Republican bad boy, Tom Del Becarro, longstanding chairman and now behind the curtain finance director of the erstwhile county Republican Central Committee, has done it again. Like squashing bugs, Del Beccaro taught both the California Secretary of State and the Fair Political Practices Committee (FPPC) a thing or two by committing the #1 campaign fundraising no-no two-years running by: accepting, nay practically requesting (wink-wink-nudge-nudge) cash campaign contributions above the $99 legal limit.

At least that’s what’s implied in the recent flyer for the upcoming Chairman’s Golf Tournament to be held April 28th. The flyer states that although checks are preferred for Single Golfers ($185) and Foursomes ($740), cash and credit cards can be accepted! Nor does the form request the usual FPPC requirements for employer info, etc., etc., etc.

Maybe this is the spunk and streetwise can-do savvy that the California Republican Party saw in Del Beccaro to make it snap up Il Duce as a frontline fundraiser who laughs at rules whether or not he produces results. Cause when you can’t win elections it’s all about style points, right?

Full Disclosure: Bill Gram-Reefer, publisher of this blog, is a candidate for the Contra Costa County Republican Party Central Committee, District-4.

This is disappointing news since all that rank-and-file Republicans have heard was how wonderful a fundraiser His Majesty is. Why, even the California Republican Party has asked the Brilliant Shining Leader, to head a key fundraising effort for the State Party! But according to PUBLIC RECORDS AVAILABLE ONLINE, Federal and State financial reports beg the question:

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

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So this is why the Del Beccaristas don’t want anyone to be so bold as to look behind the curtain. Because, there’s nothing there! By comparison, in January 2007, there was over $21,000 and steady income to start out the year.

Now there’s only a chalk outline on the sidewalk. And these are the people telling Republicans the CCRP’s Central Committee doesn’t need better financial management or oversight.

Fundraising Wizardry, indeed—Poof!—it’s gone.

Good luck to the California Republican Party once it discovers Il Duce has no clothes.

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Full Disclosure: Bill Gram-Reefer, publisher of this blog, is a candidate for the Republican Central Committee representing District 4 (Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Pacheco, and a teensy-tiny gerrymandered strip of Walnut Creek).

In connection with those added duties, the State Vice Chair will be relinquishing his role as the Contra Costa County Chairman effective in April of 2008. The Contra Costa Party will hold elections for their new Chairman at that time.

1) A veto-proof, 2/3 Democratic Majority in the Legislature spells the ruin of California.

2) Legislative leaders in Sacrmento don’t trust the County party organizations to get the job done.

David Dayen reports in California Progress that, “Each of the marquee races are expected to be $1 million+ contests. The new Assembly Speaker will be responsible for raising funds and overseeing the campaigns.” Dayen goes on to question why

the Speaker (and the President Pro Tem of the Senate) have the sole responsibility of overseeing these elections and creating advertising, GOTV, etc. It seems…that the California Democratic Party would be able to do a much better job in these districts, with their membership already on the ground and involved, and with a larger fundraising base to conduct the operations necessary. Yet for some reason, there is this bifurcation: the CDP deals with statewide races and Congressional seats, and the Assembly and Senate leadership do the legislative races. Is this just tradition? Why can’t the CDP play in whatever race they wish?

On the Republican side, in addition to losing Pombo’s 11th Congressional seat, AD-15’s strong Republican registration lead has slipped into coin-toss territory thanks to the leadership of Tom Del Beccaro, chair of the County’s Republican Central Committee. Across the aisle, Nagaraja Rao, who seems to spend more time outside the country than in it is under fire by party members and the public for raising false alarms over sham death threats and ham-fisted support of Maria Alegria during the recent Pinole Recall campaign.

If the current Contra Costa County Democratic and Republican Central Committees responsible for election results in AD-15 are any indication, it is no wonder that legislative party leaders Nunez and Perata in Sacramento want to run the show to make sure some incompetent petty fiefdom doesn’t get in the way and botch the job.

Some fuss has been made recently concerning the appearance of “The New Conservative Paradigm,” by Thomas G Del Beccaro. Del Beccaro is the Vice Chair of the California Republican Party, and Chairman of the Contra Costa County Republican Central Committee.

Tempting fate, just like the current batch of Republican presidential candidates, Del Beccaro claims to be the new delphic oracle of Reaganism. In fact, New Paradigm does nothing more than repackage the “three legs of the stool” analogy commonly used to describe the erstwhile Reagan Coalition: fiscal conservatives; pro-defense/military; and social conservatives.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REVIEW

California Party Chair, Ron Nehring, is accused by influential Republicans at the state level of organizational incompetence, and poor electoral performance.

We have been reporting the exact same symptoms here in Contra Costa County, where County Party Chairman and Vice Chair of the Republican State Party Committee, Tom G. Del Beccaro, in an apparent microcosm of the State party’s woes, has also managed to turn the Republican Central Committee into a Mickey Mouse Club.

