Floor Statement of Senator McClintock on California Budget (Which just passed the Legislature)

Sen. Tom McClintock | July 7, 2005 | Sen. Tom McClintock

[Cicero]

First Karl Rove installed Gerald Parsky in California to push Richard Riordan for governor. Riordan lost to Simon by a huge margin in the primary, because Republican voters rightly saw him as a leftist RINO.

Then Rove and Parsky pulled their support from Simon, and with the help of a furious media attack on him and a corrupt judge, Simon was defeated by a narrow margin.

Then Rove and Parsky jumped into the recall situation and pushed Arnold forward. They said if the voters didn't vote for Arnold, then Bustamente would be elected. So conservative voters bit their tongues and voted for Arnold instead of McClintock.

Arnold could never in a million years have beaten McClintock in a primary election, but because of this maneuvering, he didn't have to try.

Now we see what we got. A big talking, big spending, pro-abortionist, pro-homosexual blowhard. Arnold made some good movies, but he couldn't be a worse governor. Even Gray Davis was better, because at least he was a Democrat who was making his party unpopular.

A lot of this is Rove's doing. He is a smart operator in many ways, but he has a foolish fondness for imposing pro-abortion RINOs on the party. Specter is a more recent example. I hope Rove has begun to learn his lesson, namely that you don't get votes by favoring abortion, perversion, and big spending, especially if you are a Republican.

Better late than never.

[Uncle Hal]

Tom is my hero as far as the GOP is concerned in CA. God knows, there are very few in this state. When he runs for Lt. Gov. in 06 I hope he gets elected.

[Publius6961]

This budget just passed the legislature with Tom as the sole NO vote.

Damned Cassandra!

< /sarc >

[Publius6961]

Now we see what we got. A big talking, big spending, pro-abortionist, pro-homosexual blowhard. Arnold made some good movies, but he couldn't be a worse governor. Even Gray Davis was better, because at least he was a Democrat who was making his party unpopular.

A little hyperbole goes a long way.
Anything is better than Bustamante.
The only way Arnold could have done better (without a budget fairy) might have been across the board real 5% cuts; no exceptions.

The support just wasn't there.
And the budget fairy is still AWOL...

[cartoonistx]

[Carry_Okie]

Nice summary.

Yup, Arnold was a pig in a poke and the Rove/Parsky GOP is now accountable for this mess.

[elbucko]

And to think that I contributed to and voted for Tom McClintock during the recall of the governor.

(/sarcasm)

[elbucko]

Even Gray Davis was better, because at least he was a Democrat who was making his party unpopular.

Exactly. That's why I $upported Tom McClintock.

[tophat9000]

bottom line.... We are another $6 billion in the hole this year...what was the recall all about again?....tell us again how your vote counted

[Cicero]

Anything is better than Bustamante.

I don't necessarily dispute that. But if McClintock had run against Bustamente without Arnold entering the race, as the annointed candidate of the White House, he probably would have beaten him.

Taking it back earlier, if Parsky hadn't refused to do any fund raising for Bill Simon, an outstanding candidate, Simon would have beaten Gray Davis and the whole business never would have happened.

There was a myth out there that Bill Simon was a poor campaigner. Well, that was mostly a Democratic propaganda ploy, given some credibility because the Democrats had the whole California media machine on their side, and Simon had no advertising money to counter it, because his wonderful fundraiser Parsky was taking a vacation, while frightened Republican country clubbers were ponying up to Gray Davis for fear of what he might do to them after he was re-elected.

[goldstategop]

Tom did the right thing. I can't say this budget does right by the people of California. Its a budget built on borrowed money and is balanced in name only. No wonder the voters are angry at our politicians. They were promised the borrowing would stop and Sacramento would be responsible with our hard-earned money. Instead, it does the opposite! I'm not a doom and gloom liberal but I don't think spending money we don't have is a good example to set for our children. The bill always comes due.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[jocko12]

Looks like we will only have 26 billon in the PORK FUND now.

[kennyo]

This advanced math is probably a little bit over the heads of the legislature.

[Jeff Gordon]

A lot of this is Rove's doing.

I thought that everything, everywhere was Bush's fault.

[backtothestreets]

I want Governor McClintock and a solid supporting cast.

[Syncro]

There was a myth out there that Bill Simon was a poor campaigner

That's partly true. His handlers ignored some good advice from someone working on the campaign, and went with the party line.

It's absolutely wrong that the GOP won't support anyone but their anointed ones.

McClintock would have most likely been our governor if he was supported and the field was cleared.

But Arnold was the chosen one.

[Carry_Okie]

His handlers ignored some good advice from someone working on the campaign, and went with the party line.

They had to do it or Parsky would not release the funds.

It's absolutely wrong that the GOP won't support anyone but their anointed ones.

I'm sorry to say that I don't concur. Simon was screwed by his own Party offals. Gerald Parsky was hired because of his supposed fundraising ability. Parsky had a personal vendetta against Simon's father, Bill Simon Sr. The way he ran the operations of that campaign was payback. Nothing was spent until the last minute and the momentum Simon had through the primary was lost. Parsky dictated that he accept Wilson-Jones as a consultant, when Russo Marsh had got him through the primary. Parsky wouldn't release funds for GOTV organization, even to buy computers to track registrations. Parsky insisted Russo put Simon's signature to the Log Cabin letter, else he would not release funds. That upset a lot of Simon's base. Rove made sure every dime raised by the President in California went through Parsky's hands.

Candidate	Votes	Pct.	Spent ($MM)
Steve Westly	Moderate Democrat	45.4	$10.6
Tom McClintock	Conservative Republican	45.1	$2.0
Result? The conservative got no support from the GOP, was outspent 5:1 by a moderate Democrat, and nearly won anyway.
Candidate	Votes	Vote Pct.	Spent ($MM)
Cruz M. Bustamante	Leftist Democrat	49.5	$4.6
Bruce Mc Pherson	Moderate Republican	41.8	$2.8
Result? The “moderate” Republican darling of the GOP got lots of support, was outspent only 1.6:1 by an extreme leftist with no credibility, the "electable" GOP "moderate" LOST by a margin NINE TIMES larger than the unsupported conservative in the same election.

[Syncro]

I don't disagree.

I'm sorry to say that I don't concur. Simon was screwed by his own Party offals. Gerald Parsky was hired because of his supposed fundraising ability. Parsky had a personal vendetta against Simon's father, Bill Simon Sr. The way he ran the operations of that campaign was payback.

I didn't know the whys and wherefores that you point out in that statement. But that was my point. He was done in by his own people, from the top down to his closest "allies"

Sad that he used a personal vendetta to Pars(e)ky his words against Simon.

A friend of mine worked on the campaign, and told me that they wouldn't listen to her advice. Now I understand why.

I'll FR mail you her name as she has left public life.