Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jun 2014
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Lynn Bartels

TOM TANCREDO'S POSITION ON LEGALIZING DRUGS BECOMES CAMPAIGN

A radio ad attacking gubernatorial hopeful Tom Tancredo says the
Republican candidate supported a 2012 ballot measure legalizing
marijuana and now wants to legalize heroin, PCP and cocaine - an
assertion Tancredo says isn't true.

The ad's creators pointed to a Channel 7 news report about the former
congressman's appearance before the City Club of Denver in 2009, where
Tancredo said it was time to consider legalizing drugs.

"I think the ad is scrupulously honest," said former U.S. Sen. Bill
Armstrong, who didn't help create the ad, but contributed to the
committee that paid for it.

He said if Tancredo meant it was time to legalize marijuana he would
have said that, but Tancredo said "drugs."

That same year in an interview with The Denver Post, Tancredo said he
had "gone back and forth on the legalization of the hard stuff" and
doubted that he'd be in favor of it.

The ad's creators also said Tancredo talked about legalizing drugs
during a recent appearance before the Arapahoe County Republican Men's
Club, but there is no recording of the event. Tancredo claimed his
comments are being taken out of context.

In The Post's June 5 Spot Live show, Tancredo said he does not support
the legalization of heroin or cocaine.

"What I have said in the past is I can certainly understand the
theoretical line that gets you there if you say government should have
absolutely no role to play in this," he said.

He told The Post he has never tried marijuana but believes it belongs
in the same category as alcohol or cigarettes.

THE SPOT BLOG Politics & Policy - The Spot Blog Read the inside scoop
on Colorado politics and policies at blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/.
Full political news coverage at denverpost.com/politics. "I'm all for
ending the war on drugs. There's no two ways about it. It is a failed
war," Tancredo said Wednesday. "We are putting people in jail for
nonviolent crimes. We should arrest people for selling cocaine but not
for possessing it."

Tancredo's campaign has sent a cease-and-desist letter to radio
stations, demanding they stop airing the spot.

The same ad also touts another Republican gubernatorial candidate,
former Sen. Mike Kopp, who is backed by Armstrong.

The piece has created a rift within the Republican Party because it
was paid for by Make Colorado Great Again, whose donors include
Armstrong, president of Colorado Christian University.

"He is a poor example of a Christian, that's for sure," Tancredo
said.

Former state Sen. Cliff Dodge, a Tancredo ally, wrote Armstrong a
letter.

"Bill, you of all people participated in the breaking of Ronald
Reagan's 11th commandment: 'Thou shall not speak ill of another fellow
Republican,' " Dodge wrote. "You are now Number One on my Wall of
Shame for the character assassination of Tom Tancredo."

Armstrong said he hasn't seen the letter.
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MAP posted-by: Matt