The California Republican Party wrapped up its annual spring convention by re-electing former state Sen. Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, to his third term as state chairman – but while also moving away from policies Brulte has touted to stands more attuned with President Donald Trump.

The leader of California Republicans since 2013, Brulte had gone along with conventional GOP wisdom – pre-Trump – about the need for his party to moderate its views on social issues and immigration. This led to the formal acceptance in Republican ranks in 2015 of a gay GOP group  – Log Cabin California – and to the adoption in 2016 of an immigration platform far removed from past conservative rhetoric.

But Sunday, resolutions touting key parts of Trump’s populist platform were embraced without debate by GOP delegates gathered at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. Delegates supported a repeal of the Affordable Care Act by April 30, which marks 100 days in the White House for Trump; crackdowns on “sanctuary cities” that resist cooperation with federal immigration enforcement; and for citizens from seven mostly Muslim nations to be thoroughly investigated before being allowed to stay in the United States.

The resolutions were prepared with the help of Steve Frank, a past president of the California Republican Assembly and the state GOP’s parliamentarian for four terms, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Brulte upbeat, sees ‘long-term slog’ ahead

Brulte didn’t take the change of Republican focus as a rebuke and downplayed the idea that the state party was at low ebb, based on continuing Democratic dominance of state government and on Trump getting just 32 percent of California’s vote – the weakest showing by a major-party candidate in the Golden State since 1920.

The former GOP Assembly and Senate leader was upbeat in interviews.

“I’m actually excited about our prospects. We’ve spent a lot of money trying to figure out if there is a path forward. We believe there is. We believe we can elect a Republican governor in 2018,” Brulte told KQED. “I’ve always said one, two, three election cycles isn’t going to repair [the state party’s woes]. It is a long-term slog.”

Only two Republicans have won statewide office in California this century: Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2003 gubernatorial recall of Gray Davis and in his 2006 re-election, and tech entrepreneur Steve Poizner as insurance commissioner in 2006, when he beat then-Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who was widely disliked in Democratic circles for joining Schwarzenegger in challenging fellow Democrat Davis in the 2003 recall free-for-all.

The last Republican to come close to winning statewide office was in the 2010 race for attorney general. Then-Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley led then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris in early counts before Harris came on to win 46.1 percent to 45.3 percent – a 74,000-vote margin out of 9.6 million votes. Cooley didn’t concede until three weeks after election day, after Harris’ margin topped 50,000 votes.

Few Capitol battles are as heated as the ongoing feud between the trial lawyers and advocates for tort reform. Yet, the two groups have found themselves on the same side of one litigation controversy. Both sides are critical of Orange County Assemblywoman Diane Harkey’s defamation lawsuit against a fellow Republican lawmaker.

In late August, Harkey filed a civil lawsuit against state Sen. Mark Wyland, R-San Diego, in Orange County Superior Court for defamation, presenting her in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The dispute centers on comments Wyland made at a summer Tea Party event, in which he allegedly referred to a failed investment company managed by Harkey’s husband, Dan. Both Wyland and Harkey are candidates for the Board of Equalization.

Harkey is seeking $10 million in damages after Wyland’s comments caused her to obtain medical treatment for “severe and grievous mental and emotional suffering, fright, anguish, shock, nervousness, and anxiety.” Harkey has refused to respond to CalWatchdog.com’s repeated requests for more information about the claimed medical treatment.

Tort reform advocates “disappointed” by litigation

Harkey’s multi-million dollar claim for emotional suffering has “disappointed” advocates for tort reform.

“Assemblymember Diane Harkey has been a strong ally in the fight against lawsuit abuse,” said Tom Scott, executive director of California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse. “We are disappointed that she felt this dispute needed to be settled through litigation, and we hope for a speedy resolution that avoids using scarce resources from our state's already overburdened courts.”

