Linda's fans include a "Who's Who" of Ventura County's Democratic establishment and not a single Republican leader.

That says all you need to know about Linda Parks.

Does Linda have the same list of Reps from the Central Committee that Audra has?

Jeez Voter - I see both Reps and Dems on the list.

Most of the people I know in Thousand Oaks are Republicans and none of them are voting for Audra Strickland. This is going to be a landslide victory for Linda Parks.

Audra Strickland has no business coming to Thousand Oaks pretending to be our savior. We love Thousand Oaks the way it is. We love Linda Parks. We love our parks and open space.

This is a I.Q. test for Thousand Oaks. It will be interesting to see how many people get the right answer but by no uncertain terms is that lady from Moorpark taking over.

I became fans on Facebook of both of them. That shouldn't be held against a candidate. I like seeing updates from politicians.

The point of my post was that all of Parks' high level support comes from Democrats and none from high level Republicans.

This give weight to the fact that she is, in fact, a Democrat who changed her registration solely to get elected in a Republican dominated district.

She will not get any leader level Republicans to support her. At the most she might get a couple of the nut bars like Larkin or Robings, who have traditionally endorsed Democrats over the Stricklands. They are not really Republicans any more anyway, just angry old men. Working on their grudges against the Stricklands is all they have left.

Your observation simply provides evidence that one can't rise to become a high level Republican leader these days without bending to the will of those extremists who have hijacked the party.

While Democrats at all levels are relatively free to support the best candidate in an election, Republicans cast their support only for those candidates chosen by the central committee or they risk firm and swift punishment.

So, you may be right that there are no high level Republicans supporting Parks but that's because they're all political cowards, afraid to be subjected to the harshness of their extremist masters.

It's interesting that in your world Republicans who don't support Parks are pressured, and Democrat leaders who support Strickland are free thinkers.

I guess you think that it couldn't be because the community leaders who support Strickland, both Democrat & Republican, simply think she's the best candidate.

The point is that Strickland has earned the support of leaders from both parties, and she's the only candidate that has.

I'm not talking about just Parks or Strickland. It's well known that if you're a Repub who dares to buck the GOP leadership's positions you get punished. Look what happened to Mikels, to the dissenting voices in the VCRCC, to Repubs nationwide who dare to color outside the lines: they all get whacked by the GOP.

You can pretend it isn't so but it is.

You can also call it GOP discipline but what it really is is an organized attempt to stifle discussion and limit voter choices.

And Audra's earned nothing except a warm seat in politics. name one thing she's accomplished in the Assembly other than to raise cash, campaign for others and promote herself at the taxpayers' expense.

Hate to butt into your conversation, but as I remember the VCRCC took no part in the '06 4th Dist Primary

If so, it was because it was still being chaired by Leslie COrnejo. THe turn over occurred after the primary and the VCRCC/Stricklands were very involved.

Ron, I never suggested that the VCRCC was involved in the 06 primary. However, many of those who hijacked the VCRCC right afterwards were involved in bad-mouthing Mikels and feeding her opponents some pretty damning info that cost her the election.

Mikels got killed by getting down in the mud with Dantona. They smeared each other and Mikels got the worst of it. Foy stayed out of the fray and came in first.

As far as the take over of the VCRCC goes, after the Primary it was a simple case of Dem versus Rep so of course the VCRCC got involved. The one big difference is that Cornejo never raised any money or got involved with candidates campaigns. Osborn raised a ton of money did a bunch of mail and got Foy over the finish line.

Helping Reps win is the mandate of the County Party so you can hardly fault them for it.

Don't forgot that Peter Foy put in a boatload of his own money into the race too. That must have helped a little.

My point is that the VCRCC didn't change leadership until August, long after the Primary had come and gone. The VCRCC did no damage to Mikels, it was the fight between her and Dantona and the several years long campaign waged by Dantona and his crew, which also included gs and the Knolls crew.

