New Miss California: I’m a uniter, not a divider

There will be no political or ideological campaigns waged by the new Miss California USA, who said she will work for unity after the brief and controversial reign of her predecessor, Carrie Prejean.

“There’s been divisive questions,” Tami Farrell told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Thursday morning. “I’ve been brought in to try to unify our state.”

Lauer asked Farrell if she feels that she will not be able to speak her mind because of the controversial stand against same-sex marriage Prejean had taken.

“I’m not being silenced for my beliefs,” Farrell said. “I just think that this isn’t a battle that anybody can win. I’m going to do my best to refocus on the other aspects.”

‘That dog won’t hunt’
Keith Lewis, the head of the Miss California Pageant, joined Farrell in Los Angeles for the interview with Lauer. He denied Prejean’s allegations that she had been fired for her vocal defense of traditional marriage.

Prejean apparently learned she was no longer Miss California during a telephone interview Wednesday night with Billy Bush of “Access Hollywood.”

“None of this would be happening right now if I had just said, ‘Yeah, gays should get married,’ ” Prejean told Bush. “I want to be Miss California. I earned it. I deserved it. I won. I beat out 90 other girls. I mean, this is something that I did and I accomplished and I would like to continue to be Miss California.”

Video   Miss California speaks out May 12: Carrie Prejean gives an impassioned speech after learning she will retain her crown. MSNBC

But Lewis told Lauer that Prejean’s opinions on marriage had nothing to do with her being fired.

“I think it’s time for us to move back this political platform that she was fired because of her beliefs, because that dog just won’t hunt,” Lewis said. He reiterated that Prejean simply was not willing or available to make the public appearances the pageant asked her to make.

“There were tens and tens and tens of appearances that she was not available for,” Lewis told Lauer. “She wasn’t cooperative. It was not appropriate for somebody who was trying to represent the state and be a role model.”

Video   Officials: Prejean has breached contract May 11: Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler from the Miss California USA Pageant say that it’s Carrie Prejean’s actions since the Miss USA pageant, not her stand on same-sex marriage, that have endangered her crown. MSNBC

You’re fired, after all
Lewis had already attempted to fire Prejean for not meeting her contractual obligations and for not disclosing that she had posed for seminude pictures. But Prejean was saved by pageant owner Donald Trump, who announced at a May 12 New York press conference that he had brought Prejean and California pageant officials together and that Prejean agreed to communicate and cooperate with the pageant.

Yet, on Wednesday, Trump backed Lewis’ decision to fire Prejean. “I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen.

“Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests,” Trump added.

The suddenness of the firing caught Farrell off guard.

“I was definitely surprised, but I’m honored to represent the state of California,” she told Lauer. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to get out there and really work with some of the amazing programs we’re affiliated with.”

Controversial reign
Prejean’s reign as Miss California had been marked by controversy since she said at the Miss USA pageant that she believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman. She subsequently became a spokeswoman for the National Organization for Marriage, a group promoting what it calls traditional marriage, and had to explain seminude modeling photos she had posed for in apparent violation of her contract.

Video   Miss California: ‘I wouldn’t change’ April 21: Carrie Prejean and Perez Hilton each comment on her controversial reply about same-sex marriage. Today show

Her attorney, Charles LiMandri, issued a statement contesting Lewis’ assertion that Prejean wasn’t willing to make the appearances requested of her by pageant officials. “The claim that she is refusing to appear is false,” LiMandri said.

Rejoined Lewis to Lauer: “The important thing to remember there is that Mr. LiMandri is also general counsel for the National Organization for Marriage.”

Lewis repeated that he was not criticizing Prejean’s beliefs, but he suggested that the 21-year-old should have left the controversy to die.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to then take it to another level weeks and weeks and weeks afterward,” Lewis said. “Move on.”

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