SUBMITTED RELEASE FROM NEVADA STATE DEMOCRATIC PARY
By Phoebe Sweet
LAS VEGAS–First Brian Sandoval, a GOP candidate for governor, couldn’t decide whether he wanted to be secretary of state or a federal judge or the governor of Nevada.
Now it’s clear that’s not the only thing Brian Sandoval is confused about.
His campaign hit not one speed bump but four last week, as he was repeatedly exposed for flip-flopping. In fact, Sandoval even changed his mind on whether he was willing to put his positions on the issues on the record.
Sandoval was first exposed by the Las Vegas Sun for changing his mind on driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, after telling a group of Hispanic voters that he would “strongly consider” granting the licenses. But in February Sandoval told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he supports current state law, which denies drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Apparently not learning from his mistakes, Sandoval then told First Lady Dawn Gibbons on her radio talk show that he would never support a tax increase. Two days later, political columnist Steve Sebelius of Las Vegas City Life called Sandoval out for having sued the Legislature in 2003 to ensure passage of an $830 million tax increase–a tax increase that was, at the time, the largest in state history.
But why quit when you’re on a roll? The same day Sandoval was skewered for lying about his tax-happy history, he told a reporter that he refused to sign a conservative anti-tax pledge because he “never signs pledges.” But that, too, was a flip-flop. In 2002 Sandoval signed the Marriage Protection Pledge, which said that he would not support domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples.
Which brings us to flip-flop No. 4. Sandoval told several news organizations when he announced his intention to run against incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons in the Republican primary that he supported SB283, the historic legislation passed in 2009 that gives same-sex partners more than 900 of the same rights enjoyed by opposite-sex partners.
That’s four flip-flops and several outright lies from Sandoval, a candidate campaigning on ethics and trust, and who says his candidacy offers Nevadans a “reason to believe again.”
“What is it, exactly, that Nevadans should believe?” said Phoebe Sweet, communications director for the Nevada State Democratic Party. “Should we believe Brian when he says he supports driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, or when he says he doesn’t? Should we believe him when he says he hates tax increases, or should we judge him by his actions? Should we believe that he never signs pledges but does support domestic partner legislation, or should we trust his signature on the dotted line?
“In fact, Nevada voters should not trust Brian Sandoval at all. And they deserve better from their next governor than more of the same lies and pandering from Republicans.”
