Stimpson is running for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and she says Sarah Palin paved the way for commonsense conservative candidates like herself. There is no primary in this race; instead a convention will be held and the nomination made there. Stimpson maps out her plans for Virginia, putting a premium on limited government. Don’t miss this pro-life, pro-gun, mother and wife as she looks to grab the GOP nomination. Stimpson is married to a Marine and she’s endorsed by Jamie Radtke. Sarah Palin sends her prayers to the city of Boston after an unthinkable week there. Also, Governor Palin commends those who stopped the latest liberal gun control measure. Plus, a tribute to Rand Paul and big birthdays for Trig and Track. Steel Resolve, our weekly commentary with Sarah Steelman is featured as well.
Taking Local Limited Government Success to the State Level
Stimpson is currently the chair of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and comes from a grassroots experience, a significant point of difference from her rivals in the crowded field of seven candidates for Lt. Governor. Stafford is the seventh largest county in Virgina. Stimpson said she has a record of “actually limiting government” by cutting taxes “for three years in a row” and reducing personnel to 2004 levels in the general administration. “Conservative governing works and Stafford County is thriving. I want to take that same success to the entire state, because I’m very good at building coalitions and actually accomplishing getting those conservative principles into good governance,” she said.
Jamie Radtke who ran for Senate and who starred in The Undefeated is backing Stimpson. “It was really very much an honor to have her support,” Stimpson said about Radtke’s backing. She continued, “Jamie is very principled. It’s not something she did overnight. We certainly met, we spoke, we talked often, and she’s become a good friend.” She said Radtke’s support would “translate into quite a few delegates come May 18.”
The Sarah Palin of Virginia?
Scholla asked Stimpson what commonalities she has with former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She replied, “Well, I look at Sarah Palin and she certainly never really seemed to be bothered too much by the criticism that came at her because in my view – I talked with her – she had a very clear vision of what it was she was fighting for,” Stimpson said. “I’m taking my knocks in this race right now. I got attacked coming from all different angles, but I also know what I’m fighting for as well, and I really believe we are in a battle right now for liberty and for freedom.”
She continued, “unfortunately, in the Commonwealth of Virgina, the Republicans control all three houses of government, yet we just passed the largest tax increase in Virgina’s history.” She said the increase concerns her not simply because of the burden, but the question of “what freedom will be next?” She said Virgina put “the expansion of ObamaCare on the table,” and called out what the federal government was – and will continue – trying to do with gun control. She cited the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers and how area residents were largely defenseless since they are not permitted to have a gun to protect themselves. She said the “Second Amendment appears to be next on the chopping block” and the Republicans are all too willing to cave in and go along with it.
In Reagan’s Footsteps: State, Name Problem, Force Defense
Stimpson said she is the only Lt. Governor candidate speaking out about the Republican leadership about passing the tax hike. She said the only thing the others have said is that they “voted ‘no’ for the bill.” She harkened back to Ronald Reagan. “He stated the problem, he named the problem, and he forced them to defend it – ‘Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!’ That’s what as Republicans, we need to do right now,” she said. Stimpson said she is “not going to waste the opportunity” she has right now and she knows what she is fighting for. “This is a tough battle we’re in. This is not a time to play ‘careful.’ It’s time to go on offense.”
Gov. Palin a Warm Human Being, Trail Blazer
Scholla said Stimpson’s approach sounds just like Gov. Palin’s. Stimpson met Gov. Palin at a rally in Fredericksburg in 2008, after giving one of the speeches there. “The thing that really struck me about her was her warmth,” she said. Stimpson brought her daughter – then age 12 – to the meeting and “she was just especially kind to my daughter. They’re just a great family and Sarah Palin has certainly taken her knocks, but I will tell you that she has paved the way for people like me. I watched what she did. I watched what she endured. I tried to maybe learn from some of the mistakes or maybe how the media will play games,” she said. Stimpson hopes that people will watch her and be more accepted when they step into their leadership roles.
Political Authority is by Consent of the People
“I truly believe that the authority I hold in making decisions is by the consent of the people, and it is by their vote that has put me there. Every dollar that I spend for the government – I better be sure that it is being wisely spent, because there are people who worked really hard to make that money. I believe limited government keeps the power where it should be, and that’s in the people’s hands. I believe our government exists to defend our rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. When you start stepping outside of that is when you start infringing on people’s liberty,” she said.
“The idea behind liberty and freedom is that it allows us to be the best that we can be: free to make choices, free to innovate, free to make decisions, and that’s why I believe in limited government,”Stimpson said.
