Bill Simon's Pro-Family Views (as conservative as he's always been)

Traditional Values Coalition ^ | 9/1/02 | Lou Sheldon

[ElkGroveDan]

Bill Simon’s strong pro-family position

Sunday, September 01 @ 21:10:51 EDT


Over the last week, as many of you know, concerns have been raised over a questionnaire supposedly approved by gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon.

I have spoken with him during this time. The following letter addressed to Senator Ray Haynes, I believe, clarifies Bill Simon’s strong pro-family position.

Please feel free to share this information with your friends, family, church members and co-workers in California and throughout the nation.

Rev. Louis P. Sheldon
Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition

---

September 1, 2002

Honorable Ray Haynes
California State Senator
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Ray:

I want to express my appreciation for your recent letter of support. Your friendship and guidance during this campaign has been nothing less than invaluable. I look forward to working closely with you to provide California with the leadership we so desperately need.

I have always tried to be a caring and compassionate person and to understand the differing viewpoints of people from all walks of life. I want to set forth clearly and unambiguously my strongly held pro-family views that have recently been mischaracterized.

I signed the Marriage Protection Pledge on February 6, 2002, and stand by it. That pledge is to protect children by supporting the ideal of marriage, protect the importance and uniqueness of marriage and to uphold the pro-marriage, pro-child spirit of Proposition 22.

In the primary campaign, I stated that "marriage is an institution that should remain between one man and one woman." I stand by that statement. I supported Proposition 22 because I believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Marriage is a special relationship designed to create a loving and caring environment for families to develop and thrive.

I opposed AB 25, which conferred rights based on sexual orientation, and I encouraged Governor Davis to exercise his veto power against it. Unfortunately, he signed it into law. That has been my clear position at all times because I do not believe that other relationships should be elevated to that of marriage. I oppose creating a special class of domestic partnership laws that is defined by sexual orientation or preference.

I do not support a proclamation for Gay Pride Day.

The best family environment for a child is a home with a mother and father. Much of my own personal charitable giving has been in promoting adoptions and working for an environment that helps children to prosper in a loving home. We know that there is a good supply of such homes waiting for children, and we should redouble our efforts to make adoption easier. I want to ensure that every effort is made for the best possible environment for children. Also, I oppose legislation imposing sexual orientation training guidelines for foster parents.

As a state legislator, you have been on the front lines in fighting against the strong, liberal bias in the Assembly and Senate. There are many laws we would like to repeal or change, but as you know, only the legislature can repeal laws. As governor I must focus on achieving real results for Californians, which is what I intend to do.

As governor, I would hire only the most qualified people for each position, as I have in my business.

On the subject of private companies providing workplace domestic partnership benefits, I believe in a free market that corporations can make their own decisions on pay, benefits and working conditions. However, I strongly opposed AB 1080, which would prohibit state agencies from entering into contracts with vendors who do not offer benefits to domestic partner employees. This is another example of government mandates that drive away businesses and cost jobs for our citizens. I support portable health policies so individuals can choose their own coverage.

This letter should clear up any misunderstandings about my positions on the above issues. As a strong pro-family candidate, I took clear stands on these issues during the primary campaign. I will continue to do so, and as governor, I will unequivocally affirm my support for these and other major issues that concern the people of California.

Sincerely,

William E. Simon Jr.

[ElkGroveDan]

The vindication of Bill Simon continues....

[ElkGroveDan]

TRUTH PING

[homeschool mama]

GO SIMON PING

[Camber-G]

One question then to fully clear it up ...

Did he or did he not fill out that questionaire from the Log Cabin Republicans and give those answers ?

[Impeach98]

Sure wish he'd stop talking about divisive social issues that will only make it harder for him to win.

Gray Davis is vulnerable on the energy crisis, the budget mess of Gray Davis, job losses, and the destruction of any idea of "the California Dream."

Whoever told him to issue this kinda statement should be shot. He's begging the media to crucify him as he will never be "ok" with them on abortion, gay rights and guns.

Disappointed!

[Diddle E. Squat]

What took so long? Damage has been done. How hard would it have been to issue a simple denial/clarification/press release before everyone left town for the long weekend?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Thank you.

I'd still like to know where that questionnaire came from. Log Cabin Republicans made it up? Did someone from Simon's campaign fill it out? Was it entirely created and distributed by the Dems? Or, was that the handiwork of Rove/Parsky?

[Kobyashi1942]

What took so long? Damage has been done. How hard would it have been to issue a simple denial/clarification/press release before everyone left town for the long weekend?

His campaign has become a "Comedy of errors." If he was really pro-family no one could have or would have thought his support for gays was possible. I'm sorry Mr. Simon, this and everything about your Bush-run campaign doesn't pass the smell test. Better luck next time.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Whoever told him to issue this kinda statement should be shot

He had no choice. The loss of his base would be greater than any gains from the questionnaire.