That statement put CALA on the same side as their mortal foes, the consumer attorneys (often called “trial lawyers”). Brian S. Kabateck, president of the Consumer Attorneys of California, offered a strong rebuke of Harkey’s lawsuit and accused the lawmaker of having a hypocritical stance on legal reform.

“Some people dislike the legal system until they need it,” Kabatech told CalWatchDog.com. “Diane Harkey’s recent propulsion from so-called ‘tort reform advocate’ to major litigant, filing a lawsuit some would term facially frivolous, highlights the hypocrisy in her position.”
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He added, “Reminds me of the old saying that, 'People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.'”

Potential violation of CA GOP rules

Harkey’s attack on Wyland could result in problems of her own. The California Republican Party could potentially rebuke Harkey at its upcoming fall convention. Under the party’s bylaws, delegates are obligated to “first exhaust their administrative remedies” before pursuing litigation against another delegate. Both Harkey and Wyland are delegates to the California Republican Party.

Section 3.09 of the CRP bylaws state:

“(B) All delegates or Committee-chartered organizations with any dispute or conflict subject to this section must first exhaust their administrative remedies pursuant to subsection 3.09(C) and if still unsatisfied, then subject such conflict or disputes to binding arbitration pursuant to subsection 3.09(D). This section constitutes the sole source of legal or equitable relief for all disputes subject to this section.”

Stephen Frank, who served for eight years as the parliamentarian for the California Republican Party, said that the rarely-used provision of the bylaws could be applied to the Harkey lawsuit.

“Technically, yes, two delegates cannot sue each other — even though it had nothing to do with the CRP,” said Frank, who helped write the anti-lawsuit section of the party’s bylaws.

Frank, who emphasized that he has not read the lawsuit and has no position on the dispute, said that Harkey’s potential violation of the party’s rules could result in a censure or even removal as a party delegate. A delegate must file a complaint, which is referred to the party’s Rules Committee. The committee considers whether to take action before referring it to the full convention for a vote.

Messy intra-party feuds

In his long history of Republican political activism, Frank can only recall one instance in which a CRP delegate has been rebuked for filing a lawsuit against a fellow party member. The provision was originally drafted to address a feud between rival young Republican clubs.

“It was messy and made the party look bad,” Frank said of the dispute. “The intent [of the provision] was to stop those suits from going public, and instead try to handle disputes internally.”

Already, the consumer attorneys have seized on the lawsuit to impugn the entire tort reform movement. The movement is a favorite talking point for Republican candidates.

“Using her office to routinely slam lawyers who represent truly injured and powerless victims, all the while planning to file her own lawsuit, makes a mockery of the entire tort reform movement,” Kabateck said.

By Mark Stefanos

Leaders of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County, a labor organization representing 2,200 law-enforcement officers, toured the California Republican Convention in Sacramento last weekend, attending sessions and meeting with elected officials.

They were an uncommon sight, given California labor leaders’ historic alliance with Democratic candidates and organizations. It is far too soon to see this as significant. But for a Republican Party looking to widen its umbrella after significant losses in the 2012 election cycle, the union’s overture was a reminder that California’s police and fire unions haven’t been as rigidly predictable or ideological as other public-employee unions.

Matt Clay, president of DSASD, said his delegation was received warmly. “We have felt like we’ve been included in the party,” he said. “I feel that we are on the same sheet as the Republicans on an overwhelming amount of issues.”

Union reps have ‘a tall order ahead of them’

But not all were thrilled about DSASD’s presence. Jon Fleischman, veteran GOP official and publisher of the conservative news site Flashreport.org, was skeptical of the labor group’s ability to sync with Republicans’ policy agenda.

“We have 99 percent of our issues in common with law enforcement, but these guys will have a tall order ahead of them if they think they will be able to move our party on the issue of pension reform,” Fleischman said.

Historically, public-safety unions have often walked a fine line between Republican and Democratic affiliation. Firefighters and law enforcement officers tend to be law-and-order conservatives. However, they belong to the public employee unions with the most generous pensions, and those pension systems are more likely to be underfunded at the local and state levels.

