Len Munsil » Social Issues

MY TURN

Len Munsil — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:02:49 +0000

Thanks to the Arizona Republic for allowing me a brief opportunity to present an unvarnished response to their editorial endorsement of Janet Napolitano. Please read it and send the link to others!

PROTECTING CHILDREN

Len Munsil — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:50:08 +0000

I’ve spent 20 years in public policy fighting to strengthen families and protect the innocence of children. Abused children must be protected.
The liberal New Times has just published a detailed and balanced review of Janet Napolitano’s failed efforts to “fix” CPS. It discusses a serious “misstep” early in her term that has led to increase caseloads and turnover for caseworkers, and resulted in kids being left in shelters for long periods and being put into unsafe foster homes. But rather than have me characterize it, you should read it for yourself before you vote. Here is one key sentence:

“You don’t read about it in the papers, but the latest statistics show even more children in Arizona dying from maltreatment than before Napolitano took office.”

NEW JERSEY SHOCKER — SAME SEX MARRIAGE RIGHTS

Len Munsil — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:12:50 +0000

Once again judicial activists are dictating to elected officials a radical reshaping of marriage laws. Today the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered the New Jersey legislature to give all the rights of marriage to same sex couples, leaving it to the legislature only to decide whether to call it marriage.
New Jersey has no constitutional amendment protecting marriage, and no restriction on out-of-state marriages. That means Arizonans who go to New Jersey to get married would be able to return to Arizona and demand marriage rights in our state.
This form of judicial activism in other states threatens Arizona’s right to self-determination. That is why I am asking
you to help spread the word to support Proposition 107, the Protect Marriage Arizona Amendment. Janet Napolitano and Terry Goddard oppose Prop 107, and would probably fight its implementation just like they fought the implementation of Prop 200.

INTEGRITY

Len Munsil — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:10:53 +0000

Don Goldwater is getting desperate.
At a time when my family has been hit with a vicious false attack – and it’s not clear which of my political opponents is behind it — he is accusing me of “lying” for stating a FACT that he has publicly admitted: the truth that although he claims to be pro-life now, he was pro-choice in the past.
He is calling that a “negative attack,” which makes me wonder if he understands the concept. By that definition, Don’s own words are a “negative attack” on himself. All I have said on this issue is what Don has said.
Don and I both signed a pledge earlier this year to run a race based on the issues, and not to engage in personal, false attacks. I have honored that pledge. Don has not.
Every critique I have made of Don has been truthful, and based on his position on issues, his lack of policy experience and his own statements.
One very prominent Goldwater supporter told me he completely agreed our mailer pointing out several facts about Don Goldwater was not a negative hit piece. It was a legitimate attempt to deal with Don Goldwater’s public statements and positions on issues, and his lack of leadership experience.
I’ve worked hard my entire life in Arizona to build a reputation for integrity and truthfulness. In the face of savage personal attacks on my wife and family in the past week, I have continued to be open and truthful. I’m very disappointed that Don would accuse me of lying.
I will give you the facts and you can decide who is telling the truth.
I am the only candidate for Governor who has been endorsed by Arizona Right to Life. Don Goldwater is claiming “support” from Arizona Right to Life, but in fact he is not endorsed or supported by that organization. The president of Arizona Right to Life, John Jakubczyk, felt the need to respond to these distortions and wrote the following in a letter to the editor of several newspapers:

“In deciding to endorse Len Munsil, ARTL endorsed a friend, an ally, and an activist who has been involved with pro-life work for the past 20 years – Whatever Don Goldwater’s past may have been, he states now publicly that he is pro-life. ARTL recognizes and acknowledges that. However, we look for an individual who has the experience and the involvement within the pro-life movement to be the standard-bearer. It is for this reason that we endorse Len Munsil.”

I have a letter from two highly respected Republican women stating that Don proudly identified himself as pro-choice to a Republican women’s group less than three years ago.
I remain glad Don appears to have moved in a pro-life direction, but am shocked that he would accuse me of lying about something he has publicly admitted. Here is what he said just a few weeks ago at a public debate in Mesa:
“In 1992 I ran a campaign, I was more of a libertarian at that point in time, I didn’t believe the government should get involved in it”.
This morning on KFYI he admitted that he used to believe it was totally a woman’s choice on whether to have an abortion.
That is the classic pro-choice position.
I’m at a complete loss to understand how he can accuse me of “lying” about what he has publicly admitted on numerous occasions.

LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE

Len Munsil — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 16:38:55 +0000

Today the Arizona Supreme Court correctly decided to allow the people of Arizona to decide whether marriage should be defined in our Constitution as the union of one man and one woman.
This simple, one-sentence amendment is needed in order to protect our society’s foundational institution from being redefined by liberal activist judges. As one of the architects of the Protect Marriage Arizona Amendment, the Court’s decision is gratifying vindication against all the skeptics — including Janet Napolitano — who thought the Court should prevent you from voting.

