This morning, I went through my usual routine of getting up, turning on ‘The Higglytown Heros’ for Ella, putting a pot of coffee on to boil, and reading the news. Near the top was the latest installment from the San Francisco Chronicle, entitled “State GOP Chief Flayed Over Scandal”. 

Now I grew up in a small country town of fewer than 900 souls. I’ve seen a hog bled, boiled, and flayed. It’s not a pretty sight. And unless you have dogs around, there usually there is considerable clean-up involved. So the Chronicle painted a pretty ugly picture in my head of what they were about to do to Chairman Ron Nehring.

But then I actually had to laugh out loud. Literally. The best quote the Chronicle could get ‘flaying’ Nehring was from San Diego’s own pro-illegal immigration activist and all around gadfly Raoul Lowery Contreras. Specifically:

"I have talked to a number of money people, and they have told me as long as Nehring stays chairman, they will not give a dime," said Raoul Lowery Contreras, a Southern California GOP activist who writes the CalNews.com blog and has called for Nehring’s resignation. "It’s a huge concern.”

Hint to the Chronicle – I’ve lived and breathed San Diego politics for over a dozen years. I don’t know what ‘money people’ Raoul Lowery Contreras knows well enough that they will return his call, but my guess is after talking to him once they won’t return his call again. I mean here is what I take to be Raul’s OWN version of himself on Wikipedia:

“Raoul Lowery Contreras is a Mexican-American author, radio talk show host, and columnist, and aspiring politician, known for his centrist politics. He has gained notoriety as a defender of immigrants, illegal and otherwise, especially those from his native Mexico.

His writing is somewhat controversial and usually draws passionate agreement or virulent criticism. He is reviled by the anti-immigration crowd as well as the more radical Chicano activists. He is a member of the Republican party and entered his name in a bid to become a committee member of the San Diego County Republican board in 2004.”

Perhaps I should re-write it as such:

Pro-Illegal immigration activist Raoul Lowery Contreras is a purveyor of radical, well-out-out-of-the-mainstream opinions which he publishes in the form of bizarre books and opinion pieces that would often make Lydon LaRoche cringe.  Mr. Contreras  is also an aspiring politician who couldn’t manage to get elected to village rat-catcher, let alone the governing body of the Republican Party of San Diego County. Oh… and he’s also what the San Francisco Chronicle considers a reliable source for ‘the word’ in California Republican politics. 

I mean give me a break. The least the Chronicle could do is take ten easy minutes and call anyone in San Diego politics to ask about Mr. Contreras’ credibility as a Republican insider, or two minutes and look him up on Wikipedia. Is that too much to ask?

Now of course the staff affair in question was unpleasant and embarrasing, and as a whole the process was seriously flawed. And I have no doubt that these flaws are now being addressed, starting with the appointment of Bill Christensen. But I think Marty Wilson’s – an actual Republican insider that actually can speak with donors – comments are a little more relevant to the truth on the ground:

"We’re always concerned when the credibility of the party is on the line," he said. "But Ron acted correctly and properly and with speed that shows he can manage through a crisis, and that’s what donors are going to expect.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 26th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.