“To me it is the Second Amendment, and the Second Amendment alone, that has allowed us to keep the other nine,” said Michael Barrett, “and for our current Congressman to abandon the protection of gun ownership and the positions of the NRA are simply unbelievable.  A position such as this is exactly what the Democrats and the anti-gun lobby have wanted for years.  I’m sure the liberal Democrat House Leadership is very pleased with Collin’s new views in favor of ‘big brother’ government in our daily lives.”
 

 Other discussions found him stating it was a mistake to vote for Homeland Security.  The current Congressman has recently also voted repeatedly against the Patriot Act because he felt it violated civil liberties and awarded too much authority to law enforcement. 
 

“It seems strange that he would be so concerned about protecting the civil liberties of illegal aliens and potential terrorists, but considers it important to breach the civil liberties of law-abiding American citizens with the implementation of a national ID card.” said Barrett.
 

In 2005, Rep. Peterson cosponsored H.R. 884 that would grant amnesty to illegal aliens, and repeated his support for amnesty in the MPR interview.  Michael Barrett’s wife, Inga, is an immigrant who went through the lengthy immigration process because she feels she needs to earn the right to be an American. 
 

“I firmly believe in strict immigration enforcement, no amnesty, and no citizenship for illegal aliens. To offer amnesty to people who’s first act was to violate our laws as a nation is unacceptable”, said Mike, “and I take his call for amnesty as a personal affront to me as a patriotic and law-abiding American.”
 

In closing, Mr. Barrett said, “In 2004, Collin Peterson said that any candidate that got to the right of him would fall off a cliff.  Now that his liberal transformation is complete, in 2006 it appears that if you can get anymore to the left of him, you might also fall off a cliff.  Not only does this show that he has entirely lost touch with his District, but it appears from this MPR interview that it is Collin himself who has fallen off that cliff.” Source: Michael Barrett for Congress press release, April 23, 2006