Resolution Condemning Bigotry at State GOP Convention: “As Popular as a Stink Bomb in an Elevator”
California Republicans are in hell for their 2019 state party convention… at least it will feel that way. The predicted high for today’s kickoff session in Indian Wells is 112 degrees.
The state GOP now holds zero statewide offices, 7 of 53 congressional seats, a quarter of state legislative districts and is now in third place with 23.6% of registered voters. Privately some party activists admit that the current president, who is deeply unpopular in California remains an obstacle for any sort of renaissance.
Publicly, the party has embraced Donald Trump. Headliners at the event include Trump national campaign manager Brad Parscale, Energy Secretary and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer will be the token moderate addressing attendees.
In San Diego--once considered President Nixon’s “lucky city”--the GOP has no candidates running for three Assembly Districts (78, 79, & 80) one State Senate seat (39th), the city offices of Mayor and City Attorney, and three City Council seats (1,3, & 9).
From the GOP State Convention site:
The theme of the Fall 2019 Convention is Train. Campaign. Win. This convention will give Republicans throughout California the tools needed to win in 2020!
Although the organization has sought to emphasize what it considers the failures of elected Democrats in its outreach, the dark cloud that is Donald Trump hangs over its head at every turn.
Just this week the Trump campaign/GOP National Committee named honorary chair Rep. Kevin McCarthy and regional political director Jeremy Hughes to its California Trump Victory team.
From Politico:
But the CAGOP's Trump-averse faction isn't shutting up. Leadership may have stayed silent on Trump's racist tweets, but Assemblyman Chad Mayes — the former Assembly GOP leader turned frequent Trump critic — responded by pledging to introduce a resolution putting the party on the record as against bigotry. Mayes now plans to introduce a change to the party platform itself — a value statement that doubles as a repudiation of Trumpian rhetoric.
THE POSSIBLE PLANK: "The California Republican Party condemns racism, xenophobia, religious intolerance, ethnic nationalism and white supremacy as antithetical to the fundamental values of the United States of America and the Republican Party also condemns acts of violence committed in the name of racism, xenophobia, religious intolerance, ethnic nationalism or white supremacy."
Here’s Jeff Horseman, reporting at the Press-Enterprise
Condemning racism, xenophobia, nationalism, and white supremacy would seem non-controversial.
But a resolution proposed by Assemblyman Chad Mayes to formally state the California Republican Party’s opposition to intolerance might face opposition from those who see his effort as a publicity stunt or a veiled swipe at President Donald Trump.
“Chad’s resolution is as popular as a stink bomb in an elevator,” said John Berry of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots. “It won’t pass because delegates (to the state GOP convention in Indian Wells Sept. 6 through 8) will see it for what it is: a desperate attempt to get media attention.”
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Carl DeMaio’s Rat Killing Failure
Speaking of Republican failures, former talk show host and wanna-be congressional carpetbagger Carl DeMaio has declared victory in his campaign to support the continued use of toxins responsible for killing off wildlife in California.
Back in July, DeMaio’s Reform California held a press conference and released a report claiming the state was being overrun with rats. As is true with all things DeMaio, the numbers were cooked and the real purpose of his outage had to do with protecting profits.
It turns out his statistics came from commercial exterminators concerned about pending legislation bringing an end to the practice of using certain anti-coagulants. All of those companies reported HUGE increases in rodent populations. Nevermind that these increases were happening despite the poisons in question currently being used.
San Diego County’s County’s Department of Environmental Health statistics didn’t match up with DeMaio’s. In fact, reports on rodent sightings were actually less this year.
A few pesky facts weren’t enough to deter DeMaio from launching his charge. And one big pesky fact hasn’t stopped him from declaring victory.
I’ll let the Times of San Diego tell the rest of the story:
“I’m pleased to share with you that AB 1788 is now dead — killed by our rat report trap!” said DeMaio in an email to supporters. “You can add this win to our other wins this cycle so far (e.g. defeating the drinking water tax, blocking the raid on road funds, and more).”
DeMaio, a Republican candidate for Congress in the 50th District, credited a press conference he held in July and a petition he circulated that was signed by 80,000 people.
But Guy Strahl, chief of staff to Bloom, said the legislation was made a two-year bill at Bloom’s request in order to make it “implementable and enforceable from day 1.” He said discussions with the state Department of Pesticide Regulation are continuing.
Asked about DeMaio’s claim of stopping the bill, Strahl said, “No one has ever mentioned a petition or anything regarding this bill.”
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https://twitter.com/cmarinucci/status/1169979713491595264?s=20
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Lead image via Civic Skunk Works