comMITTed to Romney!

Fairly snarky article posted by The San Francisco Chronicle about Bain & Co. alumnus and Mitt Romney supporter Meg Whitman. The reporter seems to think that running a company as large and as successful as E-Bay hardly qualifies someone to run for Governor of California.

Well, let’s think about that for a moment. The current RINO Gov. of Ca. has run up a $42 billion deficit and is shaking the tin cup in Washington, looking for the residents of the other 49 states to bail his big spending behind out and now we are told that a Harvard MBA and former CEO of E-Bay might not do at least modestly better than the Hollywood action film star? Common sense tells me that Meg will start to move that state back toward some fiscal sanity.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=36100

Sacramento — Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman held her first big press conference as a GOP gubernatorial candidate today..and sidestepped details and follow up questions on abortion, state spending cuts, immigration and whether she’ll release her taxes.

But she did have something to say about San Francisco: ”We need to secure our borders…ultimately, we must hold employers responsible for hiring…we must take a very hard look at sanctuary cities…what’s happening in San Francisco and Los Angeles is just wrong,” she said.
It was an interesting presser, not only for what was said, but for what wasn’t. Whitman was accompanied by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who endorsed her, and Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista, who is also backing her bid.

Asked if she will release her taxes over the entire period she was at eBay for transparency purposes, the answer was confounding.

“‘I will be transparent according to the standards other candidates comply with,” she said, adding that she’ll see if some candidates release their taxes ”over a series of years, (then) I will certainly be happy to do that.”

Asked about rich candidates who have run without experience in the top spot, and why specifically she has chosen a run for governor, instead of a down-ballot slot?

“What I’ve done is I’ve run large..and complex organizations, I’ve managed a budget, I’ve focused on priorities and I’ve focused on results,” she said. “So I actually think my skills are quite well-suited to the economic challenges that are facing the state.”

Whitman sidestepped our question about Prop. 8, which she said she supported as “a matter of faith.” Why is same sex marriage a matter of faith to her but abortion — she supports public funding of abortions — is not?

”These are the way I feel about these two issues. I’m pro choice and I feel we cannot take that right away from women, their doctor and her husband or significant other. With regard to Prop. 8, in my mind…I voted yes on Prop 8 as a matter of faith and conscience. But I am for civil unions, I am for the rights of gay couples to adopt.”

She also ignored a question from the Sac Bee’s Dan Walters, who wanted to know how, as she implied in her speech, she could have closed the state’s budget deficit without raising taxes.

”I think the thing that was not looked at…was the size of the bureaucracy and the size of the number of employees that serve the state..you have to look at head count…trust me, it can be done,” she told him.

When he reminded that the lion’s share of the state’s general fund goes to schools — and they don’t have state employees — she said she was aware of that.

“Well, how would you handle it?” he asked.

She called on the next questioner.

On immigration, Whitman was equally vague.

”We must secure the borders and we must hold employers accountable for hiring legitimate, documented workers.”

What would you do to sanctuary cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco?
No answer. Press conference over.

“It’s going to be a long campaign,” Issa quipped as they all skipped out.

Depends what campaign you’re on.

Posted By: Carla Marinucci (Email) | February 21 2009 at 05:22 PM

Share on Facebook

Share This

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/11/24/gay_marriage_debate_roils_unites_mormons/

By Michael Paulson
Globe Staff / November 24, 2008

This has been a stormy year for Mormons in the United States. First, there was the candidacy of Mitt Romney for president, which brought to the surface a deep strain of anti-Mormonism in American culture. Then, there was the raid on a group of schismatic polygamists in Texas, which reminded America of Mormonism’s uncomfortable history. And now, there is a wave of protest, rolling across the country from west to east, in which some gay rights advocates have targeted Mormons because of their church’s support for a successful California referendum to overturn same-sex marriage.

Ironically, the protests appear to be helping repair a rift within Mormonism caused by the election. The church’s outspoken support for Proposition 8 exposed an unusual level of disagreement in the ordinarily harmonious Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Internet facilitated grass-roots organizing by the minority of Mormons who support same-sex marriage. But a smattering of anti-Mormon acts since Election Day - the burning of a Book of Mormon, a mailing of packets of white powder to Mormon sites, and some anti-Mormon invective expressed on signs and in sloganeering - has helped rally a denomination with a long history of persecution.

“I would not have voted in support of Prop. 8, but it does grieve me to see anybody being called bigoted for voting in an election and expressing their viewpoints,” said Julie Berry, 34, of Maynard. “I support the right to protest, but vandalism and damage to church buildings - that hurts . . . and I wish we could see a little more defense of Mormons’ right to exist as citizens and vote how they wish to vote. I’m sad to think that some of the social and political good will we’ve gained in the last 15 years may be set back.”

Share on Facebook

Share This

I saw a video this morning showing the street demonstrations being conducted by people protesting the passage of Prop 8 in California. They were marching down Market St. in San Francisco and they interviewed one of the leaders of the march and he said that he was no longer “asking” for his rights, he was “demanding” them. Never mind that his fellow Californians had just decided that what he was asking for was not a right conferred on him by the Constitution. It was his “preference.”

They also interviewed a member of a Catholic organization that had helped to pass Prop 8 and he was commenting on the partnership that has grown between the Catholic Church and the LDS Church, in defense of pre-born life and traditional marriage. It is very encouraging to see people willing to take a stand on these important issues, despite the risks. As you may know, there have been threats made on the lives of LDS leaders in the effort to defend traditional marriage in CA. Some have had to have police protection around the clock as a result of the threats.

I am struck by the anti-democratic attitudes of some of the folks opposed to Prop 8. Give us want we want or we’ll go after you personally. They are willing to abide by a popular vote, but only if it goes their way. Grow up, kiddies. You lost in the “market place of ideas” and the people have spoken.

~~John Cronin~~

Share on Facebook

Share This