Posted on 06/27/2002 2:25:23 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan
SAN FRANCISCO - Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Simon, standing at the steps of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, today lambasted Governor Gray Davis and state Attorney General Bill Lockyer for the state of California's failure to defend the Pledge of Allegiance in the recent U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals case.
"When I sat down yesterday to read the court's opinion -- in an effort to make some sense of the nonsensical -- I noted three prominent defendants: the federal government, the state of California, and the local school district," said Simon, a former federal prosecutor. "Of the three, only the state of California - represented by Governor Gray Davis and Attorney General Bill Lockyer -- refused to defend our pledge."
"Gray Davis and Bill Lockyer relinquished their responsibilities, and as a result, the state of California and its people were not represented by the governor or the attorney general at the appellate court -- or the trial court for that matter.
"Gray Davis had the opportunity to declare his opinion far and wide before the court's decision was issued. Instead he took a different path," Simon said. "Gary Davis didn't say a word. He left his position on the pledge ambiguous, unclear, and indeterminate.
"However, in what is perfectly clear and unambiguous is what Gray Davis was doing the day the lawsuit was filed to prohibit schoolchildren from saying the pledge. He was doing what he was he does every day. According to his chief strategist Garry South, Gray Davis raises money 12 hours a day. On this day, Gray Davis took $45,000 in campaign cash. And perhaps the filing of the lawsuit went unnoticed by him because he was too busy counting the over $1 million he raised the two days prior to the filing of the suit.
"Too bad our elementary school children could not afford $100 per child to meet with Governor Davis to express their desire to say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning before school.
"Only after the opinion of the court was released and the pledge locked behind bars did our governor make his opinion known. Only after the court behind me rescinded our rights, did Gray Davis take a stand. Only when the cameras were rolling did Gray Davis come forward. And even then, a terse statement served as a poor substitute for leadership," Simon said.
Simon, who has spent the past week discussing veterans issues and the governor's failure to live up to the his promise to Californians who served their nation in uniform, said those who served this country are owed no small tribute. "What better way to demonstrate our support for them and the troops currently overseas, protecting our country from harms way, then to begin each school day with the pledge of allegiance?"
"As a U.S. Attorney, I vigorously defended our Constitution and our country's laws every day. They are of utmost importance to me and I would never overlook their role in preserving our freedoms. I am here today to say that as governor I will not waver in defending the pledge, I will not falter in my devotion to the Constitution, and I will not hesitate in saluting our flag," Simon said.
There was no reason California shouldn't have signed on to the court briefing. Davis, himself, is a vet (as he always reminds us) and it would have been a natural, feel-good, broad-based move that would only have offended the most extreme of the liberal establishment. In my opinion, Davis just wasn't paying attention because he was focused on (you guessed it!) $$$.
Just like during the energy crisis ...
The education crisis ... ($1 million please, Mr. Johnson?)
The budget crisis ... ($7 billion surplus into a $24 billion deficit ... that's not only incompetent, but grossly neglient!)
So it's no surprise he ignore this lawsuit ... he was too busy with what's important to him ... his campaign treasury.
Amen Bro! Simon is "sounding off like he's got a pair!"
God bless California.
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