February 2010 Archives

The Conclusion of the Red County Saga 6 Week Delay + Team Whitman’s Job Offer

Chip Hanlon, Matt Cunningham, Meg Whitman, Red County Blog System Comments Off

Feb 192010

Prologue:

Chip Hanlon could have simply ejected me from the Red County blog with no fanfare -i.e. “hey Aaron, your arrangement isn’t going to work for us”… rather, they saw an opportunity to drive traffic and profit -so they took it. That’s the real issue – then they grandstanded about ethics.

Haven’t Republican leaders learned enough about leveling the ethics finger? Just do your business and be done with it, but apparently, that would have inhibited some perceived gain those at Red County saw as a possibility.

As I blogged previously, posts were deleted, comments were deleted, lawsuits were threatened in addition to constant complaints about money.

Whitman’s Job Offer

As I had told a few people, back on December 24th, 2008 – the third of three meetings between Mitch Zak and I had occurred. The third meeting was the decision point, we had negotiated terms and I was to get back to Mitch about what I’d be doing for my compensation (the one-pager referenced below).

The entire email thread is available – but in an email dated 12/24/2008 at 8:50AM, Zak wrote:

Good morning Aaron,

Great seeing you this morning. I enjoyed breakfast and good conversation. As promised, I’ve attached Meg’s commonwealth club speech as well as an op-ed she penned on Prop 5. Please send me the one-pager asap and I’ll begin working on it. I look forward to reading the next installment from Captain Kool-Aid.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

mz

I consider Mitch Zak to be a friend – he did nothing wrong in trying to hire me on to the Whitman Campaign. Mitch replied on 12/26 after I had let him know I was not going to rescind my endorsement of Steve Poizner:

Thanks for the follow-up Aaron,

While I’m disappointed that we won’t be able to work together, I certainly understand. We can revisit our conversation when the general election comes around.

In the meantime, lets stay in touch.

Best,
mz

I have been forced to set Zak on fire because of the actions of Chip Hanlon and Matt Cunningham. This is one of the despicable things in politics… but in the case of Meg County vs. the Whitman Campaign, there is no honor amongst thieves.

Now – when I went to Steve Frank about what transpired in the conversation on 12/24/2008 to let him know that there was an offer on the table… that is what ultimately led to my arrangement with Steve Frank. Note that I worked for Steve Frank, not Steve Poizner.

Obviously, Steve Frank thought I had a job offer from Whitman.

Lies of Omission by Red County

Chip Hanlon was told both facts on 10/29/2009. Many who follow the Meg County blog have seen parts of the emails. Hanlon found out about my arrangement, because I told him – on 10/29/2009. However, I was not ejected from Red County until 12/09/2009 – why?

It is not as simple as Red County adhering to an ethical code – they took money from Whitman and said nothing about it. Hanlon wrote the following to me on 10/30/2009:

Understood. Clarifying from yesterday’s call: if you had to disclose the payments from Steve Frank– or whatever the related entity is– so it’s clear you have a Poizner interest, how big a problem would that be for you? I mean, would you reeeaaaalllyy prefer not to, is it no big deal, or somewhere in between? Again, I just have to think through what RC can live with, and I can’t ask Matt for guidance on this specifically. Thanks.

It is absolutely 100% true that I answered with the following: “The problem is that I would lose the deal and would be devastated financially. I told you about it so you’d understand the backside pressure I have. ” – I had just closed escrow on a new house. Today is a different story.

Mind you, there was no further communication until 12/09/2009 when Chip called me telling me it was over. There were no intermediate options given – such as, “look dude, you’re going to have to go public”. Chip characterized my follow-up questions as begging in the post he had already written before we hung up the phone – as it was up before I got in to my office.

CONCLUSION

Chip Hanlon chose to do it is public and messy as he could – picking and choosing facts as it suited him in order to get even with Steve Poizner for not buying advertising on the Red County Blog.

They then went out and said I failed to disclose and that was the reason why they did what they did. I did disclose – some six weeks prior and asked if I could keep the disclosure out of the public. I got my answer.

Hanlon’s company – greenfaucet got $20K from Whitman 12/03 – I was axed 12/09. When coupled with the direct and extremely personal nature of Hanlon’s angry string of blog posts that followed – draw your own conclusions as to what happened.

There it is – that simple. A blog with an extreme financial interest in the Whitman Campaign attempted to publicly destroy a blogger working as a consultant for a consultant with an interest in the Poizner camp.

