I know a lot of you are still under the impression that there is no clear choice between Republicans and Democrats anymore and you probably think that applies to the 2010 California gubernatorial election as well. Well unless you support Chelene Nightingale which I don't think many of you do, there still is a choice. I have been following Tom Campbell, one of the Republican candidates, for some time now. Tom has been a U.S. congressman from the San Jose area, has a Ph.D in economics, and has been a professor at the University of Chicago. I have read his website, have posted on his blogs, and have spoken to him on a telephone town hall meeting about his views on illegal immigration and amnesty. In the telephone town meeting I asked him to reiterate his positions on the immigration issues, and he stated that his is no way in favor of amnesty, wants to fine employers who hires illegals, and would build a wall along the border of California and Mexico.
I'm going to share this e-mail which I received from Tom today, since I think most of you would get behind him if you knew where he stood. You can also go to his web site at
www.campbell.org for more information about his positions on illegal immigration and other issues:
Dear Phil,
Our campaign will be making some news today, and I wanted you to be the first to know.
Thanks to your generosity and support, Campbell for California has crossed the $1 million milestone in funds raised. This is well ahead of schedule, and was made possible by a near doubling in our total amount raised since June 30th, putting us on track for the June 2010 primary.
Though our opponents are likely to pour in as much as $200 million of their own personal fortunes -- an unprecedented sum in American politics -- our total is on pace with what previous nominees for Governor raised the year before the election when they faced self-financed opponents.
I don't need to spend dollar-for-dollar what my opponents will, but I do need enough to get my message out. If the people of California will provide me with the resources sufficient to do so, I will work everyday to more than make up for any remaining financial deficit by providing the strongest vision for the future our state, grounded in specifics and experience.
If you will make that commitment with me, please donate today to launch us into this new phase of the campaign.
Just think of how far we've come. We are competitive in the polls despite being outspent by as much as 100-to-1. We have the most specific plans to deal with the serious challenges facing our state, from the budget to water to fundamental tax reform. Yesterday's news that the state will face a further $21 billion deficit confirms that the next Governor will inherit a financial crisis that can't be wished away by vague generalities.
I am humbled by the growing number of Californians expressing their confidence in my approach and in our ability to win in both June and November.
If we are going to win, I need you to not just donate, but pick up the phone, or send an email, and share this news of our momentum with anyone concerned about the direction of our state. I can't emphasize enough how important email contact is, when sent from a friend to a friend.
Let this be a contest decided on the merits, not on money. Reaching the $1 million mark shows our strong potential to compete in the months ahead, but it's just the start. Can you help keep the momentum of the last few weeks going strong?
With kind regards,
Tom
P.S. As an example of how we're putting your contributions to good use, I'd like to invite you to join me on a telephone town hall forum this evening at 7:45 p.m. PT. Please call 877-269-7289 and use the code 14990. Thank you.
Paid for by Campbell for Governor 2010 Exploratory Committee, Inc.