Comments on: CD10: The campaign-finance filing deadline

By: Elwood

Elwood — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:50:40 +0000

“If elected I don’t think Garamendi will win” –Rich W

Huh?

What?

DeSaulnier (the recent Republican) Miller and Pelosi are all Democrat hacks.

Exactly what we don’t need any more of.

The hacks and their useful idiots (hello Rich W) don’t like Garamendi because he’s not one of them.

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:20:06 +0000

I have not decided who I will vote for BUT one issue I have with DeSaulnier is he is beholding to the unions. I have heard him speak at different events and he seems to bow to them (becasue they have lots of $$?). Unions represent less than 8% of the workers in the US yet they bankroll many politicians (including DeSaulnier). There is something wrong with that.

By: Rich W

Rich W — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:55:45 +0000

To be fair, I should say the fact that Garamendi campaigns in full cowboy regalia could help him make friends in the Texas delegation in Congress, should he be elected. On the other hand, I don’t think the average voter in CD 10 cities like El Cerrito, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, and so forth would be caught dead in a cowboy costume, except on Halloween. I mean Garamendi is just such a poor fit for this district, the district is urban, the district has all these urban problems that require working together collectively. Garamendi’s John Wayne persona, carefully crafted over the years by hius consultants, just won’t fly in CD 10. Not in my view.

By: Rich W

Rich W — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:34:03 +0000

In running for this seat Garamendi is bucking Congressman George Miller, who is a good friend of DeSaulnier’s. This is significant because Miller has power in DC like you wouldn’t believe (even more power than his Dad has in Sacramento in the 60’s). If elected I don’t think Garamendi will win – but presuming he does – it will take him five years to get out of Miller’s doghouse, and Nancy Pelosi’s. He will get some obscure powerless committee – and other Democratic bigwigs will shun him like he has bubonic plague, I mean Miller has power and influence in DC that Garamendi doesn’t seem to understand. That’s not going to be good for Contra Costa.

, because he’pissed off a lot of powerful people (including Nancy Pelosi). From the perspective of Contra Costa, it’s in our counties best interest to send DeSaulnier to DC. He will get a good committee, Miller will see to that. Miller and Pe

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:17:31 +0000

What Arne said!

By: Rich W

Rich W — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:05:05 +0000

Arne, Garamendi has run for governor four times, and never come close to winning. He was an up and coming politician 25 years ago, but his career is seriously on the wane. When you run four failed campaigns for governor – he also ran a failed campaign for State Controller – you become a kind of Harold Stassen figure, nobody takes you serious anymore. Garamendi reminds me of Sam Yorty, the longtime hack Mayor of LA. Yorty, as I remember it, was constantly running for office. He used to campaign in a car he tricked out with signs, called the “Yortymobile”. While Yorty was well known, he wasn’t respected. That’s where Garamendi is at – he is well known, but not respected. That’s why he hasn’t been able to get the support of a lot of powerful local politicians. They know the score, they consider Garamendi to be something of a joke. I mean he campaigns in cowboy outfits – the full John Wayne get -up. While Yorty had the ‘Yortymobile’, Garamendi has his cowboy costume.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:44:29 +0000

What Arne said.

Rich W? The truth is not in him.

By: Arne Simonsen

Arne Simonsen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:01:06 +0000

Rich W, you are so wrong about Garamendi. During my time on the Antioch City Council (2000-2008) I worked with John on numerous issues and you can be assured that he knows more than DeSaulnier about Antioch!

Don’t get me wrong, I disagree with several of Garamendi’s political positions, but there are fewer of them with John than I have with Mark.

As for endorsements from local elected officials at the City level, those endorsements are from Democrats that are hedging their bets (most have either worked for Mark, want to seek the upcoming Assembly vacancy and are afraid of the labor unions – whose financial help they will need, even for their own reelection to city councils).

By: Luke Easdale

Luke Easdale — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:43:00 +0000

Joan Buchanan leads all candidates for the September 1st Special Congressional election with $313,000 raised as of 6/30. She reports a substantial $178,000 cash on hand. She clearly made a decision to run hard from day 1 and that’s what this report reflects — a campaign that is fully staffed to reach voters in every community. And a campaign that will be fully funded to win. I also received an email that supporters of Joan Buchanan are hosting over a dozen fundraising events in the next three weeks suggesting that her capacity to raise more money is substantial.

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:05:13 +0000

DeSalnier’s being endorsed by “almost all local elected officials” (politicians) is not necessarily a good thing in these times.That’s not to say he wouldn’t be efffective in DC, I’m just sayin’….