Posted on 02/09/2007 9:38:39 AM PST by areafiftyone
} When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speak at the California Republican Convention this weekend, some party leaders from Solano County will be there and listening carefully.
Approximately 1,300 delegates from across the state are expected to fill the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento beginning today through Sunday. Among them will be Mike Gomez, the chair of the Solano County Republican Party Central Committee, and Lynda Rose McMahan, chair of Solano Republican Women's Federated.
A busy itinerary awaits the group in the state capital, including the selection of new party leadership. Gomez said one candidate, Ron Nehring, is running unopposed for chair, while the vice-chairmanship is hotly contested.
"I think it's going to be a good convention," Gomez said. "To me, it is always interesting and exciting when we elect new officers."
Situated between major election cycles, this convention is an opportunity for the party to strategize and organize. Local party leaders said it is chance for California Republicans to regroup after a shift of power in the November 2006 election, as well as prepare for the upcoming battle in 2008.
McMahan said, "I'm hoping a sense of unity comes out of it; that we find out what we did wrong in the last election and go about changing it."
While she is unable to attend, Cathy Ritch, the second vice chair of the Solano Republican Central Committee, said "I think it is going to be an important meeting."
"It's a chance for us to get together and look over what happened in the last election," she said. "We're really at a crossroads."
Giuliani, dubbed "America's mayor" after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has made headlines recently with his burgeoning presidential aspirations.
"I'd like to hear what his philosophy is and how he would deal with what's going on in Iraq differently than what President Bush is doing," McMahan said.
Republicans will have to produce a turnaround in Iraq, McMahan said, to be successful in 2008.
Gomez said he is also looking forward to the lunch with Giuliani on Saturday. He wants to hear the celebrated mayor's views on national security and the kinds of programs and policies he would implement as president.
"I'm anxious to hear him speak," Gomez said. "At this point in time, he's the one who holds the most interest for me."
Ritch said about Giuliani, "He'd be my favorite candidate if you asked me right now."
As for Schwarzenegger, McMahan said she likes that he is bold and understands the necessity of compromise in politics. However, she and Gomez have concerns about his health-care proposal.
"I do have some questions," McMahan said. While she understands what Schwarzenegger is trying to accomplish, she said, "I'm just not sure that his proposal is the best way to go about it."
Other business awaits the convention's delegates, including a vote on resolutions opposing tax increases and another titled "Voter ID for Honest Elections, which supports a measure requiring would-be voters to provide a valid photo ID.
McMahan said she had not had a chance to peruse the resolutions, but Republicans generally oppose tax increases. Concerning the other issue, she said, "I think everyone should have to show ID when they go to vote."
Additional information about the convention is available on the California Republican Party's Web site, www.cagop.org/.
All they'll lack is Bloomberg, Pataki, Whitman, Snowe and Specter for a complete set.
The new GOP: Government Of Peabrains
McCain-Feingold was overwhelmingly passed with Democratic votes, but the GOP bears the blame for the other debacles. Anyway, Rudy is someone who will stand up to the Democrats. I think McCain would compromise with them.
Please explain how this is different from Rudy.
She doesn't support the war, our military or even our law enforcement men and women.
She did, but now she's just pandering to the left to get nominated. Hillary will have no compunctions about using the military. See "Kosovo."
A host of conservative reporters and think tanks think he's conservative.
Yawn. Yeah, all those "conservative" reporters. Here's a clue: Think tanks say whatever it will take to get grant money. The corporate globo-socialist money is behind Rudy and if you don't think for a minute that he'll stay right behind the NAU, you're smoking something.
You honestly think that the folks on this site need to be in lock step with it's creator? What kind of dull, insulated world do you live in?
You think the National Review editors are just lying? Mona Charen? And a host of others?
It must be horrible to be so filled with conspiracies.
I don't have to. You know very well that he supports gay "rights" and abortion, two key tenets of the Gramscian program. You also know he loves government control of private weapons, a favorite of tyrants from the beginning of time.
Remember the thread two weeks ago that went ballistic when Hunter "Doubled" in percentage points? He went from being an asterisk to 2%. (With a plus or minus 5% MOE!)
After he announced his candidacy, he has slipped back into the asterisk category. With the primaries just a few months away.
SEND HIM MORE MONEY! That should do it.
I promise you, without Bush support for KENNEDY's No Child Left Alone, it would have gone nowhere. The same is true for the rest of your assertions. The GOP went along with Bush more often than not, if only to avoid embarassing him.
It's posters like you that lead me to believe that the hatred of Rudy is more about the hatred of NYC. Diverse cities like NYC have diversity of opinions and you seem to have a problem with that.
When I see the opposition give to Rudy here on FR- bordering on insane hatred, I feel even better about his chances of winning the presidency.
I don't have much respect for the National Review.
Mona Charen?
Appallingly ignorant.
It must be horrible to be so filled with conspiracies.
Facts are facts. The history is there for you to read. Until then, you fall right in with Mona.
Wrong again! I have watched his latest interviews and he has clarified his stance on those issues. And they are nothing like the way you describe him.
I am sure you have little interest in finding out what he really thinks, so you have chosen to avoid those interviews.
That would go totally against the lies you have convinced yourself into believing.
You have no idea how many people have said they were lukewarm until they saw the absolute bitter hatred coming from freepers who have pretty much hated everyone and everything for years. Now they're supporters! LOL
ROFL!!!!! Oh, you think an awful lot of yourself.
Read my tagline. That's what I'm gonna do, it's a given. Who knows, it might be Newt. Keeping the RATs out is the ultimate target.
None of the serial attackers wants to commit to voting for the GOP nominee. It means they'll stay home or vote third party and hand the WH to a RAT. Some say it anyway, so what's the point?
They can be very ARTICULATE! LOL
A guy who tweaks his positions to get nominated can't be trusted on any campaign promise, any more than Hillary.
At least I think. Try it some time.
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