Posted on 04/23/2008 5:03:30 PM PDT by strongconservative4cal
With the television writers strike over, many people here in Ventura County may have tuned into the TV show Brothers and Sisters when it resumed airing last night to complete its last 4 episodes of the season. With much of the show set here, in our very own Ojai, the intense Republican primary race of the fictional character Senator McAllister plays can easily distract us from the politics facing us in reality.
It is the similarities to this campaign that a primary challenger, Michael Tenenbaum faces as he runs for congress. Equally as handsome as Rob Lowe who plays a fictional candidate on the television- we should pay equal or more attention to the real candidate Michael Tenenbaum as challenges Gallegly for his seat for Congress. And why should we tune in to the Republican primary? Not because Tenenbaum is a handsome candidate not so unlike the one on TV-- but because his candidacy actually will have an effect on all of us here, in the real Ojai, the real Ventura County.
Tenenbaum's candidacy for Congress should be both be applauded and watched closely. He is challenging a do-nothing Congressman (Gallegly) who has sat in Washington, D.C. for 22 years and has grown out of touch with the needs of his constituency. In 2006 when Gallegly first threatened the citizens with retirement- he was saved by party backing and Rove's encouragement. The Republicans are very afraid of losing their incumbents. Gallegly however with his record of little accomplishment should have been given his gold watch and farewell party years ago. Unfortunately the people of Ventura County will probably have to continue to suffer his intolerable reign in Washington, where he will continue to do nothing for a couple more terms as he grows further detached from his district's constituency. It is this attitude, and politicians like Gallegly that have contributed to the Republican party's loss of seats in 2006, and most likely their continued loss of seats. Instead of retiring candidates when they get so entrenched that they no longer work to shrink the government, taxes and spending- they are too busy trying to hang on to power. It is with these attitudes that not only causes the party to lose seats -- but swallow their young and destroy the party's potential. It would be in the best interest of all Republicans to reconsider candidates that have become so entrenched that they no longer live to their parties ideals but instead have the voting records of a Democrat-- voting for government spending and time wasting bills.
In Gallegly's past term, his major accomplishment was sponsoring a resolution, making it against federal law to transport roosters across state lines for the purpose of cock-fighting. While this may seem like a fine bill- transporting roosters for cockfighting was already illegal in 49 states. Laws like this are not only pointless - but have the potential to cause damage to the court system by taking up valuable federal resources for what can and should be handled by the states. The Constitution is clear that some laws SHOULD be delegated to the states and that the law making power of Congress should be used for pressing matters only! Why should our federal courts be clogged up with cases about cock-fighting roosters? Isn't there anything else more important that our judges should be doing? When Congress can barely get our Federal budget passed on time, or reauthorize the FISA bill to allow intelligence agencies to continue monitoring possible terrorists, Congressmen like Gallegly are using their position to pass nonsense bills that may seem harmless but are really just a waste of time and valuable recourses. It is with bills like these- whether cock-fighting bills, or the constant renaming of post offices that entrenched politicians use to distract their constituents from their downright incompetence.
Unfortunately for Gallegly he didn't start cosponsoring or sponsoring pointless bill just after he was highly entrenched. Back in 1987 he cosponsored a resolution for, "National Asparagus Month". My last question for everyone in Ventura County is if anyone celebrated, "National Asparagus Month?" Did you even know that there was one? Did Gallegly even follow up this vote with a PR campaign about the many uses of asparagus?
Also, look as his record. In the last quarter of 2006, Gallegly missed 81% of his votes. In the first quarter of 2008 he missed over 8% of votes which is well over the 2-3% average. Many Congressmen have 0% quarters too. It is time for Gallegly to tell us constituents what exactly he is doing in DC and it is time for Ventura County to really consider a young, vigorous candidate like Tenenbaum to replace him.
