In terms of business being handled by the Convention, this typically comes from the work of three key committees – Rules, Resolutions and Initiatives. Below is a report on how Rules issues were handled (or not) at the convention…
Delegates took key action at this convention concerning how to deal with the passage of Proposition 14, the terrible ballot measure designed by its proponents to reduce the number of anti-tax, pro-liberty Republicans in Sacramento, and allow more terrible budget deals like last year, which included the single largest tax increase in the history of any state.
Delegates approved key bylaw provisions that were ultimately authored by Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth and Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick that are designed to strengthen the party’s position in pending litigation against Proposition 14 (there is unanimous resolve amongst the leaders of the party to try and overturn 14 in the courts, though the best timing to maximize potential for success is still a subject of discussions).
Also important is that a proposal by CRP delegate Luis Buhler to repeal the statewide/district convention system that will allow the California Republican Party to select party nominees going into the jungle primary in early 2012 was “postponed indefinitely” – an affirmation that the California Republican Party remains committed to ensuring that, even though Prop. 14 deprives us from using the primary ballot to choose nominees, we will have official party standard bearers in the 2012 elections. This will be important as the party will need to fight in some districts to push our nominee into one of the top two spots to appear on the general election ballot – and in other cases the party will need to educate GOP voters if labor unions or other special interests try to manipulate Republican votes to shill candidates.
The current system in place for the 2012 cycle calls for a statewide convention to be held in advance of the primary. At that convention, CRP delegates as well as County GOP Central Committee Members will caucus as a large group to nominate a candidate for U.S. Senate, and will then break down into smaller caucuses to determine party nominees for Congress, State Senate and State Assembly
I am pleased to report that the convention unanimously adopted a change in the Rules submitted by yours truly that moves Riverside County from the Southern Region of the Party, and into the Inland Empire Region. While a seemingly simple change, it was years in the making.
Also passed was a rules change concerned CRP appointments by County Chairmen — which is way too esoteric to delve into on this page.
The last item that is worth covering relative to the Rules Committee and report to the convention is an item concerning the upcoming merger between the Young Republican Federation of California and the California Young Republicans. For history buffs, around 17 years ago hundreds of us YR’s (I was one of them) left the CYR’s and formed YRFC after the then-corrupt CYR leadership cheated rather than admit that their slates of candidates lost. Now, all these years later, with new leadership of CYR of late, there is a great spirit of unity towards bringing these two clubs together (much credit goes to CYR President Jenniffer Rodriguez, past YRFC Chairman Shawn Fago and current YRFC President Adam Abrahms – and to a host of others).
It is significant to note that the original group of cheating YR’s that were the impetus for the original split continue to try to cause problems, and have now (in violation of State GOP Rules) engaged in legal proceedings to try to stop the merger, and assert control over the CYR group. This is most unwelcome, especially since the vast majority of CYR volunteers support the merger and an end to civil war amongst Young Republicans.
All of this to say that a Rules Change was introduced at this convention to help pave the way for the CYR/YRFC merger. While not terribly significant in policy, the change was symbolic, and co-authored by the Presidents of the two YR organizations. The rule was overwhelmingly approved by the committee before they adjourned after completing all of their business.
It was hours later that the politics heated up a bit. Enter: Kevin McCarthy. Most FR readers know Kevin as a Congressman from Kern County. My history with Kevin goes back a couple of decades – where we met while engaged in College Republicans, Young Republicans and CRP politics. Back in the 90’s, Kevin did a stint as President of the CYR’s (after the split). He and I have what I would call a cordial relationship, and we work together when we can. That said, McCarthy is an opponent to the YRFC/CYR merger, and he is quite passionate about his interest in this matter. In the past he has made “assertive” (to be polite) calls and been very “blustery” (another polite term) towards those who would see this process move forward (you would think that he would have better things to do with his time). Anyways, apparently Kevin found out about the action of the committee and blew up. I am told that he called CRP Chairman Ron Nehring, leaders in the Whitman campaign, and presumably others – “insisting” (again, to be polite) that this change be undone.
