In which I defend the Tea Party, David Gauny and Joe Messina

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

Boy, did my SCV Republican Club Guide (Mid-2011 Edition) get a rise out of local Republicans or what?

I’ve received at least a dozen anonymous emails from local Republicans about the guide, most remarking on how funny at it was and at least a few seemingly saying, “Jeff, you don’t even know how right you are.” They are, of course, referring to the fact that Bob “Oakley” Haueter and his groupies have formed a new Republican club in the wake of David Gauny and the local Tea Party’s victory over the old guard in last spring’s SCV Republican Assembly election as well as Hart Board Member Joe Messina’s criticisms of the Republican Machine in the SCV.

I’m not going to pretend to understand all that’s going on in local Republican black arts, but suffice it to say, some sh*t is going down. At least four folks forwarded me emails from Haueter in which the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman McKeon touted the virtues of his new club and tried to sell divided SCV Republicans on his conservative bona fides and the purity of his new club’s conservative secret sauce:

I have always supported our Party Platform that defends the rights of the unborn, supports traditional marriage and the 2^nd amendment. As a former member of the Party Platform committee, I supported and voted for our current platform that reflects these conservative views and more.

And here’s Oakley’s commentary on what happened after the last club he was a member of, the SCV Republican Assembly, came under the control of out-of-favor local GOP insurgents:

So what’s the real story? After the last election a group of moderate to liberal Republicans was appointed to the State Party and with the backing of a wealthy individual mounted a campaign to get their supporters elected to the State Party Platform Committee. While they succeeded in some parts of the state they were unsuccessful in others failing to elect a majority to the full Platform Committee.

To underscore how pure his new club is against the Gauny/Messina insurgency that’s threatening his vice-grip on power, he tells us about who has joined the new Greater Assembly of Republican SCV Assembly American Conservatives for Conservatives (or whatever it’s called):

As to the new unit’s membership, I am delighted to share with you that the Mayor of our city along with three other city council members are charter members of this new unit. Our Congressman and his wife are also members, seven out of the 11 members of the 38th Assembly District Republican Central Committee our local party are also members. The President of our local Republican Women’s Federated club along with other board members are also members. I chartered this unit with 18 members and it has quickly grown to almost 40 members. I hope you can share my excitement with this outstanding growth of active Republican volunteers.

But of course! Of course four out of five members of the City Council are in Oakley’s new club. They, along with Bob Haueter, got kicked out of their old cozy bed, so they went and spooned in a new warm bed!

I bet Bob Kellar is the only councilmember who hasn’t joined the new club, God Bless him.

Finally, Oakely had some words for Joe Messina, the earnest, misguided-yet-approachable Hart Board member, Christian conservative and radio talk show host:

When no problem exists, invent one like, “there’s an invisible Republican machine that exists to eat our brains and consume our substance telling us what to do and who to believe.” Really?… and on what basis are we to believe there’s a machine, well of course the fact a candidate sought an endorsement from elected officials and didn’t get it. Has to be a plot to deny the endorsements, right?

Oh come on. As if Buck McKeon’s endorsement isn’t worth its weight in gold in the SCV. Anyone who is anyone in the SCV recognizes that to get elected to any position in this town, you have to have the endorsement of a McKeon or a Smyth or a City Council person. To say otherwise is to insult the reader’s intelligence.

Speaking of McKeon, it’s kind of sad that our 72 year old Congressman, who is so powerful he can say no to the President, so sought after that he’s interviewed by the likes of Bloomberg, so well-connected that he gets hundreds of thousands of dollars from defense contractors, has to keep such a vice-grip on the affairs of inconsequential Republican clubs in the R+7 SCV. Make no mistake about it, behind Haueter is Buck McKeon, our former school board official, City Councilman, boot salesman and husband of future Assemblywoman Patricia McKeon. That Haueter and the local GOP establishment are so vociferous in their defense of splitting off yet another local Republican club speaks to their insecurity. It shows that even good local Republican soldiers are fed up with McKeon, unless support for him benefits them personally in some way.

I may not have anything in common with David Gauny or Joe Messina, but I will say they won their posts fair and square, and both of them are passionate Republicans who by their participation in our valley’s affairs, make it a more interesting place. So if you’re a local Republican looking for advice, I say go with them and ignore the peer pressure.

