I gave Craig DeLuz for Assembly $250. I gave Craig Money for his City Council Campaign, School Board Campaign and for the Support the Platform Central Committee campaign in the past.
I have been a friend of Craig DeLuz for 8 years.
I endorsed Craig early.
I believe in Craig DeLuz’ values, his story and what he has to offer.
I did not meet Andy Pugno until June of last year for the first time.
So why did I stand up for Andy Pugno at the CRA endorsing convention last night?
Is Andy more Conservative? No. Andy and Craig espouse the same stances on issues.
Does Andy have a superior record of service to the GOP? No. Both Andy and Craig can cite a laundry list of accomplishments and activism inside the GOP.
Did Andy have big Special Interest Money? Only one donation from a PAC.
While I sat at the CRA Convention I heard a recitation from the three Candidates that attended – Craig, Suzanne Jones and Andy Pugno.
Craig – who is a fantastic public speaker delivered a presentation about who he is and what he has done.
Suzanne – who is fairly new to being a candidate brought cue cards with her and implored us with the message of “What about me”?
Andy – who is not a fantastic public speaker started with some self-depricating humor (referencing veiled references by the previous two to him) and proceeded to spend a minute explaining why he was not going to take his whole five minutes.
So it was not even a question of who the best speaker was or the “Package” as it were.
Andy Pugno is a middle-aged white guy. He is a lawyer that has gone to battle for Conservative Causes for years – while DeLuz was in the trenches on the ground…
All across the board – similar.
Differences?
Race.
Public speaking ability.
Money.
Andy Pugno has out-raised everyone in the entire state. He has 10-12 times the cash that Craig DeLuz has.
This was not an easy decision – Craig has wanted this for at least 4 years that I know of. Craig is a dear friend – but he could not get the critical mass.
In the end, it became a matter of the CRA and the CRA supporting a proven Conservative with the critical mass to win.
If Andy Pugno, as conservative as he is, could get the “liberal establishment” to come kicking and screaming on to his endorsement list… it means he is a force to be reckoned with.
They tried to recruit someone else and Andy Pugno made them yield – Steve Miklos, Susan Peters, Sheriff McGuinness, none answered the bell.
And in a rare combination, the Establishment and the CRA almost endorsed the same candidate – and this time the establishment came to the right to meet us.
Andy Pugno is the only candidate I have ever seen pull that off.
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12 Responses to “Why I stood for Andy Pugno at the CRA Endorsing Convention”
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Aaron,
This comment may come at the cost of our friendship, but I cannot refrain from replying. I find your reason for standing with Andy severely lacking credibility and substance. Is it really just about who has money? Many a campaign was won without large sums of money. I also find it very hard to believe that you would disregard the friendship of someone you’ve known for 8 years (who, by the way is the most qualified on all issues to be in the Assembly) in order to support someone you barely know. To say that Andy won over the “establishment” is nothing to brag about because I believe that the “establishment” you are referring to is nothing but bigotted racist who would rather see anyone in the Assembly but a black conservative. As a matter of fact, the same “establishment” supported a democrat in two city council races over the republican.
Adding another Candidate to the list that buys the Park’s endorsement..
(I am currently attempting to verify the identity of this commenter.)
Mr “Burton” – buying an endorsement that would be Red County who has taken $65,000 from Meg Whitman.
I have received $0 from Pugno and his campaign.
To quote you: “I have received $0 from Pugno and his campaign.”
Question. Does that mean you are listing Andy Pugno’s campaign logo and link on your blog for free? If so, have you made the same offer to the other candidates in the six-way race for AD5? Granted it’s your blog, but it would only be fair to give the same exposure to your “friend” and the other candidates, especially since you said you’ve taken no money from Mr. Pugno. Again, just asking since you made the point.
Dear Aaron,
While you are on the subject of being honest, I just want to say “Thanks” for the factual, honest representation of my presentation. You could not be farther from the truth. Yes, I had “cards” as you called them, they were notes, notes are necessary when you have a lengthy message. Speakers use notes so they don’t forget to cover all their topics.
