Why are Republicans only targeting Abel Maldonado?

It took three GOP senators to vote for the budget deal, but the ire of Republicans angry that the deal passed seems raised only against Senator Abel Maldonado?  At the risk of sounding like Art Pedroza, I wonder if its because Maldonado is Latino.

There’s plenty of GOP anger against State Senators Roy Ashburn and Dave Cogdill, as well as angst against Asseblymen Anthony Adams, Roger Niello, and Mike Villines.  But there’s no dedicated effort to oust any of these Republicans elected.  All the anger is directed at Abel.

Adam Probolsky is calling this budget “the Maldonado Tax Plan.” Matt Cunningham launched a Facebook page against the Senator.  Jon Fleischman is in mourning.

File under Republicans eating their own.

15 Comments

  1. At the risk of sounding like Art Pedroza, I wonder if its because Maldonado is Latino.

    You have got to be kidding, Dan.

    That sounds EXACTLY like something Art would say.

    Why are lefties unable to see past a persons pigmentation?

  2. Jubal,

    I think Dan has a good point. When are you starting the Never Elect Roy Ashburn, Dave Cogdill, Anthony Adams, Roger Niello, and Mike Villines To Anything, Ever Again page? Six GOP’s voted to approve this budget. Five white guys and one latino. Yet there is only ire directed at the latino.

    I’m sure it’s just a coincidence GOP stalwarts such as yourself are only targetting the one ethnic individual.

    Is it okay for white male GOP’s to vote for tax increases like Ronald Reagan, but not okay for latin or African American GOP’s. I’m thinking there are a lot of conservative electeds who would like to know.

  3. Why are lefties unable to see past a persons pigmentation?

    Which is why we elected an African-American man with a Muslim sounding name.

    OK, we are now starting to see other efforts against other Republican legislators, but take responsibility for starting a Facebook page against Abel Maldonado and no one else.

    By all means, recall those turncoast, because if you do, there’s a better chance of electing soem Democrats to break the tyranny of the minority.

    I’m still waiting for Republicans to launch a recall of Arnold. I find it a tad hypocritical that no one wil move against this Governor now that the car tax issue, which prompted the Davis recall, has been rendered moot.

  4. It’s simple.

    It’s good for ratings.

    Pick a guy who takes a stand (preferably a stand against a narrow view, beat the dog shit out of him on talk radio frequented by uninformed blind sheep.

    And then pile on.

    Have you ever noticed how a story appears in the LA Times on Monday about School Lunch Fraud and fifteen minutes later some Assemblymember from Long Beach is preaching about fairness in school lunch pricing.

    These guys never hads an original idea of thier own Dem or GOP.

    BTW Arnold Schwartznegger could NEVER withstood a bruising primary campaign against McClintock, instead he lined up powerful media interests (NBC and CBS and KFI) to propel him to the top of a weakened recall battle.

    Just like in the case of PROP 8 an uninformed electorate failed society.

  5. I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that Maldanado is Latino. It has more to do with a) he was the clinching vote and b) the John & Ken Wing of the Grand Old Party have long considered Maldanado a Serial Squish.

    In a scene reminiscent of the Soviet purges in joe Stalin’s era, all GOP members who cast an aye vote are now in the Coupal/CRA/John & Ken bulls eye, awaiting their one way trip to the recall gulag.

  6. Funny how the folks who demand “no tax” pledges like Coupal and Norquist don’t have the responsibility of governing.

    Gotta love that. These folks are pushing the GOP over the cliff and they have their foot on the throttle buried into the floor board.

  7. As usual, NCS is the only one using his brain, rather than jerking the liberal knee.

    Maybe you guys weren’t paying attention to the budget news: how Maldo was dead-set against the budget, hated the taxes, then they weren’t so bad, maybe he’d vote for it, then just putting his vote on the block with a big price tag attached to it: a few measures designed to advance his personal political career. The cost: $13.5 billion of of taxpayers’ hides, because in case you guys missed it, Maldo was the deciding vote.

    Oh — but that could be whhy Matt is more upset at Madlo than the other Quislings who sold out easy, early — but didn’t put the tax hike over the top. It must be because Maldo is Latino!

