Conservative radio-show hosts face-off on Ritter campaign withdrawal

A conservative KHOW talk-radio feud is running between the hosts of the morning and afternoon drive-time shows.  Without naming names, morning host Peter Boyles and afternoon hosts Dan Caplis and Craig Silverman sparred over their theories on why Gov. Bill Ritter decided not to seek reelection.

talk radio

Hosting special guest Peter Boyles Wednesday, Caplis suggested that the Barack Obama had asked Ritter to step down to make room for a Ken Salazar gubernatorial run. Neither Caplis or Silverman would sign onto Boyles’ theory that the real cause was Ritter’s involvement in the Cory Voorhis case, where Ritter is alleged to have applied legal pressure against Voorhis for digging up information allegedly demonstrating Ritter worked to get lenient sentences for illegal immigrant criminals.

Apparently as a result of this shunning Boyles, without naming names, has dismissed the Caplis and Silverman theory as mere crazy talk.

Which led Silverman on Thursday night to rail against Boyles’ Voorhis theory, as well as Boyles’ claims that the the Mexican Castorana crime family was also tied to the Voorhis proceedings, suggesting a link to Ritter. 

Silverman made sure also to say that he and Caplis were not claiming that Pres. Obama had called Ritter and asked him to step down.

On the Wednesday show, Caplis and Silverman said:  “I think that this is a Obama/Salazar coup.” Further noting, “I think that the Dems figured it out already. I think that this is a Ken Salazar/Barack Obama coup in Colorado. I think that Bill Ritter was forced out.”

and

“I think that it is going to be very clear that this was a Salazar/White House-generated coup that forced Bill Ritter out of office. And how is Colorado going to respond to that?”

Boyles asked Caplis and Silverman: “Do you really believe that Barack Obama had something to do with this decision?”

Caplis responded: “Oh, Pete. Listen, I personally, yes I do. I think what happened here, in my view, is that something happened yesterday. Personally what I think happened was that a decision was made in DC that Bill Ritter wasn’t going to be the candidate.”

After being on the show Wednesday evening and discussing his point of view, Boyles hashed out his reaction Thursday morning with conservative blogger Ross Kaminsky:

Boyles: “These guys who believe in some fantasy world that Barack Obama made a phone call. Would somebody please quit that thread?”

Kaminsky: “What, about Bill Ritter?”

Boyles: “Yeah, that Obama called up Bill Ritter and said, ‘Bill you got to go now.’ Who even thinks that kind of fantasy crap?”

Silverman responded to Boyles’ assertions Thursday afternoon.

“I don’t blame Corey Voorhis for being mad about it. It was politics. But when you start saying that these FBI agents were part of it. These Denver Police Officers were part of it. CBI agents were part of it. God knows who else and it is all related to the Casterana drug cartels. I mean, what are you saying? That you have a bunch of law enforcement officers on the take from a Mexican drug cartel? So I just need to get that off my chest.”

Caplis and Silverman
01/06/10

CAPLIS: I think that the Dems figured it out already. I think that this is a Ken Salazar/Barack Obama coup in Colorado. I think that Bill Ritter was forced out. Salazar will be in and then the mystery at this point is: Will Ken Salazar try to carry Michael Bennet? You know, haul him around the state like a ventriloquist and his prop? Or will they also replace Michael Bennet?

SILVERMAN: Yeah that is a good word: coup. The question is: Are the people in Colorado cool with it?

CAPLIS: […] So are the people of Colorado, are the Dems of Colorado cool? In other words, friendly to a coup? I think at this point they are because they are desperate. Reasonable people stepping back from all the rah rah would say Bill Ritter was going to lose and Michael Bennet was going to lose without some drawback change in the landscape in the next ten months, and so they took out Ritter.

[…]

BOYLES: Do you really believe that Barack Obama had something to do with this decision?

CAPLIS: Oh, Pete. Listen, I personally, yes I do. I think what happened here, in my view, is that something happened yesterday. Personally what I think happened was that a decision was made in DC that Bill Ritter wasn’t going to be the candidate.

Peter Boyles Show
01/07/10

BOYLES: And these guys who believe in some fantasy world that Barack Obama made a phone call– would somebody please quit that thread?

KAMINSKY: What, about Bill Ritter?

BOYLES: Yeah, that Obama called up Bill Ritter and said, “Bill you got to go now.”
Who even thinks that kind of fantasy crap?

Caplis and Silverman Show
01/07/10

SILVERMAN (to Caplis): I like this song, “Why do you got to act like you know when you don’t know.” And so far as Bill Ritter, we don’t know. And I admire that we have the willingness to say that we don’t know. We can figure out that maybe it had more to do with something else than the family. Both you and I have talked about how something seems to have happened to tilt the balance and why it would have been so sudden and so kind of disjointed.

We don’t know what it was, and you and I have speculated that it might have been a call from somebody in power from Washington. Nobody ever suggested that Barack Obama made the call. But I think that you and I conclude that the Democratic Party and the White House, which is the head of the Democratic Party, cares about what happens in the major offices in Colorado. In fact they probably care about who controls the state legislature. But we don’t know that for sure.

But people who say, I know this is for sure and if you don’t go along with this or that– I mean, give me a break. I think that you and I both respect that Bill Ritter had family concerns. Maybe we would assign various percentages. But why do you got to act like you know when you don’t know? And so far, the Cory Voorhis thing, which is very fascinating to follow– and was there misconduct on the part of Bill Ritter? I don’t know if it is illegal, but I think that he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, no doubt.

Bill Ritter played rough politics. He is a good campaigner. And maybe he has decided: You know what, I have been doing that for a while and it is not the best side of me.

He did it to Bob Beauprez, who you and I agree is a very good man. Bob Beauprez had an ICE agent come to him with information about agricultural trespass. Bob Beauprez tried to turn it into a legitimate campaign issue. Bill Ritter fired back right away by putting Bob Beauprez on the defense: “Your campaign broke the law.”

And then he never let up on Cory Voorhis, and I don’t blame Cory Voorhis for being mad about it. It was politics. But when you start saying that these FBI agents were part of it– these Denver Police Officers were part of it, CBI agents were part of it– God knows who else, and it is all related to the Castorena drug cartels. I mean what are you saying? That you have a bunch of law enforcement officers on the take from a Mexican drug cartel?

So I just need to get that off my chest. Bill Ritter– and I am the furthest thing from a Ritter boy– I ran against Bill Ritter. But I think that it is irresponsible to say that he is a criminal. Chuck Lepley is a criminal. Mitch Morrissey is a criminal. All of these people are criminals. I think that they made a mistake calling Cory Voorhis a criminal and a jury rejected that. And I understand the concept of payback and what not.

Maybe I am wrong on this. But for crying out loud, you are going to have to show me the evidence. We will see what happens. A lot of it is going to unfold in the next month. But I am just getting some stuff off my chest. Thanks for letting me do that.

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