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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Posted on 10/10/2003 5:08:25 PM PDT by Alia
SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—Ward Connerly, chairman of the Yes on Proposition 54 campaign, today denounced Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante’s graceless, shameful attempt to demonize Proposition 54 and its supporters in a concession speech Bustamante gave on October 7.
Bustamante, who lost decisively in his bid to become California’s next governor, bitterly mischaracterized the initiative that was written to be a first, measured step towards a “color-blind” government and society as a racist plot, even though he claims to want a color-blind society himself.
“Proposition 54 was bad for health care, public safety and education,” Bustamante said, despite Prop 54’s blanket exemption for all health and medical care and research.
“Californians agree that we must create a color-blind society, but we can’t do that by putting blinders on government…[we cannot] fall under the spell of Ward Connerly and [former Governor] Pete Wilson. It happened under Prop 187 when they attacked immigrants. It happened under Prop 209 when they attacked college students of color. It happened with Prop 227 when they attacked schoolchildren who were trying to learn English…[we] banded together to beat Ward Connerly, Pete Wilson and their cronies…no more wedge politics!”
“I’m disgusted that Cruz used the occasion of his concession speech to blast an initiative that promotes color-blindness, which he says he believes in,” said Mr. Connerly.
“But I’m especially appalled that he made it personal, with his talk of ‘the wedge politics of Connerly and Wilson.’ There’s no one in our state who practices wedge politics more than Cruz, and the only way he could find comfort in his loss to seize the governor’s office is to bash others. Pete Wilson has been out of public life for five years. Yet Cruz still demonizes him.
“And speaking for myself, while I was in no way involved with Prop 187 or Prop 227, and I can’t even recall publicly stating my position with regard to those initiatives, I want Cruz to know that believing that all people should be treated equally regardless of race or color is not ‘wedge politics.’ Believing that young immigrants should learn to speak English so they can succeed in the world is not ‘wedge politics.’ Believing that the rights and privileges of citizenship should be limited to citizens is not ‘wedge politics.’ Believing in those principles is not an ‘attack’ on college students, schoolchildren or immigrants. And there is at least one thing that I can say that Cruz cannot: No racial slurs have ever ‘accidentally’ slipped from my lips at any public forum.”
In his concession speech, Bustamante also slandered Mr. Connerly and other supporters of Prop 54 as having “singled out tribal governments.” This demonization of Mr. Connerly as a racist is beyond the pale.
“I believe strongly in tribal sovereignty and in the right of the tribes to participate fully in the political activities of our state, but I do not believe in breaking the law,” said Mr. Connerly, referring to a Sacramento Superior Court judge’s finding that Bustamante broke the law by using money donated by Indian tribe gambling funds to produce and air ads against Prop 54. The tribes originally donated the money to Bustamante’s election committee for lieutenant governor, and to avoid campaign finance limits, Bustamante diverted the ill-gotten gains to a newly created committee to oppose Prop 54. This money laundering was ruled illegal. “Besides, why would I single out any of the tribal governments?” continued Mr. Connerly. “Only one person broke the law by accepting campaign donations above the legal limit, and only one person tried to hide his illegal funds by diverting them to a different committee with the sole purpose of shooting down Prop 54. That person is named Cruz Bustamante.
“Cruz is the master of wedge politics,” continued Mr. Connerly. “His gubernatorial campaign explicitly pitted Californians of different ‘races’ against one another. His ads kept talking about ‘our values’—just who was this ‘our’ he was talking about? He refuses to renounce racially segregated graduation ceremonies at public universities. If there is one politician in our state who uses race as a bludgeon to reach higher office, it’s Cruz Bustamante.
“Cruz accuses those of us identified with Prop 54 as practicing ‘wedge politics,’ when in fact giving the benefits of American citizenship to those who are not citizens is the initial wedge. Allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition is a wedge. Cruz and other promoters of these outrageous policies created the wedge—then turn around and damn anyone who questions them with the ‘wedge politics’ curse. Their pose as the ‘fathers of harmony,’ fighting back wedge politics at every turn, is the complete opposite of the truth.
“Obviously, Cruz is free to use me, Pete Wilson and Prop 54 as whipping boys all he wants. But, at some point, in his private moments with himself, he has to answer why he betrayed Gray Davis, why he broke his promise to the Democrat Party, and why he reneged on what he told the people of California when he said that he would not be on the recall ballot a few short months before he flip-flopped. He can’t blame his failure to keep his word on Pete Wilson, Prop 54, Ward Connerly and ‘wedge politics,’ no matter how much he tries to divert attention away from this fact. A true measure of character is how one handles defeat as well as victory. Looking at how Cruz dealt with his crushing defeat as a candidate and his victory—for now—over Prop 54, Cruz failed the test.”
Prop 54, which lost on October 7, would have barred the state and all local California governments from classifying individuals by race in the areas of public education, employment, contracting and most other government operations. Reasonable exemptions existed for medical research subjects and patients, racial classifications required by federal law or for federal funds and certain activities of law enforcement. The state legislature, by a two-thirds vote and with the governor’s approval, could have voted to exempt any other reasonable area. Also, the Department of Fair Housing and Employment would have received a 10-year sun-setting exemption.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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Why? He's a Democrat.
Uh....wasn't Prop 227 about removing bilingual education from the schools? Doesn't sound like the kiddies were trying to learn English, Ku Klux Kruz.
What's left to keep them with the Dams? Are the economic socialists?
No... there *is* such a thing as honor among thieves. There is however no such thing as honor among democrats. They are worse than thieves. Thieves are at least up-front and honest about what they are up to.
But it is not true. Our CA Democrats are utter control freaks, demand adherence to their select type of laws which are exclusive, often extortionary, and almost always discriminatory.
Lastly, the methods of Dems and Repubs in CA is quite different. The Democrats were in fully display this recall election in showing the world how they play. Dirty. The Democrats here in CA use "by any means necessary" tactics to destroy, malign, slander any who disagree with their policies, and any who might have a diverse point of view.
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