    Genius!

    Love ya, Dan, but this “it’s because he’s Latino” conjecture is just plain stupidity, it highlights how liberals — if I may extrapolate from you and RHackett — tend too boil everything down to race. You just can’t see past a person’s pigmentation.

    When I see Maldo, I see a squish who just raised my taxes by a lot in order to advance his political career. His ethnicity color never entered my mind.

    You just see a Latino.

  8. Love ya, Dan, but this “it’s because he’s Latino” conjecture is just plain stupidity, it highlights how liberals — if I may extrapolate from you and RHackett — tend too boil everything down to race.

    Especially when only the latino is targeted and the five white guys are given a pass. Like I asked. When are you starting similar websites for Villines, Cogdill, etc.?

    You wrote a lot and said little that only reinforces Dan’s position.

  9. RHackett, you are as obstinately obtuse as Art Pedroza. I just answered your question and disposed of this stupid allegation. And it is manifestly stupid.

    I don’t see people in terms of their race and ethnicity. You apparently do. That’s your hang-up, not mine.

  10. I’m thinking you’re in denial.

    You may not believe you consciously see them in that manner. But your actions clearly show otherwise.

    It’s obvious to everyone but you.

  11. Look, the origination of this post are several emails received from Latino readers weho were ticked that an effort is already underway to get Abel and the five other white guys seemed to skate.

    Personally, I don’t believe this effort has as much to do with Abel’s ethnicity as it does with his moderate political views; his district is more purple than anything and his votes reflect his representation of his constituents.

    By why no recall of Cogdill, Adams, Niello et al?

    And as far as paying attention gies, there is no way to cut the budget to the bone to balance things; this budget is hardly perfect but is spreads pain across spending cuts, debt and tax increases until the economy can pick up again. What we need is to reform the budget by ballot proposition process that hurts the way the state meets its obiligations.

  12. I’ll side with Matt’s reasoning on this one, but also note that for the Reeps to target one of their very few Latino members in the Capitol will, whether fairly or not, only further make them seem like a party of Mexican-haters. That Dan’s already getting email on this is just the beginning…

  13. Abel Maldonado has always as a wildcat and is rarely dependable as a solid vote.

    Abel Maldonado is not Pro-Life. Most, if not all, of the other 5 are Pro-Life. Although this may mean less in the context of the budget, it does mean Maldonado has consistently aligned himself with the more liberal wing of the Party.

    The senator is a self-imposed outsider that doesn’t have the same clout as the Governor – it’s as simple as that.

    It would be disingenuous for Democrats to criticize anyone for targeting Maldonado.

    Didn’t Democrats attempt to recall Maldonado themselves?

  14. I agree with Dan and Gustavo. I just pass up the chance to jerk Matt’s chain.

    Like it or not Matt. There are folks noticing that only the latino is being targeted while the white guys get a pass.

    Argue that skin color isn’t an issue. It’s probably true. Being in the public affairs biz, you of all people should know that sometimes perception is reality.

  15. According to today’s Capitol Basement. Maybe Jubal can find out if Jonny Flash confronted Villines, Cogdill, Ashburn et al in the same manner. Jon gets elected by fellow moonbats. Maldonado has to run in a moderate even liberal district.

    The GOP is burrowing in if they believe every GOP official should have a 100% voting record on their issues 100% of the time.

    To quote a GOP official. “Hasta la Vista….baby.”

    http://www.capitolbasement.com/

    “The bad blood in the party was evident at the convention. On Saturday, state party vice chair Jon Fleischman angrily confronted state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County), who made his name last week by providing the critical vote needed to pass the state budget.

    “‘You voted for the largest tax increase in the country when you could have stopped it,’ said Fleischman, publisher of the GOP Web site Flashreport.com, which had publicly pressured Republicans to stand united against the package of $15 billion in spending cuts and $12.5 billion in new taxes. ‘Good call.’

    “As an open-mouthed crowd of Republicans looked on, Maldonado – viewed as a turncoat by some Republicans, and a hero by others – coolly shot back: ‘We need a change.'”

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