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Government

Obama’s Interior Secretary Apologizes to Reporter He Threatened to ‘Punch Out’

Nov. 14, 2012 4:50pm Jason Howerton

Obamas Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Apologizes to Reporter He Threatened to Punch Out

Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar answers a question while visiting the volunteers at the Obama for America office in downtown Harrisonburg, Va., Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 24, 2012. (Credit: AP)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar apologized Wednesday for threatening to punch a Colorado reporter who asked him about problems with the government’s wild horse program at a campaign event.

Salazar called Dave Philipps, a reporter with The Gazette of Colorado Springs, to apologize and offer him an interview, and also sent him a letter of apology. The apology came a day after the newspaper posted a story and an audio recording of comments Salazar made at an Election Day event in Fountain while on a tour to support President Barack Obama’s re-election.

Salazar told Philipps by phone Wednesday that “I want you to hear me loud and clear,” The Gazette reported (http://bit.ly/ZLfB5r ). “I shouldn’t have said that.”

In the audio recording from the campaign event, Philipps is heard asking for an on-camera interview with Salazar, a Colorado native who previously served as a U.S. senator from the state.

After a few general questions, Philipps asked Salazar what he knew about Tom Davis – a Colorado horse slaughter proponent who has bought hundreds of wild horses gathered from public lands by the Bureau of Land Management – and about the agency’s wild horse management program, which Salazar’s office oversees.

Salazar answered briefly, saying the BLM has made a “major effort” to address long-standing problems with wild horses on public lands.

Salazar noted he was appearing at the campaign event, about 80 miles south of Denver, in a “personal capacity,” and said his office could arrange to talk about Davis “at an appropriate time.”

After the interview, Salazar accused Philipps of setting him up. He then posed the threat, saying: “If you do that to me again, I’ll punch you out.”

Also on the audio, Philipps is heard telling Salazar that he previously got no response after trying multiple times to arrange an interview through Salazar’s press secretary.

The Gazette reported that it initially held off on posting the audio in hopes of getting an interview with Salazar. But a Colorado Springs-based wild horse advocacy group, The Cloud Foundation, publicized the exchange Monday and the Gazette published a story Tuesday.

Philipps, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2010, and Gazette editor Carmen Boles declined to comment on the matter Wednesday to The Associated Press, but the newspaper did editorialize in favor of Salazar issuing an apology and granting an interview.

The BLM has struggled with how to manage growing horse herds, which can double naturally within five years if left unchecked. Horses have been injected with drugs and vaccines to slow reproduction and rounded up for adoption, but the agency currently has more horses in captivity than are left roaming the range.

Salazar addressed the problem in his phone call to Philipps.

“To tell the truth, the wild horse issue has been the most difficult issue we have dealt with. We’ve had hundreds of meetings on it and there are still a lot of problems,” he said, according to the newspaper’s account.

The Gazette previously reported that Davis acknowledged shipping horses out of state without inspections, in violation of branding laws. The case has been turned over to prosecutors in southern Colorado.

In a story for the nonprofit news organization ProPublica in September, Philipps reported that Davis has purchased 70 percent of the wild horses sold by the BLM since 2009 through its sale program and signed contracts promising that the animals wouldn’t be slaughtered. Davis has said he has lived up to his contracts.

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Comments (20)

schroeder123
Posted on November 15, 2012 at 8:07pm
Look, you have a small stature and a ween to go with it. You have always had a problem with big people, who are smarter than you. You need help and you need to get out of your job. It is ruining your reputation.
Get some mental help before it is too late .

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Uechi
Posted on November 15, 2012 at 1:31pm
Your forgiven, now but up your dukes or shut the f up you senile pos.

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kfogs1957
Posted on November 15, 2012 at 8:23am
Reminds me of Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett show. He played the old crotchety guy trying to hit people with his cane. Sadly, Salazar couldn’t back up his word/promises, just like the President he serves. Nice job Salazar . Another proud moment for the Obama administration.

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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on November 15, 2012 at 1:57am
Here in Colorado the Saleaczar’s don’t get good reviews. They kinda like to be in on deals, remind little guys how tuff they ca be. Not even much ranching for all the cowboy costumes. But peta seems to get along ok with him. Why is that? Don’t they hate cowgirls? Boys sorry. Ken just keeps making friends….. Ken play some kid rock, buddy. And punch yourself for all of us. Only way you could win c-o-w-b-o-y

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- RobKraft
  Posted on November 15, 2012 at 6:08am
  Good, maybe the rest of the administration can apologize tothe country for ruining the economy. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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Boulderite
Posted on November 15, 2012 at 1:08am
This behavior is no surprise–Obama is a big bully and so are the people who work for him.

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Tiamoaz58
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 11:06pm
That OLD GRANDPA? Are you serious? If I was that reporter I would have cracked up laughing in his wrinkled old face!

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- RIGHT_WHERE_IT_HURTS
  Posted on November 15, 2012 at 4:42am
  I would have emptied a nostril in it and said ‘your move’.
  
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blackyb
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 10:55pm
Obama is putting the dumb azzed(est) people in these positions he can find. He must be doing this to destroy this country. Either that or he has a taste for shiite.

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blackyb
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 10:51pm
He should be fired for threatening his boss. The man is a taxpayer who is paying this old piece of thuggery’s salary. Fire his sorry azz. He is no better than a Chicago thug. Demand he be fired.

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ClaudeRains
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 8:11pm
I’d still kick him in the nuts.

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denkat56
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 7:14pm
A complete total jerk.

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toiletclogga
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 7:12pm
I believe it would be similar to when Mr. Burns tries to punch Smithers!

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rickc34
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 7:04pm
Silly little man…

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FEMALL
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:43pm
Obama’s choice.

O=100%OWNERSHIP

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Jinglebob
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:37pm
I like the hat, it plays in to the phonyness. He wants to be thought of as some kind of rancher, his family owns some type of onion farm in South Central Colorado. Trouble is, he has been an attorney all his life.

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Independent4233
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:28pm
From he looks of him, he’d more likely than not be picking his teeth up off the ground if he tried to punch ANYBODY out.

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Kathleen3
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:21pm
Pelosi, Reid, Salazar, Schumer, Wasserman-Schultz, Maxine Waters, Jackson-Lee, Sebelius, and 99% of other Dems in office – have you ever in your life seen such a gaggle of breathing cartoon characters playing the part of government officials? There notebooks should be inscribed: “Government ‘R Us.”

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 15, 2012 at 2:14am
  Santa’s braindeer. 12 idiots of christmas. The grinch’s goons. raping of 34th str. Silent media night. Bidden the whitetooth braindead. Santa’s little elves fangs. Mr. Bojangles.. sorry off track. I got a million, Rush will have a field day with those clowns. Cd on sale soon.
  
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DivisionByZero
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:08pm
Ken Salazar was and is a pathetic hack when he was Colorado Attorney General, Colorado Senator, and now that he is an interior secretary.

He was speaking his mind when he threatened that person and should probably face menacing or harassment charges. If anyone else did what he did in public, they would have the cops at their door.

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