My message was not “What about me.” The fact of the matter is, I was the only candidate that presented a laundry list of accomplishments that evening. But then that’s what you said about Andy and Craig. I am the only one with over 15 years of budget and policy experience in Federal Government, to include foreign and international experience; I’ve owned a small business in the District and one abroad; started a nonprofit organization in Saudi Arabia; I was a military spouse for 20 years serving my military communities around the world, while my husband served this country; I graduated from Law School in 2005, and I am an active member of the CA Bar; I also worked several years for a very large school district with 45,000 students, in the legal department also in policy, personnel, student, teacher and union issues, I was also on the Charter school committee. I am the only candidate that has been endorsed by a former Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen (Ret) Dennis Reimer. That alone is enough to indicate my integrity is beyond reproach. Oh yes, and I’m the only candidate that has been endorsed by the Sacramento Republican Women Federated. Oh, and one really important factor, I’ve been a resident and constituent in this District since 1959. Unlike either of my opponents, I know my District, the people, the issues, the concerns; I have served this community and shared the struggles. Does that sound like I’m pleading “What about me?”
What about having lived in the District for four weeks makes Andy the best qualified to serve this District? Unlike Andy, I was there to tell everyone why I am the best candidate for this District. That’s exactly what I did. I even exceeded my 5 minute limit. Maybe Andy should have brought cue cards since all he said was that he was not going to waste his bullets on a small crowd.
Just a note, the good ole boy system of politics with the professional political class and the Republican party is exactly why the Republican voters are disenfranchised. Neither the party politicians or the people who run these Republican clubs are interested in endorsing the best qualified person, that has the education and experience to do the job of serving the people. It is all about the money or who’s your best friend. All I have to say is “What about the people of the District? Don’t they deserve to have the best qualified representative?”
Suzanne – thanks for visiting and thanks for making your case again.
Angela – you are correct. The Pugno Logo is displayed free of charge.
Aaron you did not answer the Question? So lets try this again shall we? Did you offer the same advertisement To Craig Deluz, your dear freind of 8 years free of charge ? or even at all?
“Rocky” – I answered the question. The Pugno ad is there and I made Andy the same offer I did to Craig previously. There was not ad for either of them for several weeks until I made my own decision of who I was supporting at the CRA.
Out of deference to Craig – I am not going to go in to public detail any further as to my reasons as I have spoken with several involved.
And note, that is a courtesy that was not extended to either myself or Andy Pugno before others went public with their issues.
LOL, your Amazing you have No shame you publicy Attack people on a regular Basic, and you have the nerve to cry when people call yu on your own crap! I have lost whatever rrespect i had left for you. The truth is your not man enough to own up to your own lies and hypocrasy The truth is also you never offered it to Craig and you know it. what is sad is tokk ro people asking you for you to stop dancing and acctually answer the question. At the end of the Day you either support your freinds or you don’t . Money should never matter. you either have loyaltiy or you don’t.
sorry typo, , it took two people for you to stop dancing and answer the question.
It is interesting, don’t you think that Craig hasn’t had anything to say about any of this? You were not a party to any of the numerous phone calls between Craig and I.
Did you or any of the others that have been after George and I think that we did not expect criticism for our decision? Fact of the matter is – we were out in front about what we did and why we did it.
And again, I will remind you Rolland, that I have extended the DeLuz camp far more courtesy than was given to Andy’s camp.
This is the first time I’ve happened across your blog, so I don’t know your politics, but I have to say that endorsing the person with the most money does seem like a pretty weak reason to choose, and although (hopefully) there may have been other considerations involved, but you definitely don’t make those clear in your reasoning above.
I do believe politics have become so corrupted by money that it is no longer of, for, or about the people they are supposed to be “serving”. It is exactly because of endorsements like this that that system proliferates. It is too bad, really.
We are fast becoming a country of taxation without representation all over again.