Taxpayer’s Money is the People’s Money
In her current office, Stimpson is fighting a budget battle. The Board wants to spend taxpayer’s dollars on pet projects. She said if “we keep having surplus money, it means we taxed the people too much and that’s the people’s money.” She said bureaucracies naturally want to grow. Under Stimpson’s leadership, the Board cut a regressive business tax, cut real estate taxes three years in a row, cut the boat tax in half, zeroed out tax service districts and in-tax fees. “It’s just a consistent walking back of taxes in Stafford County.”
Second Amendment a Hedge Against Tyranny
Stimpson is the only candidate who supports Constitutional Carry and a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. She is the wife of a retired Marine. “I understand that the right to bear arms is not just so you can carry guns. It’s a hedge against tyranny. It is a protection of our first principles: the rights and freedom of assembly, of religion, and speech. That’s why it exists, so I’m going be just a very passionate defender of the right to bear arms,” she said.
Scholla said New York’s Governor Cuomo and others of his ilk who speak about hunting have no idea of what the Second Amendment is even about. “I do think that is also one of the things we as Republicans need to do: engage the culture where they are. It is up to us to articulate, to educate, and to talk about why liberty matters, why the Second Amendment matters; why the first principles – freedom of assembly, press, speech, and religion – why those matter. What does that mean for the average family? It means they can be the best that they can be,” Stimpson said.
“All Life Has Intrinsic Value”
Stimpson joins rank with Gov. Palin and former candidate Radtke in her uncompromising pro-life position. “I believe all life has intrinsic value, and that is consistent with the way that I govern. I believe people should be treated with dignity, even when you disagree with them. So, my same regard for people in how I govern is the same passion I have for the mothers and their unborn children.” Forty-one percent of our nation’s children are born to unmarried parents, Stimpson said. “Women are bearing a burden in our society. We need to be affirming women, and we also need to be affirming their unborn children.”
School Choice Encourages Competition, Better Schools
Stimpson said her children attend public schools and she is grateful for the good teachers they have. She said many otherwise “good teachers are held hostage by mandates” from school administrators, the state and the federal government. “If we have more choice – it’s called the free market – I think by having more competition, in the educational sector, our public schools will be stronger.” Further, she said, “every child is different and every child has a different educational need. Home-schooling might be better for one child, and a private school might work best for another, and a public school may work very well for others.”
Support Small Business with Broad Tax Cuts
The way to support small business is with “broad tax cuts,” Stimpson said. “You don’t favor one business over nother.” In her current office, Stimpson said, “we eliminated our aggressive business tax….we developed a 10-point economic plan. Investors want certainty, so the Republicans on the Stafford Board of Supervisors adopted strict fiscal guidelines that told investors what they could expect in Stafford County. We cut many of our taxes and eliminated many regulations that were in place.” She said Stafford County is business-friendly and very successful. She had run on a platform of opening a technology and research center, the ribbon to which was recently cut.
A Soldier’s Wife…
Stimpson moved to Fredericksburg when she was 18. At age 22 and while a senior in college, she met her husband, who was 21 at the time and was an enlisted Marine since the age of 17. He went to the Naval Academy and she spent 15 years of their marriage as a military spouse. “It was real testing and shaping of me as a person, and a lens through which I govern.” On average, they moved every 1.8 years. She said this gives her a greater understanding of veterans’ issues and of military families. The Stimpsons have a 16-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son.
Her website is: susanstimpson.com.
Steel Resolve: “Don’t Know What You’ve Got, Until it’s Gone”
“This week, I’m reminded of those lyrics, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone,’” Sarah Steelman said as she opened her weekly Steel Resolve segment. “It’s been a week full of tragedy and triumph. The terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon was horrific. Watching Americans come to the aid of others was so heart-warming. The law enforcement efforts by all those involved in identifying and finding the terrorists was impressive. Thank goodness for the first responders and the medical professionals who tended to those in need.”
“What I find interesting, but rather predictable is the response by the audience at sporting events in Boston: the Bruins and the Red Sox games this weekend,” she continued. “At the playing of the National Anthem, the audience response was overwhelmingly singing it at the top of their lungs loudly and defiantly. Watching it gave me goosebumps and lifted my heart about the American Spirit. I love sports, because it brings people together despite their political differences.”
Steelman continued, “my sons played high school football and basketball, and one of my favorite things to do was to join in singing the National Anthem at every single one of their games. Only problem was, I was usually the only one singing, and despite the fact that people next to me probably didn’t want to hear me, I sang every word loud and clear so everyone could hear me – every game, and this is not an exaggeration.”
“My heart broke a little for my country, because people have become so complacent about how lucky we truly are to be Americans, until something bad unites us and then our strength is renewed. I am thankful for that. But, let’s sing from our hearts every single time we get the chance, because you really don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone. God bless America,” she concluded.
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