No clutter.
Just news.

Video Release: Tom Campbell Exposed As A FCINO: Fiscal Conservative In Name Only

February 03, 2010

SACRAMENTO, CA – Carly for California today released “FCINO,” a Web video exposing Tom Campbell as a “Fiscal Conservative In Name Only.” Since his flip-flop into the Senate race, Campbell has been calling himself a fiscal conservative based on his time as a member of Congress nearly two decades ago, hoping that voters will ignore his recent support for more government spending, increased borrowing, a $16 billion tax hike and a 32-cent gas tax increase.

“California voters beware: Tom Campbell is a wolf in sheep’s clothing when it comes to his campaign rhetoric on taxes and government spending. He is a fiscal liberal masquerading as a ‘Fiscal Conservative In Name Only,’” said Carly for California Deputy Campaign Manager for Communications Julie Soderlund. “The last thing California needs is another tax-hiking, big-spending senator – Barbara Boxer has done more than her fair share of that over the last 18 years. And given his record of support for higher taxes, more borrowing and increased government spending, there is no reason to believe Taxin’ Tom would be any different.”

The video is available here: www.FCINO.com

In conjunction with this Web video, www.FCINO.com also launched today. This site serves as a portal for Californians to learn more about the truth behind Campbell’s liberal fiscal record. In addition, visitors can report other FCINO sightings on the site and donate to elect Carly Fiorina, a true fiscal conservative.

Facts About The Web Video

VOICE OVER: Purity. Piety. Our fiscal conservative leaders. Men and women we admire. Aspire to be. Wholesome. Honorable. True believers. Men like Tom Campbell. Who would never lead us astray, his pedestal so high. Leaving but one way to fall.

GRAPHIC: Tom Campbell. Fiscal genius?

FACTS:
Campbell Was A “Key Player” In Shaping The 2005 Budget. “In his role, Campbell was a key player in crafting the $117.5 billion budget that Schwarzenegger signed on July 11 (the earliest such an agreement has been reached between the governor and the Legislature in five years).” (Bree Hocking, “Ex-Rep. Tom Campbell: Up To The Elbow Patches In State’s Budget Mess,” Roll Call, 8/15/05)

Campbell “Helped Craft” Gov. Schwarzenegger’s 2005 Budget. “A fiscally conservative, socially liberal Republican, Campbell was known as a courtly policy wonk who held firm against raising taxes. He helped craft the governor’s second budget, which left education groups crying foul, but resulted in fewer-than-expected reductions to social programs. Campbell was also in the center of recent failed negotiations with Democrats to head off special election warfare.” (Kate Folmar, “Governor’s Budget Guru To Quit Post,” Contra Costa Times, 9/8/05)

Campbell “Conceded That The Budget Contains Significant Borrowing.” “Tom Campbell, Schwarzenegger’s new finance director, conceded that the budget contains significant borrowing. But he said there wasn’t anything deceptive about it.” (Gary Delsohn, “Plan Relies Heavily On Borrowing,” Sacramento Bee, 1/11/05)

VOICE OVER: That’s fiscally conservative, Tom?

GRAPHIC: The Tom Campbell Budget. “…multi-billion dollar operating deficits…will persist…” – California Legislative Analyst Office, November 2005

FACTS:
California’s Official Nonpartisan Fiscal And Policy Advisor: “We Project That Multibillion-Dollar Operating Deficits…Will Persist Throughout Most Of The Forecast Period.” “Even assuming continued steady economic growth, we project that multibillion-dollar operating deficits (that is, annual shortfalls between revenues and expenditures) will persist throughout most of the forecast period. Eliminating these shortfalls will require significant actions. Beyond this, an economic downturn or even sharp slowdown sometime in the next several years would add several billions of dollars to the projected shortfalls, and while this is not our baseline forecast, it could always occur.” (“California’s Fiscal Outlook: LAO Projections 2005-06 Through 2010-11,” Legislative Analyst’s Office, November 2005)

VOICE OVER: And, Tom, while proclaiming your new-found fiscal conservatism, you seemed to have forgotten that you supported last year’s budget saying its tax increases were “the right thing to do.” Your current brilliant solution to California’s budget mess is to raise our gas tax – already the highest in the country – by 32 cents a gallon? Could there be a worse solution? Is that fiscally conservative, Tom?

GRAPHIC: Supported $12.5 billion tax increase. Supported gas tax increase.