Is it too late for the Terminator to step in and save the party’s chestnut (yes, just one) from the fire? Continuing with this group of Keystone Kops would certainly damage McCain in November, as well as Ahhnold’s Senatorial ambition, don’t ya’ think? As the line from T2 says: “Sarah Connor, if you want to live, come with me now.”

Yet, Simonsen, a member of the Contra Costa Republican Party Central Committee (CCRP), has already promised to support fellow Antioch Councilman Don Freitas, a Democrat, instead of supporting Republican Erik Nunn for the District V Supervisor seat currently held by embattled Federal Glover.

In a November e-mail a Republican asked Simonsen,

Recognizing our differing views on Mary (Piepho) and a Republican running against a Republican, let me ask you this.

Even though this race is allegedly non-partisan, we all know it really isn’t. Suppose Glover should decide to not run for health reasons or whatever, I hear Don Freitas will jump into the race. Freitas is a Democrat.

Eric Nunn has already announced he is running. He is a republican.

Which one will you support if this happens?”

In his November 13 e-mail to over 20 recipients, Simonsen replied,

I will be supporting Don Freitas. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Davis (also a Republican) will be supporting Freitas. Councilman Reggie Moore who has been close to Glover will be supporting Freitas.

Freitas will do at the BOS what we have done with OPEB in Antioch.

Eric Nunn still does not understand that when he received 45% of the vote in losing to Glover that those were votes against Glover; not votes for Eric Nunn. Had Freitas or I run against Glover, either of us could have beat him.

Perhaps the silver-tongued Simonsen will parse his statement to mean his own “individual” cannibalism of young Republicans is OK, but “party” BBQs of same are not.

According to CCRP bylaws (Article IV Section 3 Item c), it is ground for dismissal from the Central Committee if it is shown that:

the Member affiliates, gives support or avows a preference for a candidate of another party; (except when there is no Republican candidate for that office), gives support or avows a preference for a candidate opposing the candidate nominated by the Republican Party, or advocates that voters should not vote for the nominee of the Republican Party, or advocates that voters should not vote for the nominee of the Republican party for any office, provided that such actions took place within the Member’s term of office;

So it has been shown.

I therefore recommend that the first order of business at its next meeting, the CCRP Central Committee vote to dismiss Arnie Simonsen.

Or is this the umpteenth instance where the CCRP Chairman, Tom Del Beccaro, will look the other way when it is one of his own toadies called to account instead of some other Republican who dares challenge his absolute authority?

One doesn’t have to go to D.C. to find out why the Republican Party is not well respected in Contra Costa County. Just look at the fecklessness of its local leadership.

“All Republicans in Contra Costa County who seek to make a difference in 2008. Come listen as we effectively outline the roles and goals of the Contra Costa Republican Party for this ever critical election year! PLEASE NOTE: Your Voter Affiliation Will be Verified Upon RSVP to Attend this Strategy Meeting. RSVP to director@contracostagop.com or call 925-930-9551. Where: Civic Park Community Center, 1375 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek.”

EDITORIAL COMMENT

We usually run event announcements without any comment, but Halfway To Concord urges anyone planning to attend this meeting perform their own due diligence beforehand and require the following documents be distributed online at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting date, with hard copies available at the door to members, visitors, and the press:

a) Sworn or independently audited, detailed financial statements for 2006-07
- Is the organization solvent and can meet its obligations?
b) A copy of the 2007 budget compared with the 2007 profit and loss statement
c) A copy of the 2008 budget
d) A full reconciliation to the final reports filed with the state and federal governments concerning any previously UNDOCUMENTED AND UNREPORTED FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
- e.g. In-kind contributions and office expenses

See FEC Disclosure Reports at: http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00136853

e) A full accounting of voter registration Bounty monies from State party received during 2006 and 2007
f) Request that Tom Del Beccaro or Greg Poulus produce formal versions of the bylaws to show all changes made in them since August 2007

END EDITORIAL COMMENT

It’s Tom Del Beccaro, Chairman of the Contra Costa County Republican Central Committee, who, for all intents and purposes, has hijacked the party apparatus for his own self-aggrandizement.

The most recent e-mail blast from the Contra Costa Republican Party presents another sad illustration of what happens when a weak non-profit board and constituency that does not know how—or care— to provide appropriate organizational leadership, governance, or oversight, can be commandeered by an unchecked, enterprising chairperson bent on appropriating the organization’s resources willy-nilly to benefit personal agenda.

This newsletter isn’t at all about CCRP news. The first thing you see is Tom’s photo, not the picture of the new temporary and part-time Executive Director. The top news is not about upcoming events, but an appeal to leave the site and click through to the Chairperson’s personal website that hawks highly questionable predictions about the 2008 presidential campaign (he predicts Hillary is too formidable and will be the inevitable Democrat nominee) and his book that is still not available on Amazon despite the claims of his toadies in November that it would become a best seller overnight.

This is worse than sad. It is embarrassing. It’s time Tom’s Mickey-Mouse Club, doing business as the CCRP, find some weaker constituency to prey on. Hopefully, it will not be the California Republican Party.