State representatives Rosemary Marshall (D-8) and Terrence Carroll (D-7) issued a press release this afternoon calling on Republican gubernatorial candidate and CD-7 Congressman Bob Beauprez to apologize for a “gross exaggeration of statistics cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”.
This week marks the 43th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Yet Congressman Bob Beauprez marked it by arguing in a KCFR televised interview that “70 percent” of African American “pregnancies end in abortion.”
Yesterday, the media watchdog group, Colorado Media Matters cited KCFR’s Colorado Matters radio host Ryan Warner for not challenging the false and inflammatory assertion by Beauprez.
The legislators further raised questions about Beauprez’s history of making what have been perceived as intolerant remarks:
This is especially of concern considering that Beauprez demonstrated poor judgment and racial insensitivity last year when he was quoted in the newspaper saying “I’ve vacationed in Mexico before. I know exactly what ‘Mexican time’ is.”
Beauprez claimed in response to criticism about that article that there isn’t a “bigoted, racist, slanderous hair” on his body. But Beauprez’s actions tell a different story. He continues to receive failing grades from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the worst possible grade from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights for his failure to support issues important to ethnic communities. (Votesmart.com)
A spokesman for the Beaupez campaign said a statement would be issued later today.
UPDATE: According to an amended Rocky Mountain News story, Bob Beauprez issued an apology:
“I was wrong about the statistic I quoted in a recent interview with Colorado Public Radio and I apologize to the African American Community and anyone else who was offended,” he said in a statement. “I should have verified the statistic before repeating it.”
Meanwhile, this reporter twice attempted to get an official comment from the campaign for Colorado Confidential this afternoon. Once by email and again while waiting on hold for 10 minutes until I was cut off.
As of 6:16pm, I still haven’t received a copy of the press release from the campaign.
Why are you being so sheepish with the independent press, Bob?
