Posted on 05/14/2010 8:43:59 AM PDT by South40
SAN DIEGO— Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman on Thursday offered a lengthy explanation of her past support for Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer — something opponent Steve Poizner has repeatedly attacked her over.
During a town hall meeting at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, the former eBay CEO said that she and other Silicon Valley entrepreneurs endorsed Boxer and donated to her campaign for re-election in 2004 because of the California Democrat’s opposition to taxing Internet sales.
She said Internet taxation was “the most important issue to eBay sellers and to technology in the Silicon Valley.”
“Sometimes when you’re in business, you have to support someone that you disagree with on almost every issue except the one that’s most important to your customers,” Whitman said.
Poizner’s campaign on Thursday circulated an article in the Fresno Bee that Boxer’s Republican opponent in 2004, former Secretary of State Bill Jones, also opposed the proposed Internet tax.
Poizner, the state insurance commissioner, criticized Whitman over supporting Boxer in Poway Wednesday night, citing a comment she made in last week’s debate.
“She said the reason why she voted and campaigned so hard for Barbara Boxer is that Barbara Boxer agreed with her on one particular issue that had to do with the Internet,” Poizner said at his own town hall meeting at Stoneridge Country Club. “And I asked her, ‘What about that? You mean you would sell out the whole country and vote for Barbara Boxer over one issue?’ And she said yes.”
Poizner has his own baggage when it comes to contributions to Democrats — a $10,000 donation to 2000 Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore’s Florida recount drive in 2000.
Poizner acknowledged that some “family money” has gone to Democrats because his wife, Carol, is a Democrat.
“Here’s the confession: I’ve been married to a Democrat for 22 years,” he said.
The Boxer issue was raised at the Whitman town hall by Dianne Scott, a Carlsbad commercial real estate broker who said, “I’ve never agreed with Barbara Boxer on anything.”
“I don’t agree with Barbara Boxer on anything either,” Whitman replied. “She and I are not friends. She is certainly not supporting my run for governor and I am not supporting her run for the Senate. I hope one of our great Republican candidates will take her out in November.”
After the meeting, Scott said she was satisfied with Whitman’s explanation.
“I accept her answer,” she said. “She said there was one Internet problem, or whatever, that had to do with Boxer and Barbara was for something right for once. It’s the only time I’ve ever heard Barbara Boxer’s right.”
This week, the Whitman campaign began airing a television ad branding Poizner as “just another liberal Sacramento politician” for, among other reasons, supporting “taxpayer-funded abortions.”
Wrong, Poizner said in Poway.
“I’m opposed to abortions,” he said. “My views on this have crystallized over time as I have dealt with a lot of people who are very passionate about their views on abortion. I think as governor there are things I could do to reduce the number of abortions. Number one, I want to stop all government funding of abortions — all of it.”
“My opponent, Meg Whitman and me, we just differ on this one,” he added. “Meg Whitman supports government funding of abortion; I don’t. It’s a major difference.”
While Poizner told a questioner Wednesday night he’s “opposed to abortions,” in a March interview he characterized his position as “pro choice” and acknowledged he favored publicly financed abortions when he first ran for office in 2004 and has since changed his mind.
Whitman also refers to herself as “pro choice,” but her stand on government-funded abortions is more complicated.
She opposes abortions funded by the federal government, but favors them at the state level.
At her town hall, a questioner raised the issue and demanded, “I’d like to know how you can take two different positions on one issue?”
Whitman called it a “states rights” issue.
“The state of California year after year has made this decision,” Whitman replied. “So my feeling is that’s a decision that Californians have made and it needs to stand. When I think about federal funding of abortions, that’s quite a different issue and that’s why I’ve said I’m not in favor of taxpayer-funded abortions.”
So, the Republican supported sales tax on the internet? Pretty weak explanation.
I could never marry a Democrat. Poizner obviously tolerates those he has no sway over who don’t agree with him politically, which means he’ll be a lousy governor with the Democrat legislature in Kalifornia that the brain dead idiot sheeple keep electing.
And which RINO might that be?
Meg Whitman or Moonbeam....ugh.
HUh???? no WONDER we are a messed up Country! Talk about a nonsense answer!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! Let's tell it like it is...this statement sounds like Meg is just trying to appease her audience and voters!! I'm getting sick to my stomach already and we haven't even voted yet!
Yep, there you have it my friends. Whitman thought Boxer would be pro business. And she evidently thought that for years.
How did she explain not voting for decades?
How did she explain large donations to other Democrats?
How did she explain joining MeCain(D)’s campaign team?
Let me guess, if Obama supported no internet taxation while taking our nation down, she’d support him too.
This woman is toast.
“Sometimes when you’re in business, you have to support someone that you disagree with on almost every issue except the one that’s most important to your customers.”
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“My principles can be bought.”
Republican/RINO, she doesn’t differentiate between the two.
It’s a good thing our Founding Fathers didn’t think the way she does.
She is so far to the left that any designation other that Democrat is insane.
Ouch. Thats going to leave a mark. Why would she support
all these dems? I don’t think she is a conservative by any stretch.
"...we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
So, now what's your reason Ms Whitman?
jeebus H cripes... Isn’t there a REAL republican in the entire state?
RONALD REAGAN lived there !!!
LOL. Somehow I don't think too many will be swayed by this position.
Constitutional originalists are typically pro-life, and progressives believe any mention of state's rights is code for racism.
Everyone in the middle will just be confused.
Meg Whitman, there are other things in life besides money.
So Whitman had a scale and Boxer was bad, very bad. Bad bad. Ruiningly bad, but ah.....Internet sales tax...that out weighed everything.
So, which one is it? Whitman can be bought off, or is she lying and the single issue, a business issue, is just a cover story( my guess ).
To make it even harder, The Howard Jarvis tax people (prop 13) just came out against Poizner, while staunch conservatives in California are coming out for him.
They both sound like a couple of RINO's to me. I don't think I can win here. I don't know who to vote for here.
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