He's begging the media to crucify him as he will never be "ok"

Any conservative to the right of Riordan will never be okay with media. We have to live with that fact.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I'm sure Bill Simon is a good guy and al, but, I myself have been trying to ask a SIMPLE QUESTION just as you have.

That is: Did he or did he not fill out the questionnaire (with stunningly mod-lib answers on social issues) to the homosexual activist Log Cabin Republicans?

Two key problems arise here (and I know the Simon camp will say we are splitting hairs but so be it; it's critical!); they are very important and we must demand Quality Control for our conservative candidates!

First, if he DID NOT ANSWER the Gay GOP group's petition, then somebody must be called to account for it. If this is the case, then there might be legal or forgery questions involved. In the case that Mr. Simon was 'set up' by a bogus questionnaire and somebody forged his responses, I'll take that and apologize for all the rucus!

But, on the other hand, if he DID ANSWER the Gay GOP group's questionnaire, then why does he not reference that and then state that he recants what he wrote. This should be simple enough.

The problem lies in whether the candidate DID OR DID NOT SEND OUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.

There can only be a YES or a NO. And there cannot be a finessing if the answer was YES.

(If somebody can) clarify the issue for me on these two points, and the issue comes to an end for me.

[GVnana]

I oppose creating a special class of domestic partnership laws that is defined by sexual orientation or preference.

I do not support a proclamation for Gay Pride Day.

Whoa! That is directly contrary to the questionaire replies supplied by the Log Cabin Republicans. Who is responsible for this mess?

[Nea Wood]

There's another thread where Simon is quoted as saying he "had nothing to do with" the questionnaire. I, too, would like to know what that means. Did a staffer fill it out? If so, Simon should say so. Did Simon fill it out, only to have someone purposely change his words? Did the Log Cabin Republicans, the Davis Campaign, or the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy make the whole thing up in order to divide conservatives? If so, those responsible need to be called on the carpet and made to answer for it! I think we have a right to know whether Simon filled out the questionnnaire, and is now backpedaling due to the outrage, or whether he truly is a victim of someone else's lying and trickery.

[goldstategop]

More to the point: who is the real Bill Simon? For me, the damage is done. I'm for the government not going into people's bedrooms but by the same measure I don't believe it has any business promoting a gay lifestyle either. I'd love to know where the entire Log Cabin questionnaire came from and if Simon didn't respond to it, I'd like to know who did. Above all one wonders why Simon's campaign felt the need to turn off the base with such a stupid move. If it needed to court liberals and moderates there were less controversial steps it could have taken that wouldn't have forced conservatives like me to withdraw their support. Again, who is the real Simon? The candidate needs to personally address that question for himself and for the public before the opposition does it for him now that the fall campaign's about to get under way.

[NordP]

Thanks for the ping EGD.

Now...can we remember to vote on philosophy of the Republican party, rather than pouncing on tidbits of false facts, thrown to us by the liberal media to insight us against a good man...our NEW Governor, Bill Simon?

Good, I was hoping you all would say that.

LET'S ROLL - GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

[goldstategop]

Exactly. We all deserve an honest answer preferably from the candidate himself. If he can't tell us openly where he stands in respect to the questionnaire and how he differs from the liberal cultural values espoused in it and also by Gray Davis, he's not deserving of any conservative's support. We don't need a Republican Bill Clinton in our state's politics.

[NordP]

Just one question...have you ever trusted anyone? -- your Mom, your Dad...your Brother, your Sister?

Just curious.

[Antoninus]

All of those who think it would be better to elect Gay Davis than this man are out of their gourd. There is 1,000 miles of difference between the two men on family values issues.

[Camber-G]

... There's another thread where Simon is quoted as saying he "had nothing to do with" the questionnaire ...

If that's all there is to it, I'd be happy to drop the subject also, but that's not the whole issue.

Where did the questionnaire get the most exposure where it would do the most harm ? From the left-wing media outlets ? Noooo ... Simon supporters don't give much credence to those sources anyway.
It was from the Traditional Values Coalition and like-sources that were so quick to distribute this as fast as they could to those that would be most apalled.

I said it before and I'll say it again ... with friends like Lou Sheldon, who needs enemies ?

[NordP]

"We don't need a Republican Bill Clinton in our state's politics."

So YOUR plan is to subject us all to "MINI-ME CLINTON" self-centered, it's all about money Gray Davis in California, instead?. .....SEND IN THE CLONES!

Oh, and by the way, look forward to your car registration going up 150%, trouble with enough electricity, water, ...oh, and paying nearly $4,000 per SUV you may want to have, 'cause we're going to be subsidizing the 40% growth in GOVERNMENT JOBS Mr. Wonderful, Mini-Me Clinton, Davis has saddled us with, on OUR BACKS!

How many months of the year do YOU want to be working to pay taxes? Personally, I don't believe working through October to pay what Gray Davis is bringing to us is my idea of fun!