“I don’t know how to sugarcoat this.” […] The party “is going through a very fiscally challenging period.” Warned by the party’s chief operating officer that state GOP layoffs could follow if the county funding was continued, “I was forced to vote to end a program that I believe is a good one, simply because we are faced with a situation of limited resources.”
Yes, believe it or not, California Republican Party SoCal Vice Chair (and FLASH REPORT editor) Jon Fleischman actually wrote that in a recent email that AP was lucky enough to obtain. Apparently due to the fact that, as of October, the state GOP is still $1.7 million in the red, they are being forced to eliminate its county executive director program, which distributed about $260,000 a year among nearly a dozen counties to assist with fundraising activities and grass-roots organizing. Since the state GOP’s finances are so tenuous, they had to decide whether to end the funding or lay off workers from its staff. So now, it looks like they chose to cut back on helping out counties in need of organizing.
So what will soon happen to California Republicans? Probably not much if they’re in Orange or San Diego Counties, as local parties down here are still fiscally sound. But in other localities where it’s tough to find a lot of big donors with big bucks, this may spell hard times ahead. So now, we must ask how the fiscal woes of the state GOP will help Republicans struggling to hold onto the few legislative and Congressional seats they have here in the Golden State.
What do you think about the CA GOP’s financial problems? Is this a temporary pain that won’t change things much? Or is this a sign of more pain to come in the election next year? Republicans have to defend some vulnerable seats next year, as well as fight for the ballot initiatives it favors. Will they have the resources necessary to do it?
The CRP is in dire straits for the simple reason it is allowing itself to be led by hypocrites like Jon Fleischman.
A blind man could see that in a dark room.
RHackett-
Good point. With “leaders” like Fleischman, the CA GOP doesn’t need opponents to take the party down. And so long as the GOP is mired in debt and cutting back on resources, I think we Democrats have some real opportunities to start playing offense on the various legislative seats that will be opening up next year. I hope we take them. 🙂
If I were the RNC or CRP I’d be scrutinizing the defeat of Bush’s ally in Australia and seeing what could be done to ensure a similar event doesn’t occur in the US. I doubt that will happen. And there is no reason for me to care about it.
I thought something like this may happen to the State GOP if not the national GOP. I was thinking it might have happened sooner though. So many scandals, special elections, and internal fighting amongst the state GOP and national GOP brought by the Bush Administrations, Duke Cunningham, Dirty Dick Pombo who fianly lost his fight in california etc etc ect ad infinitum.
The GOP is in trouble on ao many levels due mainly to The Bush administration, and local scandals such as Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, etc, and now Ken Calvert, and Gary MIller at the local level here in OC.
Its going to be a long time before the GOP and all levels can live down this culture of corruption in the GOP. Its going to be at least 8 years before we can recover from all the damage that the Bush administration has done to our country. Unfortunatley, the talking heaeds on Fox etc, will blame the Democratic President who ever that may for the slow recovery instead of placing the blame on thoise who put us in this morrass.
I always thought it was moral bankruptcy
Paul-
Good point. I also think it will take the state and national GOP at least three election cycles to clean up their act and fully recover from Bush-Cheney and their CReepy criminal friends. After all, we’re STILL finding out new info on Plamegate, on Duke Cunningham, on Doolittle, and on much more. Yep, they’re in for more suffering.
Dan-
Absolutely! Before the GOP became financially bankrupt, they were morally bankrupt. And before they can recover financially and electorally, they’ll first need to rediscover their moral compass.
Their base is too busy buying counterfeit Ron Paul coins to donate to the GOP.
Seriously, this is a stunning situation. OC in particular has been THE fundraising capital for Republicans on a state and national level for decades. That the GOP is mired in debt is incredible proof of just how much in disarray they are.
Another Trojan Horse!!
I remember when a professor of mine told me that the Republican Party would never recover from the “WaterGate.” He said that “in ten years after the Nixon scandal (as it was happening) the GOP would not exist.” Well I guess he was wrong. What you hear and see in the press is part of the Carl Rove mentality: Fake left and run right. These guys (GOP) can never be trusted. They want us to be lulled into a false sense of security; their current crooks and their mistakes help us feel that they are failing. Not a chance–they can just write more checks. If the Republican Party is in such a bad way, why are we Democrats not impeaching the people who have hurt our Country in ways we will never know. Remember, the GOP is working hard to change the Electoral College system in our State. Yeah, right, they are out of money: B.S.
Now I suggest we remain diligent and do our best to take as many offices as we can by continuing to live by our values and work to take back the White House in 2008. That would be the best message the GOP would or could understand.
