have the right to disagree with the president anytime you want to, too."