CA: State GOP faithful dismiss rift(Gub can expect party's full support, despite in-house criticism)

Republican activists and elected officials downplayed divisions over Gov. Schwarzenegger at a meeting in Riverside Saturday and predicted that the party would eventually unite behind him.

Some conservatives are urging the state GOP to withdraw its endorsement of Schwarzenegger at next month's state party convention in San Jose. Among other things, they are upset with Schwarzenegger's appointment of longtime Democratic activist Susan Kennedy as chief of staff and his proposal for $222 billion in bonds to pay for highways, schools and waterworks.

But during a speech to the California Congress of Republicans at the Mission Inn, former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin touted the governor's commitment to Republican principles and said his detractors represent only a small slice of the party.

"We cannot let a few people who are very vocal decide for the party as a whole," said Marin, who in 2004 was appointed by Schwarzenegger to the Integrated Waste Management Board.

Marin shot down speculation that she may run in the June primary for the right to challenge U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, saying she has no plans to run for elected office in the near future. She lost the 2004 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate to former Secretary of State Bill Jones, who fell to Sen. Barbara Boxer in the general election.

Most of the candidates who are expected to compete for statewide offices in the June 6 GOP primary spoke to the group, hoping for its endorsement when delegates vote today. The congress is the grass-roots volunteer arm of the state GOP. Candidates generally avoided criticizing their primary-election opponents, focusing their fire on Democrats instead.

State Sen. Abel Maldonado, who represents parts of the central coast and Silicon Valley and is running for state controller, predicted that conservatives would coalesce behind Schwarzenegger because they realize that not to do so would hand the governor's office to the Democrats.

"Here you have a guy who did what these folks wanted," Maldonado said in an interview. "He eliminated the vehicle license fee. He fixed workers' compensation. He reduced the deficit. He cut spending."

Bob Mulholland, a longtime Democratic strategist and senior adviser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides, the state treasurer, dismissed predictions of unity.

"The Republican state convention in San Jose is going to be the Donner Party of the 21st century," he said by phone. The anger that conservatives have toward Schwarzenegger will lead many to stay home from the polls in November, Mulholland predicted.

Mayor Robin Lowe of Hemet, a delegate at the meeting, said during a break that few voters care who Schwarzenegger hires as his top advisers. And, she said Inland voters who spend hours each day stuck in traffic on clogged freeways won't be receptive to criticism about the governor's proposed highway spending.

Assemblyman Ray Haynes of Murrieta, a candidate for the California Board of Equalization, said he shared fellow conservatives' disappointment with the governor on several issues, but he said in an interview at the meeting that he opposes withdrawing the party's endorsement.

Yet Haynes also said Schwarzenegger must make a bold move -- such as creating a state-run border police force -- to motivate and assure his Republican base.

In threads debating Prop. 76, there were several posts by your "ilk" attacking McClintock, questioning his integrity, accusing him of having sold our his principles, when he campaigned with Arnold for the reform propositions and even made an ad FOR Prop. 76. IN fact they were nastier than any of the pro-Arnold posters during the recall, regarding McC. Go look at some of those threads.

More lies that can't be backed up... because it didn't happen!

He reduced the deficit. He cut spending."

I guess you will be voting against Maldonado too.

Anyone who can't see that we haven't cut spending and continue to grow the deficit isn't fit to be Controller.

Luckily, there will be a primary contest for Controller so we have a choice. Strickland looks better every day.

It really is too bad I don't have time to save all posts that might at some time be useful.

I'm assuming the subscriber has used our self-search function and only found the same mantra posted over and over and over again. The sheer effort of that pursuit, finding the proverbial needle in the haystack, an original thought in a sea of canned spam, was the more likely reason to posit the explanation: I don't have time.

Please, please don't do that again. A badly damaged frontal cortex will result from being exposed to so many carcinogens.

Should our favorite cow gal become overcome by the fumes during research, few, and definetly not this subscriber, will volunteer to enter that tortured maze to attempt a rescue.

Beside, just the regurgitation is giving me a migraine.

Please stop, for all our sakes!

The truth is anyone who supports the democrats or by their inaction, allows them to gain traction is not fit to remain a republican.

Well said!

There needs to be a new campaign against the faux-cons who claim to speak for all conservatives.

Call it Move California Forward with the slogan:
You don't speak for me DICCsy CHICCs!!!
(Democrats In Conservative Clothing, sniping, yiping, Cunningly Hijacking Impressionable Concerned Californians)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.