Caldara on Ritter: "[H]e's a guy I'd trust to baby-sit my kids -- I mean, I'd count the silverware first, of course"

Discussing the results of the November 7 election on the November 17 broadcast of KBDI Channel 12's Independent Thinking, host Jon Caldara said of Gov.-elect Bill Ritter, "[H]e's a guy I'd trust to baby-sit my kids -- I mean, I'd count the silverware first, of course." Responding to Colorado State University political science professor John Straayer's suggestion that Ritter would "bring extra silverware and leave it for you," Caldara said, "He's still a Democrat; let's not, let's not make up things."

From the November 17 broadcast of KBDI Channel 12's Independent Thinking:

CALDARA: If I registered Democrat, I could have won and beat [Ritter] in the primary.

ERIC SONDERMANN (guest): I don't think so; I'll challenge that assumption. But there's a -- there's a limit to anything here, Jon.

CALDARA: It is going to be interesting. Ritter, I think -- Ritter's personality came through and that -- you know, he's not a -- he's a likable guy. He's, as I've mentioned, he's, he's a guy I'd trust to baby-sit my kids -- I mean, I'd count the silverware first, of course, but I would still trust him to, to, to baby-sit the kids. He's a, he's a good guy.

JOHN STRAAYER: He would bring extra silverware and leave it for you. That's the kind of guy he is. Don't you think?

CALDARA: He would bring that little plastic stuff from McDonald's and take the good stuff. He's still a Democrat; let's not, let's not make up things.

As Colorado Media Matters noted, Caldara previously stated on the September 15 broadcast of KBDI's Colorado Inside Out that Ritter and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez were "guys you would trust to baby-sit your kid," before smearing Ritter by saying without context that Ritter "killed a guy in Africa." Caldara did not explain that the death he was referring to was the result of an automobile accident 18 years ago that happened while Ritter was working as a missionary, and that Ritter reportedly was cleared of any wrongdoing.

—J.W.