FACTS:
In February 2009, Tom Campbell Wrote That Passing A Budget Loaded With Tax Increases “Was The Right Thing To Do.” “So, I do not criticize the State Senators and Assemblymembers, Democratic and Republican, who put together the current state budget fix. I predict we’ll have to revisit it; perhaps soon. For now, however, it was the right thing to do.”(Tom Campbell, “On The California State Budget,” FoxandHoundsdaily.com, 2/25/09)

Campbell: Gov. Schwarzenegger And California Legislators Did The Right Thing By Passing $12.5 Billion In Tax Hikes. “After five years as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger came full circle on Friday: The film star who promised to rescue California from its fiscal wreckage without raising taxes signed into law $12.5 billion in tax hikes. With that, the Republican governor broke one of the few bonds left between his shrunken party and California’s mainstream voters, marring its hard-won image as a guardian against higher taxes. … The party’s lone gubernatorial contender defending the tax hikes is Tom Campbell. A former Silicon Valley congressman and state finance director under Schwarzenegger, he all but guaranteed himself pariah status among the party’s rank and file by saying the governor and Legislature did the right thing.” (Michael Finnegan, “The State Budget Crisis: Financial And Political Fallout,” Los Angeles Times, 2/21/09)

Campbell Said The Legislature Was Right To Pass The Budget Loaded With Tax Increases. “Campbell said the Legislature was actually right to pass the budget last week. Rather than tell lies or risk being tarred and feathered, he skipped the convention a wise call to move to Orange County, where he’ll be a visiting law professor at Chapman Law School.” (Editorial, “So, Whitman And Poizner, How Would You Have Balanced The Budget?,” San Jose Mercury News, 2/23/09)

Campbell Proposes Raising California’s Gas Tax By 32-Cents. “Campbell, who was Schwarzenegger’s finance director in 2004-05, also has employed a potentially risky strategy by outlining on his Web site exactly how he’d close the state’s $24 billion deficit. Perhaps the most unusual piece is a temporary 32-cent gas hike; he’d use the money to prevent the firing of teachers, an increase in class sizes and elimination of community college courses. In a talk before the Silicon Valley Leadership Group on Friday, Campbell acknowledged that recommending a gas tax was ‘third-rail politics.’” (Ken McLaughlin, “Can Tom Campbell Upset Billionaires Running For California Governor?,” San Jose Mercury News, 6/19/09)

Campbell Proposes A “Steep Increase In The State’s Gasoline Tax.” “Yet analysts say Mr. Campbell has an equalizer: a state-budget mess that plays to his strengths as an economist. When Sacramento lawmakers this year slashed spending and raised taxes to close a cumulative $60 billion budget shortfall, the candidate traveled California to tout alternative solutions that rankle loyalists in both parties, but which he said are longer-lasting and less harmful to the state’s economy. Democrats scorn his ideas for permanent cuts to welfare and social services in lieu of one-time fixes, while Republicans strongly oppose his proposal for a steep increase in the state’s gasoline tax.” (The Wall Street Journal, 8/18/09)

VOICE OVER: And sadly, we’re just getting started. You also campaigned for a ballot measure last Spring that would have extended a supposedly temporary tax hike in the sales tax, the income tax, and vehicle license fees for another two years. At the end of the day, that’s another $16 billion in new taxes you supported, Tom.

GRAPHIC: Supported extending $16 billion “temporary” tax.

FACTS:
Earlier In 2009, Campbell Publicly Supported Tax Increases Overwhelmingly Rejected By California Voters. “Campbell’s other gamble is to be The Republican who backs Proposition 1A, the spending-cap-but-it-comes-with-tax-increases measure that will be on the May 19 special election ballot. Whitman and Poizner both oppose the measure being championed by Schwarzenegger, Democratic legislative leaders and the handful of Republicans who voted for Sacramento’s most recent budget. That’s right – Campbell is supporting a measure that continues the current budget’s sales tax, income tax and vehicle license fee increases for another two years.” (Debra Saunders, “Campbell Is Banking On His Experience,” San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 4/12/09)

Campbell Supported An Extension Of Temporary Tax Hikes In 2009. “One potential Democratic gubernatorial rival, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, endorsed Proposition 1A last week. A Republican hopeful, former Rep. Tom Campbell, also has backed the measure. Proposition 1A would limit future spending growth and transfer money into a “rainy-day fund” to be used in economic slowdowns. That part has drawn fire from some labor unions. But Proposition 1A also would extend $16 billion worth of temporary tax hikes on sales, income and vehicles by as many as two more years, which has angered anti-tax groups.” (Kevin Yamamura, “Brown Says Prop. 1A Will Help ‘Next Governor’,” Capitol Alert, 4/14/09)

VOICE OVER: When in Congress, you supported a tax on the Internet. And you were publicly critical of the Bush tax cuts. I suppose we should not be surprised then, Tom, that you are the only Republican candidate to refuse to sign the “Tax Payer Protection Pledge” – no matter what office you were running for that particular week.

GRAPHIC: Supported an Internet tax. Criticized the Bush tax cuts. Refused to sign “no tax increase” pledge.

