[FairOpinion]

EXCELLENT editorial

[FairOpinion]

This editorial really lays it on the line.

The writer must have been reading our posts. ;)

[byteback]

I like McClintock but he's just too stupid to see that he's being used by the left. I really doubt that Ahnold would run again in 2006 so Tommy boy should get behind the party and emerge as the front runner in '06. He'd then have the party, the money and the support to give it a real shot.

[South40]

Does McClintock see that the Left is using him? Maybe there's a reason it's called "blind" ambition.

The left is using him like he's using his "blind" followers.

But those of us who don't want to see bustamante elected are without principles.

lol!

[bootyist-monk]

In recent days, Tom McClintock, the "other Republican" in California's recall race, has accepted a million dollars spent on his behalf by a left-wing special interest group. He has claimed that a Democrat victory in the recall election would be desirable, as it would better his chances in 2006. And he has joined with Democrat Cruz Bustamante in a boycott against fellow Republican, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is the man we're supposed to believe represents the conscience of conservatism? At the end of the day, Tom McClintock's Faustian Pact with the Left has made one thing clear - it's all about Tom McClintock.

Game. Set. Match. Thanks for playing, McClintamante.

[onyx]

It is impossible to earnestly refute the last paragraph.

[Tabi Katz]

I'm not denying that McClintock may have selfish motives for running, but another way to look at this is that it's Arnold that's dividing the right by masquerading as a Republican and siding with the left on many issues.

[El Gato]

reason McClintock doesn't care that his spoiler candidacy

Isn't the person who enters the race second considered the spoiler?

[BlackElk]

You like it so much that you post it again and again. Now its the mean Indians who are trying to hold up the Schwarzenkennedy WIN!!!!! for abortion, taxpayer subsidy of lavender "domestic partnership" (don't Lance and Bruce make lovely brides?), lavender adoptions so that Lance and Brice can share their "love" with inocent children, gun control, tax hikes worse than Pete Wilson's and spending hikes worse than Gray Doofus's. And don't forget, Indians are a left wing interest group. Unlike Planned Barrenhood, Lambda Legal Defense, Log Cabin "Republicans", Handgun Control, Inc., the National Education Association and the othe groups grazing Arnold's back 40??????

When you tire of inaccurate horse race handicapping and get some PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES, be sure to let the Republicans and other conservatives know about them.

[Rudder]

The Faction of Uncompromsing Conservatives touted this man as God's gift to ethics in action, a principled conservative for all to behold.

They can have their litmus-test, single-issue "principles." Thankfully, rational conservatives look at the bigger picture.

[ambrose]

Capitol Resource Institute

September 19, 2003

www.capitolresource.org

The Great Divide

Capitol Resource Institute sent a number of representatives to the Republican Convention in Los Angeles on September 12th to 14th. In an effort to draw people to the CRI table, we conducted a straw poll between the various candidates for Governor. The final results of the poll showed Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock receiving almost the same number of votes.

Admittedly, a poll conducted in this environment suggests little about the possible results in the election originally scheduled for October 7th. But, the passionate conversation as these votes were cast indicates that a wall has been erected in the "big tent" over the issue of who should be the preferred candidate of the GOP.

It was no surprise that most of the passion seemed to be aimed at the divide between pragmatism and idealism; pragmatists siding with Arnold and idealists stubbornly holding out for Tom. But, it is these so-called idealists that feel the most slighted in the current battle, and they are not without a point.

Many GOP leaders, pundits, and those who want to be both, have loudly expressed their disgust for others who can?t read the writing on the wall, put aside their allegiance to certain issues, and join the Terminator?s team. In too many instances their calls to unity behind their chosen candidate are not so persuasive as they are bitter and condescending. Calling Tom?s supporters idiots (incapable of understanding the implications of continuing to support McClintock), traitors (helping Bustamante to win), spoilers or martyrs adds bricks to the ever-higher wall in the tent. But, even the more nuanced arguments will require some rework if they are intended to persuade.

GOP pragmatists are quick to downplay the ideological differences between the two candidates and simply point to the numbers. "Sure, Tom McClintock would make the better governor, but he can?t win." More and more it appears that if Tom McClintock had a vote from every person that says this, he might indeed win. Many of Tom?s supporters believe that the party elite jumped too soon in embracing Arnold. Some Republicans, who should have known better, thought the vote was for Mr. Congeniality. Immediately after Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the race, they decided that public celebrity trumped political competence.

