Tom McClintoick has never been known to "pander". He is one of the most honest politicians California has. If you go to his website he has been writing about illegal aliens for years. He disagrees with them getting any benefits and believes that they hurt California taxpayers.
I wouldn't call that pandering.
1) Being one of the most honest politicians California has is truly being damned by faint praise.
2) Pandering is a morally neutral word. It implies the means to satisfy the ambitions of others.
The article was posted on the Senator's website to elicit more financial support from the Senators' conservative base. There was nothing new or intriguing about either SB 349 or SB 160. History was simply dredged up to promote more campaign donations through a transparent reminder that the Senator will work to frustrate such practices if he is allowed to remain in government service.
Nor would anyone who truly supports McClintock.