SCV Republican Assembly

Comments (9)

MikeSeptember 6, 2011 at 2:26 pm

Bob Haueter says he’s for traditional marriage. I wonder which of his three marriages fall under this definition?

Coastal SageSeptember 6, 2011 at 3:19 pm

Were they simultaneous or sequential marriages?

Fed Up N SCVSeptember 6, 2011 at 3:04 pm

Hmmmm….sounds like the rank and file are finally getting it together…. Thanks for the website link. They are meeting on the 22nd. I am going to be there to see what this is all about….

Coastal SageSeptember 6, 2011 at 3:18 pm

I guess Mr. Haueter would not cotton to having any true Rockefeller Republicans in his little club. Back in 1960′s and 1970′s Manhattan, he would have been considered white trash and not allowed to dine in the clubs of the well connected, even as a guest.

PetzSeptember 6, 2011 at 8:39 pm

Lots of Tea Partiers checking under their cars every morning.

Mr PerezSeptember 6, 2011 at 9:08 pm

Ride a bike then What are the laws on Carry and Conceal in Cali?

GoneFishinginSCVPondSeptember 7, 2011 at 2:45 am

I’ve done my time up and down this state and never like to miss out on a good story so when all of this SCV banter (predominantly Republican) of in-fighting, mischief and upheaval within the growing Santa Clarita Valley started making a “mark,” I had to have a look. The Santa Clarita Valley received more attention with all the work the citizens did for redistricting than any other city throughout the entire state of California, which put them on the map of being noticed; Once again I reiterate it was the local grassroots people that cared and stepped up for such a fight. For myself, as I’m always for the small fry who tries to make a difference, doesn’t matter the side just has to do with stirring the pot that allows for new direction to be made, I find this convergence to be exhilarating. Incumbent for incumbent sake is ridiculous no matter Republican or Democrat(purposely leaving out Independent or Green Party because we are a nation of two parties – get over it and fix what we have in place, stop trying to create something from nothing), this doesn’t move things forward it only stalls the process. Based on what I’ve investigated and figured out is that there is a lot of wrong going’s on regarding incumbent life styles, nepotism, cronies and lackeys alike in a place most people don’t even know anything about. Heck, Bakersfield is more well-known regardless of what for then SCV. FTR: Using that as a guide for those of you that can’t see past the Kern County line as I’m sure if I mentioned Placerville to you, like I would to those in Placerville, they would say SCV what? The SCV local grassroots movement is telling the insiders (trying to help here because the insiders seem to have thick blocks of rocks for stumps): The People are done with the BS of past, tired of being shite on because they aren’t part of what all the “elite,” cool kids are doing when someone active in the community wants to make a name for themselves or just plain Jane fed-up with the old regiment and want to get back to moving the pieces forward for the common folk. Anyone remember our founding fathers and their accomplishments when the time came? Do not underestimate We The People because You Too Will Lose in the end. I applaud anyone that takes on divisive manipulators within either of the two parties; for this moment I am talking about the Republican elite faction of SCV versus We The People. True Patriots will rule again and defunct kings and queens will be sent off to pasture. Seriously, those same rulers should be thankful the people of today don’t want more than just to say tootles because in a different time period it would be much worse. Thank goodness the people have evolved and become more cunning than ever before; that does add a funniest about it if I must say so myself. Oh my, don’t look now caption…Seems like SCV representation on behalf of the people has gone all pear shaped in keeping it’s skirt down; turns out the Vicar is really shaggin the handmaiden and the people are very cross. What ever will they do… To be continued I reckon

Kevin D. KorenthalSeptember 8, 2011 at 2:55 pm

Jeff, one day when you grow up you will come to understand that these fights inside the Republican Party, though rarely as vicious as this one, occur because unlike the Democrat Party, there is much diverse and varied opinions on many of the major issues. The Democrats walk lock-step over the cliff with Nancy and Harry but Republicans, given the circumstances will throw dead weight overboard. You should respect this kind of politic but instead, you mock it. How sad for you.

Mike MSeptember 9, 2011 at 6:03 am

Actually, it looks to me like he is respecting that kind of politic, and is in fact supporting it despite disagreeing with the beliefs themselves. And the fact is that Democrats are no more homogeneous than the Republicans are, you just don’t hear about it around here at all since there simply aren’t as many. I know it’s fun for you guys to refer to Harry and Nancy all the time, but there are many of us who don’t think either of them are worth any more than Orangina Boehner is.