I am not privy to all intra-politicking that went on between McCarthy, Nehring and others. But I do know that Nehring, sometime around dinner time, made a decision – he would reconvene the Rules Committee for an un-noticed meeting, and he would direct the members to reverse their decision that they made earlier in the day, and instead reject the unity bylaw. He directed his ever-loyal Committee Chairman, Mike Osborn, to make it so. Osborn then conducted the rump, late-night session.
Of course calling a late night, un-noticed Rules Committee meeting meant that some members of the committee couldn’t make it. Combine that with others who did not want to participate and legitimize “kangaroo court” proceedings (such as CRP Treasurer Keith Carlson, CRP Secretary Steve Baric, CRP Past Chairman Mike Schroeder, and CRP Regional Vice Chairman Doug Boyd), and there was not a quorum for the meeting. But that didn’t stop the Chairman, based on what I would call a very questionable interpretation of the rules, from appointing (without Board confirmation) two new committee members (Morgan Kelly and Luis Buhler) to achieve a quorum and to change the official recommendation on that item.
This late-night chicanery let to a predictable fight on the convention floor the next morning. Abrahms and others questioned the legitimacy of the Rules Committee report, with a very divided floor vote backing up Nehring’s ruling that he had the right to do this (from my vantage point at the head table, a majority of the people in the room actually supported overturning the Chairman’s ruling – but the bulk of the proxies were on people who wanted to uphold his ruling. Some of those standing to overule the Chairman included Carlson, Baric, Mike Spence, Republican National Committeemembers Shawn Steel and Linda Ackerman, San Diego County GOP Chairman Tony Krvaric and of course, yours truly.). After that lengthy debate, we had another debate over the rule itself. But because it would have taken a two-thirds vote to pass the rule without committee approval, its defeat was a foregone conclusion.
Most painful for delegates was the performance (or lack thereof) by Rules Committee Chairman Mike Osborn as he presided over the Committee report presentation to the full convention. This excerpt from a CRP member who wrote to me afterward is pretty straight forward:
Thus from some remote location, Kevin McCarthy on his cell-phone set into motion events that ended up wasting probably five hundred collective hours of delegate time. It was not McCarthy’s finest hour.
Of course, the most unfortunate part of all of this is that these actions really sent a wrong message from the party to the thousands of young activists that are just trying to come back together into one organization. For my part, as a party officer, I extend my apologies. I’m embarrassed for the actions that took place.
(Coming soon – updates on the initiatives, with it’s dust up on Prop. 22, and resolutions, which may be more about what didn’t pass than what did…)
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Congressman Kevin McCarthy is one of California’s most effective national leaders. I wish you and other CRP Board members spent more time helping him to win a Republican congressional majority as you do criticizing Republicans deemed “insufficiently conservative.” Personally, I think that every CRP Board Member should be personally REQUIRED to raise a minimum amount of money for the CRP election effort. Board members who fail to achieve their financial targets would be PROHIBITED from holding any CRP office for a period of 4 years. The fact that the CRP has only 1/4 as much cash on hand as the CDP is a strong selling point for this approach.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Jon: Thank you for clearing up the matter for FR readers.
What I do not understand: Why does McCarthy still wants to maintain his hold on the YR’s is a mystery? This is the same McCarthy who wants to be Speaker of the House may have just kiss that good bye!
Furthermore, as the lone hard-of-hearing CRP Delegate, I had a hard time understanding few of the speakers during the debate respectfully request a Sign Language interpreter or closed-caption on the video wall.
Rest assured, the CRP Convention next March of 2011 in Sacramento will be just as lively as we saw over the weekend.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Mr. Jones-
Congressman McCarthy would be much more effective working on issues that hurt Californians in the Central Valley most. The water situation, jobs, taxes… not meddling in a power struggle between two grassroots YR organizations who want to come together and help Republican candidates up and down this state get elected.
