Anthony Adams is not the real problem. Democrat dominance of the Legislature is the real problem. If GOPers want to recall somebody, try going after a Democrat in a conservative district. If John and Ken at KFI want to do something meaningful, recall Democratic Assemblyman Tom Torlakson.
I am no RINO squish. I was National Chairman of Young Americans for Freedom when that meant something. I am a Board member of the American Conservative Union, I started the process of Young America’s Foundation buying the Reagan Ranch. I was a senior executive in the Reagan Administration. And though there is at least one Republican member of the Assembly that I believe to be a political fraud and whom I detest, I am not out to recall anybody, because that is political stupidity for conservatives, who are a miserable minority as it is in the Legislature. There are other processes, such as primary challenges, available in the political market that can take care of such issues.
But ginning up an extraordinary recall of Republican Adams and wasting limited GOP resources and energy is simply wrong. And those non-radio personalities who seek to lead such an effort may be motivated more by their brown-nosing for KFI ratings and the personal attention it gets them rather than advancing some noble cause. There are frankly no truly pure agendas here, including John and Ken, whose commercial ratings are soaring (God Bless impure free enterprise for them during our recession!) on our backs, and conservatives need to start addressing this or risk "eating our own" to the perpetual benefit of Democrats, which is precisely the oppositie of where our energies should be going.
Yes, some Republican leaders are jerks. After he was appointed United States Senator by Governor Wilson, I was on a very short list to be new Senator John Seymour’s Chief of Staff. In our final interview, he asked me this hypothetical question: "I have been asked by Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform to sign a pledge to never raise taxes. How would you advise me?" Without hesitation, I said, "sign the pledge." "F-ck you!" responded Seymour. Then Seymour shouted, "how can I pledge to not raise taxes when there is a war in Iraq brewing!" I waited a minute, and said, "can I explain?" Then I said, "look, your job for Republicans is to get re-elected. You are pro-abortion. If you don’t offer conservatives something real in terms of policy, in the state that spawned Proposition 13, you will not be re-elected. Signing the pledge is not only good policy, it is good politics." Well, I didn’t get the job, and Seymour lost his election.
And the political market took care of Seymour. He is long forgotten as a California Senator.
Adams, on the other hand, is no John Seymour. He is not a liberal Republican. He had a conservative pedigree. He indeed made a huge political mistake. But that can be corrected in a primary election, by Adams changing course or someone else coming forward to run, well short of the trauma to our party of a recall process, a process that proved generally fruitless in 1994 when Republican leaders failed to get their act together after winning a majority in the Assembly.
Conservatives can be defined as folks who have respect for history. Judging from history, the Adams recall effort will prove to be not only a huge waste of time and effort, but just another self-inflicted wound on our party that will help our opponents. Let us stop this madness being driven by drive-time ratings greed! Want a tax revolt? Get organized and beat the Democrats in 2010!
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Mr. Lacy, I personally would rather see a primary challenge to Mr. Adams than a recall, but many, many people believe a message needs to be sent to Republicans now, and fast. Anthony Adams is not redeemable. He violated a written pledge to never raise taxes, and is entirely unrepentant. He can never be trusted as a politician again, no matter how conservative his pedigree might once have been. You know that as well as anyone. Since Republicans have a history of caving to liberal interests under pressure, there is great value in teaching them that the consequences for caving are worse than for standing firm.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Good post Mr Lacy. As I said in my earlier post – these recalls are (1) a waste of time, because they will fail – and (2) are going to hurt the Republican targets, because the money spent to beat the recalls will be money the Republicans DON’T have to defend seats and/or pick up seats.
In my post term limits life I am working with a couple of groups that are major, major donors to the CRP. I was asked today if my clients would like to join a coalition of core Republican donors to fight the recalls. That money they spend now will not be money available in 2010.
It pains me that we continually hurt ourselves.
My credentials? I was 100% with the CRA almost every year for 14 years – and I never once voted for a tax increase.
2010 could be a great year for Republicans – let’s marshal all our resources for that fight, not waste our funds fighting each other.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
These recall efforts remind me of the Congressional initiatives to tax the AIG bonuses. It sure makes you feel good because you are doing something, but it makes no strategic sense.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
I must ask EVERYONE this daring question: If we put Paul Horcher and Anthony Adams in the same room, Who is the worst evil?
We all know the answer to that question.
Now, lets move on by stop political quarterbacking and start winning elections in 2010 for the GOP!
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Sen. Battin, why in the world would there be a “coalition of core Republican donors” to fight the recalls? Who is defending Anthony Adams, and why? That is a far worse strategic decision than initiating the recalls in the first place.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Lacy,
You are such a hypocrite! You lead the charge for a recall of a sitting Republican. Does your no recall policy only extends to state legislators? How do your own recall efforts not equate to “eating our own”?
Your talk of “the political market” is a joke. It is a joke because it is supposed to apply to everyone except you. If Diane Harkey voted the way Adams did, you would have filed recall papers yourself by now.
