Feb 042016
 

There is a reason why Baghdad Bob was so popular in the USA. While the M-1 Tanks were rolling on Baghdad and the bombs were exploding – he was there assuring the world that Iraq was destroying the American pigs.

Whoops. Three months later he was in prison garb. I think Americans could understand his insanity way too well.

Baghdad Bob protege the Pol-Pot bellied CRA Information Minister Thomas N Hudson was in rare form Tuesday Night (2/2/2016). The current Placer RA, which has no more than 25 real members now, held a meeting for local electeds and AD06 candidates.

Several attended including PCWA Member Robert Dugan, Roseville Councilmember Bonnie Gore, Rocklin Councilmember Greg Janda (all incumbents) and Candidate Tracy Mendonsa who has long since been public about his run for Roseville Council.

Of the AD06 Candidates – Kevin Kiley was ostensibly discharging his duties as a deputy of Kamala Harris and Cristi Nelson, the elitist country club liberal was also not present, consistent with her pattern of selectively choosing events she deems worthy of her presence. Marginal candidates Mikaluco and Hydrick were not either.

This sets the stage for the Pol-Pot bellied CRA Information Minister to do what he does best – screw up by the numbers.

First, after the AD06 candidates spoke, there was a motion to appoint delegates for the local CRA endorsing convention. Kevin Hanley, in his usual condescending voice made an objection to the Placer RA having delegates who are already supporting candidates – thus making a 5 minute process take 20-30 minutes. In the process, several people in attendance (amongst the roughly 15 actual non candidates present) got exasperated. These would include a community leader in Rocklin and retired State Senator Tim Leslie.

Kevin Hanley obviously is as oblivious to reality as the Pol-Pot Bellied CRA Information Minister. Bill Halldin has been around the Placer RA for about 10 years and thus, the remaining club members all support and like him.

It also appears that Hanley has not drawn the connection as to why he had to carpet-bag in to AD06 in order to run for Assembly, when he could have run for AD05 a couple years ago. The knock on Hanley then was that he did not want to run a tough race, so then he has waited instead for this primary with 7 candidates in it??? At that, he has raised a pathetic $23,000 despite his years of working in Sacramento. A second knock on Hanley is that he alienated his fellow Auburn council-members and many in city government with his condescending arrogance.

The Carpet-Bagging Hanley’s only significant support is Congressman McClintock who has never lived in his own Congressional District, oh the irony.

Perhaps the donors in Sacramento know what many in Auburn do? Maybe that is the real reason why Mr. Hanley did not run for AD05 in 2012?

Later – the handful of locals that showed up spoke and a motion was made to endorse them. Undaunted, and seeing an opportunity to both be right once again and important, the pol-pot bellied CRA information minister Thomas N Hudson arose to enlighten everyone with his legal mind.

He explained that November was a long time away and that several of the candidates (3 of which were incumbents) may not file! Apparently enough of those present bought the argument and the motion to endorse failed as a result, or perhaps they were worn out after a hour of filibustering. These sorts of political blunders happen when a group eschews adult supervision.

Thomas N Hudson did what he does best, placed being right ahead of relationships and political reality. I do believe that Mr. Hudson had more motives for doing what he did than what he said, but as a classic Narcissist he is incapable of seeing that his behavior was blatantly transparent and politically destructive.

What else would you expect from someone who leads a board of Narcissists, Nerds and even a Sociopath and a wet alcoholic. This is the CRA today…

Kevin Hanley apparently was also working his magic in El Dorado County as well. At a CRA meeting there – this man who worked in the capitol for years raised his hand in affirmation for the state of Jefferson when asked if he would sponsor a bill in the legislature to create SOJ. While I am personally ambivalent to that issue, Hanley of all people should understand that stance is extremely unpopular within the crowd that he once called home and who he is likely trying in vain to get support from.

I also find it odd as current and former members of that El Dorado RA club have told me it has no more than 20 real members tops. Is it worth it? What kind of traction do you get with poorly thought out decisions from the stump?

This is the Kevin Hanley train-wreck, pandering to audiences he thinks he can get the support of and alienating people he thinks may support others.

