Live Blogging of the Gubernatorial Debate
Watch the debate on KAET Channel 8.
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The opening statement of Governor Napolitano highlights her accomplishments and vision for the state of Arizona. She set forward her three challenges for Arizona: education, economic growth, and growth in general. Len Munsil’s opening statement focused mostly on how long he has lived in Arizona and that he met his wife here. He states that things need to be done better but does not say how.
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Munsil now claims that he is not politicizing the 9/11 memorial, yet did not find any problem with it until it was politically expedient. The Governor explains the bipartisan composition of the commission and how politicizing the memorial does not do any honor to the victims or their families. The Governor makes a strong comparison with the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, which was received with criticism when it was constructed but has become a worthy memorial.
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The Governor focuses on the need to secure the border, which is why she was the first governor to declare a state of emergency and to deploy Arizona’s national guard to the border.
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Munsil complains that the Governor likes to sit on both sides of every issue, yet refuses to take clear policy positions of his own. He blatantly lies about the 9/11 memorial commission, apparently forgetting that the commission was created by Republican Governor Jane Hull.
Munsil lies again and says that the Governor invited herself to the bill-signing ceremony on the border, when in fact President Bush invited her because of her exceptional leadership on the issue of immigration.
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Napolitano beats Munsil verbally by telling him that she is going to tell him what the facts really are.
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The Governor vetoed the deployment of the National Guard when it would have been the responsibilty of Arizona-taxpayers and held out until the federal government paid its share. She still has the first Governor to deploy National Guard to help with immigration.
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The Governor credits President Bush for his ability to strike a balance to come up with an immigration solution that is both plausible and effective.
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Governor Napolitano has signed a tax decrease every year she has been Governor, despite Munsil’s claims.
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The Governor shows how important it is for a Governor to balance the state budget, something that Munsil could not do with his proposal to abolish the income tax and hope that it will just work itself out. Such Republican tax policies are the reason Governor Napolitano inherited a huge budget deficit, which she was able to turn around into a surplus with her strong solutions for economic growth and responsible spending.
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Munsil repeatedly goes negative while the Governor has shown her thoughtfulness and vision for the state. He fails to present any vision of his own and appears to lack the clarity of thinking and grasp of Arizona’s issues that the Governor projects.
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Notice how Munsil has to bring a briefing book to the debate while the Governor needs no notes to be prepared to discuss the issues that are important to Arizonans. We can’t afford to be governed by someone who needs Cliff’s Notes to talk about our state.
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The Governor shows a clear understanding of the diversity of the different areas of Arizona and the need to allow local districts to maintain control whenever possible because of their unique needs.
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Len Munsil had no real answer for the issue of school safety. Apparently that chapter wasn’t summarized in those handy dandy Cliff’s Notes.
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Munsil likes to complain about ‘activist judges,’ but has no qualms about appointing conservative judges that would redefine the constitution to read more like Leviticus.
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The Governor’s work and vision about education and the evidence of the Nogales school district show her strength in dealing with this issue.
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The fact that the Governor created a pilot program to research school choice illustrates her open-mindedness and willingness to find solutions that work regardless of partisanship or ideology.
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Munsil claiming that the Governor is outside of the mainstream is ironic coming from someone who said that God allowed 9/11 to happen. He cries about how he represents family values yet is a career lobbyist and divorce attorney. Munsil has managed to go through an entire debate without proposing a single solution for Arizona.
In contrast, the Governor is a builder with a record that is backed up by facts, a vision that is clear and pragmatic, and a willingness to fight for the people of Arizona.
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I think it is safe to say that the Governor can put this debate into the win column.
Posted Thursday October 5, 2006 by
Comments:
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I’m tired of Len “Lee” Munsil’s crap. Way to go Janet!
— mark Oct 5, 07:36 PM #
Cliff’s notes! HA! Len should go back to being a divorce lawyer.
— Rosie Oct 5, 07:38 PM #
I think it’s clear that I won this debate. And by the way, “Kevin” those aren’t cliff’s notes. Those are carefully prepared notes from Uncle Nathan.
— Len Oct 5, 07:52 PM #
Why didn’t Lee talk about the stuff he did at the Center for Arizona (Extreme Right Wing) Policy? What has he been doing for last 20 years?!?
— Carrie Street Oct 5, 07:53 PM #
Was it just me or did it look like Munsil had no idea what he was talking about?
— Lera Oct 5, 08:00 PM #
Any debate watchers not wearing pants? Boys, I’m talkin to you!
— Rep. Foley Oct 5, 08:09 PM #
What was that line from Len about “unelected judges overturning decisions using flimsy Constitutional arguments”? Apparently he only supports the Constitution when it agrees with his beliefs.
Somebody should ask Munsil which parts of the Federal or State Constitution he considers “flimsy”?
I wonder if there are Biblical arguments that he would consider to be “flimsy”
— Jeff Oct 6, 07:34 AM #
Has the Democrat party gotten the fundraising/tax records from the Arizona Policy organization yet?? I had heard that theo organization was refusing to disclose them. I would love to see what right wing wackos have financially supported Munsil and Cathi Herrod.
— Mark Oct 17, 04:42 AM #