Doug Harpool's state Senate campaign sent out a press release this week accusing Sen. Norma Champion of hiding her position on embryonic stem cell research from voters.
"Nancy Reagan, former U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth, Greene County Commissioner Roseann Bentley and Doug Harpool agree that voters should support the Missouri Initiative for Lifesaving Cures through stem cell research. Norma Champion, the 73-year-old state senator from Springfield, has yet to uncloak her position," states the Harpool release.
The release assumes Champion is against stem cell research and then calls on Champion "to simply and clearly state her position" on this November's ballot initiative designed to protect various forms of the research.
Attached to the release is a letter from a constituent dated April 24, 2006 requesting Champion's assistance in understanding more about the issue.
Below is Champion's response from May 2006, in its entirety:
"In response to your inquiry on the stem cell initiative, I can only drop you a quick note for now as we are in the last days of the legislative session, and I am in the Senate chamber most of the time.
As you know, the stem cell initiative will be coming to the voters soon. I suggest you contact your county clerk to get the ballot language as this issue is very detailed and the language may help you decide how you wish to vote.
This is an extremely complicated issue, and because it has been taken out of legislators hands, it will require every voter to become educated on the subject to be able to decide what direction he or she feels the state should take.
I fully expect there will be many articles and much information available before the November election to help you become comfortable with your position on the issue. You should also be able to find materials on the internet, and I urge you to read articles on both sides of the issue before making a decision on how you will vote.
Since this issue is now in the hands of Missouri voters, I am very happy that you are taking your vote seriously."
9 comments:
Tim-- Just what exactly in this release did Harpool "spout off" about? If there is something inaccurate in the release point it out. Don't resort to name calling or personal attacks. Most of the release appears to be a copy of Champion's own letter. You are a Republican insider. Is she supportive of stem cell? If you know she suppports it then tell us. If you know she opposes it tell us.
Bob--- is she for it or agaisnt it. If she would let voters know her position this would be behind her.
By the way this perpetual attempt to intimidate the media by cliaming bias is getting really old. It didn't work for Agnew, Nixon or Delay and it won't work for Champion.
Republic Family---if the amendment is defeated and voters don't choose to amend the constitution stem cell remains an issue for the legislature to determine . Nor should it prevent voters from knowing the attitude their Senator has on the subject.
I haven't seen a media cheering section. However Harpool did get a lot of coverage when he was in the legislature because he was the first elected official to propose and enact legislation which prohibited politicians from using campaign funds for persoanl use, required lobbyists to report gifts meals and travel given to politicians and created Missouri's Ethics Commision. That is newsworthy stuff. Eapecially since the leadership of his own party tried to stop him.
According to her responses to the Missouri Right to Life survey she opposes the amendment and said she speak out publicly against it.
Cato-- visit his web page. He has more detial on issues positions then any other candidate I have seen. His return to public service initative lists 10 major changes he proposes in the ethics area alone.
On this blog you haven't seen much about those proposed changes which is the best evidence this spot is being fairly operated. If Harpool had content control he would be touting all his new proposals and ideas on this blog and then you would have heard of them.
Chris-- If Champion told the lobbyists at Missourians for Life that she opposed stem cell research and agreed to talk publically about her opposition why did she refuse to tell the constituents who asked her her position? Sounds like she didn't keep her committment to the Right to LIfe group. Her letter clearly was dodging the issue.
The McCaskill drug piece is from May 2004 from KCTV in Kansas City.
The piece got very little attention at the time and was a non-issue in both her race against Bob Holden and Matt Blunt.
Cato-- The return to service initative includes several proposals never before suggested in Missouri. Those are new ideas.
Harpool hasn't run for office for 12 years. He did lose a race when the lobbyists and political establishment retaliated for the sweeping reforms he passed.
Champion has served for 14 straight years. She never proposed a reform that would impact lobbyists, special interests or politics as usual. Not one. Harpool is the fresh face. Harpool is the proven reformer. Champion is the defender of politics as usual. It is time for change.
According to Harpool's blog he has already pledged to oppose all tax increases. So much for that annual Republican bogus attack. The only time he voted to put a tax increase on the ballot for voters to decide was when he was in the legislature when then Governor Ashcroft supported a tax increase for roads. Every business organization in the state also supported that measure.
The fact that you claim that the Republicans "balanced the budget without a tax increase" is so off base it is really sad that a thinking person wouldn't take more time to find out about how state government works rather then beleiving national party propaganda.
Missouri has always had a balanced budget. Missouri had a balanced budget every single year the Democrats controlled the legislature Unlike the Federal Government Missouri's requires the budget be balanced at all times. In fact the Republicans, not the Democrats, were in control of both Houses of the legislature when withholdings last had to made mid year to keep the budget balanced. There were no mid year witholdings required when the Democrats controlled both houses from 1983 until 2002.
The only tax increases proposed during that entire period of time were submitted to the voters of Missouri. One was proposed by Governor Carnahan. One was proposed by Republican Governor Ashcroft and one by Republican Governor Bond. As you should know public votes are required on tax increase proposals in Missouri under the provisions of the Hancock Amendment. It too can be found by reading the constituion.
So Cato you think Harpool should be attacked for letting voters vote on a gas taz increase that Ashcroft suported and led the fight to adopt and the Repubican leaning Chamber of Commerce and FArm Bureau supported that only went in to effect because a majority of Missouri Voters wanted it to. Now that is a pwerful argument. Are you mad that Harpool was too cooperative with Republicans and too willing to let voters make decisions for themselves?
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