September 9, 2002

News Item:
Republican Simon Pledges Support To California Gays, Retracts Under Pressure From Religious Right.

Republican Candidate for governor of California, Bill Simon, hastily retracted a pledge made in a questionaire from the Log Cabin Republicans, that he would support some aspects of domestic partnerships, gay adoption, and issue a gay pride day proclamation, under pressure from religious right groups which had been supporting his candidacy. After the questionaire became public, Simon was blasted by Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition and on conservative radio shows.

The Candidate now says he never saw the questionaire, and that it had been filled out by one of his staff. However, before coming under fire from the religious right, Simon had repeated many of the same statements he made to the Log Cabin Republicans on Ronn Owens KGO radio show.

Simon's statements were seen as a move to the political center, in a campaign that has been floundering against an incumbent governor who was widely seen as vulnerable. California governor Gray Davis has angered many voters with his handling of the state's energy crisis. Yet Simon, the most conservative of the republican primary candidates, has been unable to attract support beyond his core conservative base.

After Simon disavowed the Log Cabin questionaire, Lou Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, said "I still strongly support Bill Simon for governor."

Copyright © September 9, 2002 by Bruce Garrett
All Rights Reserved

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