#AD06 #EPICFAIL Update: Were they trying to HELP or ATTACK Andy Pugno???

Andy Pugno is an untrustworthy Republican. Whoops. Did the people that sent this forget that this is the Donald Trump election and many in the GOP Establishment are setting up a group called Republicans for Hillary because their candidates lost?

I saw this and I wondered if this “attack” was actually intended to help Andy Pugno. I worked for Pugno when he took on the unpopular Beth Gaines in 2012. Beth Gaines did not poll well in Placer County then and still does not now. This is likely why she had to move to El Dorado Hills to run for Supervisor up there instead of trying to take out Kirk Uhler. It is what it is – blasting Andy Pugno for being mean to Beth Gaines may cause Placer residents to nominate him for sainthood.

I looked at the campaign finance reports and I saw money spent on a poll. I’d kill for a copy of the poll. I am sure they asked more questions than what is in this mailer.

The piece even quotes the disaster of an assembly permanent minority leader who sacrificed five GOP seats in 2012, diverting $1.5 million to save Beth Gaines from Mr. Pugno. (while the GOP lost 5 legislative seats in that election)

Then there is the lying lawyer routine, yeah, that might work. Kinda worn out, though.

A lot of people are broke and fearful right now, maybe a little class envy over the rich lawyer pulling $205K and counting out of his own pocket to buy the assembly seat would be one of the hits I’d use. Of course with dollar bills in the background for full effect.

I am not sure if Howard Jarvis polls anymore – if it still does, then quoting them assailing Pugno might be effective. Otherwise, they are a part of the feckless GOP Establishment, that voters set fire to in 42 other states.

Beth Gaines’ campaign consultant Dave Gilliard was rightly trashed in the media for outright lying about Pugno several times in 2012 – but one of the one valid attacks Mr. Gilliard made was pointing out that Pugno has made tens of thousands of dollars off of suing people. (the #1 reason why Lawyer/Attorney are terrible occupations in a GOP primary) Pugno is well-off, that is for sure. He has parted with $205k for this run thus far. He also borrowed another $17k from family.

The Richard Pan campaign annihilated Pugno for his off the chart right stance on abortion. Pugno opposes abortion in all cases. If I was bombing Pugno, I’d use a picture of Todd Akin to compare Pugno’s abortion stance. I personally would not be able to do that as I am very much Pro-Life myself – I’d prefer a sexual assault victim to have the baby and give it a chance to live, but I personally can’t go so far as to say no abortion in that circumstance. If we stopped the other 96% of abortions, that would be a huge victory for life (but I digress)…

Pugno is no more Conservative than Bill Halldin when you look at the total package. Both are way more conservative than Kevin Kiley and Cristi Beckstead Neslon – who were also tested in the poll that was run by this group (if it is the same poll I was told about a month ago by several people).

Mr. Kiley has attacked Pugno for writing Prop 8 and Beckstead-Nelson is pro-choice and has not signed the taxpayer protection pledge like Pugno and Halldin have. I suppose the attack about Pugno breaking his previous pledge in 2012 might be a suggestion that he will break the taxpayer protection pledge? I am just not sure that attacking a conservative for attacking another conservative in a campaign will work. Lying? maybe.

Quoting a failed GOP Chairman who ran the CRP in to debt $2 million, who also used the CAGOP as a dating service in a character attack against Pugno is as bad quoting the disastrous former minority leader. It makes people think this is revenge and sour grapes over Pugno challenging the status quo in 2012. Perhaps I am too much of an insider to realize that most don’t know and/or don’t care that the two GOP officials quoted are failures.

I just don’t think you should quote California’s equivalent of Reince Prebius and John Boehner in anything for any reason. When this electorate sees anyone with a Republican title, there are a certain measure of them that see “RINO and Beaner” in everything. I know, I was on the ground in Nevada in Feb for the Caucuses, it was surreal.

Perhaps I still feel some loyalty to Pugno as I worked for him in 2012. I just know what I have seen on the ground and if these hit pieces continue the way they are – Pugno will make the runoff.

I know Andy Pugno well. He will have no problem responding to this attack, I pretty much know how he will respond to this and other attacks. I am sure there are more coming, I wonder what they will look like.