During the August 18 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Gunny Bob Show, host “Gunny” Bob Newman falsely claimed Democratic gubernatorial candidate “Bill Ritter's team immediately called their opponents quote 'extremely close-minded' close quote, ... quote 'intolerant' close quote, [a]nd 'ignorant' ” because Republican candidate Bob Beauprez and his running mate, Janet Rowland, agree “with the majority of Americans who do not believe in gay marriage.” In fact, the Ritter campaign did not criticize Rowland's opposition to gay marriage but, rather, her specific comments linking gay marriage to bestiality, polygamy, incest, and marriages between children and adults.

Based on his false claim that the Ritter campaign criticized Rowland for not supporting gay marriage, Newman stated that Ritter and his running mate, Barbara O'Brien, feel “most Americans are extremely close-minded, intolerant, and ignorant.” In making his false claim about the Ritter campaign, Newman did not inform listeners of the substance of Rowland's March 17 remarks on Rocky Mountain PBS' Colorado State of Mind, in which she said: “For some people, the alternative lifestyle is bestiality -- do we allow a man to marry a sheep? ... What if [somebody wants] to marry a cousin or an aunt or an uncle? What if it's an adult with a child? Why do we say you have to be 18 to get married; why can't 11-year-olds?”

Newman apparently was distorting an August 15 Denver Post article reporting that "[t]he Ritter campaign's spokesman, Evan Dreyer, called Rowland's remarks 'extremely closed-minded' " and that the Ritter campaign “called the remarks 'closed-minded' and reflective of an 'intolerant, ignorant' ticket.” The Post reported:

But within hours [of her selection as Beauprez's running mate], Rowland was embroiled in controversy.

Earlier this year during a taped discussion on gay marriage, she asked: “Do we allow a man to marry a sheep? I mean, at some point, you have to draw the line.”

John Marshall, Beauprez's campaign manager, said Rowland regrets the remark and has apologized for it.

But the campaign of Bill Ritter, Beauprez's Democratic rival, called the remarks “closed-minded” and reflective of an “intolerant, ignorant” ticket.

Similarly, in an August 15 article, the Rocky Mountain News reported, “Rowland came under fire Monday for comments she made on the Colorado State of Mind program last spring, comparing homosexuality to 'bestiality, polygamy and incest'.” According to the News article:

The Beauprez campaign said Rowland now regrets making the comments.

But a spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter said the comments reveal Rowland as an extremist.

“It shows how intolerant, insensitive and ultraconservative the congressman and his running mate are,” said Evan Dreyer.

In an August 15 press release, Ritter campaign manager Greg Kolomitz “condemned Janet Rowland's comments comparing homosexuality to bestiality.” Kolomitz said, “Janet Rowland's comparison of homosexuality to bestiality is just plain insensitive, close-minded, derogatory, and crude.” The release contained no criticism by the Ritter campaign for Rowland's opposition to gay marriage.

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Newman himself has linked gay marriage to “legalized polygamy and possibly human/fur-bearing-mammal marriages.”

In a question-and-answer session on Coloradopols.com, Ritter has said, “I support the existing state law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. However, I feel there is no need for a state constitutional amendment on this issue. And, I support civil unions that would extend to gay couples the rights and benefits married couple now enjoy.” Colorado Media Matters was unable to find a statement regarding Ritter's position on the Federal Marriage Amendment.

According to Beauprez's campaign website, he “support[s] a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman” and says "[t]he Federal Marriage Amendment will provide ... clarity while also allowing individual states to recognize other contractual relationships that individuals may wish to enter, without detracting in any way from traditional marriage." Beauprez also opposes a November ballot measure that would allow same-sex couples to register as domestic partners.

From the August 18 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Gunny Bob Show:

NEWMAN: Bill Ritter's team immediately called their opponents quote “extremely close-minded” close quote. Well, they followed that up with quote “intolerant” close quote. And “ignorant.” Some barbs were flying. Yes, ignorant in quotes, by the way. Because the Beauprez/Rowland ticket agrees with the majority of Americans who do not believe in gay marriage.

What does that mean? It means the Ritter/O'Brien ticket feels most Americans are extremely close-minded, intolerant, and ignorant.

The Ritter team also chastises the Beauprez team because Bob Beauprez opposed the largest tax hike in Colorado history, which is going to cost taxpayers in our state nearly five billion dollars.