Conservative radio host Jeff Crank is demanding an apology from Indy publisher John Weiss, who questioned Tuesday whether Crank’s television and radio ads against mayoral candidate Richard Skorman were funded by the Ku Klux Klan.
Weiss was making a rhetorical point rather than accusing Crank of being backed by the KKK.
Still, Crank said Weiss’ comments were out of line.
“His rhetoric was uncalled for and beyond the bounds of civil discourse,” Crank said.
Crank is calling on Weiss to apologize to the members of Americans for Prosperity, a Republican advocacy organization that spent about $100,000 in TV and radio ads that portrayed Skorman as a tax-and-spend liberal. Crank is the group’s Colorado director.
After election results were revealed Tuesday, Weiss, who took a leave of absence from the Indy to work on Skorman’s campaign, called KVOR while Crank was on the air.
“I have a question for Jeff Crank,” Weiss said on KVOR.
“He has not said where this money came from. Now that the election (is) over, as part of the healing process, would he say, ‘Hey, I got this money from local people. I got it from national groups. I got it from the Ku Klux Klan.’ We don’t know where he got this money, where he spent it. Everyone else reported it.”
Crank said he’s already disclosed where he got the money.
“I have explained to (Weiss) and to others that AFP’s issue ads were funded by general revenue from AFP Colorado,” he said.
“Not only are we not supposed to file paperwork with the city clerk because it is an issue ad there is no form that the city has for AFP to file on,” Crank added. “The City Clerk’s Office has confirmed three months ago and again last week that there is no paperwork that AFP needs to file. The City Attorney’s Office confirmed as well. I have been very up front that we spent $100,000 on radio and television for the ad.”
Weiss is in a meeting but said he would call back to comment.
Crank called Weiss’ comment about the Ku Klux Klan “despicable.”
“Now, if a conservative had said such a thing, there would be mounting pressure for an apology and for John Weiss to step down or be reprimanded in some way,” Crank said. “His behavior was not just out of line but pathetic.”
To listen to the comments on KVOR on Tuesday night, click here.
Let me get this straight. KVOR Radio is going to give us lectures on civil discourse now? Is that what you’re telling me?
So Crank’s cheap stunt politics wins, and now he’s whining like a baby? I don’t get it.
regardless of party affiliation, it is situational ethics – get used to it – it never stops.
AFAIC, most of the extreme right wing in this nation ARE racists, as are much of the GOP and Tea Party, but only a few are loony enough to let their name be associated with the klan or the neo-nazi groups.
Still, it if acts like a klan, votes like a klan, talks like a klan, forwards all the racist emails like a klan, then it is the klan, albeit one without the pointed white hoodies. By their actions they convict themselves, while holding their bibles in one hand and waving the flag with the other.
You guys in the “Indy” should more accurately name your birdcage liner “The Liberal” – there’s not even a hint of objectivity in this pathetic story.
oldgrump – your mantra is the same day after day after day. It’s completely inaccurate, it’s mindless, it’s moronic.
thomasw – This is a story in the Gazette, not the Indy. Get a clue, and take a reading comprehension class. No wonder you guys end up ruining our country/city, you can’t even read
This is not right. Jeff Crank may be a lot of things – but he is not associated with the kkk….never has been, never will be. Please apologize Mr. Weiss and clear-up this mess.
Grow up.
The point Weiss was making is a legitimate one .. if Crank won’t disclose his donors, then it could be anyone. It’s his veil to lift. It was not the smartest comment, but I understand Weiss’s frustration too, and I do think he should offer a clarification. Regardless, corporatists bought another election and once again the Springs is left with developers in control. I thought people wanted change. Apparently not as Bach is just more of the same. Pass the cookie cutter please.
Wow….sounds like Weiss’ panties are in a bunch over Skorman’s loss.
If it’s kosher for Weiss to ask “rhetorical” questions that implicate a financial relationship between Crank and the KKK, then it should also be ok for others to ask “rhetorical” questions that implicate a financial relationship between Weiss and NAMBLA.
Both are nonsensical questions, right? But Weiss would be jumping up and down with rage, pointing his accusatory finger in folks’ faces and accusing them of being hateful, homophobic bullies.
Crank showed he was the bigger man when he graciously dignified the asinine question with such a calm and easy response.
And Barry Noreen is really the pot calling the kettle black; every single one of his articles is a whining diatribe on civil discourse. But consider this recent Facebook example of Noreen’s holier-than-thou civility:
* * * * * * * *
Jeff Crank: Tomorrow at 8 a.m. on the show, join me on 740 KVOR for When Liberals Attack! Skorman and his allies are out of control. You can lose with dignity and grace or you can try to claim more victims on the way down but it’s usually your own reputation that gets damaged. Poor Richard has chosen the slash and burn your way out strategy.
May 13 at 4:45pm
Barry Noreen: Well, if there’s anybody who knows about losing, it’s you, Jeff. In fact, I don’t think you’ve ever won anything.
May 14 at 10:07am
Spydra Webb @Barry Noreen — hate to break it to you…ya big *winner* you — but the Coloring Contest doesn’t count.
May 15 at 1:28am
* * * * * * * *
It is laughable how hypocrites like Weiss, Noreen and their progressive ilk mewl and scratch, selectively bending and twisting words to force a fit with their preferred definition of the moment.
And still the left fails to comprehend why the rest of us oftentimes find it difficult to digest the thin-skinned sour grapes they keep forcing on us.
