IS This Just The First of Many Endorsements That Will Shock and AmaZe the Masses? I certainly Hope so!
DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists
GO SIMON
Posted on 06/17/2002 9:44:30 AM PDT by ElkGroveDan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Law enforcement group cites rising crime, decreased funding, switches backing from Davis to former prosecutor Simon.
SACRAMENTO - Gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon today won a major endorsement from the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs [COPS], an organization which had previously endorsed Gray Davis in his 1998 campaign.
The endorsement letter COPS sent to its membership reads in part:
"Four years ago we supported Gray Davis, but upon careful review of his record, we have become totally disenchanted with him and his policies. We feel Gray Davis has shown a lack of leadership."
The following are Bill Simon's remarks as prepared.
"Let me begin by saying I couldn't be more proud today to have earned the endorsement of the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs - an organization I greatly admire for who they represent and what they stand for.
"As some of you may know - COPS supported me in the primary and that meant a great deal to me. But they warned me at the time that the endorsement was for the primary only, and I would have to earn their support for the general election. Monty cautioned me that they had been long time supporters of Governor Davis, and my chances weren't great.
"In fact, as we speak here today, the Governor's website and campaign is still featuring his endorsement from COPS.
"Yet I did keep talking to the men and women of COPS about my plans and vision and priorities, and I did earn that endorsement!
"If I can be presumptuous, I'd like to talk a bit about why I think I earned this endorsement.
"Governor Davis views public safety as a crass, political issue. For him, being "tough-on-crime" is a poll-tested, calculated position to take to benefit his campaign. When he says things like "no one will get to the right of me on crime" and Singapore is his model for law-and-order, he's not speaking from his heart, he's reading from Garry South's strategy memo.
"And as I spent the last several months meeting with members of COPS, they saw, I hope, that I am different. For me, being tough on crime is just something I am. It comes from working with people like Rudy Giuliani, and getting to know FBI agents and police officers when I was an Assistant US Attorney. I draw on my firm belief that public safety is the first priority of government. And no matter what else government does well, if it does not protect its citizens, government has failed.
"As I have campaigned across California, I have talked about how Governor Davis has failed in areas such as energy, the budget, our economy and our schools.
"Today's announcement I believe reflects the fact that the governor has also failed us when it comes to public safety.
"We have seen our entire country rally together in the wake of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. And all across America, our people understand that it is local law enforcement and public safety officials who were the first responders after the attacks. These men and women, equal only to our troops overseas, deserve our honor, respect, and unwavering support.
"Across America, crime continues to drop towards historic lows. Yet here in California crime is rising here, for two years running, on Gray Davis' watch.
"In the year 2000, crime rose in California by 3.5%, while it dropped in the rest of the country,
"In 2001, the rise in crime in California accelerated, rising 5.8%, while again dropping in the whole United States.
"When Governor Davis took office, he inherited budget surpluses, and decreasing crime rates. After four years of obsessive campaign fundraising - 12 hours per day in fact - and an almost complete neglect of his responsibilities as governor, he's managed to turn both of these trends upside down.
"We already know what Gray Davis neglected the budget, education, energy and the economy.
"It is one more sign of Gray Davis' failed leadership that crime is down nationwide, but on the rise for two straight years here in California.
"Crime is up and Gray Davis is cutting law enforcement. This is not leadership.
"Now, because of the governor's mismanagement of the state budget, he is cutting funds to local government. And since local governments spent two-thirds or more of their discretionary funds on public safety, these cuts are going to come right out of law enforcement- putting our citizens at greater risk even in the face of these rising crime statistics.
"And these very public safety officials - the brothers and sisters of the NYPD - the very same people who would serve us as well if the terrorists struck in California, have not received the support and training they need to fight the war on terrorism.
"Where Gray Davis has failed, I will lead. I will ensure that law enforcement and public safety officials have the resources they need to do the job. They know how to do it, as long as their elected leaders give them the tools.
"Again, I am honored to have received this endorsement."
I sense a major turning here. GO Simon!!!
Btw, eat it davis!
NOT!
With the current state legislature I imagine your scenario is moot. Can you realistically see the majority California Dems legislature drafting a shall issue CCW law?
When voting for Simon, kick out a state legislative incumbent too. Go Simon Go!
The "education" governor has failed to increase test scores ... the "tough on crime" governor has failed to lower crime rates ... this governor doesn't know the meaning of the phrase "the buck stops here" unless it has a picture of Andrew Jackson!
Dump Davis! GO SIMON!
I mean, yes, it is great to get an endorsement, but how much weight does this carry in California?
California is not seen as the state that respects law enforcement. I mean from the Marxists in the Bay Area to the illegals coming across the border in San Diego (many of which, somehow, seem to be able to vote for DemocRATs?), it doesn't seem that there is a healthy respect for these folks.
I am not a Californian and I am not being a contrarian or trying to put down the law enforcement officers of the state; rather, I really wonder how much weight this endorsement really will carry inside the state?
Please don't misunderstand, I wish it did, but I get the impression that it doesn't.
Personally, I think Simon's strategy is very, very risky. Most voters don't have a clue who he is, and Davis could well create a lasting negative impression long before Simon begins to introduce himself to the electorate.
Clinton, for example, stole the crime issue from Republicans and it was difficult for Republicans to combat him on it. Davis attempted to do the same thing, and in 1998 it worked. Even though Lungren was the Attorney General, Davis worked double time to secure the law enforcement endorsements by promising the moon and the stars.
But crime is going up, and people don't like that. Crime is on the rise as an important issue, though it hasn't come up as far as education. Davis losing the COPS endorsement IS a big deal for a lot of reasons: he no longer has the lock on crime as an issue, and money.
Hope that helps.
I bet you are wrong. But for starters, no such thing will get anywhere near the Governor's desk as long as the Senate has 26 Dems to 14 Reps, and the Assembly has 50 Dems to 30 Reps, and they are riding into the next election on a fresh gerrymander that will keep them safe for another 10 years.
A Republican governor's role in California for the near future will be to veto all the wacky social engineering and collectivist legislation that the Rats send his way, and more importantly to put the state's finances back in order through his job as leader of the budget process. It's going to be a long rough road for Californians for the next few years, even with a good Republican as governor.
Go Simon!!
I think it's fair to say that this is a a major loss for him, and a giant blow to his pride.
My hunch about the 1998 endorsement is that they knew he was going to win, and he was running as a fiscal conservative tough on crime. Now they know he's the man of hollow promises; better late than never.
D
Go Simon!
Not only is it a giant blow to his pride, but he's a micromanager who will FLIP when this gets out. He'll try to go more to the right on crime, and he's already having problems with this.
Dump Davis!
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