As KQED reports: “The mystery of whether Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman does or does not support Proposition 23 would appear to be solved. After weeks of steadfastly refusing to take a stand one way or the other on the ballot measure to freeze the state’s climate law known as AB 32, Whitman conceded on a radio broadcast that “In all likelihood I will vote ‘No’ on Prop 23.”
Whitman’s statement shows the continued rift between moderate GOPers like Meg and the “far right” led by the likes of our Congressman Tom McClintock and Assemblyman Dan Logue — yup, right in our neck of the woods. McClintock and Logue are leading the effort to effectively rescind AB32.
Our local “right wing” blogger Russ Steele has called Meg “Arnold in a dress.”
Now Barry Pruett, who lost in every single precinct in his race for clerk-recorder, is becoming a “mouthpiece” for the far right, too. His wife is a McClintock staffer.
Barry posted this “analysis” from a lawyer about Prop. 8 — a typical example of his ideology: “For those who attended the trial or watched its proceedings from afar, it seemed all but certain that this 66-year-old single man, living in San Francisco and reported by the San Francisco Chronicle to himself be homosexual, would find a way to rule Proposition 8 unconstitutional.”
In our county, Prop. 8 won by only three votes — a closer margin than in our state as a whole. The details are here.
Kim is jumping onto the blogs too. “I agree Russ, more conservatives in leadership should be on the blogs educating people and participating in the discussion. I am voting yes on prop 23 (jobs initiative).”
Do the registered Republicans in our county — many of whom will vote happily for Meg and found McClintock-endorsed candidate Steve Poizner too hard right, as well as many who voted against Prop. 8 — understand how they’re getting spun?
Where’s the moderate local Republican leadership? After all, most of us are in the middle.
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‘Barry posted this “analysis” from a lawyer about Prop. 8 — a typical example of his ideology: “For those who attended the trial or watched its proceedings from afar, it seemed all but certain that this 66-year-old single man, living in San Francisco and reported by the San Francisco Chronicle to himself be homosexual, would find a way to rule Proposition 8 unconstitutional.”’
I wonder how Pruett would like it if every reference to him in the local media (such as yours) would include an irrelevant reference to his sexual orientation, such as:
“Ostensibly heterosexual Barry Pruett said today that … ” yada yada yada
Judge Walker was nominated by Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Last month’s District of Massachusetts opinion was authored by Judge Joseph Tauro, who was nominated by Richard Nixon.
The Iowa Supreme Court (unanimous) opinion was authored by Justice Mark Cady, who was appointed by Republican Governor Terry E. Branstad.
The GOP and all its splinter groups are imploding from within. What must the Republican middle of the roaders think? Perhaps, “we are splintered, fractured and far from home.”
You mean, he’s 66 years old and SINGLE?! Wow wait til that gets out to the press! Anyone who’s 66 and single must be a LOSER!
These folks crack me up. Thanks Barry for providing the daily humor. Or at least for the morning… seems like there might be more to come.
Another example of how they eat their own.
Barry Pruett… “Nevada County’s Biggest Loser”!
And don’t forget the pipe fitters union that has endorsed Prop 23 because they like their jobs: That is a REAL right-wing group if I ever saw one!
John
Jeff,
I find it very fascinating that you have anointed yourself as judge and jury in defining the term “moderate Republican” for the local Republican Party. I think you’ll find that there are strongly conservative and moderate Republicans, along with conservative and moderate Democrats that support Prop 23, because they strongly believe that its implementation will be detrimental to small business and job creation, at a time when we can least afford it. Meg’s concerned about it also, evidenced by her support for a 1 year moratorium on specific AB32 regulations. You can also be assured that the local Republican Party will be supporting the “moderate” Meg Whitman for governor, despite your accusations that the local Republican Party is slanted far to the right. Do you find Meg’s positions on substantially cutting the state workforce, implementing a time-out on new regulations and extending the state’s tort reforms “moderate”? Republican positions are only moderate if you agree with them, Jeff. If you don’t agree, they are far right-wing. What you can be assured of is a unified local Republican Party that is focused on those issues that are most important to Californians — jobs, debt, the deficit, the economy, and taxes. It’s a platform that will be attractive to Independents, conservative Democrats, and almost all Republicans — regardless of how you want to define them.
Rich,
You are wrong and dodging the issue. You also are talking to a family who is one of your “customers,” since one is a registered GOP:
•Meg Whitman is voting against Prop. 23
•Tom McClintock and Dan Logue are *spearheading* the effort to support Prop. 23. His staffer Kim Pruett, who was appointed to your local Central Committee, is on record as voting for it. Barry Pruett, the staffer’s spouse, is blogging for the cause, but I’ve never read anything in his prose that is “moderate.”
•Of course, the Central Committee is going to support Meg for Governor; she’s the Republican candidate.
But you forgot to mention that Steve Poizner, whom Tom McClintock endorsed, lost. So did Rick Keene.
•The local Republican Central Committee is letting Tom McClintock lead it around by their noses, and it is a disservice to the moderate Republicans in our county who aren’t that hard right.
•People will remember for a long time how the Republican Central Committee effectively threw our two moderate supervisors – Nate Beason and Ted Owens – under the bus to endorse “favorite son” Barry Pruett. The emails from your Chairman are part of the public record. Beason and Owens endorsed the more qualified incumbent.
But Pruett lost in every precinct. Didn’t you get the message? Or don’t you care?
In short, it sounds like an arrogant, close-minded group of “old guard” who’s running the show for the local GOP.
Too bad there aren’t enough candidates to run. Tom Hudson, as you know, was thrown out of the Placer GOP leadership.
Jeff:
Getting into an argument about how Nevada County Republicans voted in the primary doesn’t accomplish much. You conveniently failed to mention that those Republican “moderates” in Nevada County also voted overwhelmingly for Carly Fiorina over the the “moderate” candidate Tom Campbell. And why didn’t Nevada County Republican “moderates” reject Aanestad out of hand in favor of the “moderate” Maldonado? You can’t place Nevada County Republicans in your narrow ideological box any more, Jeff. Members of the local Central Committee were on all sides of the Maldonado/Aanestad race as well as the Campbell/Fiorina/DeVore race. There’s plenty of diversity of opinion — you just refuse to recognize it. What we are committed to, however, is ensuring that Republicans turn out in droves in November to carry Nevada County for every Republican candidate and bring some fiscal sanity back to this state and nation. We have a lot of hard work to do, but we’re confident about our prospects.
Thanks Rich. You didn’t address any of the points I raised about the divisiveness, in a primary held only two months ago, no less. Let’s hope the local Republican Party is listening, at least in private conservations. BTW, Russ Steele has another assinine post on his blog about me that also pokes a stick at our two supervisors (who are moderate Republicans). You guys need to find “new blood.”
Was this an election motivated stunt in hopes of painting Diaz in a negative light? Inquiring minds and all……
Prop 23, aimed at derailing AB32, the diesel engine cleanup act, is being hailed by the right as necessary, because AB32 is a “job killer.”
Sorry, the jobs were killed by all the off shoring of manufacturing and many service industries over the last 20 years. The consumers are left to borrow on what’s left of the equity in their houses, if they still have them. The banks will own it all, and then wonder why there are no longer any consumers with money left to buy goods, and then USA becomes third world, the new Feudalism arrives!
AB32 and Prop 23, are deck chairs on the Titanic.
Do you suppose that the BP Oil Spill was a deliberate distraction to draw attention away from unemployment in general? Add this to your 9/11 & Kennedy Conspiracy theories.