This Cartoon says it all about what Obama’s IRS has done. Every President has used the IRS in my lifetime to hammer political enemies, but Obama has taken it to the next level. Remember when Clinton’s accusers all got audited?
I was too young to remember Nixon’s hijinks.
The image of this seemingly helpless Tea Partier getting strangled by the IRS is burned in my mind, so much so that I felt compelled to write this piece.
I really feel for those groups that the IRS abused. It makes me angry.
You see, I have been critical of the Tea Party. I am a CRA officer and member for life. The CRA is the first group I joined after registering to vote. It is the only Group I am a member of today.
The CRA is the only group in California for Conservative Republicans who want to save babies, save the family and gun rights. Other groups are single-issue or run as fast as they can from the “social issues”.
We’ve seen the articles where homosexual activists admit that their goal is to destroy the institution of marriage. John Eastman was on national TV telling America that the Obama IRS sent a copy of their confidential tax return to the homosexual activist group human rights campaign, ostensibly so that the donors to the National Organization for Marriage could be attacked and exposed.
The IRS stonewalled applications from Tea Party, 9-12, freedom, patriot – etc. etc. etc. groups for tax-exempt status.
But the IRS attacked Romney donors, James Dobson, Franklin Graham and several other religious groups with audits. This is far different than interfering with applications for tax-exempt status from Tea Party Groups.
… but the IRS did not attack the CRA. There was a time in the past where the CRA would have been attacked. This is why I stood up with a handful of CRA officers to fight for the new leadership we now have. The CRA changed course and will grow in to relevance again.
In the early 1990′s, Then (RINO) Governor Pete Wilson flew off the handle at the CRA calling it “<F-Bomb> Irrelevant” because the CRA was such a force at the time that our opposition to his Tax Increase was newsworthy.
In essence, the CRA was the Tea Party before there was a Tea Party. And this is why political consultants and political staff were drawn to the CRA in an attempt to control it.
Other than the social issues, there is a major difference that is at the core if why I don’t identify with the Tea Party.
The CRA has By-Laws and a structure. The Tea Party is libertarian and therefore has limited, if any structure.
This has created problems:
Political Consultants have monetized the Tea Party – like the America Deserves Better PAC, The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, the Tea Party Express, etc.
Campaign Staff and Legislative Staff have infiltrated Tea Parties to use them to do their bidding. Witness the Doug LaMalfa staff that control the Redding Tea Party or the rifts that occurred repeatedly in the Nevada County or Placer County Tea Parties – mostly centered around Doug LaMalfa.
Other Tea Partiers – four from Lincoln led by a fifth with a personal axe to grind voted for Tax-Raising liberal Republicans for Placer GOP Cent Com Leadership. They were joined in this by tea party members from Auburn. Two of the new leaders of the Placer GOP were prepared to publicly endorse Liberal Democrat Jennifer Montgomery for re-election and said so in a Placer GOP meeting last year!
If you did that in the CRA – you’d be subject to expulsion per our by-laws.
In the 2014 election cycle all Republican candidates will be able to approach the CRA knowing that our endorsement has no gatekeeper and is not pre-ordained for the first time in a long-time.
We’ve expelled Political Consultants for manipulating the organization. We’ve defeated others in officer elections. The CRA has been able to police itself and return itself to the control of “we the people”.
The Tea Party has no mechanism to do that by and large. Tea Party Members can support people for office that are an enathma to the stated values and goals of the Tea Party with no consequence.
This is why the CRA endorsement is coveted, the by-laws of the CRA and the organization of the CRA (since 1934!) make it mean something.
… and this is why I am an active member of CRA, not a Tea Party.
How many of you remember the AD-03 Race in 2012?
Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams ran against Assemblyman Dan Logue in 2012. Dave Gilliard talked Bob Williams in to spending $50k +/- (of his own money, no less) running against Dan Logue. In addition, Bob Williams is in debt – as Dave Gilliard typically spends all of his clients in to substantial debt.
Invariably, Williams was promised the pole position in the 2014 AD03 race.
Bob Williams was used. Dave Gilliard and David Stafford Reade knew 100% that Doug LaMalfa was going to quit the State Senate after winning his Congressional Primary.
The purpose of Williams running was to bleed money off of Dan Logue, making it much more difficult for Logue to compete with Jim Nielsen.
Then Logue’s Kidney kicked in, Nielsen won without a fight.
Bob Williams, no longer useful to Dave Gilliard and David Stafford Reade found his way under the David Stafford Reade bus. (With Willie Preston and others)
James Gallagher is now the chosen favorite – he has the endorsements of Gentleman Jim and Doug LaMalfa. Gallagher is also Dave Gilliard’s latest paycheck in the North State.
Too bad for Gallagher, he is a lawyer that Gilliard is trying to re-brand. (Gilliard seems to have a pattern of re-branding candidates, like taking someone that has never held an insurance license and transforming them into an owner of an insurance agency).
