KHOW's Boyles omitted Schultheis' past controversies involving Hispanics, immigration

Summary: Speaking with his guest, state Sen. Dave Schultheis (R), on March 5 about a state Hispanic GOP leader's reported comment that the legislator is "an enemy of our community," Peter Boyles of 630 KHOW-AM joined Schultheis in criticizing the remark. But he omitted mention of Schultheis' past controversies with the Hispanic community in Colorado -- such as his "questioning the immigration status" of the family of three children killed in a 2006 Weld County car crash.

On his March 5 broadcast, 630 KHOW-AM's Peter Boyles spoke with state Sen. Dave Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs) about the reported characterization of Schultheis by Gil Cisneros, Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Colorado chairman, as "an enemy of our community." But while he joined Schultheis in criticizing Cisneros and his remark, Boyles failed to mention Schultheis' past controversies related to Colorado's Hispanic community, including his "questioning the immigration status" of the family of three children killed in a Weld County auto accident, all of whom were U.S. citizens, as Colorado Media Matters has noted.

Boyles also did not mention Schultheis' recent criticism of Colorado church leaders' request that he and other lawmakers pledge to engage in respectful discourse about immigration issues. As the Greeley Tribune reported, Schultheis "called on church leaders to withdraw their 'pledge of respect' request on immigration issues, dubbing it 'phony.' " The newspaper further reported that Schultheis "issued a statement ... saying 'the purpose of this so-called pledge is to create a stigma on legislators who attempt to convey the truth about the major problems being created as a result of the invasion of those entering this country illegally.' The pledge, asking for a respectful tone of discussion on immigration issues, in effect sanctions 'the presence of those who break federal law by crossing our borders illegally and taking jobs away from Americans.' "

According to a March 4 Rocky Mountain News article, Cisneros sent an e-mail to Schultheis opposing the senator's bid for a Republican National Committee position, reportedly stating, among other things, that Schultheis was "an enemy of our community" and that Cisneros considered him "to be as mean-spirited as Tom Tancredo, or possibly even worse, if that is possible."

From the March 5 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Peter Boyles Show:

BOYLES: What's funny is, I have that ongoing line: Learn to read the code. Learn to read what they're saying. And, so here's Dave being attacked by Gil Cisneros. Cisneros: "You've gone out of your way to be an enemy of our community." Now, first of all, that's all that -- what is Mr. Cisneros' community? Is it illegals?

SCHULTHEIS: No -- I don't know what they are. I mean, actually, he's a part of this group called the Chambers of America. Chamber of Americas.

BOYLES: Plural "Americas."

SCHULTHEIS: Yeah, all Americas, and, you know, his basic goal is to get good business relationships with all the Americas. And in doing so, of course, they really don't care about our borders at all, that's one of the big problems.

BOYLES: Well, I mean, business is business, but -- what are we watchin'?

SCHULTHEIS: I don't know. You know, it's interesting, he sends out these emails periodically, and they're pretty leftist-oriented. I mean, very leftist-oriented, from my perspective. And about two years ago I finally got tired of getting them weekly. And I just emailed him, and I just said, you know, please don't send me those emails anymore. Take me off your distribution list, and so he did. But, boy, he was not happy, and Representative David Balmer did the same thing. And of course, we've been on his hit list ever since we're not interested now in, apparently, Hispanics and their issues.

BOYLES: Dave, how does it work that an illegal -- I mean, this was done here, and he's finally dropped it because it's, again, it's some kind of mental masturbation, but it was done by former manager of safety Butch Montoya that came up and called people racist and the rest of this stuff if they opposed illegals. And I get the sense that Gil Cisneros is doing precisely the same thing. That he's saying that you oppose, you don't oppose business.

SCHULTHEIS: Why would I? In fact, if you could even find one vote that has any negative connotation with small business, I'd sure like to know, in my eight years up there.

BOYLES: But he said that he will oppose you because "you are an enemy of our community," so if we can -- I don't think we'll get Gil on the air, I mean, I--

SCHULTHEIS: I hope you could. It'd be nice if you could.

BOYLES: It would be great if we can. We'll try. But --

SCHULTHEIS: Yeah, but --

BOYLES: It's like beating your head on a wall. But he goes on to say, "I will not support you" -- meaning you -- "and I will ask my membership not to support you. I consider you to be as mean-spirited" -- here's like, "racist," "xenophobe," "hate-monger," "hate speaker" -- "I consider you to be as mean-spirited as Tom Tancredo, or possibly even worse, if that's possible." [Schultheis laughs] You know what, thank you. Call me -- tell me I'm worse than Tom Tancredo; break my heart.

SCHULTHEIS: Yeah, put me in the same sentence with him; I mean, I'm more than honored to be a part of anything that --

BOYLES: But look at -- now, Tancredo, is he anti-business?

SCHULTHEIS: Heavens no. In fact, he's very, very pro-business; we all know that.

BOYLES: So Tancredo's issue, as yours is, is illegal immigration.

SCHULTHEIS: That's exactly what it is. And really, getting rid of the borders completely.

[crosstalk]

SCHULTHEIS: He's also associated with this group called North American Institute.

BOYLES: Yeah, I know who they are.

SCHULTHEIS: You're familiar with that?

BOYLES: Sure. Yeah.

SCHULTHEIS: They really don't want any borders either. They've had people like [Colorado Democratic Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Mark] Udall come and speak to them, and [former Democratic U.S. Sen.] Gary Hart come and speak to them. People that really don't care about our national borders at all.

BOYLES: Gary Hart's a clown show.

SCHULTHEIS: I know.

[...]

BOYLES: When does illegal get an ethnicity?

SCHULTHEIS: Yeah, I know, it --

BOYLES: How stupid.

SCHULTHEIS: It's very arrogant for anyone --

BOYLES: Extremely.

SCHULTHEIS: -- to speak for any major group --

[crosstalk]

SCHULTHEIS: I don't speak for Caucasians or males.

BOYLES: No.

BOYLES: And he speaks for Hispanics. So, it mean, it's really a red herring.

BOYLES: But what's important -- like I said, learn to read the code. And, he uses all the right words. "Mean-spirited," "you're the enemy." Once you learn to read the code -- they're not talking about the issue at all, they're just puttin' jackets on you. Dave Schultheis mean-spirited. Dave Schultheis worse than Tancredo. Dave Schultheis an enemy.

—B.J.M.