Posted on 02/09/2007 10:31:44 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — The 2008 presidential campaign will take center stage this weekend at the California Republican Party convention, as one of the leading GOP contenders — former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani — addresses delegates Saturday and seeks to build on an already strong organizational advantage in the Golden State.
Although delegates are also scheduled to hear from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tonight, the partisans at the convention are already looking ahead.
"This won't be an Arnold convention," said former Assemblyman Tony Strickland of Moorpark. "This will be more of a Giuliani convention."
Giuliani, who this week formed an exploratory committee for a presidential run, is scheduled to remain in California for several days, making stops in Silicon Valley and at an annual agricultural expo in Tulare. He already has formed a strong network of supporters in California, largely with the help of former gubernatorial nominee Bill Simon, a one-time colleague in the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York.
Simon has enlisted many from his 2002 campaign team to help his old boss' efforts in California, including Simi Valley conservative strategist Steve Frank.
Frank, who has been known to stir up controversy at past state conventions, said Thursday he is "heavily involved" with the Giuliani campaign and promised to be on "my best behavior" at this convention.
The attention given to the presidential campaign and a hotly contested race to select the state party's new vice president is probably good news for Schwarzenegger, because those two issues will deflect potential protests from the conservative wing of the party.
Schwarzenegger has drawn the ire of some conservatives since his re-election by declaring an era of "post-partisanship" and by proposing a universal healthcare plan that includes billions in what he describes as "fees" on businesses, doctors and hospitals.
Conservative critics describe those fees as taxes — and contend that, by proposing them, Schwarzenegger has broken his pledge not to seek a tax increase.
Among his sharpest critics has been Ventura County Sen. Tom McClintock, who as the party's nominee for lieutenant governor in the fall, had been described by many as the governor's "running mate." This week, in comments to a news reporter, McClintock offered this pointed criticism of Schwarzenegger's recent performance: "I'd say he was governing as a Democrat, but that would be an insult to Democrats."
Ventura County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Osborn of Ventura, who will lead a contingent of perhaps three dozen county delegates at the convention, said he expects Schwarzenegger will receive a polite reception.
"There's been a lot of smoke, but I haven't seen anything happening," he said of GOP dissatisfaction with the governor.
Asked about Schwarzenegger's theme of "post-partisanship," Osborn acknowledged: "I would like to hear him mention the word ‘Republican' a few more times."
When asked earlier this year whether he was considering becoming an independent, Schwarzenegger said he entertained no such thoughts and proclaimed himself "a proud Republican."
Although Giuliani will be the only presidential candidate to attend the convention, advocates for other candidates are expected to work the partisan crowd — including Strickland, who is backing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Those two, along with Arizona Sen. John McCain, are considered the early front-runners for the party's 2008 nomination.
"That's a unusual way to lure voters over to the Rockefeller/Rudy wing of the GOP.."
I'm not here to lure anyone to vote for anyone.
I will vote for whoever wins the nomination.
I will never vote for a third party candidate.
And I've come to the conclusion it's way too early to get my bowels in an uproar over peoples idiotic ideas.
so. ..where is Mitt at this convention; and who determined that McCain was to be 'the star'. . .is just money talking here or what?
Good question.
I gave up long ago trying to figure out what the Ca GOP power brokers have in mind..
Looks like the other candidates are conceding California to Rudy. They aren't even showing up?
This thread is more evidence that a Rudy candidacy all in the 'name' of 'winning' will not result in what they hope, just to keep Hillary out of office. The GOP looks like it will officially die after '08 on the route it seems to be taking because the party will officially turn liberal/Rockefeller. Rudy might be nice on the WOT and economics but it will be nice when we see guns being regulated away while the ongoing war on terror happens. Rudy is not right for President and this is a crisis for the GOP.
Last I heard we were still able to vote...No on Rudy, Yes on Duncan!!!
I should have included a sarcasm tag.
I'm not mentally impaired, I take our Constitutional Republic very seriously.
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