A subterfuge is more than a lie. Merriam-Webster defines it as "...the telling of a lie in order to...gain an end." We denounce our three-term-seeking-fourth Senator Bailout Bob The following are a sampling of articles from 18 long years ago when Bennett originally ran for office. (Note: These articles are not freely available on the web due to their age, however all can be easily examined with most Utah library cards using the Newsbank database. Please feel free to examine the articles in full if there arouses any question about the validity or context. Bold emphasis is ours.)
CAMPAIGN '92: SENATORIAL CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Thursday, October 29, 1992
Senator: If elected to the Senate, will you place a limit on the number of terms
you will seek? If so, how many?
Yes. Twelve years, two terms in the Senate and six in the House....I also support term limits...
ROLLY & WELLS ...
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Monday, April 27, 1992
BRENT WARD, in a recent joint appearance by Republican U.S. Senate candidates, promised: "I am not going to stay in the Congress for more than 12 years. Period.''
"If you're going to only serve two terms,'' said candidate Bob
Bennett, 'why don't you let me serve two terms first. You're a
young guy.''
4 UTAH SENATE CANDIDATES TRY TO STAND APART
Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Monday, July 20, 1992
Author: Bob Bernick Jr., Political Editor
Bennett said he's "seen the light'' on term limitation. He'll only stay two terms, 12 years, and supports term limitation by law.The following excerpt demonstrates that term limits was a forefront issue back in 1992 highlighted by retiring Senator Garn who had his own self-imposed term limit problems:
Garn to Depart Senate After 18-Year Tenure
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Thursday, May 30, 1991
Author: Dan Harrie, SLTribune
"When I first ran for the Senate, I intended to only be here two terms. I have stayed one term longer than I originally intended to," said Mr. Garn, who has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation to limit senators to two consecutive terms. "If you preach over and over again that there ought to be term limitations, even though I rationalized a third term, I think you ought to practice what you preach."Senator Bennett: we agree with former Sen. Garn. We believe you ought to practice what you preach. You preached to us and promised to us 18 years ago when we were just a mere BYU student that you would serve 2 terms--12 years. You lied. You used subterfuge to get elected and thought we were so stupid we would forget about your promise. As a devout Mormon, Nacilbupera's religion preaches to us about the importance of keeping covenants, oaths, and promises; yet through your senatorial perpetuity you have blasphemed these very values we hold dear.
We raise a title of liberty against you, your hypocrisy, and your subterfuge. We will not vote for you again, period. No convention vote, no primary vote, no general election vote. In this you have disgraced yourself, your party, and ill-represent your religious standards. We bear this witness against you.
Now you have the audacity to come to our hometown to campaign at the Provo Marriott at 730pm tomorrow for another 6 years which would put your total at 24. We don't know if we'll be there or not, but if we're not could you answer this one question:
Why do you persist on making a mockery of your own promise to limit yourself to two terms?
2 comments:
According to Jim Bennett, Bob Bennett didn't say exactly what you said he said in 1992. Do you have larger context for the quotes?
Are you sure he didn't just say that he supported term limits for 12 years and that he would serve only 12 years if term limits were in place?
I do agree it is time for him to retire and I also agree Cherilyn Eagar is the best one running, today or tomorrow.
A: Not a surprise Jim Bennett’s defense although it makes no sense. We have published more complete citations of Bob's push for term limits yet in none of them does it cite Bob as only limiting himself "if term limits were in place" as you suggest. If one starts mincing past words (like the infamous definition of “is”) one could possibly argue any position from any words. Yet word-stretch doesn’t erase the undeniable impression Bob left with Utahns as a result of his campaign--during a time when term limits was a hot topic--was that in 12 years he’d be gone. That Bob has broken his promise is not a novelty topic unique to Nacilbupera.
These are published accounts in prestigious papers with massive circulation before introduction of the web. During a campaign, a candidate has both the right and responsibility to ensure that the quote is correct. We can find nor know of no such corrections offered by candidate Bennett that he was misquoted or misrepresented. Not only did he say he’d limit himself but he sure didn’t correct or clarify that it wouldn't apply to him if his standard was not applied uniformly.
BTW, Bob and/or spokespersons are welcome to refute any claim on this blog with substantiated evidence; we do not censure disagreement.
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