Tom (the Venturian Candidate) McClintock’s campaign team was rocked on its heels Tuesday when a contingent of veterans supporting fellow veteran Charlie Brown in California’s 4th District invited themselves to a McClintock press conference.
Why do you think the Venturian Candidate (a carpetbagger from Ventura County 400+ miles to the south) called the presser?
To highlight his plans to address the failure of the unfettered free market with Phil Gramm’s Enron loopholes? Nope.
How to respond to commanders on the ground in Afghanistan who are being denied the additional troops they need to go after those who attacked us? Nope.
To announce his comprehensive energy proposal? Nope.
The Venturian Candidate wanted to complain about what Charlie Brown wore to an anti-Iraq War rally – three years ago!!
When many voters in CA 04 are worried about whether they can avoid foreclosure on their houses, their earnings being eroded by increasing health insurance premiums (if you are fortunate enough to have health insurance), $4 a gallon for gasoline, the Venturian Candidate wants to critique Charlie Brown’s choice of garb.
As background for those living outside CA 04, Tom McClintock is a career politician who is so toxic in his own party that notwithstanding his 22-year tenure in office, he has never been elected leader of the Republican caucuses in either house of the state legislature. He is known for his adamant opposition to any form of new or increased taxes. While he claims to represent the taxpayers, he doesn’t hesitate to collect more than $30,000 per year in tax-supported per diem when he lives in a nearby suburb which is a much shorter commute than many others who drive or ride to work every day in Sacramento. He uses the same old junior high school argument that “everyone else gets to do it.”
A contingent of veterans supporting Charlie Brown attended the Venturian Candidate’s press conference where the staff (McClintock himself opted not to show up and expose himself to reporters’ questions) unveiled a 30-second video commercial showing Charlie dressed in a camo BDU (battle dress uniform) jacket – not his garrison dress – at a well-publicized, large anti-Iraq War rally which drew many factions of supporters and opposition to the Bush/Cheney rush to war. Remember then? 2005? The aftermath of the successful military intervention was degenerating into a civil war with insurgencies that Bush refused to acknowledge. Charlie’s opposition to the Iraq War was well known as an emerging candidate against an entrenched Republican. Charlie is a decorated combat veteran who spent 26 years in the Air Force and is a retired lieutenant colonel. Charlie attended the rally and talked to people on both sides of the issue, unlike Doolittle, the CA 04 incumbent who told constituents that if they wanted to talk to him about local issues, they should hire a lobbyist.
At the press conference, McClintock trotted out a couple of military officers in civilian clothes who claimed that while it was not illegal for a retired officer to wear BDUs in public, it was against their “custom.” While our military are dying and getting maimed for life in a war that would never have been started if the American public knew beforehand that there were no weapons of mass destruction, these guys are obsessing about customs of dress.
On the Venturian Candidate’s sparse “Issues” tab on his website, he says he wants to “fully fund” the military. Well, that’s a laudable position but does he have the record to demonstrate confidence that he will follow through on that promise in Congress. In fact, he is the worst legislator, out of 120 in the CA Legislature, when it comes to supporting our uniformed service members, their families, and their survivors. Here’s a partial list of bills on which he was one of only two legislators to vote against:
• Protecting the families of California soldiers serving in Iraq from financial hardship. AB 1666, 9/7/05; AB 306, 9/6/05; AB 276, 9/6/05 [McClintock used a bogus constitutional argument as his rationale for voting against the bill which, for example, allowed reservists and the National Guard to recover some of their prepaid tuition and fees if they are activated while in school.]
• Protecting the widows of California soldiers killed in action in Iraq from financial hardship. SB 513, 8/29/05
• Helping expedite school transfers for the children of active-duty California soldiers. AB 208, 8/18/05
• Allowing taxpayers make voluntary contributions to veterans’ homes. AB 357, 8/18/05 [the “Veterans Quality of Life Fund”]
• Ensuring adequate staffing of the California National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction and Civil Support Teams. AB 690, 8/23/05
I am amazed by retired military officers who can be so easily distracted by McClintock’s strategy of “Look at what Charlie’s wearing!” and ignore the harm that the Venturian Candidate’s election will cause our military. He has no record of support for policies that will help our warriors defend our nation and return to civilian life with the support they need.
On a final note, McClintock has refused to accept Charlie Brown’s challenge to donate 5 percent of his money he is spending to smear a decorated combat veteran towards actually helping veterans and their families in CA 04. So far, Charlie has donated more than $50,000 to six non-governmental organizations focused on providing programs to veterans as well as the larger community.
Will Tom McClintock redeem himself? Don’t hold your breath.
If you want to help Charlie win in this heavily Republican district, go to charliebrownforcongress.org
Bud Lee
US Army
Tan Son Nhut
1966