If victory is defined simply as putting a Republican in the corner office of the Capitol, it is easy to see why Arnold?s supporters are angry with those Republicans who are still clinging to McClintock. Still, "We are only concerned about the win" sounds more appropriate when commenting about one?s favorite football team than about who will sit in the Governor?s seat of the fragile-but-still-fifth-largest economy in the world.

Clearly, there is a point beyond which few Republicans would go. Had Ed Asner joined the race as a Republican, and shown well in the initial polls, it is doubtful that he would have found so many eager Republicans boosting his political hopes. And lest anyone misinterpret the point, I am not saying that Arnold and Ed share the same political ideology. But, can we agree that simply putting an R behind one?s name is not enough?

For many tagged as stubborn idealists, it is specific ideology, not celebrity or team spirit that drives their political participation. It is no minor thing to ask them to put aside the specific issues that have characterized their political ideology and often animated their political participation.

In contrast, it is not surprising that some with an R behind their name are comfortable with the switch to a candidate that is so out of step with the party?s stated ideals. Let?s admit that for many Arnold is their kind of Republican. And it is quite easy for them to ask fellow GOPers to, once again, get over those "troubling" social issues, immigration issues, environmental issues, gun control issues, educational issues and the like.

There are solid conservatives who have signed on to support the larger than life celebrity. And for many of these conservatives it is about ideology-- that which they share with Mr. Schwarzenegger, not that which sets them apart. They argue that Arnold is 55% or 70% with them because "he is a fiscal conservative."

The idealists are baffled by the math that allows Arnold to be more with them than against despite the fact that they can so readily list the differences, not the similarities. The pragmatists are unmoved. After all this election, this recall, is not about all of those other issues, especially the "moral" issues. Wasn?t it motivated by the Governor who ran up an incredible debt?

Not so fast. No governor will have the luxury of sticking just to the fiscal issues. And for those who have spent so much of the last five years criticizing this governor for his high-speed implementation of a socially liberal agenda, it is hard to look the other way to support a candidate that does not share their pain.

Further, even the recall itself was not rooted only in the State?s bloated budget. California?s unprecedented debt certainly gave rise to hostility toward Governor Davis. But he does not control the business cycles, nor did he alone pass those hefty spending bills. However, he misled the public about the State?s financial condition and he appears to have acted less than honorably in pledging public favoritism to those whom financially benefited his campaign. For those who signed the recall petitions, moral outrage certainly accompanied fiscal disgust.

Among those who have not endorsed Schwarzenegger, there is skepticism about the claim that he is on their side on fiscal issues. Bluntly put, they are not that impressed that an incredibly wealthy Californian opposes higher taxes on his income or holdings. And, they know that liberal social policies often make a demand on the public purse. Further, if affinity for a balanced budget is the test of a true conservative, they know that Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean also has a right to the label.

We should not forget that the celebrity candidate supports Proposition 13. Nor should we forget that he felt it necessary to defend his position on the quarter-century old law because his chief fiscal advisor, a fiscal liberal, does not support Proposition 13. The candidate?s alleged fiscal conservative credentials simply have not been proven.

Pragmatists are at their best when they describe the uniqueness of the current campaign. Republicans do not enjoy the luxury of voting their conscience in a primary and unifying behind a single Republican in the general election. A good case can be made on simple math alone, that following one?s conscience may give the victory to the lone competitive Democrat. They argue that unifying behind the leading Republican is a must if we wish to achieve victory. And it is here that the pragmatists and the idealists part company most dramatically?on the very definition of victory.

It is inconceivable to many that any Republican could risk the possibility of a win by Cruz Bustamante in the hopes that their candidate could beat the current odds and win. But, the very people that tout the virtues of incrementalism do not seem to allow for its application on the other side. The Ronald Reagan Republicans that support Tom McClintock do not want a Bustamante win. But, neither do they want to be told that a "moderate" Republican is the best that they will ever do.

Should Schwarzenegger continue to draw conservative voters willing to hold their nose and vote for the win, leaving McClintock with the "stubborn conservative" vote, conservatives will hear about it in the next election. The very next time that a conservative is on the ballot, especially if it is Tom McClintock, they will be reminded of the conservative?s poor showing in the last race. The conservatives that gave in to the request to side with the winner will be forgotten. Ideology, not the uniqueness of this race, not an effort to unify, not funding disparities, or anything else will be the agreed cause of the conservative?s poor showing.

For those who define victory as eventually getting a conservative, not just a Republican, in the corner office, it is at least understandable to see why they are going for the win?of Tom McClintock.

