Earlier this afternoon, at a meeting of the incoming Assembly Republicans (which is to say 
retiring "seniors" were not there, and incoming but-not-yet-sworn-in freshman were) — a change in leadership took place. Assembly Republicans elected Connie Conway of the Central Valley as their new leader. Conway was just re-elected to her second term on Tuesday.
It is not unusual to see a change in legislative leadership when seats (or in this case a seat) are lost in an election. Garrick will have been one of the shorter-tenured leaders, having been elected to his post earlier in the year.
Conway made an attempt to displace Garrick during the state budget drill, which was not successful. Subsequently Garrick released her ("you’re fired!") from her role as Caucus Chairman. While we don’t know who the new Caucus Chairman will be, it’s a safe bet it won’t be Garrick…
Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton is secure in his post, which he assumed just weeks ago. Senate Republicans stayed even in the last election.
November 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Assemblyman Garrick did an admirable job as Assembly Republican Leader. Ultimately however, our leaders are judged by their performance at election time. With that said, it’s time to clean house at the CRP. Del Beccaro should resign as a candidate for Chairman and the entire existing CRP board structure should be scrapped. The Party needs to be professionalized with leaders whose priority is winning elections, NOT dictating ideological purity!
November 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Yawn! What can the Republicans offer the economically deprived, the immigrants, the millions and millions of people working in dead end service industry jobs….
These people are so needy that they are “scared” of almost everything associated with government, the educated, big business and seek comfort in charities, churches, unions, welfare offices, clinics, hospital emergency rooms…
Somehow….the inept and pathetic California Republic Party operatives must come to grips with we have a quasi-third world employee workforce that has nothing in common with the penny loafered behind the guarded gates Republicans….
November 8th, 2010 at 12:00 am
I like idealogical purity. It comes naturally to true conservatives. The mid term elections will prove to be something much more than a rejection Of Obama and his policies, it is actually the begining of the ascendency of Conservatisism in America.
Tom Del Beccaro knows this and apreciates it more than most. I do not know the other board members at CRP, but I trust Tom’s judgement for sure and support him 100%.
Nothing wrong with giving Conway a shot, lets see how it goes. California is now officially stuck in a permanent depression until the composition of the legislature changes significantly.