In the California budget process, the State Senators hold a great deal of power, because 1/3rd can block a budget adoption (the first step to allocation of public funds and massive overspending). California has 40 State Senate district, each representing about 850,000 people. (That's more people than the population of the states of Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming, as well as the District of Columbia.) Currently 15 are Republican and 25 Democrats. 13 Senators can block the adoption of a budget. This line that McClintock doesn't get along with other legislators is hooey. The Republicans had to show unity to block Davis this past budget. McClintock does not play politics, however.
Every Californian owes McClintock a debt of gratitude for his efforts on restraining the profligate spending of the Democrats. He hasn't always won those battles, as some representatives eventually compromise on their principles and our wallets, but he has never voted to increase taxes. McClintock sounded the spending alarm several years ago and he continues to fight to preserve our liberties and rights as citizens.
What "perks" do you think the District is getting now, under the past five years of a Democrat governor, and the last 30 years of Democrat legislation??? And again, in case you missed it, even in the November 2002 election, when the top of the ticket (Bill Simon) ran such an inept campaign that it hurt all of the down-ticket candidates, McClintock came within a hair of winning his statewide race. It wasn't certified until they counted all of the absentee ballots. He was outspent 5:1 and came within 1% of victory. No Republican won statewide office in 2002. But if you look at the vote totals, Tom McClintock got more votes in November 2002 than any other Republican in the nation.
McClintock is the type of person you can trust with public office. I know from living in his districts for over 10 years. I can't say that about any of the other candidates. You are mistaking "vanity and arrogance" with "principle." In this day and age of "sound-bite politics" that is a mistake that is too often made.