UPDATE: Colorado Women’s Alliance has issued a response to Ferrandino’s non-apology:

“Representative Salazar’s comments trivializing the danger of women on college campuses as emotionally speculative as reason to restrict their ability to protect themselves is laughable. Tips like use a ballpoint pen, or pee on yourself to detract a would-be rapist, give all the power to the rapist. Competent, trained women should have the ability to defend themselves, not just because they may have a ‘fear’ of getting raped, but because they face very real dangers.

Further, Speaker Ferrandino’s defense of Rep. Joe Salazar’s extreme comments about women’s inability to act rationally when they feel threatened is offensive to women everywhere.  Women have the ability to assess a threat and act to protect themselves from bodily harm. Colorado’s women deserve better than a House Speaker who doubles down on offensive comments and a Representative who undermines women’s ability to protect themselves from danger.

Colorado Women’s Alliance calls on both representative Salazar and Speaker Ferrandino to apologize for their offensive comments.”

Democrat House Rep. Joe Salazar’s insensitive rape comments have been featured across the country as what not to say during a debate on women’s safety.  Yesterday, the Peak called on Democratic leadership to denounce his insensitive comments.  Democratic Speaker of the State House late last night (finally?) issued a statement, but it wasn’t exactly a condemnation of Salazar’s bizarre (and, yes offensive) rape comments.

Here’s what Ferrandino had to say to the Denver Post, after calling Salazar a “great legislator and a person who has worked hard in support of women”:

“Whatever his words may have been and however much those words are being taken out of context, he did the right thing to take responsibility.”

See, here’s the thing, though.  Salazar only took responsibility once the media caught wind of his heinous comments.  Further, this statement only came in at 10:30 p.m. last night.  Why does it take until 10:30 p.m. three days later come up with a non-apology?  This should have been a no-brainer “we’re sorry”.

Further, Salazar’s words weren’t taken out of context.  He said that women sometimes were mistaken when they felt that they were in danger.  His comments were perfectly clear and reported accurately.

Finally, Salazar actually hasn’t been good on women’s issues.  In fact, just last week, he not only voted to postpone indefinitely (aka “kill the bill in committee”) Jessica’s Law, but he actually seconded the motion.  The law would have created mandatory minimum sentencing for pedophiles.  No mother could argue against that, no female child wants to be put in harm’s way.

So, a full 84 hours later, we’re still waiting for Democratic leadership to denounce Salazar’s statement.  [Crickets chirping]