Rosen let stand Owens's false claim that prospective attendees of Bush campaign appearance “weren't prejudged”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

During his Newsradio 850 KOA show, host Mike Rosen left uncorrected Gov. Bill Owens's claim that prospective attendees of a Greeley campaign rally featuring President Bush “weren't prejudged” on their party affiliation. In fact, media reports state that the tickets were given only to registered Republicans.

On the November 6 broadcast of his Newsradio 850 KOA show, host Mike Rosen let stand Republican Gov. Bill Owens's false assertion that prospective attendees of a November 4 Greeley campaign rally featuring President Bush “weren't prejudged” with respect to party affiliation. In fact, the Fort Collins Coloradoan reported that "[t]ickets to the event were available through GOP outlets in Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley and were given only to registered Republicans." Similarly, the Greeley Tribune quoted a GOP official saying in advance of Bush's appearance that "[i]t's a private Republican event." At no time during the broadcast did Rosen correct Owens's claim.

Owens was responding to a caller who was critical of previous Bush campaign appearances. According to the caller, “Democrats or independents or people who may be under some cloud of suspicion aren't even allowed to appear.” Owens replied that he had been “in Greeley a couple of days before [the Bush rally] when people lined up to get their tickets, and people were allowed to get tickets. They weren't prejudged.” Owens went on to explain that GOP rally organizers do bar from attending people who they suspect would cause a disturbance, saying, “But if you go to a rally and, and they believe that you're going to try to disrupt it, sometimes they will take steps ahead of time.”

Contrary to Owens's assertion that attendees of the November 4 rally weren't “prejudged,” the November 2 edition of the Tribune quoted Weld County Republican Party chairman Darrell Call saying of the Bush campaign appearance, “We're not looking for the opposition to be there. It's a private Republican event.” The Tribune also reported that tickets for the November 4 event featuring Bush would be distributed at a November 2 Republican rally. According to the Tribune, “Volunteers who have worked on Republican candidate campaigns and who attend the rally will be given first ticket preference, said Darrell Call. ... Other registered Republicans then will be next in line for tickets, Call said. A photo ID will be required for those requesting tickets.”

The Coloradoan similarly reported in a November 4 article about Bush's speech, “Tickets to the event were available through GOP outlets in Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley and were given only to registered Republicans.” The Coloradoan also reported on November 6 that "[t]ickets to the Bush/Musgrave event were limited to registered Republicans."

From the November 6 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Mike Rosen Show:

CALLER: I accept your remarks. But please understand, I never said anything about disruption. I'm talking about simply the ability to appear and listen to a president or a vice president deliver his message. And, and Democrats or independents or people who may be under some cloud of suspicion aren't even allowed to appear. I'm not talking about those people who go and disrupt.

OWENS: Actually I, I agree. I agree to this extent. I was in Greeley and I saw a lot of people there who were just students, they were just there to hear the president. They were allowed in, they weren't wearing Republican regalia. They listened to the president and they weren't kept from attending. In fact, I was there in Greeley a couple of days before when people lined up to get their tickets, and people were allowed to get tickets. They weren't prejudged. But if you go to a rally and, and they believe that you're going to try to disrupt it, sometimes they will take steps ahead of time.