Keadle Campaign Misrepresents Issues

Mrs. Bethel stated that Mr. Keadle has not defined himself. For many months his campaign was based on accusing the incumbent, Representative Watt, of casting votes that most people would find appalling. Unfortunately, he apparently did not check the facts first. He has stated that Mr. Watt voted against Megan’s Law, a law that requires the registration of convicted sex offenders. Even though I do not share most of Mr. Watt’s positions, his reservations about Megan’s Law, as described in House Report 104-555 with Mr. Boucher, Mr. Scott and Mr. Conyers, have significant merit. However, a simple check of the voting record shows that Megan’s Law passed unanimously. Does Mr. Keadle assume that Mr. Watt does not know how he voted? Does Mr. Keadle think that Mr. Watt will not point out the fallacy of Mr. Keadle’s accusation?

I would like to understand Mr. Keadle’s difficulty with my "Pro-Lady" stand. I have tremendous respect for both men and women who are in the paid working world, as I have been for over 20 years. At the same time, just as many other working men and working women do, I honor the role of the stay-at-home mom. Why? When a parent raises a child, that work will last for eternity. Remember that the first thing the typical brawny football player does when he gets on television is to say "hi mom." Moms leave an impact on our lives that no institution can replace. As I state in my "Pro-family" stand: "It takes a family, not a village." We need to protect the family and the stay-at-home mom. John Kozlowski will protect the role of the stay-at-home mom, including withstanding the attacks of those whose view may be otherwise.

Mr. Keadle has taken two positions from the Kozlowski For Congress literature and convoluted them into saying that John Kozlowski wants to outlaw birth control pills. I have stated that I would like to see legislation that requires clear labeling of birth control products to indicate whether they work before fertilization as a contraceptive, after fertilization as an abortifacient, or both. Simply reading the manufacture’s literature on birth control pills indicates that they are "triphasic", a cryptic word indicating that they are both. I believe that consumers need an informed choice. Does Mr. Keadle want an uninformed consumer? Does Mr. Keadle want to deny a woman’s right to know?

We agree that Partial Birth Abortion should be outlawed. Therefore, using Mr. Keadle’s logic, can we assume he would do so by outlawing scissors, since that is the tool that is used to kill the child? John Kozlowski believes that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban is an effective tool in limiting this gruesome procedure. However, the ban would not outlaw late-term abortions. It would only outlaw a procedure. John Kozlowski’s focus is not to outlaw tools or procedures, but to outlaw the act of murder. John Kozlowski is Pro-Life, being defined as one who would protect life from the moment of fertilization to the moment of natural death. Mr. Keadle states simply that he is Pro-Life. Being against Partial Birth Abortion does not mean you are Pro-Life. Why is he unwilling to define himself in writing?

Mr. Carlson stated: "He [John Kozlowski] wants America to adopt Switzerland’s requirement that every citizen carry a weapon – preferably a machine gun." I have made several trips to Switzerland and failed to notice people walking down the street with machine guns over their shoulders. We need to get the fundamental fact straight that Switzerland requires a weapon at home, not that it must be carried.

This distortion is taken from a Right to Bear Arms flyer of which I have distributed over 9,500 copies. It gives three reasons why we need to protect our right to bear arms: for self-defense, to limit a tyrannical government and to reduce the possibility of foreign invasion. For the last reason, I remind readers of the effectiveness of an armed populace in deterring an invasion of Switzerland by Adolf Hitler. I have also verbally said in the hearing of Mr. Carlson and Mr. Keadle that many Swiss have machine guns. However, if I state that people in Russia speak Russian, does that mean that I want to force U.S. citizens to speak Russian? NO! If I state that I want to repeal laws that prohibit law-abiding citizens from owning and carrying arms, does that mean I want to force people to carry a machine gun? NO! Since my wife and I have concealed weapon permits and I am more often than not armed, does it mean that I am part of the phenomena that has reduced the murder rate in our nation by over 1,500 lives per year? YES!

I have stood and continue to stand against term limits. The concept of "throw the bums out" may be popular, but I believe term limits is not the cure. Once President Clinton won re-election he became a "Lame Duck" with no incentive of re-election to help keep him accountable to the people. We do not need a Congress without accountability. We must take the campaign advantage of incumbents away, such as the elimination of mass mailings by incumbents. John Kozlowski has made a written commitment to not use taxpayer funded mass mailings. We must also eliminate the generous retirement package and other perks of office. We need to make elected office a place to serve, not to be served.

On March 13th John Kozlowski signed the League of Women Voters of North Carolina’s "Code of Election Ethics Pledge." Part of the pledge states that "I also will not use or permit the use of any campaign material or advertisement which misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding my opponent." You can view the actual document at www.Kozlowski.org. Mr. Keadle has either not signed the pledge or has violated it. His campaign has demonstrated a series of unwarranted accusations against the incumbent and myself that are easily proven false.