Thank you Jon for all of your support, Young Republicans across the state know we always have a friend in you!
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Jon – you are exactly right. Thanks for this excellent write-up on the situation. You hit all the right points and focus on some very troubling problems that all Republicans, not just YRs, face in the state GOP.
Young Republicans are grateful for your support and for that of all Republicans who stood with us and who will continue to do so as we continue our fight.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
The old Bill Thomas liberal Republican machine is alive and well. The Thomas/McCarthy policy then and now is to control as many volunteer organizations as possible. Didn’t this same battle play out in the CRs circa 1988?
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Sounds like a lot klunkiness that could and should have been avoided.
Lots of competing egos. Glad I was not there.I hope TDB’s leadership will smooth things out a bit.
Prop 14 is retarded and will be difficult to manage.Hard to adapt to fast changing dynamics, there will be deffering opinions on how to best move forward.
Hang in there Young Republicans!
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Thanks to everyone named above who supported YR unity throughout the weekend, and also CRP Northern Regional Vice Chairman Tom Hudson for challenging the legitimacy of the results of the late-night, un-noticed Rules Committee meeting and standing up for what is right. Young Republicans throughout the state now know who we can count on to stand with us, every time!
On the other hand, I am particularly disappointed in current and former Bay Area Vice Chairmen Morgan Kelley and Luis Buhler for accepting the “on-the-spot” Rules Committee appointments by Chairman Nehring, willingly participating in the improper Rules Committee meeting, and enabling Kevin McCarthy to get his way. As a Bay Area CRP delegate, I supported them both when they made their bids to serve on the Board and expected better of them. It was also very disappointing to witness Chairman Nehring capitulate to Kevin McCarthy’s threats after promising in Indian Wells to do whatever it took to see the YR unification through, and reiterating his support at the properly called, 3PM Rules Committee meeting where our bylaw amendment was overwhelmingly recommended for passage.
The CRP has now sent a message to McCarthy that he can get away with making these sorts of threats. Further, by letting stand Mike Osborn’s ruling that the results of the late-night Rules Committee meeting were valid, we have set a precedent legitimizing these sorts of “kangaroo court” proceedings at future CRP conventions, dealing a huge blow to openness and transparency in the Party.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
As an outsider I am enjoying this discussion tremendously and as a Democrat who once saw a prominent elected official refuse to support Ted Kennedy because of a YD endorsement he made, I know how intense this stuff gets.
That being said, the stories I have heard through the years about the fights in California YR’s seem to be the stuff books are written about and I really wish John would write a history on a “slow” political news day, because I think a lot of people would enjoy reading it.
As I understand the current split, it goes back to a State YR Presidential election that was decided by a single vote with a lot of accusations of cheating on both sides.
But it seems like there has been a moderate/conservative split going back to early 1960 with for whatever reason, moderates winning most of the fights and often by one or two votes.
It seems that ever since Mark Abernathy and Ted Costa got involved in YR’s in the early 60’s, they managed to win close fights even while the tide within the party was going the other way. I should add that it’s hard to think of Mark as any kind of a moderate if you know him at all, but that is how he seems to be identified by other Republicans.
The reason I think many people would find a history interesting to read is that a large number of the players went on to national prominence in later life and often are still opposing each other in inter-party fights.
For example in his biography, Karl Rove talks about making a deal with George Gorton to get votes from California for National YR President. Evidently, Gorton was Mark Abernathy’s candidate for President back then and won several elections on his rode to the top by a single vote.
I have also been told that California’s YR’s who were then made up mostly of moderates were able to stop a national YR endorsement of Ronald Reagan against Gerald Ford, pre-New Hampshire, which in a race that close might have made the difference in the Presidency. It’s amazing sometimes to see how small things can affect election outcomes.
Anyway, I think it would be a great column if you wanted to give a history of some of the fights in YR’s and who the players were back in the day. Just a suggestion.
