March 2011 Archives

CRA: Update – why are the Consultants fighting for the CRA?

California Republican Assembly Comments Off

Mar 312011

From the Desk of Cliff Wagner…

I am saddened to have to share the following information and I know that it will make some folks very upset, but I am unwavering in my conviction that the integrity of the CRA is worth fighting for.

When exactly should the CRA endorse a liberal? Answer is: NEVER

A Pay-to-Play History:

Unfortunately, at the 2007 CRA statewide convention, under the leadership of then President Mike Spence, Mitt Romney, a pro-choice, liberal – easily bought the endorsement of the CRA. Romney paid a Sacramento political operative, to coordinate the CRA endorsement. That operative, with the assistance of Karen England stood up several paper units and paid the registration fees of 75 delegates – delivering the CRA endorsement to a pro-choice, pro-gay rights liberal.

Mitt Romney a liberal? Please don’t take my word for it – listen to him describe his own positions on abortion and gay rights. Click Here to See the Video

Is this a record of leadership that Mike Spence is proud of? Karen England serves as the Executive Director of the Capitol Resource Institute and is a self described staunch, pro-life conservative. However, is partnering with consultants in standing up dubious units, in order to help secure the CRA endorsement for a liberal presidential candidate and a succession of liberal, pro-choice politicians the type of qualifications we can afford for our CRA President? I don’t think so.

Now, as we gear up for another presidential election cycle – these same folks and the politicians they represent are desperate to regain control of the CRA to ensure that the pay-to-play culture of CRA endorsements continue.

Over the past several years, I have been saddened and disappointed to find out just how wide spread this scandal and the pay-to-play culture is and how far some are willing to go to preserve it.

England Delivers the Units:

In the lead up to this endorsement – then CRA VP Karen England chartered 4 units in Northern California. The Tehama, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba CRA. Karen knows that to this day – 3 of the 4 are fake, which is why she does not take credit for their creation specifically in her campaign.I live with these units – time and time again, I have seen them send Capitol Staff and relatives as delegates to local endorsing conventions to endorse the liberal Republican option for years. I brought my concerns to the Charter Review Committee, but Peggy Mew has singlehandedly blocked any and every effort to responsibly address these concerns.

All this happened under Mike Spence’s watch! – What did he do? Nothing…

Now that Celeste Greig has proposed a series of reforms to clean up this mess and put an end to the pay-to-play scandal. Mike Spence and the Arnold/Meg & Mitt team are trying to attack her credibility, integrity and leadership because she has the guts to put a stop the fraud and corruption of the CRA endorsement process.

What They Don’t Want you to Know:

You be the judge. Please have a look here at a check for $2,625 from Romney for President, Inc. to the CRA for 75 Delegates. You’ll see names you recognize on the list – including Jordan England – the daughter of Karen England.

Click Here to View The Check & Roster

Connect the dots – 75 delegates paid for by a liberal, pro-choice presidential candidate. Many of those delegates who claim unshakable conservative credentials. How does this happen and what were their motivations? Can it happen again? Absolutely, if we allow it to. This happened under Mike Spence’s watch!

One Endorsement Paid in Full:

Mitt Romney was endorsed 148-73. This means that over half of Romney’s delegates were paid in – including family of those running to “England’s Restore the CRA” campaign! Restore what? Pay-to-play?

Today, we are looking at a repeat of the same in the CRA. I am told that roughly 2/3 of the CRA units supporting Karen England have delegate irregularities. The Credentials Committee are having to look up voter registrations one at a time to try and locate people as they are being refused access to membership rosters.

The corruption needs to be stopped. That is why I support President Celeste Greig, The Contract with the CRA and those committed to ending the CRA’s pay-to-play culture.

Thank you,

Open Letter to Doug LaMalfa – Apology

Mar 272011

Update 4/21/2011 – I was made aware of a LaMalfa blog post where he took a cheap shot at my brother. I meant what I wrote in this post – but apparently Mr. LaMalfa did not believe me or he decided to renew hostilities. Unbelievable.

Click here to see the cheap-shot in question.

Many who read this blog remember that I went after now Senator Doug LaMalfa with the fury of a vandal warrior.

I don’t apologize for the political disagreements – that’s part of the game.

This is being written because I went too far when I lit up Doug LaMalfa. The writings were over the top and personal in nature.

I allowed my issues with people associated with Mr. LaMalfa cloud my judgement in what was written.

Even political opponents deserve better than what I wrote about him. The posts were removed after LaMalfa won the primary and I had considered writing this post for several months.

Irregardless of what happens in the near or farther future related to political battles (I am sure we’ll be on opposite sides of) – this apology to Sen LaMalfa stands in perpetuity.

CRP Convention Notes

California Republican Assembly, California Republican Party, Dan Logue, Jim Nielsen Comments Off

Mar 202011

1. The Prop 14 Solution that passed was a wild-card solution that was a sneak-atttack from a Political Consultant Mike Spence and Congressman Tom McClintock. It was a brilliant strategy and an Idea that took the convention by storm.

There will now be a mail canvass to determine Republican nominees in every district. How it’s paid for and done is TBD I guess.

It puts an exclamation point on the upcoming CRA elections – with the fake units and consultant-controlled units coming out in force to protect the status-quo, the CRA Convention will be an interesting one for sure.

What’s at stake? The future of the CRA and the integrity of the CRA endorsement. www.contractwiththecra.com is one slate. The consultants that control the fake CRA units that exist only to send delegates to CRA endorsing conventions are the other slate / group (or are promoting it).

The CRA is a conservative stamp of approval and its’ presence in the new era of Prop 14 elections is a big deal. People covet it.

