I am pleased to offer this original commentary from longtime FR friend Ed Laning, a leader of conservatives in San Bernardino County…
A History Of Conservatives in San Bernardino County
Ed Laning
I have known Anthony since 1996. Anthony and I were putting up campaign signs for Jim Lindley when he ran for Hesperia City Council at that time. We were all very idealistic. We were all CRA members and hardcore conservatives. It wasn’t just Anthony Adams but there were Bill Postmus and Brad Mitzelfelt and many others. We all worked hard to move the conservative Republican agenda forward. We began by helping elect Postmus to county supervisor in 2000. He ran against a fellow Republican who had rolled over on us and teamed up with the Democrats on the county board of supervisors. It was difficult to run against a fellow Republican. We knew it wasn’t for the individual but to move our conservative agenda forward. Postmus won and served the county and the Republican Party very well. Working as a team, we turned San Bernardino County to a Republican majority in terms of voter registration. Something began to change with Bill Postmus around 2004. He lost sight of our common goal of promoting our conservative principles. He became more interested in his own picture rather than the big picture. Postmus situation continued to deteriorate until it finally became clear that he must either resign or be recalled Postmus to his credit resigned.
Now we come back to Anthony Adams. Anthony came to me in 2005 when he was preparing to run for the Assembly to ask me for my endorsement. I refused and he asked why. I told him point blank that I didn’t consider him a conservative and I would never support or vote for anyone other than a conservative. I had heard Anthony on a radio program several years prior and from his commentary I concluded that Anthony was and is not a conservative. Now Anthony is in a predicament. He signed a no tax pledge and has broken that promise. I can only conclude that he broke that pledge for pragmatic and cynical reasons. I believe the Governor persuaded him, using all of his celebrity to convince Anthony to break his promise. Anthony had "stars" in his eyes and now the people of the state have to suffer. The people are very disgusted and distrustful of him as a representative. This isn’t about Republican or Democrat, this about whether you keep your word or you don’t. Anthony, the best solution at this time is for you to resign your seat, like Postmus did. If you don’t you are no better than Bill Postmus. Also when you resign or are recalled if you have any integrity left you should not accept one of those commission or board positions that the Governor hands out to reward those who have compromised their principles.
Anthony, as my assemblyman, I hope you are not willing to put our 59th Assembly District through a recall. Your resignation will put this disgraceful act behind us. If you don’t resign I will work as hard as I can to have you recalled and you know I will.
Ed Laning is a leading voice among conservatives in San Bernardino County. He served as Voter Registration Chairman for the San Bernardino County Republican Party for six years. He was elected Vice Chairman, Inland Region, for the California Republican Party in 2005.
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