Posted on 02/09/2002 12:18:58 PM PST by John Jorsett
SAN JOSE – The California Republican Party convention opened on a rancorous note yesterday when former party officials denounced gubernatorial front-runner Richard Riordan as being so liberal that they would not vote for him if he wins the nomination.
"I will not vote for Dick Riordan," said former state Sen. Richard Mountjoy, president of the conservative grass-roots California Republican Assembly. "If it came down between Riordan and Davis, I would have to vote for the conservative."
The state GOP is going ahead with a controversial gubernatorial straw poll at its weekend convention despite efforts by Riordan to kill it. Unable to get the balloting called off, Riordan is seeking to discredit the results by boycotting it and asking his supporters not to participate.
"We are concerned that the straw poll will unnecessarily hurt Republican unity and distract from the main business of California Republicans – defeating Gray Davis," said Riordan campaign manager Ron Hartwig in a letter to delegates.
Supporters of Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon have been working to turn out a big vote in the straw poll to demonstrate that the conservative first-time candidate is the choice of party regulars.
A convincing Simon win over Riordan and Secretary of State Bill Jones would be "an indication of what's going to happen when the rest of the Republicans find out more about the candidates," said former state GOP chairman Mike Schroeder at a news conference called to denounce Riordan.
The Riordan camp contends the poll is a bogus event that is subject to manipulation because anybody who pays the $55 convention registration fee can vote, whether they are delegates or even Republicans.
Whether the straw poll is a significant barometer of Republican sentiment, or a sideshow, it will be overshadowed by the second debate among the three principal GOP candidates for governor in the March 5 primary election.
Unlike the sedate three-way face-off at San Jose State University last month, today's debate has the potential to be a raucous affair. For one thing, there will be a live audience of partisans who feel passionate about their candidates and, in some cases, passionate about the opponents.
Such was the case yesterday afternoon as Mountjoy, Schroeder and former state Republican chairman John Herrington – all Simon supporters – took turns excoriating Riordan as a renegade unworthy of Republican support.
Herrington noted the former Los Angeles mayor's history of contributing to Democrats.
"I can't remember being urged to vote for a Republican candidate who has actively worked against Republicans – not just been a liberal Republican, not just been impartial or independent, but who has actively gone out and campaigned against fellow Republicans time after time after time," Harrington said.
The Riordan campaign responded by distributing a letter from three former state GOP chairmen – Michael Montgomery, Frank Visco and Tirso del Junco – praising Riordan as the only candidate who "has what it takes to deliver a much-needed victory in November."
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BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!.....Jeezo, how liberal is Riordan?????...Crikes!
FMCDH
If Simon wins though, there is no Dick to worry about.
As for Riordan, I have not seen anything positive he ever did for LA. He was your typical ribbon-cutting, take credit for the work of others politicians!
During Riordan's reign as Mayor of LA, W. Hubble (former Clinton buddy) got a "consulting job" in LA but nobody could figure out what he did to earn the money. Probably a way to get the taxpayers to contribute to his attorney fees. (He was under investigation then but not yet indicted.
Riordan talked a lot about education even though he had NO power to make any changes as that is not the Mayor's responsibility. He did allow his buddies to build a sports center and tie up streets for months, killing the nearby small businesses!
He did nothing to get the permanent "homeless" from camping in city parks! Like getting many old vacant buildings converted to single occupant rooms paid from the federal checks sent to all these "handicapped" (read drunks and addicts) Compare his inactivity to one of our local policemen who had free fertilizer (donated by company) delivered to the parks and arranged for it to be distributed. Gone were the druggies! Even they could not stand the stench!
I'm suprised at Michael Montgomery going with Riordan, he was a pretty strong conservative, at least before and durring his chairmanship, I don't know that much about Frank Visco, and having known Tirso for years before, durring, and after his term as chairman, i'm not that suprised at his going that way.
Don't change Dicks in the middle of a screw
No more Reardon in 2002!
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