MikeSeptember 6, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Bob Haueter says he’s for traditional marriage. I wonder which of his three marriages fall under this definition?
Coastal SageSeptember 6, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Were they simultaneous or sequential marriages?
Fed Up N SCVSeptember 6, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Hmmmm….sounds like the rank and file are finally getting it together…. Thanks for the website link. They are meeting on the 22nd. I am going to be there to see what this is all about….
Coastal SageSeptember 6, 2011 at 3:18 pm
I guess Mr. Haueter would not cotton to having any true Rockefeller Republicans in his little club. Back in 1960′s and 1970′s Manhattan, he would have been considered white trash and not allowed to dine in the clubs of the well connected, even as a guest.
PetzSeptember 6, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Lots of Tea Partiers checking under their cars every morning.
Mr PerezSeptember 6, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Ride a bike then What are the laws on Carry and Conceal in Cali?
GoneFishinginSCVPondSeptember 7, 2011 at 2:45 am
I’ve done my time up and down this state and never like to miss out on a good story so when all of this SCV banter (predominantly Republican) of in-fighting, mischief and upheaval within the growing Santa Clarita Valley started making a “mark,” I had to have a look. The Santa Clarita Valley received more attention with all the work the citizens did for redistricting than any other city throughout the entire state of California, which put them on the map of being noticed; Once again I reiterate it was the local grassroots people that cared and stepped up for such a fight. For myself, as I’m always for the small fry who tries to make a difference, doesn’t matter the side just has to do with stirring the pot that allows for new direction to be made, I find this convergence to be exhilarating. Incumbent for incumbent sake is ridiculous no matter Republican or Democrat(purposely leaving out Independent or Green Party because we are a nation of two parties – get over it and fix what we have in place, stop trying to create something from nothing), this doesn’t move things forward it only stalls the process. Based on what I’ve investigated and figured out is that there is a lot of wrong going’s on regarding incumbent life styles, nepotism, cronies and lackeys alike in a place most people don’t even know anything about. Heck, Bakersfield is more well-known regardless of what for then SCV. FTR: Using that as a guide for those of you that can’t see past the Kern County line as I’m sure if I mentioned Placerville to you, like I would to those in Placerville, they would say SCV what? The SCV local grassroots movement is telling the insiders (trying to help here because the insiders seem to have thick blocks of rocks for stumps): The People are done with the BS of past, tired of being shite on because they aren’t part of what all the “elite,” cool kids are doing when someone active in the community wants to make a name for themselves or just plain Jane fed-up with the old regiment and want to get back to moving the pieces forward for the common folk. Anyone remember our founding fathers and their accomplishments when the time came? Do not underestimate We The People because You Too Will Lose in the end. I applaud anyone that takes on divisive manipulators within either of the two parties; for this moment I am talking about the Republican elite faction of SCV versus We The People. True Patriots will rule again and defunct kings and queens will be sent off to pasture. Seriously, those same rulers should be thankful the people of today don’t want more than just to say tootles because in a different time period it would be much worse. Thank goodness the people have evolved and become more cunning than ever before; that does add a funniest about it if I must say so myself. Oh my, don’t look now caption…Seems like SCV representation on behalf of the people has gone all pear shaped in keeping it’s skirt down; turns out the Vicar is really shaggin the handmaiden and the people are very cross. What ever will they do… To be continued I reckon
Kevin D. KorenthalSeptember 8, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Jeff, one day when you grow up you will come to understand that these fights inside the Republican Party, though rarely as vicious as this one, occur because unlike the Democrat Party, there is much diverse and varied opinions on many of the major issues. The Democrats walk lock-step over the cliff with Nancy and Harry but Republicans, given the circumstances will throw dead weight overboard. You should respect this kind of politic but instead, you mock it. How sad for you.
Mike MSeptember 9, 2011 at 6:03 am
Actually, it looks to me like he is respecting that kind of politic, and is in fact supporting it despite disagreeing with the beliefs themselves. And the fact is that Democrats are no more homogeneous than the Republicans are, you just don’t hear about it around here at all since there simply aren’t as many. I know it’s fun for you guys to refer to Harry and Nancy all the time, but there are many of us who don’t think either of them are worth any more than Orangina Boehner is.