As a Regional Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party, I take seriously my commitment to stay out of contested Republican primaries for partisan office. As such, it has been difficult for me to sit on the sidelines during the epic battle in the 4th Congressional District, because that primary is really all about defining the heart and soul of the GOP. I will leave it to the Republican voters in this large Congressional District in North Eastern California to decide for themselves whether they want to elect former Congressman Doug Ose or State Senator Tom McClintock.
All that said, I feel that I do need to weigh in a bit in response to former Governor Pete Wilson’s spurious attack on conservative Tom McClintock.
Wilson and McClintock did not get along. Why? Because, like today, Tom consistently stands up against increasing the size and scope of state government.
Wilson was furious with McClintock and other conservative legislators who opposed his plans to hike state sales taxes to the tune of $7 billion to deal with a budget shortfall. As a matter of fact (I remember this like it was yesterday), Wilson had enough moxie to actually call conservative legislators “f***ing irrelevant” – not very nice.
I guess it will be up to each Republican voter to assess Wilson’s statement, “As Governor, I could never count on Tom McClintock.”
Wilson must be referring to the fact that from the day that he proposed, and in fact signed into law that massive tax increase, Tom McClintock and many other conservatives viewed Governor Wilson with a skeptical eye.
Of course, given the track record of our current Governor, in the rear-view mirror, Wilson seems like he was a lot more conservative than he actually was. But if Wilson wanted to be more truthful in his letter he should have written, “When I spearheaded a major statewide increase in the sales tax, I couldn’t count on Tom McClintock. He refused to vote to raise taxes.”
Perhaps as a former Governor, one who actually served out his two terms without being recalled from office, Pete Wilson should spend his time being a "senior statesman" and not allowing himself to be dragged into Republican primaries. It is awkward at best to have to remind FR readers that he was no conservative.
Let me close where I began this commentary – with a reminder that I have not nor will I endorse Tom McClintock or Doug Ose for Congress. Both will make their case. Both are legitimate candidates who offer a clear contrast to voters. But someone who was on hand at the time needed to set the record straight about Pete Wilson, and why his attack on Tom McClintock lacks credibility with conservatives in a Republican primary.
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