CA: Issa backs Bilbray for Cunningham seat

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 1/11/06 | Debbi Farr Baker

[NormsRevenge]

CARLSBAD – Rep. Darrell Issa said Wednesday morning that he was endorsing former Republican congressman Brian Bilbray and will serve as his campaign chairman in the race to replace disgraced Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham in the 50th District. Pointing out that his district, the 49th, is touched on all sides by the 50th, Issa, R-Vista, said he needs a partner in Washington D.C. who has the experience and integrity to get work done on behalf of the North County.

"When you are looking for someone who is trusted and proven and who has been in the arena and has been bloodied a bit you could not find a better person than Brian Bilbray," Issa said in a news conference at Maxton Brown Park on Laguna Drive, with the Buena Vista Lagoon as a backdrop.

Issa said Bilbray is a proven leader who has been at the forefront of on issues important to North County, such as illegal immigration.

Bilbray, who represented Imperial Beach in Congress from 1994-2000, authored the "birth-right" legislation that is part of the immigration reform package now being considered in Washington, Issa said

Bilbray said he was honored by Issa's endorsement and looked forward to his active participation in his campaign.

"Darrell Issa is a man who knows what need to be done in North County and San Diego and he knows what need to be done in Washington D.C," Bilbray said.

Bilbray also announced that Roxana Foxx, former chairwoman of the San Diego County Republican Party, would serve as a co-campaign finance chair.

Bilbray also picked up the endorsement of the Deputy Sheriff's Association of San Diego County from President Jim Duffy, who said that Bilbray would work on homeland security issues important to law enforcement.

Issa said Bilbray, if elected, will have more senority than he does in Washington and will be "first in line" for key personal, committees and even his choice of offices.

But that's Ok with Issa. "He will take the best he can, but he will do what is right for this district," Issa said.

Among the others in the race are two Democrats – Francine Busby and Chris Young – and six Republicans. The GOP candidates are state Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside; former Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian of San Marcos; former Del Mar mayor Richard Earnest; businessman Alan Uke of Del Mar and Ken King of Rancho Santa Fe.

Cunningham resigned in November after pleading guilty to conspiracy and tax-evasion charges stemming from his dealings with defense contractors. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 27.

The 50th Congressional District runs along the North County Coast from Carlsbad south to Del Mar and also includes the cities of San Marcos and Escondido as well as the neighborhoods of Rancho Santa Fe, University City, La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I asked you a question, mister. You made a crass insinuation about my posting history. You'd better explain yourself. Put up or shut up.

[calcowgirl]

...even if Bilbray got his old seniority back... he would have 6 years of seniority

And he would still have the same liberal voting record that has been posted on this thread.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"I work for the conservative cause I hope you will also."

Supporting liberal RINOs is working for the conservative cause ? Go peddle that horsecrap somewhere else, pal.

[calcowgirl]

Like I said. He's one of several excellent candidates for the lucky 50th district voters to choose from.

Other than what he says on immigration, I don't share your "excellent" assessment. Gun control, envirowackiness, etc. It does not compute. There are better candidates.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I spend my Sundays with other freepers and protest warriors counter attacking the code pinkos. . . . I work for the conservative cause."

---

I'm sure you do, and I would like to thank you for your hard work and devotion to conservatism.

But I would submit to you that opposing the intentional taking of innocent human life is a conservative cause. And standing up for the right to protect oneself from criminals and other aggressors is also a conservative cause. And opposing environmental extremists who impose undue burdens on businesses and who disrespect property rights is a conservative cause as well. But Brian Bilbray does *not* fight for these conservative causes; in fact, he worked *against* the right to life of the innocent unborn, *against* the right to keep and bear arms, and *against* those who believe in property rights and common-sense conservation (as opposed to extremist environmentalism).

You are too good a conservative to be supporting a social liberal such as Brian Bilbray in a district in which 55% of voters cast their votes for President Bush; Bilbray would fight *against* the conservative cause on just about every social issue. If Brian Bilbray ran against Susan Davis in his old congressional district, which is so liberal that it only gave President Bush 38% and in which a true conservative would be unable to win, rest assured that I would support him wholeheartedly, since half a conservative is better than an ultraliberal such as Davis. But we conservatives should not have to compromise in a district that has proven time and time again that it is perfectly comfortable voting for conservative Republicans. I would urge you to keep fighting the good fight and support Kaloogian or Morrow in the 50th CD.

[Carry_Okie]

We already have a law that fines an employer $10,000 for each offense. There is no enforcement because it's up to the Federal government to prosecute such crimes.

They don't.

To suggest that upping the fine will work is a cynical ploy.

It should also only be considered only in conjunction with the Real ID bill he pushed while in Congress to limit illegal immigrant's ability to get driver's licenses and bank accounts.

To limit is not to PROHIBIT. Excuse me, but this suggests Mr. Bilbray is just fine with an illegal getting a dirver license as long as he gets to install a system to track the movement of American citizens.

To suggest that National ID is a solution and not mention border control is another cynical ruse.

[ansel12]

"If Bilbray was running in Susan Davis's 53rd congressional district (which he represented from 2005 to 2001), he would be perfectly acceptable, since his pro-abortion, anti-gun and pro-environmental-extremism votes would be a small price to pay for his good votes on other issues in an *overwhelmingly liberal district* in which President Bush was held to only 38% in 2004 and in which a conservative Republican *could not* win. (BTW, I don't think Bilbray would be a good candidate in Filner's 51st CD, which is majority Hispanic and in which Bush improved his performance from 41% in 2000 to 46% in 2004 and where a socially conservative, economically moderate Hispanic Republican would be our best bet.)

