CA: Maldonado loses Controller race - Strickland unofficial winner of Republican primary

San Luis Obispo Tribune ^ | 7 June 2006 | Leslie Griffy and Larissa Van Beurden-Doust

[CounterCounterCulture]

[CounterCounterCulture]

For historical purposes... :-)

Live Thread - California Primary Election - 6 June 2006

[Cicero]

I don't know much about this race, but I take it from your campaign poster that you are a Strickland supporter.

The article calls Maldonado a "moderate," which, according to my MSM decoder ring, means that he is a screaming RINO.

[CounterCounterCulture]

I'll borrow a response from calcowgirl because I'm lazy :-)

Here's a few reasons:

• This year, he authored a bill to increase the minimum wage. When he couldn't get any support from Republican legislators, he pushed to resurrect the previously dormant Industrial Welfare Commission (with Schwarzenegger's help) to avoid a vote by the legislature altogether.

• He broke party lines in July 2003 on a crucial vote, helping to undermine the Republican fiscal recovery plan designed to avoid the financial crisis.

• In 2001, he co-authored AB 540, with leftist Marco Firebaugh, legislation that gave in-state tuition status to illegal immigrants.

• In 2001, he pushed a $500,000 earmark in the budget for the "Abel Maldonado Youth Center"

• He broke party lines in 1999, voting for an assault weapon ban publicly stating "They are weapons of war." and "they shouldn't be on the streets," statements used by the Democrats to strengthen their campaign (which succeeded).

[edcoil]

Liberal not even a RINO. Only reason he has R in name is like all liberals they cannot run on their ticket so they run on the republican.

[calcowgirl]

For reference, those were summarized from excerpts and citations that I posted on this thread (See posts 30-35).

[calcowgirl]

You could probably overlay this with the one from the Bush/Kerry election and see who Abel resembles.

State Controller - Republican Party

[newzjunkey]

I hadn't heard about Maldonado's coauthoring AB 540 to give instate tuition status to illegal immigrants when I filled out my ballot.

I'm not sorry Strickland came out on top.

[Chesterbelloc]

68% for Strickland in Ventura County. Is he from that area or is Ventura just very conservative?

[newzjunkey]

Strickland is from Ventura County.

[Ben Mugged]

Liberal not even a RINO. Only reason he has R in name is like all liberals they cannot run on their ticket so they run on the republican.

He ran for office in a mainly conservative area of California (northern Santa Barbara county) so in order to win he had to run Republican. Abel is a fiscal conservative but in all other aspects he is a liberal. His base here on the central coast is looking for another horse to ride.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Abel is a fiscal conservative"

Actually, he's not even that. The guy doesn't even have a basic grasp of economics.

[calcowgirl]

See posts #4 and #6. CCC beat me to it!

CCC--you can borrow, any time! :-)

[rolling_stone]

I got a telephone call/recording from Newt Gingrich asking me to vote for the RINO...Makdonado

[goldstategop]

The Austrian's New Majority RINO machine lost another statewide party's contest. What was that again about the grassroots willing to embrace RINOs apart from the Governator himself on Tuesday? Guess again!

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[goldstategop]

I have yet to meet a liberal who was a genuine fiscal conservative. Such a creature doesn't exist - at least not in this reality.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[Ben Mugged]

When he was the mayor of Santa Maria he balanced the budget and helped the city win the coveted "All American City" title. He almost doubled the police force and built two new fire stations that had the net impact of lowering the insurance rate for several hundred homeowners. The planning commission he chartered has kept growth of the city within reason and well planned. He does have some redeeming value, not all the voters in Santa Barbara county are morons.