Polis goes head to head with critic

John Aguilar, Daily Camera

Published June 13, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Talk show host Jay Marvin pummeled 2nd Congressional District candidate Jared Polis during an on-air interview Thursday, repeatedly demanding that he apologize for showing up at his radio station unannounced to seek time on the show and pressing him to explain his campaign finances.

"Jared, say you're sorry," Marvin said during the broadcast, for what Marvin said amounted to "badgering" him and his producer for a better time slot on the show.

Polis, who was on the 760-AM liberal talk show for about 22 minutes, said he didn't have anything to apologize for and added he was happy to appear on the show at any hour he was invited.

There was a slight respite in the showdown when both men talked for a few minutes about addressing Colorado's fast- growing child poverty problem.

But the conversation quickly turned ugly again when Marvin asked Polis about campaign contributions he has accepted from supporters of Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth, a group that used hard-knuckle tactics to try to discredit John Kerry's presidential run four years ago.

"Why would you take money from people who ran one of the most dirty and disgusting campaigns that this country has ever seen?" Marvin asked.

Polis said he was comfortable accepting support from those who had changed their political outlook.

Marvin also came down on Polis, who is a multimillionaire, for injecting $3.7 million into his campaign. Polis said he supports public financing of campaigns so that candidates don't have to self-finance or accept money from political action committees.

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