...By now you may have seen or heard the attacks of my opponent, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. His negative advertisements confirm two facts we've known for some time 1) He's behind in the polls 2) He doesn't even recognize that a moral/ethical line exists.
Beginning a TV presence with negative advertising is a tell tale sign of an incumbent who's behind. His distortions go beyond twisting the truth; they are just down right lies.
In one of his disgraceful attacks, my opponent says I voted to increase Medicaid reimbursements so I could make myself and my friends more wealthy. Those of us in the medical field know that no body makes money on Medicaid. Many medical practices serving Medicaid populations can hardly make ends meet and are in danger of having to close their doors.
In another, Lt. Gov. Kinder attacks me for voting against a bill that would have made it more difficult for the state to investigate cases of physical and sexual abuse against children. Twice in the media, he has attacked me for this, and twice third parties have provided verification that my position was right.
From the KY3 Political Blog: "In voting against house bills 679 and 396 in 2003, Sam Page was defending children in foster care," says Lori Burns-Bucklew, attorney and member of the Kansas City Prevention Roundtable. "There were so many reasons to vote against this bill. For example, it required addresses of foster homes to be disclosed which put the foster kids' safety in jeopardy, and it would have put children at risk by making it more difficult to prosecute cases of child abuse. Sam Page did the right thing," she adds...
In defending this legislation, Lt. Gov. Kinder is saying he favors legislation to make it more difficult to investigate and prosecute cases of physical and sexual abuse against children. I've challenged Lt. Gov. Kinder to find one reputable child care advocate who agrees with his position.
The Kansas City Star Editorial Board also agreed with my position in 2003: In July, Holden vetoed the bill, which would make numerous changes in Missouri's child-protection system. His reasons were sound: It would have limited the state's power to supoena witnesses in abuse and neglect cases, taking away an important tool in finding out the truth. It would also have required law enforcement officials to videotape child witnesses. Experts say that could be frightening to the children and could discourage them from talking...
