On the October 16 broadcast of his Newsradio 850 KOA show, host Jon Caldara falsely claimed he “wasn't wrong” in making recent comments regarding U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA).

As Colorado Media Matters previously noted, Caldara falsely claimed on October 3, during a discussion of the scandal involving former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), that Frank “was running a prostitution ring out of his house.” On the same show, a caller challenged the claim, asking, “Do you want to stand by that statement?” Caldara backtracked, stating, “Actually, let's be very careful about that. It was his boyfriend who was running an escort service around through his home, where Barney Frank was there.”

The same caller who challenged Caldara's false assertion about Frank on October 3 called in to the October 16 show and challenged Caldara's assertion that "[l]iberals like to emote" and conservatives “are more logical.” Although the caller told Caldara he “can go to Colorado Media Matters to hear” his previous comments, Caldara insisted that he “wasn't wrong”:

CALLER: You guys emote. For example, when I called in last time, what did you say? “Barney Frank ran a prostitution ring out of his apartment.”

CALDARA: Barney Frank's boyfriend ran a prostitution ring out of his --

CALLER: No, remember, you had to correct it. I forced you to correct it. And you can go to Colorado Media Matters to hear that one --

CALDARA: Um, hmm. Yeah --

CALLER: -- if you want.

CALDARA: Barney Frank's boyfriend ran it.

CALLER: Yeah, but that's not what you said.

CALDARA: Barney -- it was Barney Frank's apartment in which a prostitution --

CALLER: Yeah, but you emoted first, and I had to correct you.

CALDARA: Was there -- was there a prostitution ring coming out of Barney Frank's home?

CALLER: But you said he ran it.

CALDARA: Was there a Barney -- was there a prostitution ring running out --

CALLER: Were you wrong?

CALDARA: No, I wasn't wrong.

CALLER: Yes you were.

In fact, as Colorado Media Matters and Media Matters for America have noted, a 1990 House Ethics Committee investigation concluded that “the weight of the evidence indicates” Frank was unaware of the alleged “prostitution activities”; it did not determine conclusively whether Frank's apartment had even been used for the alleged activities.

From the October 3 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Jon Caldara Show:

CALLER: No, but there was -- there have been a couple of people said that they've known this guy was gay for years.

CALDARA: It is not against the law to be gay! Barney Franks [sic] was running a prostitution ring out of his house and voters elected him.

[...]

CALDARA: [CALLER], you're on Newsradio 850 KOA.

CALLER: Thank you. I get the sense the Republican Party is imploding, and one example is what you just recently said about 20 minutes ago -- that Barney Frank was running a prostitution ring out of his apartment. Do you want to stand by that statement?

CALDARA: Actually, let's be very careful about that. It was his boyfriend who was running an escort service around through his home, where Barney Frank was there.

CALLER: OK, good. I'm glad you corrected that.

From the October 16 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Jon Caldara Show:

CALDARA: Six minutes after midnight. Welcome. Good morning. You made it to Tuesday. Monday is over. Pat yourself on the back. You deserve a big treat. Ahh, take today off. Tell your boss I gave you permission.

Air America is looking for bankruptcy protection. They want to fend off their creditors until they can reorganize. They've lost a lot of money. They've lost over $43 million in the last three years. That's a lot of coin. Fortunately, they've got a lot of rich liberals who keep throwing enough money to keep it going. I'm not trying to put them out of business. I kind of like having them on the air. I think it's good that people have that choice. Now, the marketplace says, “Eh, I'm sorry, we don't -- we're not that interested in you.” It goes away. You see, there's a reason “The Dating Game” is no longer on television. It's because people didn't want to watch it. They want to watch other things. They get more value, they get more enjoyment out of them. Air America just doesn't float people's boats. Sorry, guys.