However, in the solidly Republican 50th CD, in which President Bush got 55% in 2004, there is absolutely no good reason to nominate a candidate who is liberal on social issues. We should nominate a solid conservative, such as Kaloogian; in such a heavily Republican district, there is no need for a Bilbray-type moderate who can get votes from Kerry voters. My fear is that the conservative vote will be split between several conservative candidates and allow a social liberal like Bilbray to slip in with 35% or so."


When I lived in that district I worked for his campaign.But he is entirely too moderate for the 50th, it would be mean giving up a conservative seat.

[b9]

I was listening to Hedgecock as I typed, and very likely erroneously combined the two statements that (1) Bilbray has 6 years of seniority and (2) per Issa's own statement, Bilbray has seniority over him [Issa}

So your correction is noted.

[b9]

Imagine having such a choice ... in this blue state!
Frankly I'm surprised Issa endorses Bilbray, from a conservative standpoint.

I've met Kaloogian and like him very much

It's going to be an interesting race.

[calcowgirl]

I like Kaloogian; I've never thought much of Issa.
I read that Morrow has built an impressive warchest.
Yes... it will be an interesting race.

I certainly hope that the (R)s aren't so abundant that a dem pulls in front.

[BillyBoy]

>> Bilbray has been out of Congress for 5 years, nearly as long as he was in. The "seniority" issue no longer has any merit. <<

True, but the same pretty much be said of Howard Kaloogan. The only office he held was a brief career in the General Assembly and his last year as Assemblyman was back in 2000. The guy is great on conservative issues but the whole "I lead the fight to recall Davis" thing is yesterday's news, and it sure didn't help him in the Senate primary.

The best candidate we could run at this point is probably State Senator Bill Morrow. His current district overlaps with 2/3rds of the 50th CD anyway. The guy has been there for conservatives time and time again in the Assembly and is a decorated Marine Corps Vet. He brings the best credentials to the race.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I'm not going to badmouth Sen. Morrow. He appears to be a fine gentleman with good credentials, and I wish him well in his contest.

I will say in defense of Kaloogian, he was at a tremendous disadvantage in the Senate race. The CA party establishment (once again making the claim to being one of the stupidest state parties in America) put all the muscle and money behind Bill Jones, which made it all but impossible for Kaloogian to try to overcome. Jones, of course, ended up running an embarrassingly non-existent campaign against the horrid evil bitch Barbara Boxer. I don't know what is the point of running candidates against these political rodents if they're not going to stand up and fight ?! I'd rather run vocal and intelligent underdogs instead.

I do think Kaloogian has made his bones and is more than qualified to be the nominee for the party for the 50th. It could also help showcase him for future office statewide if he proves an able leader in Congress.

[b9]

I certainly hope that the (R)s aren't so abundant that a dem pulls in front.

OMG... that really could happen.
One very helpful element down here are the local debates Roger Hedgecock facilitates.

Voters really paying attention can tune into his show and get a pretty clear idea of who's who and where they stand.

Filner won't hardly ever even go on his show anymore. lol

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I certainly hope that the (R)s aren't so abundant that a dem pulls in front.

OMG... that really could happen."

---

In a special election in California, candidates of all parties run together on the same ballot, and if no one gets over 50% of the total vote then there is a run-off a mointh or so later. The candidates in the run-off will be the top vote-getters of each party. Thus, even if a Democrat got more votes in the first round than the leading Republican, the run-off would only have one Republican, one Democrat, one Green, one Libertarian, etc., and the Republican will almost certainly win. The only real risk we have is of a RINO being the top Republican vote-getter in the first round, which would cost us a conservative representative from a conservative district and could even result in the Democrat winning the low-turnout run-off (if the RINO can't motivate conservatives to go out and vote).

[b9]

Thanks!

[Impeach98]

Hello there SoCalPol - thanks for bringing a smile to my face!

Howard Kaloogian lives in San Marcos. Before that he lived in Carlsbad.

He represented this district as a State Assemblyman from 1994-2000.

I'm sorry if you got the address to mail in contributions confused with the address that Howard lives or where the campaign is headquartered.

I imagine that Bilbray's folks presume everybody lives outside the district since the great Mr. Bilbray himself had to move up to live with his mother to claim to be a resident of the district.

That's pretty good of you to try and deflect Bilbray's carpetbagger status towards Howard, but I don't think that's going to work at Free Republic where people have known Howard as a fighter in the conservative movement for decades.

By the way - full disclosure: I work for Howard, and first met him in San Diego when he was running for State Assembly the first time. Brian Bilbray back then was at the opposite end of the County, talking about dumping trash in North County - the same area he now says he wants to represent. Welcome to North County, Brian!

[Impeach98]

"Since I live in a county near the Mexican border and you don't, I am more concerned with how a person will deal with this problem."

I learned long ago that when you find a Republican who squishes out on protecting the unborn, upholding 2nd amendment rights, voting against big government spending, then it is only a mater of time before they sell you out on every other issue too.

The reason so many immigration reform leaders support Kaloogian is that they know he won't sell them out on the issue even if the Left calls him all sorts of horrible names.

That's why the man who led the Prop 187 campaign (and co-wrote Prop 187), Ron Prince, endorsed Kaloogian and not Bilbray.

[Impeach98]

You are right that Howard Kaloogian's leadership of the Recall Gray Davis Committee wasn't enough to win statewide in the 2004 U.S. Senate Primary.

However, Kaloogian WON the 50th Congressional District in that race, so the voters there know, like and trust him.

Morrow's a good conservative guy, but he is not a resident of the district. He is actually a constituent in Darrell Issa's Congressional district (48th Congressional) and ran against Issa in the 2000 Congressional race and lost.

[b9]

Please refresh our memories about the North County trash dumping.