What about Brian Dahle? I first met Dahle in 2011 when I was helping Andy Pugno against Beth Gaines and Shasta County Supervisor Les Baugh against Ted Gaines. Les told me what a great man and Christian Brian was. Dahle was then a Lassen County Supervisor. Dahle was supportive of Les against Ted Gaines despite the fact that Gaines was a prohibitive favorite. Seeing Dahle honor his friendship of Les Baugh meant something in the political world of shifting sands, backstabbing and expedience. This was even more amazing as Dahle was in an uphill fight for Assembly.
I could not reconcile myself to support Vince Fong who opposed Dahle for Assembly GOP Leader. I had told some people I was leaning heavily towards Fong until I spoke to Jay Obernolte about a hour before the sudden caucus and vote to replace the disgraced Chad Mayes. Jay told me something that still resonates, “Do not let Chad Mayes’ endorsement of Brian bother you. It was about getting back at me for running against him. I ran because we needed change and was happy to step aside when someone stepped up that could get an easy majority…” Chad Mayes’ endorsement of Dahle was so disturbing that is was causing me to doubt 5 years of experience with Mr. Dahle.
I may not remember Jay’s words exactly and I kept the conversation in confidence until the information he gave me was outdated. I waited until Mr. Obernolte told me he was done running for leader before deciding on who next to support. I then called Josh Cook, Dahle’s Chief of Staff to ask him two questions (which I will detail later) as I had made up my mind to stick with Brian Dahle after seriously considering Vince Fong. I spoke to Jay at around 8AM 8/24 and called Cook around 8:30AM 8/24, Dahle had won election by 10AM so I had no chance to tell Cook of my decision beforehand.
Why I could not support Vince Fong:
His associations with Jeff Randle, Mitch Zak and David Reade were the single largest reason I could not reconcile myself to support Vince Fong for leader.
Randle and Zak are Pete Wilson alum, on their watch, they attempted primary challenges of most of the conservatives in the legislature, oversaw the appointment of liberal judges based on an abortion related litmus test and were reliable to oppose every major California Conservative that ran for office anywhere in CA. It was clear they, along with their #1 Ally Kevin McCarthy were trying to set up shop again under a Vince Fong leadership. Reade has been a lieutenant of theirs for years.
I tangled with Randle/Zak in a very public way in the run up to the Meg Whitman for Governor Campaign in 2010. I had breakfast with Zak on Christmas Eve Day of 2008, they made an offer. I took said offer to Steve Poizner as I wanted to warn him before I completely turned on him. About a year later on Dec 2, 2009, they wrote a $25K Check to greenfaucet.com, a sister company of the defunct Red County Blog (where I was blogging while being paid by Steve Frank). On 12/6/2009, I was expelled from the Red County Blog and became the subject of a media drill while they denied ever having made an offer to me. I’ve never had a serious conversation with either of them since other than exchanging pleasantries at CRP Convetions as Zak is a pretty easy guy to interact with. (I should note that the proprietor of Red County ended up in massive legal trouble for fraud, related to a fake financial planning business he ran as well as the blog)
In one respect, I owe those two a debt of gratitude as I have made a fair amount of money in paid political consulting fees since that debacle and the attacks, while painful at the time, hardened me and made me far stronger than I would have ever been before the attention.
David Stafford Reade? I’ve written about him for years, but suffice to say he was responsible for the very brief, but intense smear campaign against Dahle. I’d alleged that he wanted Joe Justin’s Job, when in actuality any of the $170k-$200k a year jobs at the top of the Assembly Caucus food chain would have spiked his pension for the rest of his life. (The corrupt state worker pension bases your lifetime payments off of your highest year) As well, a Fong Leadership meant Reade would be even more influential, giving him veto power over future legislative candidates.
Given that he has been a capo of McCarthy, Spirit of Democracy and a host of “Third House” PAC’s, it would have been a brand new swamp. Except, Mr. Reade would have been one of the head alligators. Given that the North State is littered with the expended remains of Reade’s scorched earth, it would not have ended well for the GOP.
They brought Kevin McCarthy, the liberal Republican Godfather (whose record in congress is quite a ways to the right of Paul Ryan ironically) in to the mix. All the 2nd in command of Congress accomplished was delaying the inevitable by 3 days.
Then, Brian Dahle beat the establishment in 2017. Ironically, aided by the fallen tyrant Chad Mayes against this machine…
I just could not ally with Vince Fong, knowing that these guys were going to set up shop, for party reasons, ideological reasons and personal reasons. I am sure Fong is a good dude, but ‘ya dance with those that brung ‘ya.
What about Brian Dahle? I first met Dahle in 2011 when I was helping Andy Pugno against Beth Gaines and Shasta County Supervisor Les Baugh against Ted Gaines. Les told me what a great man and Christian Brian was. Dahle was then a Lassen County Supervisor. Dahle was supportive of Les against Ted Gaines despite the fact that Gaines was a prohibitive favorite. Seeing Dahle honor his friendship of Les Baugh meant something in the political world of shifting sands, backstabbing and expedience. This was even more amazing as Dahle was in an uphill fight for Assembly.