CONGRATULATIONS CATHI HERROD!

Len Munsil — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 01:45:21 +0000

More than a decade ago my wife Tracy and I helped found The Center for Arizona Policy.
One of the first things I did as CAP President was try to recruit my friend Cathi Herrod. It took me a little more than a year, but she joined CAP in 1997 and we never looked back.
Today I am thrilled that she has accepted the CAP Board’s invitation to become the second President of The Center for Arizona Policy!
You can send Cathi a congratulatory email here.

A CONSERVATIVE LEADER

Len Munsil — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 23:28:08 +0000

As a movement conservative leader for the past 20 years, I have had the opportunity to interact with and learn from some of the great political and opinion leaders of our time. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photos.

POPPYCOCK

Len Munsil — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 02:25:35 +0000

In today’s Republic Political Insider, Napolitano mouthpiece Barry Dill described as “poppycock” my contention that Napolitano has been ducking the question of where she stands on the Protect Marriage Arizona Amendment for the “better part of a year.”
I was wrong. She’s been ducking the question for more than a year. Here’s a blurb from a gay website describing her first and most prominent effort to avoid the issue, all the way back in June 2005:

“Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano disappointed the state’s biggest LGBT group on the weekend when she failed to condemn the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Napolitano was the keynote speaker at the Arizona Human Rights Fund’s annual fundraiser in Phoenix.
While speaker after speaker condemned amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage Napolitano carefully avoided any mention of the issue.”

While she has expressed concern about the measure’s breadth, she did not actually come out against it until last week’s response to a Republic questionnaire – more than a year after her first duck.

EXPERIENCE AND CREDIBILITY MATTER

Len Munsil — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 17:01:14 +0000

To make an informed decision in an election, voters need to understand the differences between candidates.
Sometimes those differences are based on issues, sometimes they are based on experience, sometimes they are based on credibility.
For the past six months I have been contrasting my conservative views on border security, crime, tax cuts, government spending, marriage and protecting human life with the liberal views of Janet Napolitano.
Meanwhile, our campaign has been waiting to see whether we would have any real opposition in the Republican primary. Two self-funded candidates have almost zero support beyond their own checkbooks. Another candidate, Don Goldwater, has been in danger first of not making the ballot, and second, of not getting any funding under Clean Elections.
After barely gathering enough signatures before the deadline to get his name on the ballot, Don last week finally got barely enough $5 donations to qualify for public funding.
Because of Barry Goldwater’s career, the Goldwater name is well-known. Now the name is on the ballot and will have funding.
So it is time to present voters with contrasts between me and Don Goldwater. That is what we are starting to do, as the Arizona Republic reports today.
One of the questions I receive most often on the stump is — “How do your positions differ from Don Goldwater’s”?
Honestly, there are not significant differences on issues between me and Don Goldwater. The difference between us is that I have 20 years experience as a conservative leader. While I have been leading the charge for educational choice, tax relief for families, protecting marriage and the sanctity of life, Don has been … somewhere else.
That is one reason why four U.S. Congressmen and more than 30 legislators have endorsed me over Don. I am a proven, experienced conservative leader.
He touts experience on the immigration issue, but in reality he never had anything to do with immigration until he ran for Governor — he just got into the race six months before me.
In a previous unsuccessful run for elective office, he was endorsed by Arizona Right to Choose — a lobbying organization funded by abortion clinics. He said he thought the government should have nothing to do with abortion. I’m familiar with Arizona Right to Choose because I lobbied against them, often successfully. Now Don claims to be pro-life, and that’s a good thing. But as a long-time pro-life leader, I never saw Don at a single pro-life event until he became a candidate for Governor.
Earlier this year Don accused President Bush of selling out America. Now I disagree with President Bush a fair amount, but I think accusing him of selling out the United States is a bit over the top, especially for a Republican candidate for Governor.
And I’m still perplexed that someone who is so opposed to Janet Napolitano could have worked in her administration for three years.
These are legitimate questions to raise, because they provide voters with a clear contrast. I am a proven, principled conservative leader who has achieved significant results for the things Don Goldwater now says he supports.
As Don said in our televised debate, “While Len was writing the marriage amendment I was gathering signatures for it.” That just about sums it up.
I like Don and will support him if he wins the primary, because his views on issues are similar to mine. But voters are entitled to know that I am the only candidate in the Republican primary who has demonstrated leadership and excellence in advancing conservative economic and social principles for the past two decades.

MARRIAGE AMENDMENT SURVIVES FIRST CHALLENGE

Len Munsil — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:28:32 +0000

The first attempt to prevent the people of Arizona from voting to preserve marriage has failed. An appeal is coming.