Campaign combat 101.

P.S. as of 2/18/2010 – Three months after my ouster – the Red County System has finally removed all of my posts.

P.P.S. Lest anyone forget about who we are dealing with in Meg Whitman, watch the embedded video.

Abel Maldonado’s Campaign Started in December – “Orange-Placer Axis!?”

2010 Lt. Governor Race, Abel Maldonado, California Republican Assembly, Operation RINO, Sam Aanestad 1 Response »

Feb 172010

There is so much on Abel Maldonado that it is hard to pick a starting point. He introduced himself to the 2010 Lt. Gov campaign with a choice swipe at Republican Activists.

I was watching the confirmation hearings on the California Channel with my brother (who is Sam Aanestad’s Campaign Manager) – I could hardly believe my ears when Jose Solorio ripped in to Maldonado on the Floor of the Assembly lambasting him for having a price for voting on the budget.

For some strange reason, the Assembly Republicans voted as a block to promote Maldo to Lt. Governor. Maybe their strategists and consultants have some sort of master plan, as the excuse du jour is, “we need to get him out of here.”

Principle be dammed – even worse, the Tea Party folks are watching. This Central Committee Member and activist is mad as hell.

Patrick Dorinson – Maldo’s Campaign manager welcomed Abel Maldonado in to the race by attacking Republican activists all over the state:

“I’m tired of seeing the Orange County and Placer County axis try to run the Republican Party in this state,” says GOP consultant Patrick Dorinson. “They should be happy to get a Latino Republican in that job.”

Liberal SOP: If you have a flawed candidate – PLAY THE RACE CARD!

Problem – Maldonado’s laundry list is so astounding that people will forget, and I mean easily forget anything but what the man has done to us in California.

It makes Jose Solorio’s Comments even more timely – he compared what Maldonado’s vote meant versus Anthony Adams, Roger Niello and Roy Ashburn – all of whom he mentioned by name and thanked for voting for the budget without a price tag.

P.S. Please join this blogger and call your Assemblymember and tell them to VOTE NO on the confirmation of Abel Maldonado.

Find your legislator here

Are you Kidding me? Meg Whitman for Governor Strong-Arm Tactics Continue

California Governor's Race, Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner 1 Response »

Feb 152010

Remember how Steve Poizner outed some internal emails from the Whitman campaignessentially trying to see if they could push Steve Poizner out of the Governor’s race?

The only people that thought it was a bad move were those – like the Rally Gerbil – on Meg’s enormous Payroll. (estimated at $13 million through the end of 2009.)

Now the absurdities continue – Senator Tony Strickland whose first editorial about Whitman was hailing her heroic efforts to set up a War Room to deal with an E-Bay server Crash is at it again – this time with Moderate Republican leader Nathan Fletcher.

They make the bold statement that in light of Whitman’s refusal to debate at the CRP convention – it is not a case of Whitman showing weakness… it is rather a clarion call for GOP Unity! We should free ourselves from the chains of Steve Poizner, end the primary contest now and drink the ceremonial Kool-Aid together! (Please Steve, don’t file!)

Read the email off the Meg Whitman Site Here. Or save yourself the click and read it below –

On Friday, Assistant Senate Republican Leader Tony Strickland and Chief Republican Whip Nathan Fletcher, statewide campaign co-chairs, issued this statement calling for Republican unity in the 2010 governor’s race:

“Jerry Brown’s allies are nervous about Meg’s strong lead in the polls and her plans to bring a different kind of leadership to Sacramento, and it’s why they’re planning to spend $40 million in a negative campaign against her. Our opponents have sent a clear signal the general election started today, and Republicans need to unite around the strongest candidate to take on the entrenched interests and status quo in Sacramento, and that’s Meg Whitman. Our party is only weakened by a Republican candidate who ultimately aids Jerry Brown and his allies’ fight against the conservative leadership we need in Sacramento. It’s time for all Republicans to unite, and we’re hopeful Steve Poizner will do the right thing and step aside in order to nominate Meg, the strongest candidate to take on Jerry Brown in November.”

Now Dan Walters from the Sacramento Bee had something to say about Whitman’s Campaign – and I get the distinct opinion that Walters is not a fan of Jerry Brown’s either.

I will let Walters’ three final paragraphs finish this post:

Apparently, Whitman and her highly paid advisers believe she can coast to the Republican nomination just by spending tens of millions of dollars on TV and radio ads and making robotic appearances in friendly venues – and perhaps win the governorship the same way. There is, however, a phrase that describes that strategy – arrogant cowardice.