One other point that should be made in fairness. I believe Congressman McCarthy became the National YR President. Saying he was President of California’s YR’s after the split, sort of takes away from how good a politician he was even at a young age.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
It seems the battle never ends. I was there in 1988 with Jon, Tom Hudson, Mike Spence, et. all when the young conservatives finally made our stand. I remember contentious meetings, conventions, and face to face confrontations. It is sad that McCarthy still can’t put aside his hatred and work for the betterment of our cause. I think it tells us all we need to know about the moderate movement. Where are all the electoral victories we were promised if we all just “moved to the middle”? Where is that promised tide of Republican support? It goes to show that standing up for that which is right is more important than saying what is popular.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
We are here to help resolve this situation. Just let us know how we can help. We need to coalesce together in order to save our country. It is truly that important.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
I thought Chairman Nehring should have just come right out and say that he was caving in to Cong. McCarthy. This whole episode makes him look ridiculous.
August 27th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Thank you for taking note of the extreme disappointment shared by YR’s across the state in the total failure of integrity put on display in San Diego, Jon. Those who failed to uphold the duties of their appointments can rest assured that YR’s will merge, will bring back integrity to CRP, and will be the leaders of this party. YR endorsements and leadership will be determined by YOUNG republicans, period. The costs in this fight have been real, the casualties not soon forgotten. Standby in March, and watch YR put on a clinic in activism. Our members have already been harrassed, driven from convention in tears, fired, and smeared in public. We’ve got nothing left to lose. There’s no reason not to go scorched earth now. This isn’t about the old fights from 20 years ago between “conservatives” and “moderates”. This is generational. And everyone in this generation is looking around at California, and quite frankly we’re tired of watching old politics and old egos getting in the way of solutions. There’s a reckoning coming.
August 27th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Mike Osborn has a multiyear if not multidecade history of having “secret” meetings, bullying behavior, unprofessional antics, outright lies and surrounding himself with gutless wonders. He is the local Strickland hatchetman and Ventura County Republicans are FED UP! That is one of the reasons why Audra Strickland lost so badly in her last race and Tony Strickland will be lucky if he carries his own county in his race.
August 28th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Katie, lets leave your anger and disdain for all things Ventura out of the talks of the YR merger. When’s Leslie going to hop on and chime in? Keep the thread on point please. If you’d like to add constructive points on how to further the merger discussions we’d greatly appreciate it but take your dislike for the Strickland’s and Osborn to Dennert’s blog. This is a statewide issue, not your personal crusade against all things Ventura.
August 29th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Ashley – don’t be a pimp for Osborn or Strickland. I don’t know who you are or what your relationship is with YR’s but Republicans deserve better than what was displayed at the convention. Don’t defend such boorish behavior.
August 29th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Oh Ashley – I see you are with the Ventura County Young Republican Federation and have worked for the Stricklands. And you are very young. Smell the coffee and don’t believe the lies!
Audra Strickland lost in a landslide recently for a reason. Despite all the $100,000’s that went her way. Think about it.
August 30th, 2010 at 12:00 am
No actually, I’m from LA and I’m the ED of the statewide organization… I try to keep my nose outta the local wash lady gossip but since you “started it” I’m trying to keep you on topic. Again, keep your personal crusade to yourself. Stay on topic or please do everyone outside of the 805 out of your tirades and head to Brian’s blog where I’m sure he’d welcome all of yours and Leslie’s rants.
August 30th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Ashley Ingram – my bad – I thought you were the same person as Ashley NICOLE Ingram with the Ventura County 805 telephone prefix. This Ashley has Ventura County roots – she even went to school in TO. You aren’t Ashley NICOLE Ingram are you?
From a press release:
Time: 9:30 – 1 PM Saturday April 12, 2008
Location: 2219 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, California 91362 across from the Civic Arts Plaza
Contact: Ashley Nicole Ingram – 805-778-1588
All Ventura and Santa Barbara County voters this is a SHOUT-OUT to help elect Tony Strickland your new California State Senator.
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 am
This Ashley Nicole Ingram went to school in Burbank which last time I checked was LA county LOL