August 29, 2008 - 12:54pm
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Zimmer and Lance on Palin
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterRepublican Senate candidate Dick Zimmer and 7th District House candidate Leonard Lance, both social moderates, praised Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for her fiscal conservatism.
Zimmer saluted her pork busting credentials in a statement.
"I think she is an excellent choice. As an effective reform governor, she brings important executive experience to the ticket. A strong fiscal conservative, she stood up against wasteful pork-barrel politics when she killed Alaska's infamous 'Bridge to Nowhere' that was promoted by Senator Ted Stevens and supported by Senator Frank Lautenberg,” he said. “Senator McCain made a brilliant decision by asking her to join the GOP ticket. I am very excited to be running with both of them in New Jersey."
Lance, who’s made his career in the state Senate a crusade against government borrowing without voter approval, liked what he saw in Palin – despite the fact that he had originally backed Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president.
“Governor Palin is a principled and proven reformer who has fought against wasteful spending and pork barrel politics. I look forward to working with John McCain and Sarah Palin on brining fiscal sanity back to Washington, DC," he said in a statement.
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somewhat of an aside
Pardon my pointing this out rather than the Palin choice (which doesn't seem a "winner"), but Leonard Lance is anything but a "social moderate." I base this upon Lance's own votes and public statements. Lance's own Project Vote Smart questionnaire (kudos to him for filling it out, though, which most politicians don't do) says that he only favors abortion rights in the case of incest, rape or the woman's life being endangered; that is the textbook definition of pro-choice. One of the only abortion rights votes Lance has made was in favor of parental notification, which is decidedly anti-choice and increases the chances of backdoor procedures.
When it comes to stem cell research, Lance, from what I've researched, has never voted in favor of expanding stem cell lines. He either abstains or opposes, then offers no alternative to the stem cell bill he opposes.
When it comes to gay and lesbian rights, Lance has been downright hostile, as he has voted against the civil unions bill and will almost certainly vote against marriage equality.
So when Lance gives his accolades to fellow Bush-Cheney social conservatives such as McCain and Palin, it is because he sees a reflection of his political philosophy on such issues in them.
No idea what you're talking about
You obviously do not know Senator Lance, or you would not make comments like that. Senator Lance is entirely pro-choice, I spoke with him the other day about it. He is also in favor of gay rights, and said that he doesn't even believe it should be an issue. Lance is much more in the center than Bush-Cheney, but your blind hatred of all things Republican would naturally make you see things your own way.
Part of his problem
If Leonard had any views that were different from Linda Stender he might not be losing to a Corzine Groupie in a safe Republican District.
He does
He is very, VERY different from Stender on the views that matter: the fiscal ones. Republicans need to stop focusing on the social issues in this state; they're not getting us anywhere. What we need to do is remind everyone that we are (were) the party of fiscal conservativism, cutting taxes and out-of-control spending. The sour taste of the Whitman years is still in the mouths of a lot of NJ voters, and we're not going to get rid of it by painting ourselves as putting the social issues first. NJ voters are centrist on those issues, and that's why we lose. If we put forth solid fiscal candidates who know how to manage a budget and stop spending like drunken sailors, then the Democrats will lose (see: Florio, Byrne). They were governors who spent more than they could handle, and were challenged by Republicans who fixed the problems they made (well, Kean fixed them anyway). Why the voters of NJ have continued to support Democrats after the failed policies of McGreevey, Codey, and Corzine is a testament to the fact that they have successfully painted us as crazed right-wing nuts, and we've let them. If we can find a fiscally solid Republican who's moderate on social issues, we need to take advantage of that, instead of eating our own over abortion and gun rights, which are secondary issues in this state. Show me a tax-cutting, socially moderate Republican, and I'll show you a politician that can make MartinOne eat crow (and I'll be glad to serve it to him).