Running for or being governor of California is not the same thing as being the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar corporation surrounded by sycophants. Ultimately, remaining in her cocoon will probably backfire.

If Poizner cannot exploit her cowardice, Jerry Brown surely will. He will ask Californians, rightfully, that if Whitman is so insecure that she must flee from reporters armed only with notebooks, how could she govern this complex state – and why should voters take her claims seriously?

Arnold. All over again…

P.S. You can still see my original commentary about the 2/10/2009 “Accomplisher” piece on the Meg County Blog – apparently ethics include ejecting this blogger but leaving the posts up to still attract traffic.

Tom McClintock Primary Opponent Brags About Raising $60,000

CA-04 Race, Tom McClintock 4 Responses »

Feb 142010

Michael Babich – the relatively unknown Auburn resident, Physician and Scholar has been bragging recently that he has raised $60,000 for his run against Tom McClintock in the primary.

$60,000!? Ose spent $7.9MILLION to get 39% of the vote! That’s $202,564.10 per point. That projects to Babich getting .2962% of the vote.

Just trying to help out here Michael – but OUCH!

Hypocricy Illustrated – Conservatives for Whitman?

California Governor's Race, California Republican Party, Chip Hanlon, Jim Nielsen, Matt Cunningham, Meg Whitman, Red County Blog System, Roger Niello, Steve Poizner, Wally Herger Comments Off

Feb 122010

We know the “Conservatives” at Meg County were purchased.

We know that this Conservative refused to betray Steve Poizner (and that story will be told soon) – unlike Jim Nielsen, Brian Nestande and John Campbell who all switched their endorsements to join the establishment.

I am a delegate to the State CRP – this means in the weeks leading up to a convention, I get stuff in my mail. One such piece of cat pan liner was this letter entitled Conservatives for Whitman.

Notably, this letter omits Assemblymember Roger Niello who voted along with Abel Maldonado for the largest tax increase in state history. (Or was it because of Niello taking $7800 from the SEIU?)

But, it does include Senator Dave Cox and Congressmen Wally Herger / Dan Lungren… in the North State where I am from, they are regarded as nominally conservative. In fact, Herger is soft on the abortion issue and Lungren is a celebrated gun-grabber… all three endorsed Liberal Millionaire Doug Ose over Congressman Tom McClintock in the 2008 election. (in my backyard)

There is more to this – Assemblyman Jim Nielsen is indeed regarded as a liberal in the North State, yet his name appears on this letter of Conservatives. When he switched his endorsement, that was a boost to Poizner. Nielsen voted for illegal alien healthcare and against then governor George Deukmejian’s proposed Tax Rebates in the mid-late 1980’s. (Nielsen was a State Senator back then)

Also listed is Darrell Issa – the former employer of Meg Whitman’s Rally Gerbil. While the Rally Gerbil lambastes Steve Poizner for nailing insurance company investments in Iran – Issa is wanting to haul Toyota’s CEO in to a Congressional Hearing? Hmmm… Whitman is getting some mileage out of that $20K ya think?

I know in every cycle how to identify who the moderate is – look for Ed Royce, Kevin McCarthy and John Campbell on their endorsement list. It’s sad but true – we will be a generation in the California Republican Party dealing with the establishment Conservatives who vote good themselves but are remiss to support other real Conservatives for office.

This gets me to my friend – Steve Poizner. He was not a conservative when he ran for Assembly in 2004… and the Rally Gerbil is quick to remind us of that. But the Rally Gerbil and others have permanent memory loss about how Poizner has matured in office. Under the fraudulent veneer of pseudo-journalism that is Meg County – they choose to ignore:

Whitman is a Huge Fan of Van Jones
Whitman is a Huge Fan of H1-N visas (the most abused form)
Whitman said we shouldn’t raise taxes “right now”
Whitman opposes cutting illegal alien healthcare (that her endorser Jim Nielsen helped establish in the 1980’s).
Whitman publicly endorsed with a signed letter – Barbara Boxer in 2004
Whitman’s closest advisor, Henry Gomez has maxed out to every Dem Presidential Candidate in Memory
Whitman herself gave $300,000 to the environmental defense fund – whose Delta Smelt lawsuit shut water off to millions of acres of farms this year.

… and “Conservatives” support her!?

Her campaign team? Arnold’s.

I rest my case.

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