There is a neat caveat: Hanley because he is as disconnected from AD06 as Kiley and Nelson are, is not aware of the purchased Ted Gaines endorsement. A consequence of said purchase by Cristi Nelson is that the Gaines drones on the El Dorado Central Committee are reputedly in the bag for Nelson. The moral to this story? There was nothing there for Mr. Hanley and he had a connection to AD06 and not just a carpet-bag, he’d have known this.

If Mr. Hanley is unable to understand that concept – perhaps he should call Suzanne Jones (who was also present at both meetings) and ask her about Beth Gaines soliciting a $3000 check from Jones for her endorsement. (ostensibly said check was to have been a donation to her then BofE fundraiser, which should not be confused with her upcoming State Senate fundraiser that Gaines is hosting whilst declared for El Do Supervisor in 2016.)

Also in the Placer RA meeting, Hudson went on the extol the upcoming State CRA Convention in Orange County as being something special. George and I planned that convention before our ouster from the CRA and had set the prices, which have all been increased dramatically. The reason Hudson gave was that the hotel raised the prices  In classic face-saving narcissism Hudson only told part of the truth, the prices have gone up because the CRA is not meeting their minimums required by the hotel. That was the only way they could have changed per the signed contract we negotiated. This is the CRA train-wreck.

If anyone wonders why the CRA is dead and why the GOP is losing market share, just re-read this post a couple times and make the connections.

Feb 022016
 

Cristi Nelson has been running for AD06 for about a year. She has been out-raised by Bill Halldin in 4 months and now is having to resort to some poorly constructed spin in her campaign updates.

She recently sent out a press release claiming that she out-raised her opponents and is now the “front-runner”. Um, nope. She has next to no endorsements and as you will find out some of those that she has came with a price-tag.

My comments are inserted amidst the lines of her email:

Roseville, CA— Small business owner and candidate for Assembly, Cristi Nelson has secured her place as the front runner in Assembly District 6 by reporting more than $240,000 in total contributions and $180,006 cash on hand. Despite being a first time candidate running against long term political figures in the Sacramento foothills, Nelson has bested all of them in fundraising.

Please note – this is the main fabrication of her email. She lists $103,297 in debt. This means her real cash on hand is $76,709… far less than Bill Halldin’s Cash on hand of $115,141 less his debts (which are a whopping $4700). She is claiming the $100k LOAN she gave herself as money raised, a common trick in campaigns.

This is a phenomenal report for a first time candidate that is running circles around some others that have done this many times,” said Senator Ted Gaines when asked about the report. “She is clearly the front runner for this seat.”

Please note: Cristi Nelson wrote Ted Gaines for State Senate a $2500 check out of her official Assembly account on 10/6, was this payment for services rendered? In case you’re not connecting the dots, click here to see the announcement of the endorsement on 10/13, 7 days after the check was written. Now we know the price tag

I am leaving out the rest of Cristi’s email which is also an embellished resume, speaking of common tricks of candidates.

The truth comes out in Bill Halldin’s email which honestly lists the whole picture:

The Numbers                   Amount Raised (6/1-12/31)  Cash On Hand          Campaign Debt

 

Bill Halldin                            $152,569                              $119,939                          $   4,798

Cristi Nelson                       $  62,837                               $181,490                           $103,297

Kevin Kiley                          $  43,815                               $ 57,537                             $         0

Kevin Hanley                      $  73,206                               $ 68,721                             $  54,862

Suzanne Jones                  $  17,681                               $   2,613                               $    9,800

Kiley, who is also a lawyer like Cristi Nelson was reputed to have raised gobs of money with a ceiling of $250,000 or more. Of his money, $8400 has come out of his own pocket (but to his credit, those were not loans). But then there was this Gem from Kevin Kiley on 10/30/2015:

Dear Friend,

I need your help. We are within a few thousand dollars of achieving what was once dismissed as too ambitious a goal: $100,000 raised. Your donation today will help us reach our target before our October 31st deadline.

Whoops. Kiley gave himself another $4200 (the second half of the 8400) on 12/31 and his total is still short of $100k.

The correct statement is that Bill Halldin has torched the field in just four months. This is what happens when you have been active in the community with a thick rolodex of friends. Look for Halldin to continue raising real money from real people in droves in the coming weeks.