Tom Tancredo offers his endorsement in the Denver mayor's race: Viva Chris Romer!

"Viva Romer!" That was the word from Tom Tancredo yesterday morning on Peter Boyles's radio show, responding to the dirty-tricks campaign designed to turn Latino voters against Michael Hancock by claiming that Tancredo has endorsed Hancock.

Except, of course, that Tancredo has never endorsed Hancock.

He has never met Hancock, or talked with anyone on his campaign. The only person he talked to was Boyles, who, over lunch, suggested that Tancredo would like Hancock's story -- which prompted a response from Tancredo that he'd "probably vote for the guy"... if he lived in Denver. Boyles talked about that on his radio show the next day, and a week later, after a dirty-trick robocall from an anonymous operative and a Hancock-bashing e-mail from a far-from-anonymous Crisanta Duran, deputy manager of the Chris Romer campaign, the word is out: "Viva Romer."

There's more to come, of course. When Typhoid Tom is involved, there always is. Tune in to Boyles' show after 7 a.m. today for the next salvo in this tempest in a Tea Party pot.

More from our Calhoun: Wake-Up Call archive: "Michael Hancock and Chris Romer: Send these candidates to the showers!"