Romanoff's Press Aide Identifies Herself as "Just a Parent" on 850 KOA
Face The State Staff Report
DENVER - A Colorado political operative paid by House Democrats is being accused of concealing her identity when calling into a popular Denver radio talk show last week.
On 850 KOA's Oct. 31 Mike Rosen show, where state Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Evergreen, appeared to discuss his proposed legislation to raise graduation requirements for Colorado's high school seniors, one caller identified herself as "Katie from Denver," saying, "I'm not an educator, I'm not an expert, I'm just a parent."
In actuality, the caller, Katie Reinisch, is the paid communications director for Colorado's House Democrats. Reinisch called the show to defend a member of her caucus, Rep. Mike Merrifield, D-Manitou Springs, who is an outspoken critic of standards-based education reform.
Rosen's on-air discussion had turned to criticisms lodged against Witwer's proposal voiced by Merrifield in an Oct. 22 guest editorial in the Colorado Springs Gazette. Responding to Rosen's earlier opinion column critical of Merrifield in the Rocky Mountain News, Merrifield asserted that strengthened graduation requirements in core areas such as English, science and math are "old fashioned, outdated, 20th-century thinking."
On that point, Reinisch defended Merrifield, stating, "I don't think [Merrifield is] saying that Rep. Witwer's proposal is bad."
At no point during her two-and-a-half minute call did Reinisch reveal her position as a spokesperson for House Democrats, including Merrifield.
Sources close to house legislative leadership tell Face The State that minority leader Rep. Mike May has sent a letter to Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, regarding the matter.
For his part, Witwer says he's happy to discuss policy in any forum. "It doesn't bother me in the least that she called in, I'm happy to debate anyone at any time, any place on this issue," he said.
The controversy over Reinisch's call comes on the heels of a recent national incident in which federal emergency-management workers acted as "phony reporters" at a press conference, igniting a debate over the proper role of government staffers' interactions with the media.
Calls from Face the State to Reinisch for comment were not answered by press time.
Why should we be surprised?
On November 6th, 2007 Socrates says:
(A) We know that democrat party members, particularly their operatives, are often deliberately deceitful. They always attempt to conceal their real motives and plans, since they know that voters would most likely reject them.
(B) We know that they hate talk radio, and won't appear on such shows, because of fear that (A), above, will be revealed.