The article says nothing about Tenenbaum’s stances on the issues. The author may be writing a hit piece. Perhaps he wants a log cabin republican, or a liberal republican, or perhaps a conservative republican. This article leaves me clueless. I’d rather vote for a conservative who misses votes than a “moderate” republican who is guaranteed to vote against conservatives with regularity. So tell me, is Tenenbaum conservative or not.
Is there smoke out there waiting to flame-up?
BY THE WAY, WHO SELLS ELTON ALL THAT HAIR SPRAY?
That's the way it struck me. I'm very anti VC "Red" Star anyhow and don't trust anything it prints. It's basically the county Democrat Party Newsletter.
Maybe Gallegly is as bad as the article says. But before I vote for Tennenbaum I need to know a GREAT deal more about his background, stands on issues (not just campaign blather). I'm highly skeptical of another Hollywood politician. Better the Devil you know...
lol. I had also heard that the “catastrophic” health condition that made him retire 2 years ago was actually a really bad scandal. but whoever was about to come forward got silenced by karl rove and gallegly decided to reenter the race once he felt he was in the clear.
I’ve been reading the Star for 20 years and I can tell you that the paper is far from being the Democratic Party Newsletter. If anything, the paper leans to the right.
Well, I read it for about 12 years until I canceled my subscription 3 years ago. Leans to the Right? I want some of what you’re smoking, LOL.
Yikes that was painful to read! I haven’t seen that many grammatical errors in a publication in eons.
Is this a letter to the editor? One thing for sure, it could have used a major edit job.
‘Elton’ is somebody’s real name? Who knew?
I have actually had the pleasure of meeting Michael Tenenbaum about a month ago. He was walking my neighborhood door to door and I had a nice conversation with him. He seemed like a geniune conservative to me. One thing I did notice is that he’s much more of a people person than Elton Gallegly. He gave a brief sprew about his platform, but most of the conservaton we had was like a buddy to buddy conversation. I met Gallegly several years ago at a Reagon Library function and he was very dull and uptight.
There is some stuff on this thread from 2006 about Tenenbaum when he was going to run before.
Harvard Law, trial attorney, political donation to one dem and one to the the CRP... lots of huge blank spaces on his resume. Scroll down—some tidbits throughout the thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1594232/posts
See also:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/michaeltenenbaum/index
Much appreciated. A trial lawyer, huh? Pardon me for being a mite suspicious.
You aren’t alone. Many of us on that thread were suspicious.
The Democratic candidate he donated to was a longtime friend of his from high school. It’s kind of sad these days that you have to have a whole list of political credentials just to run for office. The founding fathers intended representatives to be ordinary citizens who would at the most serve for one or two terms before returning to the private sector. Now, it seems you have to had lived off the taxpayer for at least a dozen years before you can run for office.
With only two donations in his history, no matter the party, I got the idea that he wasn't very politically active which I would find relevant. If you know more about him, please share. I'm sure others would be interested.
It’s kind of sad these days that you have to have a whole list of political credentials just to run for office.
If you look at the threads from two years ago, it was not the lack of political credentials that was causing suspicion. Generally, there was a blank sheet to work with as far as understanding his professional background, qualifications, and position on issues.
The founding fathers intended representatives to be ordinary citizens who would at the most serve for one or two terms before returning to the private sector. Now, it seems you have to had lived off the taxpayer for at least a dozen years before you can run for office.
I certainly don't share that opinion.
elton gallegly, elton john, etc....
hey, i met him today too!! He’s seems like a real honest person and I’m definitely voting for him next month.
Which fawning member of the Tenenbaum team wrote this puff piece? “As equally handsome as Rob lowe”? Geez... All we need in congress is a pretty boy with no defined program. californiabear, you seem to know Tenenbaum’s intimate details - Can you give us some more details from the “bear’s mouth” so to speak?
Tenenbaum himself?
Try to tone down on the personal attacks; it’s pretty childish. Also, it’s interesting that you just registered before you made that post. Is Gallegly giving you some down-low favors so you would post love notes about him?
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