Tim LeFever
Chairman of the Board

[Russell Scott]

A bunch of lies. He is going to debate Arnold no matter if Cruz is there or not. He has been a friend of the Indians long before this campaign began. Looks like Arnold has his own little smear machine working already.

[Tamzee]

Wow!!!

So beautifully stated... I tried to find a line or two that I liked the best and couldn't do it. LOL


Attn: Mr. Bob Chandra, if you are reading FR...

Thank you for stating this so well :-)

[DoctorZIn]

Your One Stop Resource For All The California Recall News!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

[Roscoe]

The Morongo tribe, which regularly appears at and supports the CRP conventions?

[Kay Soze]

I left McClintock when he took the Indian money.

I live in Indian country and you cannot be a conservative and align your self with Indian gaming money.

[A2J]

If this is true, then I will no longer support McClintock.

But neither will I support (R)nuld. I'll just stay home.

[Bonaparte]

Lie #1: McClintock is now collaborating with Cruz Bustamante to boycott the California Broadcasters Association's debate on the 24th as a means of showing up Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bustamante led the boycott charge on October 17th with McClintock soon followed his lead.

CBA Commits to Holding a Real Debate, Not Scripted Forum
[McClintock Press Release, 9/19/03]

Sacramento — Senator Tom McClintock is delighted that negotiations on site in Sacramento this morning resulted in the needed commitment by the California Broadcasters Association to ensure a free flowing and open debate on September 24th, 2003 on the campus of California State University, Sacramento.

The CBA has assured the McClintock Campaign that there will be a one minute limit to the scripted answers, followed by an "interactive crossfire" type of exchange. This will ensure sufficient time for the candidates to question each other and have a free spirited debate.

"This is a major victory for the voters of California" said Tom McClintock. "I am looking forward to a very stimulating and open exchange."

[vernvet]

The trouble with McClintock is he is a career politician. He has been serving in office during the time all of this mess has been happening and has had a lot of chances to make his voice heard in the past and has failed to lead.

I will not vote for anybody that currently holds office or has held office in the past. The politicians have destroyed our state and until we fire all of them we have no hope.

The only trouble with this recall is that it never recalled all of the Legislature along with Davis. Davis only signs a budget, but the Legislature writes and passes it.

If you guys want to help the Republicans I would suggest that you encourage them to get some new blood in there. Might as well encourgae the Democrats to vote for Feinstein. Yes there is a Democrat named Dan Feinstein on the ballot that is related to Dianne, but doesn't like her to well.

Vern

[nickcarraway]

Why can't we hear the other side of the story? What about other candidates' collusion with left-wingers?

[Bonaparte]

Lie #2: In recent days, Tom McClintock, the "other Republican" in California's recall race, has accepted a million dollars spent on his behalf by a left-wing special interest group.

...

The $1 million to be spent on McClintock's behalf is by Indian gambling interests, a staunch Democratic special interest.... The Sacramento Bee has announced that the Morongo tribe is spending $1 million to boost McClintock's candidacy...
___________________________________________________________________

From the San Francisco Chronicle, p. A19, Friday, 9/19/03...

No other special-interest group has donated more in the recall campaign than California's Indian tribes. They have donated $3.25 million to help Bustamante's campaign, while pumping another $2 million into indpendent expenditure committees, according to an Associated Press review of campaign finance records.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians has spent $29,000 preparing a TV ad supporting McClintock and will begin a TV campaign today that could cost between $1 million and $2 million a week, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation from the San Diego area also donated $50,000 to an independent expenditure committee, Tax Fighters for Tom McClintock for Governor, and the maximum $21,200 to his own campaign.

Clearly, McClintock has not "accepted" $1 million from any of the tribes. According to the SF Chronicle article cited above, McClintock accepted $21,200, which is the maximum he can accept from this source. The rest of the Indian money has gone to independent expenditure committees, not McClintock or McClintock's campaign.

From the same SF Chronicle article...

When he announced his candidacy on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, Schwarzenegger said he did not "need to take money from anybody" and vowed to come to Sacramento to rid it of special-interest politics...

"It was Schwarzenegger who made the promise he wouldn't raise any outside money, and he has accepted millions of dollars from some of the biggest corporate interests in California," McClintock said.

So if somebody spends $1 million of their own money to put out ads promoting McClintock's candidacy, what is he supposed to do? Get a restraining order from a judge to stop them from spending their money to say nice things about him? He can't very well "return" what he never received or "accepted," as the author of this thread's article claims. However, Arnold could certainly return the millions of dollars in special-interest contributions he said he "didn't need."