If anyone else had written this blog post then it would have credibility. You sir, have no credibility on this issue.
http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2007/07/03/effort-launched-to-recall-harkey/1810/
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Removing a de facto Democrat is not “simply wrong.” Giving aid and comfort to someone who sold out the state is not the right thing to do, and standing up for Adams is, despite otherwise stellar conservative records, anything but conservative.
Messrs. Lacy and Battin: If Adams is the type of Republican you are willing to defend, then grave doubt is cast on the conservative credentials of any candidate you support.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Seymour got his a-s kicked in the 1992 election. If you look at the numbers, Herschenson game extremely close to beating Boxer.
Barbara Boxer Democratic 47.9%
Bruce Herschensohn Republican 43%
Dianne Feinstein Democratic 54.3%
John Seymour Republican 38%
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Shawn, for a guy like you that couldn’t even get elected to the Orange County Republican Central Committee, where you only had to finish in just one of the first six places, your opinion means very little to me.
For the rest of the readers that care to read it, since Fago brings it up, Harkey double-crossed me, lied to me, and vigorously opposed my relection to the Dana Point City Council in 2006, even though I was the formally endorsed candidate of the Orange County Republican Central Committee and the Orange County Lincoln Club.
I think it is one thing for a politician to backtrack on a policy commitment, as Adams did. That is a bad thing and shatters trust in their judgment. It is quite another thing, however, when a politician actually uses deception and a lie to achieve their political goals, including opposing an endorsed GOP candidate, which is what my experience with Harkey is all about.
Last Fall, I turned down Bruce Cohen of the Libertarian Party when he called me to try to convince me to put their candidate, Andy Favor, on my four voter guides that mailed in Harkey’s 2008 general election. That was more consideration than Harkey gave me.
The 2010 primary is a different matter. It is going to be hard enough on incumbent Assembly Republicans seeking reelection. Venerable consultant Allan Hoffenblum, who publishes the “Target Book” has moved Harkey’s 73rd AD from “safe Republican” to “leaning Republican.” In a March 11/12 poll, Harkey had 23 % favorable and 21.5 % unfavorable in her district. Obama had 54 % favorables. After looking at at the crosstabs of the poll showing 60% of Republican voters in the 73rd AD state the financial scandal involving Harkey’s husband will affect their vote for Diane in 2010, Allan stated Harkey “was toast” and doubted she would decide to run for reelection, because the odds are growing she will lose the seat for the Republicans to a Democrat. The reality is, unless another scandal-free Republican sets forward, we will probably lose the 73rd AD to the Democrats next year.
Hope this helps clear up things.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Lacy, You are cracking me up. First of all, when it comes to the Central Committee, there were 16 candidates, 5 incumbents and the Mayor of Costa Mesa running in my district. It was a waste of time and money to campaign.
Now let’s talk about you. You seem to be suggesting that it is OK for you to recall a sitting Republican because they allegedly lied to you. But when one of your friends lies to their entire constituency, then it is wrong to want to recall that Republican. You have spear headed a smear campaign against the Harkey family for way to long. You got beat and it hurt your pride. That is understandable. But it is simply childish to throw the type of temper tantrum that you have been having for years now. Get over it and take your own advice, support the Party. Diane Harkey took your advice and helped defeat you “in the political market place” as you put it. But she must be shamed for that. Don’t you see your glaring hypocrisy?
Let’s face it Lacy, you have zero credibility on this issue. I have no problem with Republican leaders who are opposed to this recall. But I have a huge problem with hypocrites like you.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Is this the same Shawn Fago who finished 12th and LAST in a field of 12 candidates (not 16)
for 68th AD central committee last year? Or was that some other Shawn Fago?
And the fight for Last place was not close, either. The 11th-place hopeful got 4,416 votes…
while Shawn Fago received just 2,080, less than half the 11th-place total.
Now that’s what you call losing with AUTHORITY !
Here’s an OC Registrar of Voters link, to refresh some Shawn Fagos’ memory that 12
candidates isn’t the same as 16 . http://www.ocvote.com/live/pri0608/results.htm#index
April 19th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Those who lament that the Republican party “will fade to irrelevance” if we continue to “eat[] our own” instead of “fighting our REAL ENEMIES” totally miss the point.
The Republican party has been relegated to the role of opposition by its proportion in state representation. Fortunately, California requires a super majority to pass tax increases. This fact keeps the Republican party from total irrelevance. Unfortunately, when people like Adams betray their oath to the people who put them in office and vote to raise taxes, they take away the limited clout of the Republican party. It is they who lead us to irrelevance.
To assert that Adams is otherwise a good conservative and should be forgiven this lapse is equivalent to stating that aside from his indiscretion at West Point, Benedict Arnold was an excellent patriot and general of the Revolution.
If you see the removal of Anthony Adams as diminishing the party, what is your view of the party? Do we not stand for anything?
Perhaps it is time to consider the Libertarian Party. At least they believe in principles. I hope they run someone to fill Adams post.