Go figure.
This is the kind of article that makes you wonder who even contacted The Gazette in the first place to report it. John Weiss? No way. Jeff Crank? Of course. Is this worth the ink or bandwidth to cover? Regardless, like Weiss I, too, would be curious to know where all AFP’s money came from – regardless of what the City Clerk told Jeff Crank. What’s there to hide?
Get a clue Jeff, the election is over. Your guy won. Game over.
Placing the picture of a KKK member beside this article, is terrible journalism!!!!!!
Amazing how the loons are calling out Weiss, given how twisted are the minds of the right wing blowhards on radio / tv and the billions of hate filled emails flying around calling our President a commie, leftie, socialist, kenyan, traitor, phony, and dozens of other things, none of which are true.- it’s all racism, pure and simple. Stop denying it, the right wingers on here are as guilty as the old klan ever was, only we lynch people these days with lies and cartoons, not ropes.
The ACCURATE name for the A. F. P. is the American Fascist Party…they’re little more than recycled ‘Bundists’ from the 30′s with Fox/Limbaugh standing in for Coughlin/Lord HawHaw.
Old Crank is being that, an old crank (not to be confused with the distinguished ‘old crank’ found on these boards)
The former Philadelphia Klan leader was John Weiss – no relation – but a bit Ironic.
Did KKK fund you or not? dont want to give info ?
then we can assume KKK funded you
since you are on same team!
The left-wing whacko purveyors of hate are offended when someone objects to slanderous allegations and baseless smears. What a crock.
Yes, bnoreen, KVOR can give this place lessons in civil discourse.
John Weiss (who ran Richard Skorman’s campaign) made a bad decision to start running personal attack ads (Ad Hominem). Democrats who attack their opponents personally do it in an effort to draw public attention away from their failed policies. In other words, the Democrats are throwing mud instead of talking about the real issues that the voters care about: the economy, government spending, taxes, and jobs.
Why doesn’t Crank just say where he got the money?
Skorman shouldn’t have run a negative ad, but at least he didn’t get outsiders to pay for it. There were obvious ties between the AFP ads and Crank, Bach, and his campaign manager. They definitely can’t claim they took the “high road.” It was all dirty politics.
what personal attack ads did they run?
I cant find any!!
You know if someone from Bach’s campaign had said something like this, it would have been front page news!
and we well know what side KVOR is on.
KVOR, The Gazette, Crank, and Bruce. Like four peas in a pod!
Was Jeff Crank born here? If he was I expect he’ll be showing his birth certificate along with his donor list.
booreeng and the rest of the liberal vigilantes will beat this horse to death and then revive it so they can beat it to death again. My guess is Crank won’t give the names out so those people don’t get calls from Weiss and him explaining to them that they are Klansmen for not supporting Skorman. I suspect Wiess is vile enough if he could get the names of all 57000 voters that voted for Bach he would call all of them and tell them they are Klansmen. As Rudy on Fat Albert would say Mr. Weiss you are like school in summer … NO CLASS AT ALL.
John Weiss ran a lousy campaign. Starting off with a lousy ad that tried to paint Bach as the person responsible for the scar on our mountain. Then tried to claim Bach’s campaign manager was tied to AFP. Then tried to make an issue out of campaign finance law. Then whined when his liberal candidate was called “liberal.” All the while, his paper trashed Bach on a daily basis. Now it’s the KKK. I’m glad the people of our City saw through this garbage.
Jeff Crank Demands an Apology?
Really?
Has he ever listened to himself or his network?
Louise – curious to know how a weekly paper could “trash Bach on a daily basis.” And when did Weiss “run” anyone’s campaign? He no more ran Skorman’s campaign than Steve Bartolin (or even Jeff Crank and AFP) ran Bach’s campaign.
Ralph – I agree. The KKK avatar on this blog does nothing more than inflame & sensationalize the issue.
John Weiss, the most valuable player on the Conservative team. This obviously goes to show that the voters made the correct decision in this election.
Let’s see, Noreen defends this disgustingly racist slur hurled by Weiss. I wonder where Skorman stands on this. Will Skorman comment on the appropriateness of Weiss’ racist slur?
Crank’s name is apropos on at least two levels. If he cannot understand rhetoric he is in the wrong business.
“Noreen defends this disgustingly racist slur hurled by Weiss. I wonder where Skorman stands on this. Will Skorman comment on the appropriateness of Weiss’ racist slur?”
I guess I missed the part in Noreen’s post where he specifically defended Weiss. Seems to me he merely pointed out that KVOR, especially after the distorted and disgusting ads it “hurled” at Skorman, isn’t in a position to offer advice to anyone on civil discourse.
Is that a picture of a man on crank?
I’m not feelin’ the luv around here anymore.
So what is the answer – where did the so-called “Americans for Prosperity” get their money? And if their ads were supposed to discuss “issues” then how is it that they were allowed to defame the candidate personally instead?
Crank’s behavior in this election has completely marginalized him as a candidate now and forever.
We moderates have to take whatever victories we can in this reactionary hotbed.
Thats a good picture of Jeff Crank
I wonder if they hired a Colorado production company to do the ad, or outsourced it to another state, as most of our state politicians do.
I cant get over how good Jeff Crank looks in his uniform. What a great picture of Jeff Crank this is. He should post that on his facebook
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[...]Crank demands apology from Weiss over Ku Klux Klan comment – City Desk : Colorado Springs Gazette, CO[...]…