One of the most maddening set of ads this political campaign season are the ads the Democrats are running against Mike Villines and Abel Maldonado. Both men were key Republican votes for last year’s budget in which Governor Schwarzenegger and the Democratic legislative leaders choose to raise taxes rather than make tough spending cuts. According to an email that I just received from Democrat Dave Jones (who clearly purchased or was given a GOP list), Villines raised our taxes $14 billion. 

 

Republican voters don’t need Dave Jones and Gavin Newsom to tell us what Villines and Maldonado did last year. We know.

 

What we need Dave Jones and Gavin Newsom to tell us is the truth: that the Governor and their party supported and encouraged Villines and Maldonado to change their positions and cast that vote. I know that no one held a gun to their head but the pressure “to do the right thing and pass a budget” was great. And I’m sure that there were lots of promises to help them explain the vote to their constituents and to the people of California if they ran for statewide office. 

 

But where are the Democrats and Schwarzenegger today?

 

It’s no surprise that we’re not seeing ads featuring Schwarzenegger on behalf of Villines and Maldonado. Not only is he politically unpopular, but he’s never been a GOP team player—not even when he was at the top of our ticket. That’s why Meg Whitman is such a refreshing breath of air. But I digress.

 

But even in the rough and tumble world of politics, the Democrats’ sleazy campaign against Villines and Maldonado is beyond the pale. Their radio ads, which run predominantly on conservative stations, lead you to believe that Jones and Newsom are offended and upset by Villines and Jones’ budget vote, which is crap. By their ads, you’d think they were fellow Republicans running in a contested primary. 

Let’s not forget that if Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom win, Newsom could end up as governor. That’s no joke. Brown is old and not in the best of health, according to some. Pretty boy Newsom would take his place if he could not serve. A second round of Brown is bad enough, but, honestly, the thought of Gavin “whether you like it or not” Newsom as governor makes me throw up a little in my mouth.