Replies

The Cunningham district (CA-50) already has Sen. Bill Morrow, Asm. Howard Kaloogian and fomer Congressman Brian Bilbray in the running for the GOP nomination. Ms Busby, the Democrat, is of little consequence. The district includes MCAS Miramar.

We don't need Gilchrist who appeared with Morrow at anti-illegals forums.

Most Freepers in that 50th district (self included) are looking closely at Kaloogian and Morrow. What Bilbray brings to the table is seniority. Even though he represented a different district, were he to succeed Cunningham, he'd bring his seniority with him to the House.

There are some things folks should know about Bilbray's record:

Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol. (Jun 2000)
Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)
Voted YES on Prescription Drug Coverage under Medicare. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers. (Sep 1998)

In fairness, his very competitive congressional district then included the homosexual quarter of San Diego. Redistricting increased the Dem majority in what is now the 53rd leading to his narrow defeat in 2000.

"What Bilbray brings to the table is seniority. Even though he represented a different district, were he to succeed Cunningham, he'd bring his seniority with him to the House."

Bilbray may claim he'll get his 6 years of seniority back, but I doubt it. Unless Speaker Hastert personally gives him his seniority back, his seniority will start at 0. Only when an ex-Congressman is wooed to run for office again in a district that would be hard to win without him are ex-Congressmen given their old seniority back, and Duke's district gave Bush 55% in 2004 and will be won by whomever wins the GOP nomination (unless Gilchrest runs there too and gets 25%, alowing the Democrat to win). Why would Hastert piss off dozns of Republicans elected from 2000 onwards who would be skipped over in seniority if he gave Bilbray his seniority back for no good reason? It sounds to me that Bilbray is claiming that he'll get his seniority back, but that it's just a ploy.

"In fairness, his very competitive congressional district then included the homosexual quarter of San Diego. Redistricting increased the Dem majority in what is now the 53rd leading to his narrow defeat in 2000."

You are correct that Bilbray's old district was quite liberal and that his issue positions were fine, since a true conservative couldn't win there (which is not the case in Duke's CD, of course). But when Bilbray lost to Susan Davis in 2000 it was under the old lines; 2002 redistricting made the CD even more liberal, which is why Bilbray didn't seek a rematch against Davis.