"Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar is a powerful man who answers directly to President Barack Obama. He’s a former United States senator and attorney general for our state.

One might expect Salazar to act like a grown-up, if not a seasoned attorney and ranking employee of the president, when politely and professionally interviewed by a reporter. That expectation, it turns out, would be too high.

The Gazette’s Dave Philipps, a respected author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, tried to get answers from Salazar when the secretary visited Fountain on Nov. 6 to campaign for Obama. Philipps wanted to know about Tom Davis, a Colorado man who advocates horse slaughter. Davis, who has business ties to Salazar, has bought hundreds of federally protected wild horses from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management. The fate of the horses remains unknown and The Gazette will continue trying to determine what happened to them. It is our job to find out whether these horses are alive and well or if they’ve been turned into glue.

Uncomfortable with the questions, Salazar approached Philipps, pushed The Gazette’s video camera aside, and placed himself within inches of the reporter’s face."

Get the Story:
OUR VIEW: Obama official should apologize for threat (The Colorado Springs Gazette 11/14)

The Exchange:
Salazar interview (November 6, 2012)

Also Today:
Salazar says he 'regrets' threatening to punch Gazette reporter (The Colorado Springs Gazette 11/14)
Salazar said to have threatened to "punch out" reporter (The Denver Post 11/14)