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Whitman explains past support for Boxer
San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | May 13, 2010 | John Marelius

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.”


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: california; poisner; whitman
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1 posted on 05/14/2010 8:43:59 AM PDT by South40
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To: South40

So, the Republican supported sales tax on the internet? Pretty weak explanation.


2 posted on 05/14/2010 8:49:21 AM PDT by Yogafist
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To: South40

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.


3 posted on 05/14/2010 8:49:27 AM PDT by CarmichaelPatriot
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To: South40
I hope one of our great Republican candidates will take her out....

And which RINO might that be?

4 posted on 05/14/2010 8:50:17 AM PDT by IbJensen ((Ps 109.8): "Let his days be few; and let another take his position.")
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To: South40

Meg Whitman or Moonbeam....ugh.


5 posted on 05/14/2010 8:51:05 AM PDT by HerrBlucher (END THE WAR ON LIBERTY!)
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To: South40
video-Meg Whitman: Romney handpicked me and "I'm A Huge Fan Of Van Jones"

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

6 posted on 05/14/2010 8:51:39 AM PDT by ansel12 (MITT: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush")
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To: South40
“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.”

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!

7 posted on 05/14/2010 8:52:29 AM PDT by pollywog ("Under His Wings".........Psalm 91:4)
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To: South40

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.


8 posted on 05/14/2010 8:52:40 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Excusaholic: MeCain lost to Jr., RINO endorsements are flying, & you live at 2012 Denial Blvd.)
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To: South40

“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.”
.
.
.
or
.
.
.
“My principles can be bought.”


9 posted on 05/14/2010 8:53:03 AM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Napolean fries the idea powder.)
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To: IbJensen

Republican/RINO, she doesn’t differentiate between the two.


10 posted on 05/14/2010 8:53:15 AM PDT by South40 ("Islam has a long tradition of tolerance." ~Hussein Obama, June 4, 2009, Cairo, Egypt)
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To: Paine in the Neck

It’s a good thing our Founding Fathers didn’t think the way she does.


11 posted on 05/14/2010 8:58:46 AM PDT by WayneS (Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
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To: ansel12

She is so far to the left that any designation other that Democrat is insane.


12 posted on 05/14/2010 8:59:58 AM PDT by Lazamataz ("We beat the Soviet Union. Then we became them." -- Lazamataz, 2005)
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To: ansel12

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.


13 posted on 05/14/2010 9:00:05 AM PDT by rahbert (Only a poor snake charmer blames his snake..)
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To: WayneS
...or the following words might NEVER have been written:

"...we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

14 posted on 05/14/2010 9:01:12 AM PDT by WayneS (Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
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To: Yogafist
Boxer’s Republican opponent in 2004, former Secretary of State Bill Jones, also opposed the proposed Internet tax.

So, now what's your reason Ms Whitman?

15 posted on 05/14/2010 9:04:35 AM PDT by theDentist (fybo; qwerty ergo typo : i type, therefore i misspelll)
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To: South40

jeebus H cripes... Isn’t there a REAL republican in the entire state?

RONALD REAGAN lived there !!!


16 posted on 05/14/2010 9:10:58 AM PDT by Mr. K (This administration IS WEARING OUT MY CAPSLOCK KEY!)
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To: South40
She opposes abortions funded by the federal government, but favors them at the state level.

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.

17 posted on 05/14/2010 9:11:41 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Paine in the Neck

Meg Whitman, there are other things in life besides money.


18 posted on 05/14/2010 9:12:14 AM PDT by cradle of freedom (Long live the Republic !)
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To: DoughtyOne

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 ).


19 posted on 05/14/2010 9:17:55 AM PDT by Leisler
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To: South40
Both candidates are poor choices.

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.

20 posted on 05/14/2010 9:20:44 AM PDT by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)
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