Tancredo valiant not to tap dance

The Denver Post - never an organ of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - stands up for free speech. Are the Liberals in the West finally beginning to realize that pre-emptive surrender to Islamofascism is not a good idea?

Many of us find Tom Tancredo's views on immigration a bit much, but that certainly doesn't mean the guy is wrong about everything.

The most recent brouhaha surrounding the GOP congressman from Littleton began when he penned a letter urging Pope Benedict XVI not to apologize for remarks he made about radical Islam.

Nayyera Haq, spokeswoman for Democratic Congressman John Salazar, came to the rescue, accusing Tancredo of using his congressional seat in an irresponsible manner. The letter, she wrote, created a more "dangerous environment."

(And all this time I was under the impression that dangerous environments were created by dangerous, violent people - certainly not free speech.)

Bill Winter, Democratic candidate running against Tancredo, echoed Haq's absurdity in an appearance on Dan Caplis and Craig Silverman's radio show this week.

"I would suggest to you this," Winter explained. "Prior to Mr. Tancredo making comments of this nature, ... folks in the Muslim world probably never heard of Littleton and had no reason to ever have thought about Littleton, and now they do."

In a news release, Winter had written that Tancredo's letter would "undoubtedly lead to more attempts at violence toward our country and this district."

Did he really mean this? asks Caplis.

"Yes, and I stand by that," declared Winter. "Absolutely."

Elected officials, you play nice with those radicals. If you're in Littleton, keep your head down and be quiet. Theocrats should not be insulted. (Unless we're talking about the imaginary ones in Colorado Springs, naturally.)

Truly, I'm confused by Haq's and Winter's contention. As a resident of New York for more than 30 years leading up to 9/11, I don't recall Rudy Giuliani or George Pataki or Mario Cuomo or Ed Koch - anyone - ever disparaging Islam.

What I do remember, vividly, is New Yorkers jumping out of a burning tower to their deaths for one reason: They were nonbelievers.