2. Mike Osborn was Elected CRP treasurer. There are some that think Mike Osborn drank the moderate kool-aid. I know Mike Osborn, I like Mike Osborn, he’ll be fine.

3. Hat Tip to David Reade and Team LaMalfa (including Karen England) for getting moderate Republican Arnie Zeiderman elected CRP Vice-Chair North. The vote was 83-55.

Robin Cook was endorsed by CRA, but her campaign got started too late and Reade & Co spent $10K to $15K buying hotel rooms and paying delegate registrations.

You’ll remember that Karen England is running for CRA President – the CRA is the most conservative grassroots group in California – yet Zeiderman who she supported told the Nevada County GOP that they needed to get away from their “Rigid Positions” and Compromise. Zeiderman also told Ed Rowen that he had no position on Abortion and had never read the GOP platform!

This is consistent with her opposition of CRA officers for local Central Committee office.

What CRP Vice-Chair race was – was a proxy fight for the upcoming Dan Logue-Jim Nielsen primary. Nielsen is the candidate that team LaMalfa will be supporting.

Will Ziederman have an impact on that race? Not likely, and I am not sure why they spent so much money unless it was an attempt to “get” Tom Hudson and Josh Cook again.

(insert sound of democrats laughing)

4. I got to re-connect with an old friend Dave Titus. He was one of the first Capitol Staff I ever met. He worked for Rico Oller at the time – he still looks like he is in his mid 30’s.

I fought more than one trench war alongside Dave Titus and his crew. Dave Titus is going to be Beth Gaines’ Cheif of Staff.

Did the Republican Party Convention change anything? No, not yet.

I asked several people while I was there if all these officer elections were going to change anything. None really had a straight answer.

Now the CRA? that’s a different story – people want the CRA’s support.

I am hopeful that Tom DelBecarro will bring some real change to the California GOP – because right now the California Republican Party couldn’t stop a nosebleed.

The CRA? There are still a few units that make an impact. If the Contract with the CRA wins – there will be a lot more. Those CRA units stand in stark contrast those that are shuffling the deck chairs on the CAGOP Titanic.

That’s what I believe.

Right here in my backyard, the Placer CRA raises money and provides volunteers! Now, wouldn’t that be cool to replicate statewide?

Think about it.

CRA Endorses Beth Gaines

4th Assembly District Race, Beth Gaines Comments Off

Mar 182011

By a 27-0 Vote of the CRA’s board of directors – the CRA has voted to endorse Beth Gaines for Assembly.

Please remember – this action is necessary because Prop 14 has eliminated the primary and the nomination process.

This is a fitting backdrop for the upcoming fight at the California Republican Party convention over how the GOP will determine nominees post Prop-14.

Despite Passage of a Conflict of Interest Amendment – Coordinated Attack Against Placer GOP Today

Placer County Republican Party Comments Off

Mar 152011

George and I are such bullies. We decided to start fighting back to protect our good name and that seems to be more than some people can handle.

Case and point. Last Wednesday, we adopted a conflict of interest amendment that was basically written by Karen England and submitted by Tom McClintock’s office. Since it was amended and approved by the Congressman to not cause a train wreck in our by-laws that was more than they could handle.

Karen abstained and Ken Campbell went one step further. He attacked Congressman McClintock for agreeing to amendments. There seems to be no pleasing these people at all. Contrary to Mr. Campbell’s assertions – McClintock’s staff amended the amendment – because they recognized it’s flaws.

Do Karen England and Ken Campbell want a train wreck? Is that why they refused to support this?

Funny, I had an extended conversation with Ford Davies from the local Tea Party – and again protecting the off-the-record nature of it… He seemed to be pleased with the amendment’s passage.

Fast forward to today. Almost on Queue – Jim Ruffalo, the Auburn Journal’s columnist who does not research his columns was out with another “Tom Hudson is Satan” column today.

Like Karen England before him – the accusations fly with no evidence. There has never been any evidence presented of wrongdoing. But, every time they lose votes or don’t get their way, the rhetoric is ratcheted up.

In Campbell’s blog rant and his comments on Rufalo’s column, he refers to Karen England as the whistleblower. Effectively, Campbell ‘outs’ Karen England as the source of the angst in the local Tea Party.

I have come to understand that most in the local Tea Party have not gone as far as Ken Campbell in accusing people of committing felonies – but the presistent drumbeat has been there by some.

Recently, despite Karen telling people that Ken Campbell is “no friend of hers” Ken is referring to Karen as the whistle-blower.

I am not sure if Karen England wants that sort of attention – or being labeled as the whistle-blower.

Ken Campbell for his troubles – wrote a comment in Ruffalo’s Column:

Here is some more trouble the Park brothers are in; Assemblyman Dan Logues’s representative George Park and his brother Aaron Park. Central Committee member Karen England has been a whistle-blower telling everyone of the antics of Park/ Hudson. The Parks have absolutely no shame and have been trying to slander and destroy the reputation of whistle-blower Karen England. The Parks manufacture outrageous things and post it on their website. Well whistle-blower Karen England hired a lawyer and she is suing them for liable and slander. Whistle-blower Karen England’s attorney sent Assemblyman Dan Logues’s representative George Park and Aaron Park a letter. Most normal people would be embarrassed to receive a letter that shows them to be liars and slim balls, but not the Parks.

Two things to note: 1. Ken Campbell is taking shots at Dan Logue in advance of his supporting Jim Nielsen in the upcoming state senate primary against him and 2. “Slim Balls” He must be referring to my brother’s weight loss.

I will give Ken credit for one thing. He is a public figure – just like Karen England. As such, I have called him psycho for years and I have never gotten a letter from his lawyer alleging that he is not mentally ill.

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