Now, I think talk radio is more conducive for conservatives. Why? Because conservatives, for the most part, are more logical. They like to figure and reason and theorize. Yes, they have different opinions and different ideas on what makes good policy and bad policy. Liberals like to emote. You've heard it from the liberals who call now. They call during this show and they emote and they go off on things and they can't stay focused on one thing and they can't get their point across because they're in a constant agitated state of emotion. Well, emotion is the enemy of reason. Liberals don't like reason. With talking, we get to talk out arguments, we get to do thought tests, we get to give evidence, we go back and forth. This is good stuff. That's why talk is good for reason. It's why imagery is good for emotion. Let me make some sweeping statements. That's why liberals do so well in the entertainment world. It is emotion-driven. They do well in the humor world. It's emotion-driven. Watch “Saturday Night Live.” I don't care what time you watch it, when it is. You will see a distinctive liberal bent to their jokes. Watch the “Weekend Update.” I don't know if Tina Fey is still doing it, but it's 95 percent hits on conservatives. That works. People like that. Liberals like that. Liberals don't like logic. They don't like reason. They don't like argumentation. They like emotion. I guess all the emoting on Air America is not something that consumers like. That's why it's going bankrupt. 303-713-8585. Let's head out to Longmont.

CALLER: And here's the problem with Air America. They give us too much information. Rather -- you know, you go onto Sean Hannity or somebody like that, and all he has to try to do to win an argument is he says, “Michael Moore, Ted Kennedy, MoveOn.org. I win.” That's about it. I can get much more --

CALDARA: When I say that --

CALLER: -- information --

CALDARA: [Caller], [Caller], let's go back and forth.

CALLER: OK.

CALDARA: When I say that liberals emote, I don't think it -- I don't think a reasonable observer to this program listening to the liberals who have called in could disagree with that statement that they emote.

CALLER: Oh, well maybe the callers. Maybe some of the -- by the way --

CALDARA: [Caller], let me finish my point.

CALLER: There was a guy about an hour ago --

CALDARA: [Caller], my turn.

CALLER: I have something to say. We're running out of time.

CALDARA: No, we're fine on time, [Caller].

CALLER: By the way --

CALDARA: [Caller]!

CALLER: What?

CALDARA: Take a breath.

CALLER: No, Paul Krugman doesn't emote, does he?

CALDARA: [Caller].

CALLER: He's a liberal.

CALDARA: [Caller], are we going to have a conversation, or do you want to just keep going?

CALLER: Oh, I thought you were -- I thought it was my turn.

CALDARA: No, that's why I kept saying, "[Caller]."

CALLER: OK. But I do have one point I'd like to make.

CALDARA: OK, go ahead; make your point, please.

CALLER: Oh, OK. If you look at the last election in 2004 for president, look at how many -- how much percentage of the vote did Bush get and how much of the percentage of the vote did Kerry get, just to see if there are any possible listeners out there for Air America. You remember what Bush got?

CALDARA: As far as a popular vote?

CALLER: Yep.

CALDARA: I forget the numbers. It was something like 50 -- close to 55 percent, somewhere around there.

CALLER: No, 50.7.

CALDARA: 50.7.

CALLER: Kerry: 48.3.

CALDARA: OK.

CALLER: You add in the Green --

CALDARA: And, therefore, [Caller], what?

CALLER: I'm saying there's a market out there. And I don't know why Air America's not working except maybe they're too intellectual. They give too much information. You guys emote. For example, when I called in last time, what did you say? “Barney Frank ran a prostitution ring out of his apartment.”

CALDERA: Barney Frank's boyfriend ran a prostitution ring out of his --

CALLER: No, remember, you had to correct it. I forced you to correct it. And you can go to Colorado Media Matters to hear that one --

CALDARA: Um, hmm. Yeah --

CALLER: -- if you want.

CALDARA: Barney Frank's boyfriend ran it.

CALLER: Yeah, but that's not what you said.

CALDARA: Barney -- it was Barney Frank's apartment in which a prostitution --

CALLER: Yeah, but you emoted first, and I had to correct you.

CALDARA: Was there a -- was there a prostitution ring coming out of Barney Frank's home?

CALLER: But you said he ran it.

CALDARA: Was there a Barney -- was there a prostitution ring running out --

CALLER: Were you wrong?

CALDARA: No, I wasn't wrong.

CALLER: Yes you were.

CALDARA: [Caller], have a nice night. Good Lord. Ahhhh. I guess I've been put to shame. Back tomorrow night here on Newsradio 850 KOA.