Buck campaign denies flip-flop on Tancredo comments

DENVER – Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck’s campaign late Saturday denied the Weld County district attorney flip-flopped on statements made by former congressman Tom Tancredo that President Barack Obama presents the “greatest threat” to the United States.

A campaign spokesman said Buck did agree that “there is a lot of truth in what Tom Tancredo says,” but went on to say that the greatest threat was not one single man, but rather the entire progressive, liberal movement.

On Thursday at a Buck campaign barbecue, the controversial Tancredo said: “I believe this with all my heart, that the greatest threat to the United States today, the greatest threat to our liberty, the greatest threat to the Constitution, the greatest threat to our way of life, everything we believe in, the greatest threat to the country put together by the founding fathers, is the guy who is in the White House today.”

Buck tried to distance himself at the time, saying, “I think he has created a new word. It is called a ‘Tancredoism.’ I don’t agree. I think that there are a lot of threats in this country. I don’t think that the man in the White House is the greatest threat to this country at all.

“I am concerned about the direction of the country. I love Tom, but I don’t always agree with him.”

Saturday, speaking after Tancredo at the Conservative Western Summit, where the former congressman reiterated his previous remarks, Buck said, “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. And there is a lot of truth, a lot of truth in what Tom Tancredo said.”

But Buck then went on to provide more context:

“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.

“Folks, picture this for just a second. If Obama leaves office, you turn on your TV and you hear the following, ‘I, Joseph Biden do solemnly swear.’ The threat continues because then Nancy Pelosi is in office, Harry Reid is in office, Barney Frank is in office … and the liberal progressives continue marching down that path. We can’t allow that and in November you will have that chance. And I will beat [Sen.] Michael Bennet on Nov. 2.”

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