Don Goldwater claims the only political advice he got from Uncle Barry was “don’t lie.” As we have already seen, Don’s not doing so well. But now there’s more.
Don’s latest negative hit pieces by mail and TV attack me in several ways. His first two attacks on me relate to federal legislation, which makes me wonder why Don isn’t running for Congress or the Senate. Apparently he does not understand that the Governor of Arizona can’t vote on federal legislation. But let’s dissect these hit pieces to see what is real and what is distorted.
Don says I have not said whether I oppose the “Senate amnesty” bill. This is false. I have publicly and repeatedly said I oppose any form of amnesty, and favor the House approach of securing the border first. This attack is particularly disappointing in that Don has been present when I have said these things, so I can’t give him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn’t know better.
Don says I have not said whether I support or oppose a “guest worker” program. What I have said is that the Governor of Arizona can’t do anything about a guest worker program, and my focus will be on securing the border of Arizona first. Once that is done Congress can figure out how many, if any, legal guest workers should be allowed in to work here temporarily. This is exactly the same thing Rep. Russell Pearce said publicly at an event in Prescott two weeks ago. Why Don is attacking me for saying the same thing as Rep. Pearce is beyond me.
Don says I have ducked the issue of school prayer. This is a total distortion based on a liberal reporter’s spin from a press conference. For anyone who has followed my career fighting for people of faith in the public arena, this attack is just plain silly. And coming from Don, who on this issue like most others, has never lifted a finger to help, it is pretty sad. I don’t remember seeing Don when we rallied to defend the 10 Commandments monument at the state Capitol, or when I helped defend it in the U.S. Supreme Court. Don was nowhere around when my organization drafted and successfully passed into law a requirement that junior high schools in Arizona allow student-led prayer meetings and Bible studies. And I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
The final attack is perhaps the most revealing. Don claims I have said people who assist “illegal aliens” are “not doing wrong.” The question was posed in the context of whether Americans should be prosecuted who give water to those who are dying in the desert. My response indicates that even the Minutemen give water to people who are in distress in the desert, and that I can’t imagine anyone opposing that. Either I was wrong – and Don Goldwater believes we should let people die of thirst in the desert – or else this is a shameless attack on me designed to make it look like I am not serious about cracking down on illegal immigration. I hope it is the latter.
These distortions late in the campaign – much too late for us to respond through anything other than this blog – is a sign of desperation and reveals more about the attacker than anything else. It also makes it clear that Don’s denunciation of “dirty campaigning” after the vicious push poll attack on my family last week was nothing more than political posturing.
We have sent three truthful messages about Don Goldwater over the past month, plenty of time for him to respond. First, that he used to be Special Events Coordinator in the Napolitano administration. For those who think he was too far removed to be tied to Janet, they need to know that at one forum he bragged about “wiring her offices for her.” Second, we have said that Don Goldwater used to be pro-choice, and there is no public record of him saying or doing anything to express identification with the pro-life cause until he became a candidate for Governor. And third, we have pointed out that Don Goldwater accused President Bush – our commander in chief in a time of war – of “selling out America.”
All of these points are true, and voters are entitled to know them before they vote for Don. They are not personal attacks, they are factual presentations that give voters information about Don’s credibility on issues and his commitment to conservative principles.
Most voters will recognize the difference between those truthful messages from our campaign, as compared to the distortions coming from Don and his minions.
