Posted on 04/29/2006 9:00:08 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Good morning delegates!
I have a few questions for you this morning.
Do you believe that in the Governor’s office, we have the wrong man with the wrong plan?
Do you believe that we have to take this state back from the special interests?
Do you believe that every student deserves a good education? That every person deserves affordable health care? That every Californian deserves clean air and clean water?
Finally, do you believe it’s time for Arnold get to work on his next movie: the One Terminator?
If we’re going to make that happen, we have to remember one thing: Whatever happens on June 6th, we are still one party, we are still Democrats, and we still need to beat the Governor this November.
That’s why I’ve signed a positive campaign pledge. I want to focus on beating Arnold, not beating up each other.
Like all of you, I’ve been a Democratic activist most of my life. In fact, I got my start when you elected me Party Treasurer in this very hall 25 years ago. I’ve been working with you ever since to strengthen this party, and it’s good to be home.
Let me say a word about values.
As many of you know, a few years ago I helped build a company called eBay. Let me tell you what was different about eBay. We believed the little guy deserved a chance to compete on a level playing field.
Today, 700,000 people make a living trading on eBay.
We created a place where everyone has a chance to be successful -- wherever you come from, whatever you look like. Those are the values I bring to this race for Governor.
Let me say some more about my values.
I’m proud to have worked for Jimmy Carter on solar energy in 1979.
Proud to have run for party chairman in 1989.
Proud that you elected me Controller in 2002 -- because someone needed to beat Tom McClintock.
I’m proud to have sued the Bush administration for diverting money from our schools to oil companies.
Proud to be the only Democrat in this race who supported the Million Solar Homes bill.
Proud to say that in the first 30 days as Governor, I’ll sign the Chan/Escutia Healthy Families bill to give health insurance to every single child in California.
Proud to have fought to increase and index the minimum wage.
Proud to say I’ve got a plan to reduce the dropout rate for African Americans and Latinos, which is the civil rights issue of our times.
Proud to say I’ve always supported affirmative action. As a rule, if Ward Connerly is against it, I’m for it.
Proud to have helped LGBT couples get tax equality from the Board of Equalization.
Proud to have clamped down on tax cheats, bringing in $4.5 billion to keep our roads, schools, and hospitals open. Because I know when we stand up for our values, we win every election.
Now, some people have attacked me for supporting Prop 57 and working across party lines to get it passed.
Let me tell you why I did it. Because I’m a Democrat. I supported Prop 57 because it was the Democratic fiscal recovery plan, written by Democratic Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza.
Our schools were 155 days from shutting down. The people Democrats care about -- working Californians, seniors, students, and the poor -- were about to get hurt. As a Democrat, I would never let that happen.
That’s why Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, John Burton, Fabian Nunez, the AFL-CIO, the CTA and almost every Democrat in the Legislature joined me.
They know -- as I do -- that you don’t stand up to the Governor by standing on the backs of schoolkids.
Unfortunately, the Governor stopped working with Democrats after that. He waged a war against teachers, nurses, and firefighters.
You know, the Governor thinks the way to fix education is to fire teachers. The way to fix healthcare is to fire nurses. If that’s the case, maybe the way to fix Sacramento is to fire him.
Now we get his infrastructure plan. After all his failures, the Governor wants to borrow $66 billion to buy a record to run on. He’s claming to be the next Pat Brown. Governor, I knew Pat Brown. And you’re no Pat Brown.
We know how to beat Republicans in this state. Make no mistake though, this will be a tough race.
We have to compete in every part of the state. Not just the cities on the coast, but in Chico and San Bernardino and Salinas and Bakersfield. This year, we’re going to win with a 58-county strategy for California.
Let me tell you about my vision to get us there.
I believe in a California where every child gets a world-class education.
There’s a teacher named Dan Meyer here today. He teaches at Florin, just across town. He developed an online game to teach math to struggling kids. We need to empower teachers like Dan.
That’s why I announced a plan to invest in teachers, expand training programs, and give teachers more control over the classroom. George Bush’s No Child Left Behind is the wrong way, but where Washington has failed, California must lead.
I believe in a California where community college is free for everyone, so our students can compete and win in the global economy.
James Unger is a community college student here today. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do in high school. His family didn’t have a lot of money. But he found a spot at Cabrillo College, studied hard, and now he’s headed to a UC next fall. We need to give every student the same shot at success that James had.
I believe in a California where we say no to any new offshore drilling.
And while Bush pretends global warming doesn’t exist, in California, we’re leading the way to the next generation of alternative energy. Because where Washington has failed, California must lead.
I believe in a California that protects a woman’s right to choose -- and keeps the government out of our bedrooms.
I believe that any two people who want to get married should be celebrated -- not treated as second-class citizens.
I believe we should respect immigrants, and give every immigrant a path to earn citizenship.
I believe in a California that invests in its people.
Every dollar we spend on preschool saves us two on prisons. Every dollar for stem cell research saves lives. Every dollar for lower college tuition helps turn out another young engineer or teacher or nurse who can help rebuild California.
Let me close with a story that illustrates what I mean.
As some of you know, my wife Anita is an immigrant from China. She came here as a child. Two years later her father died. She grew up on public assistance.
