State Senator Abel Maldonado is a pleasant man. I don’t speak with him to frequently — as he is from the Central Coast and I am from Orange County, and he works in the State Capitol, a place that I admit I do not frequent as often as I should — but when I do talk to him there, I walk away 
saying to myself, "He’s a nice guy."
Well, last Summer, in the budget stand-off between Democrats and Republicans, he wasn’t so nice.
While all of his GOP colleagues were in a fox-hole, trying to defend California against an unrealistic budget that clearly spent way too much money, Abel abandoned his colleagues, and then started firing shots back at them.
**There is more – click the link**
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jon,
Sadly, your commentary here serves to demonstrate the CRP leadership’s total lack of strategic political vision.
The two fastest growing major voter groups in California are Independents and Latinos. The leadership of the CRP has already hung out an “Independents Need Not Apply Sign” on our party’s door by prohibiting DTS voters from participating in the Republican Presidential Primary. Does the CRP leadership really want to send the same message to Latino voters by “punishing” Senator Maldanado.
The real question posed by your commentary is “will the leadership of the CRP wake up and get a clue before they become as completely irrelevant in California as their GOP colleagues in Massachusetts have become?”
It’s time to fire the current CRP leadership and bring in a new political team that understands how to build coalitions and win elections.
Chris Jones
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Your comments don’t address the question at hand. Which is that we’re not talking about crazy right-wing positions here. The battle against over-spending is a core issue that defines the Republican Party.
How are we supposed to achieve a majority if we cannot present a clear contrast to the Democrats? That is what Senate Republicans were trying to do last summer.
Senator Maldonado wants it both ways. He wants to vote for more government and look to his party for support.
It’s a two way street.
Chris, how would you recommend that Senate Republicans prioritize their funding, given that it is not unlimited, and that the top priority of our party is to restrain growth in state government (and to try to shrink it, which may finally happen this year)?
Finally, this is not about “punishing” — it is about pragmatic politics. It’s about people who will join your huddle, and execute the play.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jon,
I am interested in winning a Republican MAJORITY in California–not rearranging the deck chairs of the CRP’s current political Titanic.
It is highly likely that, after the November election, Senator Maldonado will be the ONLY Republican Latino in the entire Legislature. Putting him at the rear of the political bus will send a clear message to Latino Voters–and it is a message that will NOT benefit Conservatives nor help us to achieve a Republican majority in California.
My recommendation is to stop drawing narrow lines in the sand on budget votes and start putting together a broad strategic vision to win over Latino and DTS voters who agree with many Republican ideas and values.
Chris Jones
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jon,
To answer your question, I would target Republican resources for the November Senate elections as follows:
1) Abel Maldonado–most marginal Senate seat + importance of maintaining a Latino presence in the GOP Caucus.
2) Greg Aghazarian–opens seat + opportunity to “double up” with the NRCC and RNC since the Senate District has overlap with the Andal-McNerney congressional race.
3) Tony Strickland
Chris Jones
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Perhaps more important than the budget vote is the fact that Abel Maldonado AUTHORED the bill to increase the minimum wage for California and make it the highest in the United States.
He voted to outlaw 50 caliber rifles even after determining that they have never, ever been used in a crime in our state.
His list of bad votes is ten feet long. At some point, Republican leaders need to acknowledge that he is not one of us.
Re-electing Abel Maldonado should not be on anyone’s list at all. There are hundreds of thousands of “nice guys” in his district who would make better legislators.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
These are the same arguments conservative have heard for the past
20 years in California.
“If ONLY we would nominate moderate/liberal Republican candidates,
victory would then be ours.”
The Actual results for this theory are both devestating and negative:
* Tom Campbell for Senate…………LANDSLIDE DEFEAT
* Bill Jones for Senate……………….LANDSLIDE DEFEAT
* Ed Zschau for Senate……………..DEFEATED
* Mike Huffington for Senate………..DEFEATED
The One year in the past 20 that California Republicans won across-
the-board victories was 1994…… a Majority in the Assembly, a gain
of 3 U.S. Congressional seats, Pete Wilson/Dan Lungren/Matt Fong
all winning statewide offices.
And 1994 was also the year the California GOP posted an unequivocal,
unapologetic CONSERVATIVE message. It produced a spectacular
victory, and yet we have largely failed to repeat that strategy since then.
And all Chris Jones offers us is more of the same failed cliches.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Tom,
I wonder if your boss knows and approves of your opposition to Senator Maldonado’s re-election? Is that Mr. Leonard’s position as well?
Chris Jones
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Mr. Sills,
I’ve been involved in electing Conservative Republicans for over 25 years and have never heard of you.
My argument is that Republicans should do what President Reagan did in 1980 and Newt Gingrich did in 1994–namely to provide a vision and message that builds a winning MAJORITY coalition for conservatives.
Chris Jones
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
It’s fine you’ve never heard of me.
But please engage the issue: the one time since 1984 the entire California
GOP ticket sent out a conservative, “vision and message” (1994) victories
rained down on us from the Mountains to the Sea.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Narrow lines in the sand!? Really???
Is fiscal responsibility a narrow line? Is something that at least resembles a balanced budget a narrow line? Is protecting the future of California a narrow line?
We are not talking about a vote on abortion rights or even immigration. Jon is talking about Able’s inability to stand for the most basic of Republican principles. Jon is right – we need to prioritize those who have proven their ability to lead and stand for core Republican principles.
I wonder if Mr. Jones would open his arms to Nunez (he may reregister if it meant more time in the legislature) or other fiscally irresponsible Latinos just because of the color of their skin or the origin of their surname. Notwithstanging Mr. Jones racial preferences, my guess is that most good hardworking Latinos across our great state would rather have lower taxes and a secure future for their families than an unreliable fellow Latino who shares their skin color but not their values.
Able’s failures have nothing to do with the color of his skin and everything to do with the content of his character. A Republican should know this.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Can’t we all just get along? The Republicans in Congress who we all elected in ’94 failed us all. Our revolution was betrayed, and we are paying the price right now. In addition to ideological purity, let’s look for integrity and a commitment. It’s true conservatives look the other way when one “of their own” go astray, but I’d say we all need to measure up when it comes to keeping our promises.
I’ll vouch for Sills…smart as heck…who has forgotten more than I’ll know….I’m sure Hannah Beth will learn that soon enough.
Let’s just put Abel’s race to bed and move on to electing Tony.