BAKERSFIELD CA. - This week end the California Republican Assembly
– founded in 1934 – convened in Bakersfield and sported a host of special speakers. Comedian and water rights activist, Paul Rodriguez headlined Saturday evening with talk show host Inga Barks filling in as master of ceremonies.
Friday afternoon and later that night California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring drew the delegates attention towards differing political stats and strategies. Value wise, the CRP Chairman challenged the CRA to stay the coarse so the CRP can stay on-coarse.
Additional Friday night speakers included State Senators Jeff Denum, Tony Strickland, Tom Harman, George Runner plus Assemblypersons Jean Fuller, Chuck DeVore, Bill Maze and Insurance Commissioner and Gubernatorial candidate, Steve Poizner. Ralph Blair, another local Kern County talk show host, MC’ed the event for the night and by most accounts kept the audience laughing and pumped up.
Hosting the 2009 CRA convention this year was the Republican Assembly of Kern County. All conventions sites are agreed upon in committees and or subcommittee’s which may serve at the President’s request. However, this work out well for the newly elected CRA President, Ken Mettle – local RAKC member and CRA Vice President.
This year the CRA had many of it’s past president’s – Mike Spence, Senator Dick Mountjoy, CRP Executive Director Jon Fleishman, Sergio Picchio, National Federation of Republican Assembly founder Steve Frank - attend as active delegates. Many entered or seconded nominations for several of the new CRA Vice president’s – Ben Lopez, Meredith Turney, Karl Heft and Celest Greig.
One of the big items addressed were the May 19th propositions. At most board meetings you’ll see and hear from many speakers presenting both sides. In this case only one candidate spoke in favor of prop 1A - Tom Campbell GOP candidate for Governor, as he also spoke in favor of abortion and homosexual rights. Proposition wise, the CRA delegates declared a resounding NO on all of the May 19th ballot initiative.
VOTE NO : On Propositions – 1A through 1F
Meg Whitman, a Johnny-come-lately GOP candidate for Governor, made a back room appearance at the convention and deflected a few questions from many of the elder CRA members. Still being handled by RINO’s in the GOP, Meg had to admit she was not a conservative and when pressed she stated she was pro-abortion.
Steve Poizner Insurance Commissioner and CRA front-runner for the 2010 gubernatorial race, wowed the crowd on Friday night. Admirally he announced his candidacy by way of job performance and results. “I believe that I am the only office holder who’s been able to reduce the number of staff before the Governor’s furloughs.”
In going after the bad guys, Poizner told the Post, “We have gone after, arrested and put in prison many doctors who were caught in insurance fraud schemes - many more than my predecessor.”
“At this convention-board meeting,” announced longtime CRA membership secretary Peggy Meu “we picked up three new CRA Chapters. One called South East L.A. Republican Assembly, one called Alpine Heights and another called Central Coast Republican Assembly.”
To charter a new outfit for the CRA, Peggy told the Post, “you’ll need to contact either a CRA Vice President or one the district directors, who will travel to your meetings, make sure that you understand what the CRA stands for, and then send all of the signed paperwork in to the charter review committee and membership committee and finally appear at the very next board meeting to personally petition these committee’s for approval.”
