I’ve been in Tucson all day for a series of meetings. Now I am on the way to Casa Grande for a gubernatorial forum. I began early this morning with an appearance on the Bruce Jacobs show on KFYI – you can listen to it on this page under podcasts.
Afterward, a Goldwater staffer called in to the Jacobs show and claimed I had misled people about Don Goldwater’s pro-abortion past, and about my strong position on illegal immigration from the beginning of the campaign.
I was able to call in quickly and expose and refute the false message from Don’s campaign.
Here is some of the evidence about Don’s pro-choice past, though we have much more:
August 21, 2005
Arizona Republic Political Insider
“Don Goldwater, the “choice” for Arizona . . . Goldwater is apparently a Johnnie-come-lately to his anti-abortion views. When Goldwater ran for the Senate in 1992, he had a decidedly softer stance on abortion than he has now. He was even endorsed by Choice PAC, the political action committee of the abortion rights advocacy group Arizona Right to Choose.
Goldwater told a Phoenix Gazette reporter at the time that he personally opposed abortion but felt government had no business in family matters. He also opposed mandated waiting periods for abortions. But his endorsement came with an asterisk because he reportedly supported parental consent for minors.
Flash-forward to this week. Goldwater told the Insider he was never even aware Choice PAC had endorsed him.
“I thought (abortion) was best taken up between a family and their clergy,” Goldwater said. “Looking at that now, it obviously is a government issue. I do believe in parental notification and not in the third trimester.”
Asked when he changed his mind, Goldwater said his position began to evolve during the 1992 campaign. We suspect it became more fully evolved right after he finished second in a three-way GOP primary, losing to conservative John Huppenthal of Chandler.”
Goldwater’s staffer claimed I had nothing to say on immigration as late as April — obviously he hasn’t been reading my blog. And here is the evidence that I have taken a strong stand on illegal immigration since I launched this campaign in February – these are direct quotes from my announcement speech on Feb. 14:
“When it comes to immigration, the key principle is that we must enforce the rule of law. That means:
– First, enforcement of Proposition 200 to head off voter fraud.
– Second, unlike the incumbent, I would oppose any effort to provide driver’s licenses for those who are not here legally.
– Third, use of new technology and more manpower to beef up border security. It’s easy to point the finger of blame at the federal government. But we need less talk and more action at the border. As Governor, I would pursue every legal option available as a sovereign state to defend our southern border against invasion. And while I will work hard with my friends in Arizona’s congressional delegation to secure funding, I will not wait for that funding in order to take action.”
In addition to my February announcement speech, I have written repeatedly on this website about the need for state laws to sanction employers who knowingly violate immigration laws, and have expressed opposition to “any form of amnesty.’
That is one reason why Bill Montgomery, who traveled with Goldwater for months before I was in the race, has endorsed me and said that my views on border security are just as strong as Don Goldwater’s.