California Retirements Present Opportunities (redistrcting does, too)

Roll Call ^ | January 17, 2011 | Kyle Trygstad

[Clintonfatigued]

Political dominoes toppled across California last week, with three Republican retirement announcements, one district switch and an influx of rising stars to the Congressional landscape.

Rep. Elton Gallegly announced his retirement on an early January Saturday morning. That was followed three days later by the retirement of Northern California Rep. Wally Herger. Rep. Jerry Lewis, a former chairman of the Appropriations Committee, announced his retirement Thursday, which led Rep. Gary Miller (R) to run for Lewis’ seat.

The three exits highlighted the leading causes of turnover for the delegation in the upcoming election — redistricting and age — and ensured that at least nine California Members elected in 2010 won’t be returning in 2013.

Democratic Reps. Lynn Woolsey and Dennis Cardoza are retiring; Rep. Bob Filner (D) is running for San Diego mayor; former Rep. Jane Harman (D) resigned in February; and two Democrats will not emerge from the state’s two Member-vs.-Member races.

[Clintonfatigued]

The DemocRATS were able to work behind the scenes to get a better deal with the allegedly non-partisan commission, but the lines are more compact than they were last time. The fact is that a lot of Reagan Republicans have moved to other states and were replaced by liberals. It isn’t the same California of the 1980’s.

[Gaffer]

Just let them complete the takeover of this state and repatriate it back to Mexico...problem solved. No US state, no Congressman or Senators - let Mexico support the trillions of dollars in largesse there. Give them what they want - except the debt pushed off on the rest of the states.

[dragnet2]

Mexicans and government politicians that kiss their butts will eventually take over the entire country.

Bet the rent.

[dragnet2]

And if ya don’t like it, call someone and press 2 for English.

[Wolfstar]

Brilliant! Let's just give away three of this continent's most important ports; the Central Valley and Coachella Valley, which produce much of the nation's fruits and vegetables; the substantial California oil production; the important wine-producing Nappa Valley; more than half of our western coastline with its fishing and other resources; some of the nation's most important tourist destinations; the mountains and their metals and mineral resources; about 30 million of our citizens; Yosemite National Park; Redwood National Park, and so much more.

There's a lot of vitriol on display here every day, but the mindless hatred for California is just over the top. The verb form of "conservative" is "to conserve." Might help to remember that once in awhile.

[Oldexpat]

CA is on the path of becoming a single party state. We will have districts where the only names on the ballot will be Rats after the new primary rules take effect.
On the state level it probably means that the Rats will have a super majority ready to pass tax increase if the Gov doesn’t get his Prop passed.

[Gaffer]

You’re barking up the wrong tree here, FRiend. California, in blunt terms, simply IS NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE any more.

You can cite the Central and Coachella Valleys - and the oil (fat lot of good it does us in consideration of other banned endeavors) and Napa Valley - and that’s all well and good, but they STILL aren’t worth the trouble that state causes this country.

Redwoods? Yosemite? Ha...give me a break! Liberals have denuded their value a long time ago by their restrictive rules and conservationism over snail darters or whatever that deprives water from the growers you proffer as good things. I realize you like California and are naturally disposed to defend it. The rest of us don’t have to. The sooner the better. The ‘juice’ just ain’t worth the squeeze any more.

[fieldmarshaldj]

It’s not even the same California of the ‘90s, for that matter. The bipartisan leftist Combine of CA is hell-bent to turn the state into Mejico Norte.

[dragnet2]

There's a lot of vitriol on display here every day, but the mindless hatred for California is just over the top

Most hate CA because it's beautiful and the weather is the best in the country, by several magnitudes.

The sad fact is, their own leftist controlling government running this entire *country* are just as leftist, just as corrupt and more so in many cases, than the overpaid corrupt government sluts running Sacramento.

Government at *every* level, in most every state, is bloated and out of control. CA is just an easy target, especially for those that left the best to settle for less. As they now find themselves hunkering down from cold, frigid wind or hiding from miserable heat and sweltering humidity.

[dragnet2]

“Just let them complete the takeover of this state and repatriate it back to Mexico...problem solved.”

Who ya kidding?