But the state of California was smart enough to invest in “English-as-a-second-language” classes and good public schools like San Diego High. She didn’t get a hand-out, but she got a hand up.
Eight years ago, she helped launch a company of her own. Let me tell you, California is one of the few places in the world where you can go from public assistance to going public.
I'm running for Governor to make sure every person, whatever the color of their skin, whatever language they speak, wherever they come from, will have the same opportunities to be successful that we all had.
Together, we can take back this great state. Thank you….Gracias….y juntos podemos.
Just a few excerpts from the above speech:
"I’m proud to have worked for Jimmy Carter on solar energy in 1979.
Proud to have run for party chairman in 1989.
Proud that you elected me Controller in 2002 -- because someone needed to beat Tom McClintock.
I’m proud to have sued the Bush administration for diverting money from our schools to oil companies.
Proud to have fought to increase and index the minimum wage.
Proud to have helped LGBT couples get tax equality from the Board of Equalization."
Related article:
Ability to beat governor emerges as key concern among Democrats
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1623981/posts
His reason for potentially flipping allegiances illustrates a growing problem for Angelides, a millionaire land developer and former party chairman who has most of the party's establishment behind him. Despite Angelides' solid Democratic credentials, many Democrats see Westly as standing the best chance of beating Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November.
"Our single focus is to beat Arnold," state Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Norwalk, told delegates as she introduced Westly. "Let's be very clear and not mince words — Steve is the only man for that job."
Great credentials. About as impressive as Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and Teddy Kennedy. They all look and sound alike...
"About as impressive as Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and Teddy Kennedy. They all look and sound alike..."
You left out John Kerry. ;)
"I still can't figure out why the Democrats don't like our present governor."
===
Maybe because they are more perceptive of the substance.
With Tom McClintock running with Arnold, it looks like
Tom knows the difference between a Republican and a Democrat.
No. The more perceptive the person, the more liberal this guy turns out to be. I think that like all liberals (liberal Democrats and liberal Republicans) they are only interested in superficial labels. Simplistic people look at politics the way other people look at sports teams; my team, right or wrong.
It's really too bad. If they saw him for what he was they'd support him, and then we Republicans could in-turn run someone who supports our party platform. The voters would have real choices.
Because the Democrats can't stand a successful person who made it in America on his own initiative and who inspires others to do so. You can disagree with Arnold on individual issues all you want, the fact is his championing of individual hard work and guts leading to success is like profanity to the welfare-pandering Libs.
Please explain how a candidate can be elected with 34% of the votes.
CALIFORNIA VOTER AND PARTY PROFILES
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/JTF_VoterProfilesJTF.pdf
"The Democratic Party currently has an advantage of 1.4 million voters over the Republican Party (7.1 million to 5.7 million) or 9 percentage points (43% to 34%), according to the Secretary of State.
Among those most likely to vote in this year’s elections, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 7-point margin (44% to 37%), while 15 percent of likely voters are registered as independents.
... the fact that independents are more likely to lean toward Democrats than Republicans (42% to 28%) tends to work to the disadvantage of the GOP in statewide elections."
You are describing both Westley and Angelides. All three of them are self-made multimillionaires.
Well there are plenty of ways, but I never alleged that such a thing could happen in a statewide Governor's race.
Difference being two of them pander to the welfare state, one of them urges individual achievement.
All the more reason to not p*ss away the Republican base by telling them you're a pro-abortion, pro-gay, extreme environmentalist, who favors big government child care programs, and doesn't care too much for President Bush.
"Well there are plenty of ways, but I never alleged that such a thing could happen in a statewide Governor's race."
Well, if you know that a conservative is unelectable in a statewide governor's race, then by advocating that the CRP nominates a conservative Republican, you are admitting that you are advocating that Republicans keep losing and Dems keep winning in CA.
How does that advance conservative causes?
And nobody could do more conservative things, than Arnold is doing, because the CA Legislature is overwhelmintly Democrat. Or have you forgotten the recent:
California Senate votes to support work boycott
"The measure passed the Senate by a party-line vote of 24-13 "
The best we can hope for is to chip away at the Dems' power, which Arnold is doing. And he would have been able to do much more, if people had voted for the very conservative special election propositions he supported.
That's great to hear. I've really been looking for reasons to get behind the guy. I've been working around the capitol for his entire administration (and then-some) I some how missed this point. Please elaborate by way of details. Give me some examples of how he has governed over the past two years. I am anxious to start shouting from the rooftops what a great Republican Arnold is. If you have evidence, please, please share it with me.
What's he done to reduce the welfare state? As California Governor he has the authority to line out anything he doesn't like in the budget. I must have missed when he used that ability. No need to send me the newspaper articles. Just tell me when it happened and I'll go dig them up at the library and make copies for everyone I know. This is so exciting! Tell me what you have. What's he done to slash back the welfare state and when did he do it? I am so happy to hear this. I can't believe I missed it!
But moderates are even LESS electable in regular statewide races, so what do we do?
Look. You know as well as I do that Arnold always trumpets individual incentive and achievement in his speeches. Certainly doesn't always play out in his dealings with the incredible bozos in Sacramento, but I know that bedrock conservative principle is one that guides him, and it's the one bedrock conservative principle that the Libs -- from Jesse Jackson on down -- find most despicable.
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