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Charlie Crist (R)
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Why do you want to be governor?
2006 Primary Election Special Report About this report Gubernatorial Candidates Charlie Crist Tom Gallagher Rod Smith Senatorial Candidates Katherine Harris Will McBride LeRoy Collins Editorial It’s our Christian duty to vote on Sept. 5 |
Because I want to continue what Jeb Bush has done and continue the legacy of fighting for the people, making sure we have good education, that we keep taxes low, that my view as a Reagan Republican to continue to foster good moral leadership and family values is very important to me and I think it’s very important to Florida’s future.
Let me ask you some questions about religion, since we’re a religious publication. What is your personal religious faith?
I’m a United Methodist. My grandfather immigrated and was Greek Orthodox. And so my father was raised Greek Orthodox, but my mother was raised Methodist. And when they started having kids they agreed to raise us in the Methodist church.
Are you a part of a local place of worship, a local church?
Yeah, First United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. It’s the church I’ve gone to since 1960. I’ve been on the administrative board there in the past. I’ve been very active in the church. I’ve been in the choir there as a boy. And I went through confirmation, I went through a Methodist youth camp in Leesburg, Florida. I’m very active. Not as active right now as I’d like to be, because I’m doing this. When I’m out of town on a Sunday I try to go to church wherever I am.
As a Methodist you would know that at some point in time we’re going to stand before God and give an account. When you are in that position are your confident that you’re going to spend eternity with God in Heaven?
I am. I am. Yes.
Someday when you die, if God asks you, “Why should I let you in My Heaven?” What would your answer be?
Because I believe in Christ, I believe in You, and I’ve led a good life and I’ve done unto others as I would want to be treated. I followed the precepts of the Bible and I have worked hard to be a good Christian and a man of faith.
How does your faith impact that way you govern today as a public official and how you would govern as governor?
I think the most powerful way would be in how you hold and have compassion for others and continue to comport yourself in a way that reflects the values that I think are important from one human being to another. To make sure that people are treated with dignity, with honor, and that we watch out for each other.
What role do you think that people of faith should pay in politics and government?
I think a very significant role. I think it’s very important that we encourage faith-based initiatives in government. I think it’s important what President Bush has done in that regard and I applaud him for it. In fact, I recently visited a faith-based initiative in a women’s prison, of all things, in Polk County. I think the more we can have that exposure within all parts of society, the better society we’re going to have as a whole. So, I’m very strongly supportive of it.
Do you support civil rights protections on the basis of sexual preference?
I support civil rights protections on the basis of people. I believe that we need to fight discrimination that is based on race, sex, creed, national origin and I’m obligated by the position as attorney general of the state of Florida to do that now because I swore to an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States of America and the state of Florida.
To be more precise about it, the homosexual lobby is pressing for civil rights on basis sexual preference or sexual orientation, they would say. Do you support that agenda?
No, it’s not an agenda item that I support. But I support civil rights to fight discrimination.
Do you support repealing the ban on homosexual adoption?
No.
Why?
I think it’s appropriate to have parents adopt from a traditional family for children.
There’s been a lot of debate the last few years in the legislature about this subject and frequently the issue related to homosexuals being able to serve as foster parents is put forward as a reason, as a rationale for repealing the ban. So do you think that it’s proper for homosexuals to serve as foster parents if it’s not appropriate for them to adopt?
It’s the law of the land now in Florida. And I don’t subscribe to the rationale that because that’s currently the law that we should push to have adoption in that regard.
Let me reverse it then, should the foster provision be changed so that homosexuals cannot serve as foster parents?
I think the law right now is fine.
You wouldn’t support changing that then?
If a change were put forward, I’d review it.
You’d be open to it?
I would.
Do you support the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment?
In fact, I’ve signed the petition for it.
You gave an interview recently to a Miami progressive radio station in which you seemed to suggest that you’re open to civil unions.
I am.
Can you explain your position on that?
Sure. I think it’s fine. If people want to sign an agreement to be able to do hospital visitations or work-out funeral arrangements and things of that nature – I agree with President Bush. I don’t have a problem with that.
President Bush, I don’t think, has supported civil unions.
He’s supported exactly what I’ve just stated. Yes. In the 2004 election, to be precise.
I can review that. I don’t think that’s his position.
It is; I can send it to you. You gave me your card. I’ll send it to you.
Okay.
It is.
So you don’t see that there’s a conflict between supporting the Marriage Protection Amendment and supporting civil unions which is another
No, I don’t.
way to recognize homosexual marriage?