La Raza attacks Texas town hall..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6heXIdSpDdE

Here is the way so-call conservation states like Texas are going...Watch the end for the outcome

[dragnet2]

Er...Here is the way so-call *conservative* states like Texas are going...Watch the end for the outcome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6heXIdSpDdE

[OneVike]

Wally Herger will be replaced by my current state senator Doug Lamalfa, a man who makes the ultra conservative Herger look like a liberal. This is a good thing, because Lamalfa will take no prisoners. Look for him to be making waves down the road some day on the national level.

[RedMDer]

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Please donate early.

[Clintonfatigued]

So, are you in the mood for some more Byzentine California Republican politics? Here it comes.

You might remember me telling you about the long-time fued between Elton Gallegly and Tom McClintock in Ventura County politics. It’s still ongoing. As you know, McClintock now represents suburban Sacramento and Gallegly has decided to retire (he been ill lately). Word has it that state Senator Tony Strickland’s Congressional campaign is imminent. Strickland succeeded McClintock in both houses of the state legislator, happily following his mentor. And here’s another twist: Audrey Strickland followed her husband Tony into the state Assembly when he was term-limited from that body. This has not pleased Gallegly, who perhaps feared a primary challenge from McClintock and then Strickland before redistricting. Gallegly had hoped to be succeeded by Simi Valley Councilman Glen Becerra, a former aide, but Becerra doesn’t have the name I.D. to defeat Strickland in a Republican primary.

But a new development has happened. RINO Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who has a following in Thousand Oaks from her days as Mayor, threw both Strickland and Gallegly by announcing. How does Mrs. Parks fit into this? Gallegly had long been neutral about her (he’s more conservative). But they were drawn into an alliance of convenience in 2010 when the term-limited Assemblywoman Audrey Strickland ran against Parks for Ventura County Supervisor. Parks won by a comfortable margin, but she’s not pleased with the Sacramento conservatives who tried to meddle in local Ventura County politics and successfully played on local resentment of outsiders to win handily. If Becerra doesn’t run (he probably won’t), it looks like Gallegly will back Parks against McClintock’s protoge’, Tony Strickland. In other words, you have multiple personal grudges coming into play.

There’s even more-that’s right, more. With Tony Strickland vacating his state Senate district (which he won very narrowly and has cut into two districts now, with the west part merged with a Santa Barbara Democrat incumbent), Gallegly has moved to get state Assemblyman Cameron Smyth elected to the other part of Strickland’s district. Gallegly considered running aginst neighboring Republica Buck McKeon, who’s from neighboring northern Los Angeles County. McKeon has agreed to back Smyth for Senate, but guess who will be the nominee to succeed Smyth in the Assembly? Patricia McKeon, the Congressman’s wife, who has Gallegly’s backing. It’s possible that the conservative McKeon will back the less conservative Parks at Gallegly’s urging in exchange.

Not over yet- even more. Tony Strickland briefly worked for then-Congressman Bill Thomas. Another young staffer there was Kevin McCarthy, who later succeeded Thomas in Congress. It appears that Strickland and McCarthy were rivals within the office and after leaving became young leaders of differing Republicans in Sacramento. McCarthy is not only an incumbent Congressman, but a leader in the NRCC who helped form its successful Young Guns candidate recruitment program. Does McCarthy still hold a grudge and, if so, enough of one to back Parks over Strickland?

Almost done here. An end to the Gallegly/McClintock fued could be in the near future. McClintock is less of a presence in Ventura County and Gallegly will also be after his retirement. In the race to succeed Audrey Strickland in the Assembly in 2010, the McClintock and Gallegly factions were both supportive of Jeff Gorell, a gang-busting prosecutor and career military man, to succeed her. Gorell may have a bright future. But he needs time to establish himself both locally and in Sacramento. Being in the Army Reserve, he had to miss the legislative session to serve in Afghanistan.

OK, wrap your minds around all that and let me know what you think.

FRegards,

CF

[Clintonfatigued]

Ping posting #15.

[SmithL]

Yeah, I left the so-called Golden State for Tennessee.

[Impy]

I think I need an aspirin that’s what I think.

Did you guys hear about the Arizona remap? It sounds like the “independent commission” screwed us there as well. Adding to the problems is that Freshman Paul Gosar is ditching his competitive district for a safe Republican one.

The Republican legislature needs to abolish that crap.

New Jersey Republicans of all people successfully manipulated the commission in their state. Amazing.