FRIENDLY ENEMIES
By Bob Schmidt, Capitol Morning Report
Two Republicans with conflicting views about handling Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal duelled their way through an entertaining session before a Sacramento Press Club luncheon yesterday and got a big hand at the end.
Jon Fleischman, a California GOP party official and popular blogger on political issues, said Republicans legislators should oppose putting the Governor's budget-balancing tax extension before voters in June. Eric Hogue, talk show host on Sacramento KTKZ 1380, said they should support it.
Said Fleischman: "There is a significant danger that public employee unions, who contributed $30 million to Brown's campaign last year, will put thirty or forty million dollars into the campaign, demagoguing and playing sad songs on violins, to pass the tax extension."
Said Hogue, "People have the right to vote, and we are portrayed as the party who would deny them that right." In general, Hogue contended that Republicans should be involved with budget negotiations and using them to put their ideas before the public. "We have great ideas, but people don't know about them," he said.
Both men declared their friendship for each other and said they otherwise shared many views. And they behaved accordingly. At one point, Fleischman, saying that Hogue had exceeded his allotted time, reached in front of Hogue as the latter was talking and seized the single microphone they were required to share. Hogue glanced at Fleischman, leaned back in his chair and shut up. Later, Hogue told Fleischman that he was about to take extra time, and it was Fleischman who leaned back and remained silent.
Fleischman's message went beyond the simple fear of losing the tax extension vote. "Being resolute against high taxes, he said. puts Republicans in position to make major gains in the 2012 elections "by letting people know we respect their wishes.
Alluding to Republican lawmakers who have been negotiating with Brown to gain a concession, such as pension reform, in return for their budget votes, Fleischman averred: "Public pensions should be reformed because reform is needed, and not as part of a bad deal that involves high taxes."
Hogue spoke sharply against some Republicans (and other talk show hosts) who say they will take vengance against any Republican lawmaker who supports the proposed tax vote. "Jon says he does not want a divided Republican Party. Hello! Some Republicans are talking about putting heads on sticks, the heads of Republicans who think we should sit down and negotiate." he said.
As it happened, former Republican legislator Roger Niello, who was condemned during his time for supporting a controversial budget, was at one of the front tables and was asked loudly how it felt to have his head on a stick. "It doesn't hurt a bit," Niello replied.
Fleischman and Hogue were in agreement on two things: That Arnold Schwarzenegger hurt the party when he was governor, and that Republicans won't be able to accomplish anything in California until they are the majority party. But they disagreed on how to achieve the latter.
"We cannot attract new members if we sacrifice a portion of our belief system," Fleischman said. "We must, for example, do a better job of communicating that belief system to Latinos."
"What many Latinos think of the Republican Party," Hogue responded, "is that it wants to round up all the illegals and ship them back to Mexico. Most Latinos are naturally, conservative. They're pro life, family oriented, eager to work. They should be in our party, and they would be if they knew more about what we believe in."
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