Gallagher has an opponent – Ryan Schohr, a real farmer. Looks like the reverse of Keene vs LaMalfa. This should be fun – and it would not surprise me if there are a few pissed off people in Tehama County looking to assist his effort.
Ted Gaines recruited Dennis Revell to run for Cent Com Chairman.
When Revell came to introduce himself to the CRA in Placer – he was very nervous at first – indicating that Ted Gaines / Beth Gaines and others had told him about us.
We waited to pass judgement on Mr. Revell until we saw him in action.
With Ted Gaines already looking at another office to run for (Congress, CA07) – and his wife Beth, being a rumored candidate for Sacramento County Supervisor, (Believe it, folks, the joke is on all of us) it is incumbent upon the Placer CRA to remind people what sort of legacy the Gaines have in Placer County.
Aaron Park is probably in the top three of people the Gaines’ hate and as such, they have decided to put the entire conservative movement in Placer on their list. This includes recent threats direct and indirect against various club members. Of course, with both of them looking elsewhere for their next government paychecks, what’s a little bloodletting in Placer?
Back to Revell. Revell is a moderate. He is pro-choice, he likely opposes Prop 8, but he certainly makes clear his moderate to liberal Republican core on the home page of the Placer GOP’s website:
There you have it, folks… the Placer County Democrat, I mean Republican’s Party’s guiding principle, endorsed, promoted and supported by Ted Gaines.
Right under that stellar affirmation of Government is a request for more volunteers.
Charles Munger spent $45k to help the moderates take over the Cent Com. However, they still did not have enough votes without the involvement of Ted Gaines, Beth Gaines, Doug LaMalfa, Jim Nielsen and Frank Bigelow.
The moderates used fake attacks of financial impropriety for years (that Mr. Gaines participated in), now there seems to be no problem! (Imagine that)
The marriage of convenience was there for Ted Gaines, too bad for his future political aspirations that it is embarrassing him.
Celebrate Diversity. Ted Gaines for Congress.
Click here to see the entire Placer GOP Website beyond the screenshot we saved.
Written by Aaron F Park
Many of you wonk types know that we pulled off a stunning upset, electing John W Briscoe CRA President in an 84-78 shocker.
The real story leads up to the convention and about the convention itself. Those of us supporting Briscoe had the deck stacked against us.
Briscoe only had the public support of three CRA Executive Board Members – CRA VP Tim Thiesen, Membership Secretary George Park and Sgt. At Arms Aaron Park.
The location of the convention in Burlingame was a product of Celeste leaning on the CRA board with a “fairness” argument against it being in Sacramento again. In reality, Celeste believed that having the San Mateo RA and not the Placer/SAC/Cosumnes RA hosting worked in her favor.
In the days leading up to the convention, it became obvious to our team that Celeste and others were attempting to control all the details of the convention and that information about the convention was closely guarded – including confirmed speakers. There were never communications on CRA emails or otherwise – the official CRA email system was reserved for Celeste campaigning.
The agenda of the convention was a closely guarded secret as well. No one except for Celeste’s team knew what it was until getting to the convention.
All of these measures of control depressed attendance – which appears to have been a goal of Celeste’s campaign.
This is a sick irony to the 1,000 member loss since 7/23/2011 – the central point of John W Briscoe’s campaign against Celeste.
We chose to employ a strategy of exposing Steve Frank’s undue influence in the CRA. Mr. Frank could not handle it. He made a series of blunders that were indicative of someone 1/3 his age.
At the Convention itself, we had decided to make sure that Steve Frank felt like he was under siege. The “Stop Frank” signs were everywhere, there were handouts and all the usual stuff you’d see at a CRP convention – except that Steve Frank was the star.
This had a devastating effect on Celeste Greig. Steve Frank went in to save himself mode. He threw everyone under the bus to save himself – including a mole that was in our operation! Steve Frank threw the mole under the bus because he was running for CRA VP as well.
Celeste had stacked every committee – the Credentials Committee was stacked 6-2 against Briscoe, and we fully well expected Steve Frank to take a run at several of our units. I had attacked him repeatedly for doing so in the weeks leading up to the convention and he did. He attempted to disqualify Kings, Fresno and Ventura – all had endorsed Briscoe.
The Convention Rules Committee – Almost All were Celeste Supporters.
At the convention – there was a strong whisper campaign. We were accused of boycotting the meals, accused of supporting liberals, accused of supporting fake units, accused of wanting to take over CRA – whatever it took to try to convince people to support Celeste.
On Sunday during the voting – one of our team members saw Celeste sitting with the delegates from Porterville and telling them how to vote their ballots!
For me personally, the absurdity of the convention was underscored by the fact that my opponent changed that weekend. Originally, JD Kennedy was supposed to oppose me, but at about Noon on Saturday – San Joaquin RA President Jim Shoemaker was tapped by Team Celeste instead.