On the issue of pension reform, Clay said the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County does not face the same challenges seen in other counties.

“In San Diego, the county is in very good shape fiscally,” he said. “Our public employee retirement fund is very well funded — it’s AAA rated and it should be a model for counties across America. By 2018, it will be paid 100 percent by employee contributions.” Clay added that the fund is currently 80 percent funded and said more than 90 percent of the members of his board of directors are registered Republicans.

Public-safety union support for GOP should be ‘natural’

In San Diego, public safety unions maintain strong relationships with some individual Republican lawmakers, though not the highest-profile GOPers like defeated San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio. The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County contributed approximately $350,000 to Republican candidates in the last two election cycles, making it among the largest single donors. It gave no money to Democratic candidates.

DSASD leadership had an official convention itinerary which included meals with state Sen. Joel Anderson, a Republican whose district is mostly in east and northeast San Diego County, and Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-Oceanside, as well as coffee with Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista. The union officials also were given a tour of the Capitol by Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee.

“Five of my 10 delegates are law enforcement from San Diego. The bottom line is Republicans need to find a way to reach out to groups that, on the natural, should be supporting us,” Jones said. “Let’s face it, the Republican Party in California right now is broken. I saw this as an opportunity to begin a dialogue between the party and law enforcement on areas where we can unite and areas where we can work together.”

‘Not all labor groups are created equal’

Clay echoed this message. “We hope our Republican friends can realize that not all labor groups are created equal and some labor groups are a model for working cooperatively with their employer to help make the pension system sustainable for the future. We want to end this pension issue once and for all.”

On whether labor groups like DSASD would be able to maintain permanent alliances with Republicans, Fleischman remained hesitant. “The idea that someone should retire at the age of 50 and have a public retirement until the day they die is so unsustainable that it’s tragic,” he said. “I’m fine with them being here, we agree on so many issues concerning law enforcement. I suspect the only area for which we’ll find disagreement is on appropriate compensation for their jobs.”

By John Hrabe

Jim Brulte was elected chairman of the California Republican Party in a landslide vote on Sunday. But despite winning support from 90 percent of convention delegates, the former state senator kept campaigning until the end.

“Leaders lead by example,” Brulte, who served as Republican leader in both houses of the California Legislature, told reporters shortly after the party closed its 2013 spring convention. “That’s why I campaigned right up until the votes started to be cast.”

Brulte’s chief adviser, Michael Schroeder, himself a former state party chair, told CalWatchdog.com that Brulte spent the weekend “campaigning around the clock.” At a Sacramento Hyatt that was blanketed with hundreds of “Brulte for Chairman” signs and stickers, he spoke to 10 Republican groups on Friday, followed by 11 more speeches on Saturday, before hosting a 15th-floor hospitality suite late Saturday night.

Leadership, candidates, fundraising all faulted

If he’s to orchestrate a Republican renaissance, Brulte needs his take-nothing-for-granted leadership style to rub off on legislative leaders.

“There were three Assembly seats that were lost because we got lazy,” the state’s new Republican chairman said. “Leaders lead by example, and we have to be in the precincts working, standing shoulder to shoulder with our volunteers.”

Brulte did not specify which districts he believed Republicans should have won in November. However, state Republicans have been heavily criticized for being caught off-guard with lackluster campaigning and poor fundraising in several Assembly seats during the 2012 cycle.

Perhaps the most egregious case: the 36th Assembly District in the High Desert. Republican candidate Ron Smith reportedly stopped campaigning after the primary and ultimately lost by 145 votes.

“Smith’s loss is typical of the self-inflicted wounds that have destroyed the Republican Party in California, leaving it with fewer legislators than any time in the state’s history,” wrote Tony Quinn, a political commentator and former Republican legislative staffer, in a scathing election post-mortem on Fox and Hounds. “Once he was the only Republican in the runoff, he coasted, assured of election in this ‘safe’ Republican district.”

