CalBorderPolice - DOA?

From everything I’ve been hearing, the CalBorderPolice Initiative is a non-starter.

That the Governor polled it, and it came back lackluster. That it isn’t raising hardly squat for money. That it isn’t collecting nearly enough signatures.

What’s the word elsewhere? Does this thing have a shot?

Afraid or Arrogant or Both?

I have been getting reports back that John Campbell will not answer questionaires from conservative organizations.

Why?

Is John Campbell afraid or just arrogant or both?

Here is an open letter from a group calling themselves The Successor Project:

Dear Senator Campbell:

Conservative activists want to embrace your campaign and be embraced by you. TSP represents many organizations and local activists in your district. We have asked that you consider filling out our questionaire about your views, and participate in a short video-taped interview where our members could help you get your conservative views out to the grass-roots. Conservative activists only need a reason to support you: you showing real interest in us and our policy concerns.

Respected conservatives Bill Saracino and Jon Fleischman have contacted your campaign manager about scheduling a video-taping to suit your schedule. There is no hidden agenda here.

But today, your campaign manager, presented us an ultimatum. He wrote in an email that you would only participate in a video interview if two members of the TSP Board resigned.

This is not the path for you to take as one who may well be the next member of Congress in the 48th Congressional District. This site has not been “out to get you.” We have reported the race as it is. Please reconsider. We are waiting to hear from you.

Is Duf Imploding?

Anyone watch Duf at the CRP convention? Not such going on with that man.

He has actively been arguing that the CRP is broke, so the CRP shouldn't spend money on the Special Election. Over his objections and that of his appointee as Budget and Expenditure Committee Chair, Anna Bryson, the Board over ruled them and set a budget for the Special.

The Democrat web site sells opposition to the Special Election. The Democrats have a BIG RED BOX at the top of their web site promoting the Special Election. We need to pay attention to detail.

The CRP web site (www.cagop.org) sells VISA cards and Bob Hope. (thought he was dead, but the Special is in a few weeks).

Duf is promoting the fact that the CRP is in deficit. Yet on the John Ziegler radio show (KFI Los Angeles) he announced the CRP was going to spend $500,000 on a study of illegal immigration. The Board of Directors knew nothing about this. When asked, it wasn't a study paid for by the CRP, it was something else. In other words Duf was acting like a big shot on radio.

Duf was successful in keeping most controversies out of the public view at the convention, just like he did at the last one. I congratulate him for that. In fact, the Sunday session was so quiet, maybe 250 warm bodies actually attended the meeting. If Duf continues this road to success, we won't need a Sunday session, since no one will be attending.

Does anybody know that Duf promoted the endorsement of a Congressional candidate in the 48th CD Special Election at the Friday Board of Directors meeting? The Board did that on Friday, though the full body was meeting on Sunday. He could not wait two more days for the full body to make that decision. I thought we supported the Parsky Reforms to bring transparency to the process, not a close door endorsement of candidates by less than 20 members of the whole CRP.

Of course, it is well known that Duf refused to appoint several standing committees of the Board, including the CalPlan Committee. The Board had to pass a motion demanding he make the appointments. He was supposed to have a budget by the end of April, yet the Board had to pass month to month budgets instead.

Our Governor is being ill served by the current Chairman. We passed the Reforms to assure a professional operation running the CRP, this is not professional. Maybe he is tired. Those who have been involved in the CRP for a while have told me that this is why the Chairmanship should only be one term--if you do the job right, you will be worn out to do a second.

Those who know Duf best, those of us in the Silicon Valley, are proud of his leadership of the Party in the first term, but know that he is frustrated and tired in this term. He has made these comments quietly at SPARC and to leading members of the Northern California Lincoln Club. We know his dedication to moderate leadership and support of a Big Tent Party. Yet even the best have bad days. Some have bad months.

Reform, the 2006 elections, the Governor and the future of California is on the line. This is the time to go into overdrive, not make wild statements, fail to raise the money needed--and give excuses why you can't.

On November 9 there will be no excues. It is all or nothing, and everyone in leadership needs to be in top form. Someone needs to tell Duf to reflect on his situation and take a couple of days to get a game plan. If he doesn't, the implosion will continue, an action that none of us want for him or the CRP.

If others have thoughts, or examples, we would love to hear them. The bottom line is that we want Duf to succeeed. We lose if he doesn't.

McCarthy Should Resign

It is time for Republicans in the State Assembly to stand up to GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and demand his resignation.

Yesterday in the 53rd Assembly District Special Election we saw the end of the McCarthy backed candidate, Dr. Mary Jo Ford. She was trounced in the primary election by Democrat Ted Lieu. The Dem got almost 60% of the vote.

Obviously, this a Democratic district. Last year, GOP candidate Greg Hill got 42% of the vote. When the incumbent died, Greg Hill announced he would run again. This made political sense. Over a million dollars was spent trying to elect him last time. Lots of name identification, and organization etc...

McCarthy can't have that. Let's try a no-name doctor with bad political skills instead (scroll down for the AIP story). Remember, when Republicans did better in low turnout special elections.

McCarthy managed to do worse.

Last year not one district changed hands. I know redistricting is a problem, but McCarthy is responsible for bad candidates and bad spending decisions. Some races that were "close" turned out to be landslided with money diverted from better targets.

Add in how he twisted arms of Republicans to support a budget that had the third highest increase in government spending.

It is time for McCarthy to do the honorable thing and resign. If not? Time for a coup!

Is Arnold Family Friendly?