During the candidate speeches – Steve Frank committed suicide. He spent his speech attacking me and ironically, I had to quiet a heckler while Mr. Frank was attacking me!
Even the election committee was stacked. All of them were Celeste supporters. I was the only Briscoe supporter in the room with six others.
Early in the count – we were all losing, and at the halfway point, I was up by a couple, George was trailing as was John.
It was not until the last ballots were counted that George pulled away and John took a lead that stood up.
The people in the counting room were in shock.
I had heard that Celeste’s team believed that they were up 35 votes. My count had John up 25 votes – which I embellished to 35-40 votes when I talked to people on Saturday (psyops).
For the three weeks in to the convention, I had John leading on every headcount. The whisper campaign only succeeded in keeping Orange County delegates on the reservation, but the reason why John only won by 6 votes is that there was massive drop-off. Several delegates no-showed at the last minute, the usual stuff.
I had never made it public what kind of a lead John Briscoe had on purpose – or we would have lost, as many more would not have showed.
As it was, the lengths that Celeste went to control an outcome were extraordinary.
Now – some of the rumors floating around are that Munger took over the CRA. (Where’s my check, Charlie???)
But my favorite stupidity is that we “stole the election”, yeah with an election committee of 100% Celeste supporters?
The era of a small group controlling CRA has been lifted. The CRA is closed for business and open to activists.
But, this is the rest of the story on the convention.
The liberty movement. I agree with 75% of it, they are right on on guns, government, taxation, foreign aid, etc.
I disagree with their apparent disdain for Israel, their desire to legalize dope and the free wheeling attitude toward life and marriage.
There are ways to agree and work together since there is so much in common.
I joined the CRA and became a CRA officer because I believe that a government that can’t defend life is a step away from tyranny and I see the Gay Rights fight as nothing more than a front to assault religious freedom.
The CRA – the California Republican Assembly is the state’s oldest and largest Conservative grassroots organization. The CRA is decidedly Socially Conservative.
I have a lot of liberty friends within the CRA. I believe that an exchange of ideas has a positive effect – I have changed some of my views over time because of exposure to people like my friends in the San Joaquin CRA and a membership in the Birch Society. I believe that the steadfast dedication to traditional values has had an effect on some of my liberty friends.
But – you get people on the Social Right that just can’t help themselves. Women that are impregnated against their will should be relieved as a matter of conscience when it comes to abortion – while I hope that a raped women gives the baby a chance at life, there is no way in hell anyone with a heart should force her to carry that pregnancy.
Enter the state President of the CRA.
In a recent news media interview related to the California GOP’s (AKA CRP) Vice-Chair Race, she was explaining why a small number of CRA officers used the official CRA Email platform to excoriate then candidate and now CRP Vice Chairman Harmeet Dhillon. (Who was affiliated with the ACLU from 2002-2005)
Celeste channeled Senator Joseph McCarthy.
“This is not a personal attack against Harmeet,” Celeste Greig, president of the California Republican Assembly, said Tuesday. “The ACLU is a communist organization. Do we want somebody who is a member of a communist organization…
The State President of the CRA? Really?
“Granted, the percentage of pregnancies due to rape is small because it’s an act of violence, because the body is traumatized,” she added. “I don’t know what percentage of pregnancies are due to the violence of rape. Because of the trauma the body goes through, I don’t know what percentage of pregnancy results from the act.”
I have been an officer in the State CRA for 10 years and I have never had to apologize for CRA until the last two months. Everyone I talk to is asking me if the group has gone berzerk.
A good friend of mine who is a liberty type wrote me this: “Maybe it’s time to step away from the crazies in CRA and to find out what actual normal people are like. I’m just sayin’“.
The CRA is the only Republican Party I have ever known. I joined CRA right after first registering to vote in 1998.
I was appalled when it became apparent that Celeste Greig supported Rodney Stanhope – A man with a drug problem, 7 kids by 6 women (most of whom have never gotten a dime of child support), a police record, tax liens and a rash of other personal issues – all because Harmeet Dhillon was a “communist”. Then to see the Coup d’Gras – Celeste repeating Todd Akin’s bs, now more people could see what the members of the CRA’s executive board have been dealing with.
Celeste Greig has done considerable damage to the Conservative Movement – her actions drive a wedge between the liberty movement and the CRA when we should be cousins.
Fortunately, to you liberty minded readers of this blog – I have endorsed and have gone out forcefully and publicly for another candidate for CRA President. If enough CRA members agree with me, we will have hope for the Conservative Movement in California – if for some strange reason Celeste Greig gets re-elected, the future of the CRA is in extreme peril because no one running for office will want a CRA endorsement and no right-minded person will want to join CRA.
P.S. The candidate for CRA President is John Briscoe.