IT'S FOR THE PUPPIES!
Posted on 10/22/2002 6:01:30 AM PDT by madfly
Now trailing in public opinion polls, Republican Matt Salmon on Monday launched one of his strongest attacks yet against front-runner Janet Napolitano during a live debate by suggesting she cares more about endangered species than national security.
Salmon confronted Napolitano, a Democrat and the state's attorney general, about her refusal to back federal legislation that would exempt military bases from certain environmental laws. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had asked all state attorneys general for their backing this summer. But Salmon said Napolitano was one of only seven attorneys general who said the laws are needed to force the military to clean up its pollution.
"These are reasonable and minor exclusions to protect our military readiness," Salmon told Napolitano before the packed auditorium at Mesa's Dobson High School in the League of Women Voters debate. "We are about to go to war. What's more important, endangered species or our safety?"
Napolitano called Salmon's conclusion "unfair" and said that more than 30 of her colleagues from around the nation now oppose rolling back environmental laws that would exempt the military from costs totaling $39 billion for cleanups on their property, including the removal of unexploded bombs.
"I understand and appreciate the role of the military, but as a Western state, there are a number of installations that have left tons of ammunition to clean up," Napolitano said. "We are in litigation to clean that up."
The rest of the debate focused on the primary issues of the campaign: the budget deficit, education and plans for stimulating the economy. But Napolitano, Salmon and Libertarian Barry Hess all took time to chastise Independent Richard Mahoney for his television ads. Mahoney's ads feature a former resident of Colorado City who suggests Salmon would do nothing to stop child abuse and polygamy in a fundamentalist offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because he is a mainstream Mormon. The ads also accused Napolitano of doing little or nothing as a prosecutor to stop the abuse.
"It's sad that someone would use religious bigotry to get ahead," Salmon said.
Hess called the ads "embarrassing," but added, "I'm curious why the Attorney General's Office hasn't stopped (polygamy)."
Napolitano defended her ongoing investigation.
"The injection of Matt's personal beliefs into the campaign was outrageous," Napolitano said. "Colorado City should be dealt with as a law enforcement issue, and it is."
Mahoney said the crimes he discovered in Colorado City were too serious to ignore and he has no regrets about the strategy.
"Women had gone to the Attorney General's Office and complained and nothing happened," Mahoney said. "They had gone to the Salmon campaign as well. We gave them a voice, and I'm proud we did."
If Salmon is behind, I'm not surprised--the Arizona Republic with its FemiNazi anti-Salmon editorial board has acted as Janet's propaganda machine. It's disgusting.
The term “front runner” is pure spin.
El Napo would be a disaster for our state.
There's another debate at 7PM tonight on the PBS station - Channel 8 (KAET) here in the Phoenix area.
GO MATT, GO!!!
Having this arrogant Harvard grad on the ticket does NOT help Matt.
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