Let the smack talk/truth telling begin in the race for 38th Assembly District. National Journal reports on the bad blood between McKeon & Wilk. Starting with this:
“The congressman has told people in the district that he plans to lock her in the room, raise all of her money, and win it on her name ID,” Wilk said.
Oh no he didn’t.
Actually yes he did. The entire article is based on quotes from Wilk, who actually talked to the reporter. Patricia McKeon and her campaign “declined to comment for this story.”
So what else did Wilk say? Well he was surprised as the rest of us that Patricia McKeon, heretofore unknown in local politics, had decided to make a run for 38th Assembly.Here’s how he found out:
Wilk said the congressman didn’t call to inform him that Patricia McKeon would challenge him for the California Assembly seat. Instead, the lawmaker dispatched an aide to Wilk’s home at 9 p.m. to break the news, Wilk said. This, after Wilk’s family had donated $6,000 to McKeon’s campaign committee over the last five years.
“I started laughing because honestly that’s a scenario that never crossed my mind,” Wilk said. “Her political acumen stops at seating charts.”
No holds barred ladies and gentlemen.
The piece also goes into why Tony Strickland rescinded his endorsement from Scott Wilk. Strickland, who is no stranger to husband/wife political teams, said this:
The stature of McKeon’s husband is already a factor in the race. One of Wilk’s early backers reneged out of fear of offending the congressman. State Sen. Tony Strickland said he withdrew his endorsement after launching his own bid for Congress to replace retiring Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif.
“A lot of folks in the delegation feel uncomfortable going all-out to help me when I’m going against Buck’s wife,” Strickland said.
That’s kind of cowardly of Strickland in my opinion, but you know the saying about friends in Washington (you’d best get a dog).
The larger theme of the article is that Patricia’s decision to run for 38th AD is splitting the local Republican base that used to be hyper-loyal to our Pater Familias Buck McKeon. Indeed that’s accurate, but doesn’t go far enough. Buck McKeon has had a very bad few months of press in the 25th District and particularly in Santa Clarita that’s exacerbating the situation :
- The delay (real or imagined) over addressing the concerns of the father of slain US Army Sgt. Rudy Acosta who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 by a rogue Afghan security contractor
- His refusal to address and subsequent hint that CEMEX might not be all that bad for the SCV
- The announcement of Patricia McKeon’s entry into the race just a week or two after Scott Wilk -one of a few natural local candidates for Cam Smyth’s seat- made noise about running. This insulted local Republicans who saw the move for what it is
- And last but not least, the latest news that Buck McKeon received a “Friends of Angelo” discounted mortgage ordered by the orange-faced oompa-loompa himself in 1998
We don’t have polling to be sure, but looking at the list above, it’s not hard to see how Buck McKeon has angered just about every type of loyal Republican in the SCV. Even the usual McKeon voters who don’t pay much attention to local politics have taken notice of the Rudy Acosta controversy. It remains to be seen whether Buck’s opponent, Dr. Lee Rogers, can exploit the anger and move past 40% in the newer, tighter, more red 25th District.
In the meantime, the Scott Wilk/Patricia McKeon battle will be the one to watch this spring.
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Tony is bush league. I saw that spineless move coming a mile away. It isn’t as though his opinion on who should win the assembly race has somehow changed.
You can see why he would want to do it, but who actually does that? Withdraw an endorsement when it has nothing to do with the candidate you’re withdrawing it from and no one else has entered the race? What a joke.
Anyway, a really interesting piece and it’s telling that Wilk was so cooperative while all the National Journal (the freaking National Journal!) could get from Team McKeon was a comment from Buck’s spokesperson. Wilk’s second-hand quote on the McKeon strategy was sort of verified in that very article. This really is an election where any news will be good news for Wilk.
As for Buck, I haven’t come across anything that suggests he’s lost the Mormon vote, which is a very big deal in the SCV. Sizable and monolithic (when it needs to be).
A few little birds have told me that the Mormon voting block is not as locked up as it would be for Buck. First off they aren’t happy with the fact that Patricia is running (partially because she is a woman, partially because they feel there are more qualified members of the church that could run as well).
Secondly the Mormon church doesn’t look too fondly on the activities and character questions that have come to light regarding Buck and Patricia. They feel it makes them look bad and that is something they do not want especially in an election year where they have a chance to get a church member into the WH for the first time. The last thing they want is one of their highest ranking political members to give them a black eye like he has been doing.
Those are just some of the things I have been hearing about that issue.
Sound like Angry Birds!
“Her political acumen stops at seating charts.” <- Reason I am a Wilk fan. HAHA
I love that this story is getting National coverage. I have a feeling it will continue to get more and more as the plot thickens!
There is no doubt that I am voting for Wilk.
I agree Buck is losing a lot with these messes. I met the guy once when I was in DC and he seemed very nice. But it’s concerning that there are people in the political world that see a need to be afraid of his wrath by whom they endorse. It would not surprise me if he surrounds himself with ‘yes men’ advisers that dare not oppose his views. Not healthy, IMHO. I also do not believe in political dynasties. There are plenty of good people out there with good ideas and it’s their turn. Is there anyone supporting Patricia here?
Interesting dimension to this race is that Buck’s circle doesn’t have much in the way of experience in contested elections. It’s why they are being caught flat-footed by Wilk at every turn.
Wilk is savvy and smooth, where Schmuck McKeon is a bull in a china shop.
Face it folks ALL of Washington, DC is very, very corrupt and both Buck and Patricia (Really?) are very, very tainted. That doesn’t mean that it stops there — we have our own corruption locally on many different levels (i.e. Ed Colley, The Gang of Four, G&L, Casden, etc.). While I have some concerns about Wilk (despite us going to the same church) I will support him. I will NEVER support the McKeons and am seriously considering voting for the opposition. Buck promised to limit the time he would serve in Congress (reneged on that) and his many focus appears to have been lining his pockets and those of his family and friends as time has gone on — which is why folks refer to the “Mormon Mafia”. Buck needs to retire — either he does it now on his own; or we the voters can play a part in sending him packing.
In a November opinion piece the editorial board of the “courageous ” Signal called for vigilance in Washington, forgetting that their own banner calls for “Vigilance Forever”. http://www.the-signal.com/section/32/article/55292/ This piece was written is response to the findings in a book entitled “Throw Them All Out” by Peter Schweizer. The book detailed how congress members like Pelosi benefit from insider information and given preference for lucrative IPOs, Initial Public Offerings for those south of Lyons. Given the information in that book and the recent revelations about the Countrywide loan, we should investigate what stock trades and IPOs our local congressman may have participated in, if any.
Some may say “Petz, you are going off the reservation again ! ” But if we do not ask the question then we take the risk that Dr. Lee Rogers may do so after the menu is printed.
It would be nice if The Signal lived up to the words on it’s banner , asked the right question, and did the difficult investigative research necessary for GOPers to avoid stepping on an IED during the march to November. Vigilance begins at home.
Warning: Lucy is on guard and mostly vigilant, just a bit slower.
A real Profile in Courage.
“The Signal does not endorse all of the allegations presented in these venues nor are we interested in pointing fingers at this representative or that representative.”
Especially if the representative is buy ads in their paper!
So the Signal’s opinion is to have an opinion but to forgive those that do not abide by it? Oh how I long for the days of Scott Newhall again….