FACTS:
Campbell “Supports States Levying Sales Taxes On Internet Purchases.” “Campbell is no panderer. His congressional district is a high-tech haven, yet, unlike many Repubs, he supports states levying sales taxes on Internet purchases. ‘Otherwise, where do you get your money for police and fire departments?’ Campbell explained. ‘I took that stand because it was right.’” (Debra J. Saunders, “Campbell, The Anti-Pol,” San Francisco Chronicle, 9/3/00)

“He Also Would Not Rule Out Taxing Sales On The Internet.” (Peter Nicholas and Evan Halper, “State Gets A New Finance Chief,” Los Angeles Times, 11/5/04)

Campbell Publicly Criticized The Bush Tax Cut Plan In 2000. “Is Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) endorsing Ralph Nader for president? Campbell, the GOP challenger to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), actually remains a backer of Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s (R) presidential campaign. But for the first time, the House Republican this week publicly criticized Bush’s tax- cut plan and said he was ‘disappointed’ by the campaigns of both Bush and Vice President Al Gore.” (“California Campbell Takes Shot At George W. Bush,” Roll Call, 10/12/00)

Campbell Publicly Refused To Sign A No-Tax Pledge As Launched His Senate Campaign In January 2010. “Campbell, however, said he would not sign a No-Tax Pledge because, he argued, no one can anticipate every situation that might arise.” (Joel Fox, “Campbell Defends Fiscal Record As He Campaigns For U.S. Senate,” Fox & Hounds, 1/19/10)

Campbell Is Very Specific About Taxes: He Won’t Sign Anti-Tax Pledge And Proposed Raising Taxes On Gasoline. “Few people are paying attention. But Campbell’s still pumping out eye-glazing specifics, including these: Taxes. He won’t take the ‘no tax’ pledge because that would ‘handcuff’ a governor. He wants ‘flexibility.’ In fact, he proposed a one-year gas tax increase to balance the state budget rather than borrow and raid local treasuries.” (George Skelton, “What If He Had The Money,” Los Angeles Times, 10/12/09)

VOICE OVER: Tom Campbell. Is he what he tells us? Or, is he what he’s become over the years? A FCINO. A Fiscal Conservative In Name Only. A wolf, in sheep’s clothing. A man who literally helped put the state of California on the path to bankruptcy and higher taxes?

VOICE OVER: Might there be a better choice? Someone who has not made a career of politics. A political outsider. Perhaps a proven fiscal conservative, who has accomplished enormous things in life. Now, that sounds like the right choice for California.

FACTS:
“A Woman Who Started Her Career As A Secretary And Went On To Become The First, And Only, Woman To Lead A Fortune 20 Company Is Not To Be Underestimated, But Respected.” “By no means am I suggesting that Fiorina is a lightweight. A woman who started her career as a secretary and went on to become the first, and only, woman to lead a Fortune 20 company is not to be underestimated, but respected.” (The Washington Post, 11/5/09)

San Francisco Chronicle: Fiorina “Tough-As-Nails.” “Tough-as-nails former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign this week with defiant words for a ruthless opponent – her cancer.” (San Francisco Chronicle, 11/7/09)

NPR: “Her Resume Is Impressive.” “Fiorina says she’s a political newcomer who can bring her business sense to Congress. Her resume is impressive. As the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, she was the first woman to ever lead a Fortune top 20 company.” (“Former Silicon Valley CEO Targets Boxer’s Senate Seat,” National Public Radio, 11/5/09)

“She’s Charismatic And Commanding.” “Fiorina, who yesterday revealed her plans in the Orange County Register, has a personality tailor-made for campaigning: She’s charismatic and commanding.” (Fortune / CNN Money, 11/5/09)

Fiorina Rose From The Rank Of Secretary To CEO. “Ms. Fiorina adds that she learned the values of hard work and entrepreneurship after she left Stanford University with a degree in medieval history and philosophy and was ‘unemployable.’ She worked as a secretary at a real-estate firm until she joined a management training program at AT&T in 1980. She rose to oversee marketing and sales for the largest division of Lucent Technologies before taking over HP in 1999.” (The Wall Street Journal, 11/27/09)

Fiorina Impressed Last Year With “Her Strong Defense Of The Republican Ticket And Her Broad Knowledge Of Economic Issues.” “Few if any political analysts think liberal Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is in danger of being denied a fourth term, but this race is drawing a lot of attention because of former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina’s candidacy, her star power and the millions she can pour into her campaign. Mrs. Fiorina, a top economic adviser in Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid, has never run for public office before, but she impressed party pros last year with her strong defense of the Republican ticket and her broad knowledge of economic issues.” (The Washington Times, 11/10/09)

Fiorina’s Senate Endorsements “Cover A Range Of Backgrounds Within The Republican – From Conservative Tom Coburn To Moderates Such As Susan Collins And Olympia Snowe.” “Carly Fiorina has collected the endorsement of eight GOP senators, a day after announcing a run for the U.S. Senate in California. The endorsements, announced Thursday, cover a range of backgrounds within the Republican Party—from conservative Tom Coburn to moderates such as Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. They also include John McCain, who said he benefited from Fiorina’s no-nonsense style when she served as economic adviser during his failed presidential bid last year.” (The Associated Press, 11/5/09)