Jan 192013
 

It is very simple.

Jim Brulte has experience and connections. This means he can raise money.

Jim Brulte has a vision and a plan of action. This means he can unify.

Jim Brulte has a work ethic. This means he will do the work.

Jim Brulte has no other distractions and can be focused on being CRP Chairman. No Books, No DC Connections, No wealthy donors paying him behind the scenes – meaning that Brulte is positioned to be independent and focused on getting the job done.

Lastly – we investigated the issues we turned up in Mr. Brulte’s past and determined that the accuser could not keep her facts straight. Also the accuser is a liberal democrat. In addition, Brulte was dragged in to an investigation, we believe by an over-zealous County DA looking to make a name for himself. This is why the state media has not rehashed anything.

With that – the Staff at Right On Daily endorse Jim Brulte for CRP Chairman.

Is Jim Brulte Charles Munger’s CRP Candidate?

 California Republican Party, Jim Brulte  Comments Off on Is Jim Brulte Charles Munger’s CRP Candidate?
Nov 242012
 

Look – I know Charles Munger hunts Conservatives. As you’ll see in the series I am doing right now – Munger went after Pro-Life leader Sherry Hodges, the Author of prop 8 Andy Pugno, Minutemen Founder Gregg Imus and threw in Conservative Christians Rico Oller and Brian Dahle for Good Measure.

I also know that Charles Munger is in the process of recruiting people for California Republican Party Office. (CRP)

Jim Brulte is an influential former State Senator and on the surface would seem like the kind of power broker that could heal the rift between Legislators and Activists while raising a pile of money.

I have been looking in to Brulte because I know that Charles Munger is a tough customer. Munger takes no prisoners and spends money like it means little or nothing to him on politics.

What would Munger and crew say about Brulte to try and stop him from getting elected CRP Chairman?

As I have done research – I am starting to discover that Mr. Brulte has some interesting stances on issues that would put him in agreement with Charles Munger.

He works for a Consulting firm headed by some of the top Dem operatives in California. California Strategies. The Republicans I saw on the list included Jim Cuneen – regarded as a democrat by many in Republican circles. Munger would likely crank $1.2 million into a Cuneen campaign if there was one. Munger appears to prefer Republicans that cater to democrats.

Here’s the kicker – Brulte supported the second largest School Bond in California in 2012. It was an $848 Million Bond for the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. That’s correct – an almost $1 Billion Dollar Tax increase on San Bernardino County voters – an area hit extremely hard by the housing bust. Charles Munger is known to support tax increases.

This particular measure was known as Measure P – it was vigorously opposed by Former CRA VP Ben Lopez, CRA Club President Earl DeVries and others. The irony is that Charles Munger bought slate mailers for Ben Lopez’ re-election to San Bernardino Central Committee as there apparently was some sort of Ron Paul uprising in SB County. In Placer, Munger supported the Ron Paul people who were aligned with the far-left of Placer’s GOP.

I can’t figure out if Munger has cut another deal with the legislature (similar to the rumored deal where Munger was allowed to attack Alan Mansoor but had to help save Beth Gaines), and is supporting Jim Brulte.

Another scenario is that Jim Brulte’s employer, California Strategies was running this measure P campaign or has some sort of interest in the Chaffey JUHSD…

There has to be a good explanation for supporting a massive school bond right before running for CRP Chairman. This is why I am wondering if there is a Charles Munger connection to Jim Brulte’s Campaign.

Nov 232012
 

I like the concept on the surface – Jim Brulte, reasonably conservative, widely known, access to lots of donors, former legislator, influential… for Chairman of the California Republican Party (CRP)

I think Brulte would succeed in raising money. Duf Sundheim knelt to Arnold and left the CRP in a $4million hole that Ron Nehring struggled to plug. Tom Del Becarro presided over blowing $4million on Prop 40 that was later abandoned by Consultant Dave Gilliard once it appeared there was no more money to be made. (Gilliard is reported to have made $200k off the deal anyway)

In the years I have been involved in the CRP – I have seen the legislators abandon the CRP because of incessant in-fighting. Even in Placer County, it appears that one of the members of the Placer GOP filed a campaign finance complaint against the committee itself to gain political advantage.

Jim Brulte in theory could cure the chasm between the CRP and the legislators.

There is a smaller problem, the position is unpaid. There has been a culture in the CRP that the Chairman is something of a volunteer and is not paid – the idea being to establish separation between the donors/legislators and the leadership of the party. I have been told that Brulte would only serve if paid. This would require a 2/3 vote to adopt a by-law amendment unless there was the same kind of game-playing that occurred when the CRC was chartered.

The larger problem for Jim Brulte is the ongoing FBI investigation that has two of his former consulting clients under charges and a San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Baine under charges. Former SB Sup Bill Postmus pled guilty, served time and is cooperating with the investigation. There is a trial coming in January for corruption and Brulte will undoubtedly be called to testify.

Brulte is up to his neck in this. Will his involvement give the CRP a further Black Eye?

Take a look at this story of intimidation published last year. The background is that another person involved in this case was being blackmailed with pictures that were allegedly taken when the victim was drunk and was then blackmailed by people who may or may not have been Jim Brulte and one of the developers Jeff Burum.

Here is the money part of the story: (Joise Gonzales is referenced, she is a liberal democrat supervisor who was an opponent of the land deal that is the subject of the FBI investigation / upcoming trial)

“Colonies taught Gonzales to trust her instincts and find the strength within herself to do the right thing, she said.
In November 2006, days before the board’s vote on the Colonies settlement, Gonzales went on an economic development trip to China. After arriving, she testified, she was surprised to see Jim Brulte in the bar; a former state senator, he was a Colonies consultant.
He asked her to dinner and nightclubbing with him and someone else, though he did not say whom.
‘RIGHT IN MY FACE’
“I’m looking at him because he’s a big man, and he’s right in my face, and because his hands were spread out … just my instinct kicks in. My mind is reeling as to what is wrong with this picture. And I look over between his armpit … and his body, and down the hall I see Jeff Burum,” Gonzales testified. “I knew that it would be terribly dangerous for me to go anywhere with him or anyone else, especially after I recognized Jeff.”
She was leery, she testified, because she had heard that a colleague accepted a similar invitation and, given too much drugs or alcohol, was “put in compromising positions in which photographs were taken and then used to blackmail.”

The Colonies Project is a mess. Whether Brulte is innocent and this is a smear by a liberal democrat supervisor or not is indeed a concern. However, the CRP does not have the luxury of having a chariman involved in a recent FBI investigation.