Smith was too busy hiring staff and hanging pictures, according to the Sacramento Bee.

“I had most of my staff getting ready to be hired, my picture was up on the wall, I had my office that was assigned to me, and I already had two pieces of legislation that were going to be introduced Monday,” a perplexed Smith said in December.

In Orange County, a lack of mother’s milk of politics

If Smith’s loss epitomized lazy legislative campaigning, GOP incumbent Chris Norby’s surprising defeat in the 65th Assembly District in Orange County symbolized the party’s fundraising problems in the lower house. In a span of 18 days, late in the campaign, six Democratic county central committees contributed $292,200 to the Assembly campaign of Sharon Quirk-Silva.

Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book, told CalWatchdog.com that legislative Republicans struggled in 2012 due to a lack of funding.

“The caucus’ problem with the last cycle was the lack of money,” Hoffenblum said. “The one who influences the targeting is the one who raises the money.”

Hoffenblum believes that Brulte’s coronation as chairman will change the party’s fundraising and targeting.

Brulte was less critical of Republicans’ poor showing in state Senate and congressional races.

“We lost some congressional and Senate seats and frankly I’m not sure in a plus-23 election we could have won those,” he said, referring to President Obama’s 60 percent to 37 percent pasting of GOP nominee Mitt Romney in California.

More than 1,300 people attended the state party’s convention. In October, delegates will reconvene in Anaheim.

By Brian Calle

I talked to Investors Business Daily columnist Andrew Malcolm about the enthusiasm toward the Romney campaign and the way both campaigns see California as an ATM machine.

Here’s one way Republicans really can help California: Cancel their convention this weekend. Save the money and invest it in local businesses.

Or just go to local bars in their home districts and get drunk.

The entire California GOP is now “[expletive deleted] irrelevant,” to use a phrase Gov. Pete Wilson used in 1991 of party conservatives. That was when he was pushing his tax increase, which he got — surprise! — when a handful of Republican sellouts joined him.

Just as Arnold got a handful of sellouts for his 2009 tax increase. And just as Jerry Brown will get a handful of sellouts to put his tax increase on a June ballot.

Then there’s Proposition 25, which dropped to a majority from two-thirds the threshold in the Legislature for passing a budget. The GOP’s only “leverage” is that it still takes a two-thirds vote to raise taxes; hence the brief holdout before the sellout.

And it takes a two-thirds vote to eliminate redevelopment. But as Steven Greenhut just pointed out on our site, on redevelopment the GOP is on the wrong side. They’re continuing to back this abuse of government’s eminent domain powers and waste of $1.7 billion of the taxpayers’ money. Only one GOP’er voted against eminent domain, Chris Norby of Fullerton. (Kudos, Chris!)

It’s Democrats who are being realistic here. They know they’re in charge. They know cuts have to be made. So they’re dumping overboard their least-favored programs. They like redevelopment, but like it less than teacher salaries, government-worker pensions, etc. So, into the ocean it goes.

It’s Republicans who are living in a la-la land fantasy world, where tax increases can be prevented even as $1.7 billion is wasted on eminent domain.

Meanwhile, a new study found that Latinos continue to spurn GOP courting attempts. Some say it’s because of the GOP’s positions on immigration, such as supporting Prop. 187. But that was in 1994, 17 years ago. Republicans have groveled toward pro-immigration groups so much since then, the real reason is the groveling.

Remember Meg Whitman’s pathetic attempts to cozy up to Latinos last year? Nobody likes grovelers.

With Latinos soon to become a majority in the state, and increasing their electoral clout with every election, GOP hopes in California are hopeless.

The best thing would be for the party to dissolve itself. Like in one of those old Tarzan movies starring Johnny Weissmuller, they should all start moving to the elephant graveyard.

Democrats run everything anyway. Make it official.

March 18, 2011