No, I don’t and I wouldn’t agree that it is. Marriage is a separate institution, and you know it. And I think the president understands that and that’s why he’s alright with civil unions, but believes that marriage should be between a man and woman as I do.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The Witness contacted the White House on Aug. 16 to seek a statement on the president’s position on civil unions. Spokesperson Nicole Guillemard e-mailed comments by then White House press secretary Scott McClellan from a Feb. 24, 2004, press briefing describing the president’s position on civil unions: “Yes, states can make their own decisions with regard to legal arrangements. That would include hospital visitation rights, it would include insurance benefits, it would include civil unions -- we talked about this earlier. The President has made it very clear that he would not have supported it for the state of Texas.” Ms. Guillemard also sent a comment President Bush made in an Oct. 26, 2004, ABC News interview: “I don’t think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that’s what a state chooses to do so.”]
On the issue of abortion – I want to set aside the public policy questions for a minute and solely ask first of all on the issue of abortion, is abortion a moral evil?
I’m pro-life.
Is abortion a moral evil?
I don’t think we should have abortions.
What I’m trying to do is get to the ethical question before the public policy question. Is abortion an evil? Is it a bad thing?
It’s a bad thing. Of course, it is.
Okay. Then on the public policy questions related to abortion, there have been states, especially South Dakota, that have pushed limits on abortion intending to push the issue to the Supreme Court, to get issue back before the Supreme Court. Do you support that sort of an agenda in Florida to challenge Roe v. Wade?
No.
What limitations on abortion would you support?
I think what we need to do – again, I’ll refer President Bush, I think we need to encourage a culture of life by promoting adoption and I think it’s important in my view, more important to change hearts than change the law. I’m opposed to abortion – that’s why I’m pro-life. And I think we need to encourage more of it in our society through promoting adoptions, just as the way President Bush has done so at the national level. I think that’s the better way to go.
What’s your view of Gov. Bush’s effort with regard to Terri Schiavo?
I didn’t agree with it.
In what way?
Just had a different point of view.
Can you elaborate?
Sure, sure, sure. I think some decisions should be left to God and family, not government.
Were there any parts of what Gov. Bush did in relation to that issue that you thought was appropriate? Was it all inappropriate?
We helped him. Gov. Bush is a friend of mine, you need to understand that. And my friend asked our office, his general counsel’s office asked our office for help with the pleadings and that, and we were helpful. But again, I feel that decisions of that nature are better left to God and family.
Is there something wrong with Florida’s statutes when someone like Terri Schiavo can be starved to death? She was not in the process of dying; her death was as result of the fact that food and water were removed from her. Is there something wrong with our statutes when the courts can interpret the laws to allow that to happen?
I don’t think so.
You think the law is good the way it stands?
I think we have good law in Florida.
So you support the definition of food and hydration as extraordinary care?
I didn’t say that. I feel that the laws we have in Florida are good. I believe that what happened in Terri Schiavo’s case is a horrific tragedy. Anytime somebody passes away it’s very sad. But I believe that some decisions in that regard should be left to God and family.
You expressed the view that you disagreed with President Bush’s veto of the federal legislation to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Can you explain your position on that and why you hold that view?
Yeah, I think that stem cell research can be utilized in a very positive way to save life and to create a better quality of life for many people who suffer currently from many diseases. And so that’s why I feel that way.
Even though embryonic stem cell research carries with it significant ethical concerns and that there are others —
They don’t have ethical concerns for me when you view the fact that those stem cells were going to be destroyed anyway. It seems to be if that’s the case – they’re already going to be destroyed – why not try to benefit life from it?
Are those embryos human beings?
I don’t know.
It seems to me that’s the ethical question tied up in that. That’s why pro-lifers oppose embryonic stem cell
Not all pro-lifers do, like Nancy Reagan, like Connie Mack, like Bill Frist.
Most do.
That’s fine.
You don’t have an opinion on the moral status of an embryo?
Yeah, it’s to be respected. It’s life. And there are ways to extract the stem cells from embryos without destroying them now because of new technology. And I think that’s a very positive evolution.
What’s your view of state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
I would support it.
With any limitations?
Probably some, but I would have review what they were.
On gambling, do you think there’s too much or just enough or too little?
I think we shouldn’t expand gambling.
Did you support or oppose Amendment 4 to permit gambling in Broward and Miami-Dade.
I opposed it.
Why should Florida Baptists care about this election?
Because it’s important to the future of Florida. It’s important to their children. And they need to have a good, moral leader as the next governor of this state. And that’s why I hope they vote for Charlie Crist.