Face The State Staff Report
Freshman state Rep. Dennis Apuan, D-Colorado Springs, is coming face-to-face with his 2003 arrest for trespassing on Peterson Air Force Base during a protest against nuclear weapons.
Radio talk show host Jeff Crank, a Republican, learned of the offense last week and invited Apuan to appear on his show. Apuan declined the invitation and soon afterward House Democratic communications director Katie Reinisch sent out the following:
Statement from Rep. Dennis Apuan (D-El Paso)Date: Fri, Mar 6, 2009
"Six years ago, long before I was an elected official, I participated in a peaceful prayer vigil at Peterson Air Force Base.
With a group of religious leaders, I peacefully expressed my opposition to the use of nuclear weapons. We had hoped to hand out prayer cards to soldiers and we chose to step over the line marking Peterson Air Force Base property. After just a few feet, four of us were arrested for trespassing. I was sentenced to 48 hours of community service, which I completed at my church teaching Sunday school.
I was peacefully exercising my first amendment rights to free speech."
Despite hosting an extensive array of press releases on his own Web site, Apuan did not include the release there. His site features patriotic themes, featuring a banner of flag waving Americans at the top. Also included is a photo of Apuan standing in front of a black hawk helicopter, which he flew in earlier this year as part of the state's "Military Day" celebration.
Apuan’s district includes Fort Carson and is heavy with military personnel and families. His statement did not satisfy Crank, who accused Apuan of hiding behind press people. “The guy is a war protestor,” he said. “He should come on my show and make a statement saying he stands by that decision or that it was a long time ago and dumb and now he supports the men and women in the military.”
Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, is a former member of the military and his wife is still on active duty. Waller said Apuan’s position toward the military makes him so uncomfortable that he refused to co-sponsor a resolution honoring fallen soldiers because it had Apuan’s name on it.
“Essentially the Democrats have Rep. Apuan carrying a lot of military bills, and I believe it is for political reasons,” said Waller. “The Democrats are trying to bolster his credentials with the military. If Rep. Apuan wants to use the military for political gain, then he needs to be called on his record.”
Apuan's 2008 victory came as somewhat of a surprise to political watchers because his district has traditionally elected Republicans. Since October 2006, however, Democrats increased their voter registration in Apuan's district by 21 percent, while Republicans saw their voter registration decrease by 6 percent. The district was not targeted by either party and insiders speculate that Apuan prevailed in part due to a heavy voter registration push by Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Apuan did not return Face The State’s request for comment.