Jim Moreno
Good point. I also think it will take the state and national GOP at least three election cycles to clean up their act and fully recover from Bush-Cheney and their CReepy criminal friends.
What’s funny is that hidden in this comment is just how bad Bill Clinton was. Sure, it didn’t take the Dems three election cycles to recover (they’ll recover in this one) but one election cycle of George Bush is worth three regular cycles so you could say that it took the Dems 6 election cycles to recover from Clinton.
Jim Moreno’s first line is on to something. Ultimately this is just the cyclical nature of politics. After a few cycles of Dem control, Reps will be right back up there.
Anon 8:53-
What are you talking about? Recover from Bill Clinton? Just after 1994, he wasn’t expected to even win reelection. But in 1996, Clinton not only became the first Democratic President since FDR to win a second term, but he also helped Dems win back House seats. And in 1998, despite all the hoopla over the nothing that was “Monicagate”, Dems won back EVEN MORE House seats along with a Senate seat. When Bill Clinton left office in 2001, he left with THE HIGHEST APPROVAL RATING EVER for a leaving President (65%). Oh yes, and he also would have given the White House over to Al Gore then if it weren’t for the 5 Supremes that wouldn’t let all the votes be counted in Florida.
Jim-
Interesting point. No, we shouldn’t ever trust the CReeps and their dirty tricks. However I think they have enough problems to where we can stop worrying about defense so much, and start playing some offense for a change. Let’s win back some Legislative seats, push forward some of our favored initiatives, and drive down the GOP some more.
Gila-
Ha! So I guess the only GOPers that can survive are the ones who can fend for themselves. How fitting for that party, Social Darwinism at its best. 😉
Robert-
Ha! Good one. Not even the OC GOP Machine can save the CA GOP from the mess they’re in.
Bill Clinton left office with a higher approval rating than Ronald Reagan. And I’m sure the GOP will find a way to blame Clinton for the coming recession too.
The only reason Bill Clinton ever ended up in the White House was Ross Perot.
Bill Clinton got 43.9% of the vote in 1992
Michael Dukakis lost with 45%
Let’s bring back the good ole days: (The Bush Admin might have surpassed some of these, but Bill lead the way!)
– The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
– Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
– Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
– Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
– Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
– First president sued for sexual harassment.
– First president accused of rape.
– First first lady to come under criminal investigation
– Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
– First president to establish a legal defense fund.
– First president to be held in contempt of court
– Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
– Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
– First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court
Anon. I’ve read all the email regarding Clinton.
The bottom line is the majority of the firsts you mention are a result of
the witch hunt conducted by Ken Starr that resulted in an impeachment and acquittal.
The accusation of rape was abandoned when Kathleen Willey was discovered to be unreliable and had given multiple stories that were inconsistent. As was the charge of sexual harassment.
Witnesses fleeing or disappearing has been debunked as so much urban legend.
Folks are investigated all the time. Nothing came of the criminal investigations since there was no criminal activity other than that existed in Clinton haters minds.
Campaign is arcane at best. Few candidates survive their political careers without one or more donations being deemed illegal.
The disbarment was related to a separate case. Clinton was disbarred from his Arkansas law license for five years and ordered to pay $25,000 in fines to that state’s bar officials. The agreement came on the condition that Whitewater prosecutors would not pursue federal perjury charges against him. This was a plea deal, plain and simple.
With over $70M spent, the best Ken Starr could come up with was perjury about getting a blow job. But thanks to “Scooter” Libby we now know that perjury is no big deal since he was pardoned by Bush for the same crime.
You did a bad cut-and-paste job Anon; notice that asterisk after the word “associates” in your second bullet point? The additional text showed that Ronald Reagan’s administration actually won that category (Iran-Contra RING A BELL?)
The CA GOP has also became known for hating on Mexicans. That will surely hurt them in the future…and maybe sooner.
Hey, what did I say a few days ago? Don’t trust the bastards. Check the OC Blog and learn that the Lincoln Club just dropped $100K on the Electoral College initiative to pay for collection of fraudulent signatures to qualify the GOP’s immoral initiative. “If you are Christian you should sign this initiative.” This was told to Art Torres, CADems Chairman when he stopped in Wasco on his way south to the Ex-Board meeting last week. Do not belive their rhetoric–straight from the Rovester.
Peace,
Jim Moreno
RH,
If you believe all that, then you must believe Nixon was only guilty of nothing more than a “second rate burglary” . What do you make of all the “Bush Haters” on this site?
Bill Clinton had a level of charm that Nixon could only dream of. What did he chose to do with it? Waste it on interns!
I think history will judge Clinton’s biggest crime was , given all that he had, it was what he FAILED to accomplish….