Man Who Threw Glitter At Romney Regrets Threatening Candidate's Security
DENVER (CBS4) - The man who gained global attention for glitter bombing Mitt Romney in Denver earlier this year has had the most serious charges against him thrown out.
Peter Smith, a Democrat who attends the University of Colorado Denver, talked with CBS4 on Tuesday and said the Republican candidate for president's stance on gays and his economic policies gave birth to his glitter bomb idea.
"When I see people living in opulence I normally say that they are living in the glitter -- in the glitter of lights," he said.
Smith said the plan to throw glitter on Romney on Feb. 7 was a spur-of-the-moment idea. He said he chose blue glitter because there's "no other color he'd rather see on a Republican."
Romney was shaking hands with supporters after a speech on Denver's Auraria campus on the night of Colorado's Republican Caucus while Smith was in the crowd and approached him.
"I'm actually standing a foot away from him ... He turns to me and I said 'Congratulations governor.'"
After that he threw the glitter at Romney, who is seen on CBS4 video dodging the tossed glitter.
Video of the glitter bomb incident went viral, and Smith found himself in a load of trouble.
"With a dollar 75 cents worth of glitter I caused international news," he said.
The incident prompted state Democrats to fire Smith from his Senate internship at the state Capitol. Charges of disturbing the peace and firing a missile were also filed.
"It's been a stressful couple of months just thinking my education and future were in jeopardy for a half cocked plan," he said.
Smith says he managed to work out an agreement with administrators at the University of Colorado Denver that led to no disciplinary action. In court he also ended up pleading guilty to disturbing the peace and the missile charge was dropped.
CBS4's Dominic Garcia asked Smith if he would do it again.
"Would I did it again for the message and to protest him as an individual? Yes. Would I choose different means? Yes, definitely," he said. "I should never had brought his security into question. That was my epic downfall and I'll never do it again."
