Posted on 01/29/2006 10:28:54 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Republican activists and elected officials downplayed divisions over Gov. Schwarzenegger at a meeting in Riverside Saturday and predicted that the party would eventually unite behind him.
Some conservatives are urging the state GOP to withdraw its endorsement of Schwarzenegger at next month's state party convention in San Jose. Among other things, they are upset with Schwarzenegger's appointment of longtime Democratic activist Susan Kennedy as chief of staff and his proposal for $222 billion in bonds to pay for highways, schools and waterworks.
But during a speech to the California Congress of Republicans at the Mission Inn, former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin touted the governor's commitment to Republican principles and said his detractors represent only a small slice of the party.
"We cannot let a few people who are very vocal decide for the party as a whole," said Marin, who in 2004 was appointed by Schwarzenegger to the Integrated Waste Management Board.
Marin shot down speculation that she may run in the June primary for the right to challenge U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, saying she has no plans to run for elected office in the near future. She lost the 2004 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate to former Secretary of State Bill Jones, who fell to Sen. Barbara Boxer in the general election.
Most of the candidates who are expected to compete for statewide offices in the June 6 GOP primary spoke to the group, hoping for its endorsement when delegates vote today. The congress is the grass-roots volunteer arm of the state GOP. Candidates generally avoided criticizing their primary-election opponents, focusing their fire on Democrats instead.
State Sen. Abel Maldonado, who represents parts of the central coast and Silicon Valley and is running for state controller, predicted that conservatives would coalesce behind Schwarzenegger because they realize that not to do so would hand the governor's office to the Democrats.
"Here you have a guy who did what these folks wanted," Maldonado said in an interview. "He eliminated the vehicle license fee. He fixed workers' compensation. He reduced the deficit. He cut spending."
Bob Mulholland, a longtime Democratic strategist and senior adviser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides, the state treasurer, dismissed predictions of unity.
"The Republican state convention in San Jose is going to be the Donner Party of the 21st century," he said by phone. The anger that conservatives have toward Schwarzenegger will lead many to stay home from the polls in November, Mulholland predicted.
Mayor Robin Lowe of Hemet, a delegate at the meeting, said during a break that few voters care who Schwarzenegger hires as his top advisers. And, she said Inland voters who spend hours each day stuck in traffic on clogged freeways won't be receptive to criticism about the governor's proposed highway spending.
Assemblyman Ray Haynes of Murrieta, a candidate for the California Board of Equalization, said he shared fellow conservatives' disappointment with the governor on several issues, but he said in an interview at the meeting that he opposes withdrawing the party's endorsement.
Yet Haynes also said Schwarzenegger must make a bold move -- such as creating a state-run border police force -- to motivate and assure his Republican base.
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Love your sig line. So true!
Just Win, Baby!
Don't sweat the details.
To heck with the consequences of voting for a liberal agenda masquerading as an R one.. did that come out right? :-)
And what do you think the spending would be under Gray Davis or Bustamante?
Not to mention that they would have signed the drivers licenses to illagals bill, would have raised taxes, and would have signed the homosexual marriage bill.
I guess you would have preferred that, not to mention that YOU voted FOR the huge budget, because you voted AGAINST the "live within our means" proposition.
I hope so.
"The people I know will be voting for conservatism and against liberalism. "
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Please explain how is getting a Dem socialist elected is a "vote against liberalism".
Oh, it sure does. Thanks!
The choice is a FULL Democrat Socialist government, or Arnold.
So what is your choice. If you are not supporting Arnold, you are supporting the full socialist takeover of California. Since when is that the "conservative" position?
Any time ";^>
The new RepublicanNM big-tent party.
Of course, they think the tent ain't big enough for conservatives.
I believe his statement, when compared to facts, can generate only one accurate conclusion.
Dem socialist or Rep socialist. Socialism is socialism.
I will oppose both strenuously.
No guesses here.
Spending either under Davis or Bustamante would have been less than under Schwarzenegger. Considerably less. The reason is simple:
The spending and its consequent taxation requires a super-majority in both houses of the legislature. The Democrats don't have a super-majority.
The Wilsonegger gang bypassed this constitution due process and deals directly with the Legislative leaders to negotiate the budget, robbing the Republican minority of their constitution rights.
An educated, insider's guess is that the California budget would have certainly increased, along with taxation, but only in proportion to inflation and population growth. The Wislonegger gang, by corrupting the constitutional process, has tripled those rates.
Ah, but since you DID mention it, I can only refer you back to the many unanswered posts to you. Here is one. In short, Prop 76 was a deceptive measure that did little to control spending yet authorized more debt and borrowing.
As to drivers licenses, you seem to forget the referendum process. SB60 would have been dead post haste by the electorate, armed with pitchforks. Instead we are still fiddling around with it. Just wait until Matthew Dowd and his pro-illegal-immigrant campaign group jumps into full gear. Will Arnie capitulate on this issue, too?
As to homosexual marriage, I don't believe Davis would have signed it. If he had, it too would have faced referendum--and Davis a Recall process. More pitchforks. I note that you didn't mention all of the pro-GLBT legislation that Arnold did sign.
As to raising taxes, you seem to forget that it would require 2/3 approval in the legislature, something the Dems had not been able to accomplish, thanks to Republican opposition. Instead, the new Governor(R) chose to create new debt to supplement the liberal, socialistic spending habits of the left. $15 billion in bonds to fund continued deficit spending, paid for by TAXES. This method of deferred taxation proposed by the old Governor(D) was the same method proposed by the new Governor(R), something consistently opposed by conservatives. I note that you were not part of the opposition, instead promoting its passage.
Ah, yes, the new "conservative heroes": Dean, Gore, Angelides, Bustamante, Boxer.
It would be nice if supporters of those socialist Democrats would stop claiming that they are conservatives.
FO, your lack of understanding prevents you from discerning that there is little to no difference between the Gub and the dems, they both are working for the same agenda, imo.
I keep asking your ilk if the party platform planks mean anything to any of your side of the GOP but you avoid that.
If they don't, then pull off another power move and hype campaign and change them to reflect the New Majority positions, don't just hijack the party , impose those positions without formalities and then expect to not be questioned, and please don't try and blame or impugn the rest of those who are neither comfortable or supportive of this line of attack at regaining the legislature or high state noffices, frankly , the differences are fast disappearing at a state level, at least here in Caifornia, something you don;t seem overly concerned about, What's up with that?
You sure seem have a major problem in recognizing much less acknowledging fact, however. Simple as that.
Ignore all the social sameness and castigate those who do voice their concerns, how "conservative" of you at a conservative forum, no less. :-)
Just Win, Baby! Don't sweat the details.
So what is your choice.
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Have a primary where the Gub has to run against others .. I don't care if Parsky or Issa even wants to run.
I am sure Tom would welcome a flat playing field to participate in such a primary.
Or wouldn't that be FaiR?
To pretend everything is hunky dory is to be deceitful of what is really happening within the party. For which of course you will blame a few at FR as being responsible, of course, per your usual tactic.
Well done!
Now, more work on rational logic and presentation of the supporting facts may result in the FairOpinion subscription becoming a forum contributor.
I doubt it.
Don't get your hopes up. ;-)
CA: Governor's bond proposals getting thorough examination by lawmakers ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1567530/posts
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