Dahle’s opponent, Rick Bossetti was an arrogant jerk. The entitled, primadonna attitude was likely due to the fact that he was an ex-MLB star. Dahle was such a stark contrast to Bossetti that David Stafford Reade, who brought the machine against Dahle could not dent him. Kevin McCarthy, Doug LaMalfa, Jim Nielsen, all the donors and their massive expenditures attacking Dahle rang hollow. The Spirit of Democracy spent about $220,000 before withdrawing with about 3 weeks to go in the election.
Dahle routed Bossetti. Brian Dahle beat the establishment in 2012.
For those of you scoring at home, that’s twice that Dahle beat the Establishment. Yet, he was smeared as a liberal. It was recounted to me that Jon Fleischman, who still has a relationship with David Stafford Reade was involved in the attacks against Dahle as a conduit of information. Reade was attempting to pin down the Orange County Delegation and carve them from Obernolte to Fong versus Dahle.
When Mr. Fleischman and others in Orange County were presented with the pure fact that Dahle beat the world in 2012, it unraveled that narrative then the following facts decimated any further narrative against Brian Dahle:
California Alliance to Protect Private Property Rights: 100%
Lifetime 14% from California League of Conservation Voters – despite being smeared as a green Republican by David Stafford Reade and others. Heck, the Sierra Club came in at 18%, I guess we should tar and feather Dahle for apostasy.
Despite getting blasted for taking Labor Union Money – here is the California Labor Federation giving Dahle a PERFECT 0% Committee Vote Lifetime Score. I wonder if this came up in Reade’s research? Ok, so Dahle gets a 15% lifetime rating for his floor votes, what a union stooge.
The Capitol Resource Institute – who supported Dahle’s opponent in 2012 after taking thousands from Doug LaMalfa and Jim Nielsen, rated him 100%
Howard Jarvis rated Dahle at 98% in 2016
The NFIB chipped in a 100% rating.
In 2016, Howard Jarvis, the CA Pro-Life Council, Crime Victims United, and the California Labor Federation all endorsed Dahle. Heck, the NRA rates him a lifetime A and endorsed him for good measure.
Yet, somehow this is the pedigree of a moderate? I guess the Police (PORAC) and the Firefighters Unions, who frequently endorse Republicans were supposed to be alarming?
Even though I have history with Dahle, I don’t know him super well but he does return my calls. I have talked to him several times over the years. He has not been involved in party politics, due once again to a string of County Republican Central Committees under the control of David Stafford Reade (in 2016, Reade directed over $500K in to about 16 County Central Committee Races in the North State) that had been pretty much hostile to Mr. Dahle. His experience with the CRA was basically the same as the genesis of mine and David’s mutual animosity was a fight over several paper clubs all over the North State. As a result, I have not had much opportunity to cross paths with Dahle. Can you blame him? When the GOP on the ground looks like a paper empire of David Stafford Reade, I’d rather get my wisdom teeth pulled while conscious than deal with that.
Let’s answer the $64,000 question: Was there a deal with Chad Mayes? No. Refer to my opening comments from Jay Obernolte.
Will the staff brought in by disgraced former Assembly Leader and current CAGOP Vice Chair Kristen Olsen be left in place? For those of you new to this, Kristen Olsen terminated all of the Conservatives that had been on staff for years and replaced them with left-wing Greenies who believe that decimating the economy in the name of Mother Gaia is the way to the promised land for the CAGOP. They are so convinced they are right, they hatched this Cap and Trade plan and then became enraged when the grassroots revolted.
A few examples of the players are below:
While Mike Zimmerman was hired by Connie Conway, his legacy is a net loss of 6 seats in the Assembly. He needs to go.
Seren Taylor’s profile shows that he is a “Republican” from Brooklyn. Enough said, his advice may as well be Sarin Gas to the CAGOP.
Joe Justin is also employed as a consultant beyond his job being Chad Mayes’ Chief of Staff. He was involved in the run up to Cap and Trade heavily.
I’d put David Stafford Reade on the list, but his quest to get one of these massively overpaid positions ended (for now) with the defeat of Vince Fong. Reade works for Jim Nielsen (who I like despite Reade) as his Chief of Staff and will live on to fight another day while we here at Right on Daily chronicle his political life in graphic detail.
There are a host of others involved in the disaster of the last 5 years for the GOP since Ms. Olsen’s rampage and it is clear that some of them may not be employed for very long.
I don’t envy the job Brian Dahle and Josh Cook have ahead of them. But, I trust a Lassen County Supervisor whose brain has not been polluted or chemically altered by a big city to make some clear decisions. Cook? He is as hardcore LDS as Dahle is Evangelical Christian. We do have moral, ethical leadership at the top of the GOP now.
I want Brian Dahle to succeed. I hope you do too. What’s left of the CAGOP depends on it.
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As long as we get some fresh leadership to support Dahle and friends I am all for it. We need fresh team members so we can at least win a seat or two in 2018.
My conversations with Josh cook on the phone have been less than favorable, but I have not had direct dealings with Brian Dahle except, he associated himself by signing the letter that was part of the Dec. 8th debacle, I call, hostile take over of the BCRCC. I am trying to let that event, as hard as it is, to be water under the bridge. Being a Christian, helps me to forgive, but I will never forget! I wish Brian Dahle and the CA GOP all the best. We certainly need someone with moral and ethical leadership, if we intend to succeed as the GOP in CA.