On the heels of the Governor's veto of Mark Leno's homosexual marriage bill and other homosexual rights bills, it would seem he now understands the need to keep values voters at least partially happy.

As the special elections gets closer the real question will become: Where is the Governor on Proposition 73?

This initiative overturns an outrageous State Supreme Court decision that nullified a parental consent law passed in the 1980's. So why is Arnold silent on this issue? All but one Republican legislator (Keith Richman) supports the measure. This includes several self-identified "pro-choice" Republican lawmakers. The State Party endorsed it.

Does the Governor really side with those in Hollywood and Planned Parenthood that 12 and 13 year old can get secret abortions? His in-laws the Shrivers are even pro-life.

If the Governor remains silent on this issue, it will hurt him with exactly the kinds of voters he needs to turn out in November.

Ironically, AB 646 is waiting for his signature. This bill requires parental consent before a minor can get their body pierced. It passed both houses with only one "no" vote. (Jackie Goldberg, who I don't want to think about the possibility of her body having piercings.)

Will the Arnold sign that and not support Prop. 73? It would be a mistake, that will cost him turn out among pro-family voters in November.

Can Arnold Come Back?

Yes. At least, the media will say there is one.

I have no doubt that there will be one sometime between now and November 8. It is the nature of how the media covers the horserace aspect of any political campaign. Sometime between now and election day, Schwarzenegger will hit his stride, there will be ads on the air for his positions, and the numbers will get better (maybe just a little), and the media will all jump on a "Schwarzenegger Comeback" bandwagon.

Why will this happen? Because as much as there is a liberal media bias (they don't mean to be biased, they just can't help themselves), they have a greater bias to make news when it might not exist. They want to cover interesting races, and they will be biased in favor of spotting the first signs of a Schwarzenegger comeback to make the special more exciting and interesting for them to cover.

The real question is whether the coverage of a Schwarzenegger comeback will actually be one, and will it be enough?

The Governor's team is spinning hard in the insider network, including on a conference call today for GOP consultants and supporters, that all is well, and the public is poised to flock back to Arnold. They argue that their polls show the people support the concepts behind his initiatives, even if they don't support the measures themselves right now.

I tend to believe there is some support for their position. And I agree that the public does want Arnold to succeed. They are cranky and frustrated that he has not, but I think he has at least more time to the well.

It should be an interesting 8 1/2 weeks.

Which is Kevin's Candidate?

I'm confused. Is McCarthy's candidate in the 53rd:

Mary Jo Fraud
or
Money Jo Ford
or
Mary Joke Ford

Ford's AIP Reg Card

Click here to see

QUICK RANT

It’s been getting on my nerves to see people try and bash Mary Jo Ford and Jim Gilchrist for being members of “George Wallace’s American Independent Party.”

I don’t know either of them personally, but I feel like I'm standing on solid ground saying that neither intentionally aligned themselves with the former populist, racist Alabama Governor.

Instead, it’s arguably much worse – they’re just too stupid to know how to register to vote.

They wanted to disassociate themselves from the Republican Party, and in a fit of “independence,” saw the word “Independent” on the VoterReg form, and marked their “X.” Unknowingly, rather than registering “Decline to State,” which is the type of “independence” they presumably intended, they instead signed on with the California affiliate of the Constitution Party.

Let’s all pledge to stop calling these candidates racists, and instead expose them for the dolts they are.

The Man Who Lost The 53rd

When the full story of the Special Election in the 53rd AD is told, Kevin McCarthy will be the answer to the question, "Who lost the 53rd?"

Greg Hill was the nominee in 2004 and made a credible, though flawed run.

The incumbent died and a Special was called and Hill decided to run again. He had the money and many endorsements from local officials. Indeed, several Democrat local officials endorsed him. But, Hill was trying to run as a conservative and Mr. McCarthy could not have another one of "those" in his caucus.

So,he took Paul Nowatka by the hand and walked the halls of the Capitol. Kevin let folks know, "Paul is the man!"

Then someone who had lots of money, and is a liberal on social issues and is unable to answer direct questions on economic issues or even remember her position on bonds, Mary Jo Ford, got in the race--she promised to put in half a million dollars--so far she has given herself $350,000.

Evidence of her "strong" support in the district is that she has received only one donation from a district resident and has NO elected officials in the district endorsing her.

McCarthy's eyes glazed over when he saw the green. So he forgot the basic question, can she win? No one knows her, her attempt to be a female Steve Poizner won't play in the South Bay and she has no connections to the District. I take that back--she is a proud member, according to her bio and brochures of the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club.

Kevin through aside his candidate, Nowatka, to buy into a liberal GOP'er (who was once a member of the American Independent Party)with more money.

Four theories:

1. Kevin is too lazy to raise money, so he wants self funders.
2. He prefers liberals running for Assembly
3. Kevin can't raise money
4. All of the above

What does this say about McCarthy and his professionalism? A lot. You don't support a candidate, Nowatka, then throw him away. You don't take a potenial winner, Hill and demand he leave the race.

If I were running for office I would be concerned about having the support of
Mr. McCarthy. He loves you today, but if someone who is a liberal comes up with a bigger offer, you are toast.

The Daily Breeze today ran a story about the candidate many are calling "Money Jo"
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/1811132.html

So is so out of step with her district that one of her brochures has a beautiful picture of the coastline--in Washington State.

My prediction is that she finishes a distant third, behind the Democrat Lieu and the real Republican Nowatka. Hill would have won, Nowatka could have won, Money Jo Ford is why people are cynical about politics. Thank you Kevin for reminding us.