It is a case of opposite day when gs blames the VCRCC for damaging Mikels when he was so much a part of it.

I'm not running away from some of the blame for defeating Mikels but you give me too much credit. I didn't dig up any of the issues that damaged her campaign beyond repair; that was given to her opposition by other Republicans. Mine wasn't even among the first voices on those issues.

What I will admit to is that I may have confused the issue: I never meant that the VCRCC at that time acted to defeat Mikels but that some of the people who took over the VCRCC leadership after the primary did.

Voter:

Are you clueless, or just in denial?

For months before Foy's entry into the race, several high-profile Republican apparatchiks in the East County were quietly funneling information about Mikel's RINO apostasy to anyone and everyone who was considering running against Mikels, including Dantona.

And have you forgotten the dust-up at the 2006 State Republican Convention when hundreds of Pachydermic Panjandrums walked to their seats on the convention floor and found flyers denouncing both Audra and Tony Strickland for their strong public endorsement of Democrat Dantona's challenge of Republican Mikels?

The truth is Mikels defeat was caused by a political perfect-storm tri-fecta. First, it was grounded in her legend-in-her-own-mind, neo-monarchist arrogance. Second, Dantona was a tough opponent, who pounded her mercilessly regarding both her political behavior and record on the Board of Supervisors. And third, she was eviscerated by a good portion of her Republican-own, most particularly hyper-right true-believers who were tired of her deviation from their view of the one, true, holy, Republican playbook..

Deal with it..

NostraDemus

Lying on several issues:

1. The VCRCC helped Foy a lot and MO bragged about it publically.

2. Mike Osborn has not increased donations - just the ability to wash money.

3. Leslie C. was constrained by the bylaws. No money for candidates per the Exec. Director Jessica Millan.

There is plenty of public data to back up these points. Voter, you are either being lied to or are lying and no one is buying.

Unlike "carpetbagger", Audra Strickland, I have actually lived in the 2nd District for much of the past 34 years. I am not a member of any political party, and, more important, I am not owned or managed by any corporation, political group, or special interests. I am an independent, common sense fiscal conservative and social libertarian. I believe in the individual liberties guaranteed by our Constitution for the last 223 years.

Audra Strickland does NOT represent ANY of my values as an American. In my opinion, she and her husband are professional politicians who are no more than puppets of the right wing neocons and theocons who have attempted to destroy the middle class and hijack the American economy and way of life. If you want to know who they truly represent, just look at their voting records and who has financially supported them...Big Oil, Pharma, financial institutions, Health Care Corporation, and all the extreme right wing special interests.

I have been considering a run for County Supervisor in the Conejo Valley against incumbent Linda Parks for the past year. Prior to the most recent announcement by Strickland, I realized a run against this popular incumbent would be difficult. However, I felt my candidacy would help build support for the MAC_PAC2010 (Middleclass American Candidates Political Action Committee) and my independent candidacy for US Congress.

The Stricklands and the 24th Congressional District incumbent, represent everything that I, as a Constitution loving American, have been fighting against since I became actively involved in politics in the 1970's. They have been in line with every position and issue supported by Dick Cheney, Elton Gallegly and all the other so-called conservatives who destroyed the Republican Party and the true Conservative movement. Their politics are not only divisive, but border on racism and facism. The Stricklands and their ilk represent the corporate elite who have successfully played on the fears of the middle class for the last 60 years.

When Eisenhower warned against the "military industrial Congressional complex" it was politicians like the Stricklands he was talking about. In addition, as a so-called "Christian" mother of two young children, I would think Audra Strickland would be more concerned about staying home and raising her own kids...especially since her husband must spend most of his time in Sacramento. Supposedly, Strickland "moved" to Thousand Oaks two weeks ago, in order to qualify for this position. Is she selling her million dollar house in Moorpark? Are her kids now going to go to public school in Thousand Oaks? Has her husband Tony also "moved" or are they now legally registered to vote in two separate residences?

For the past year, this woman has "shopped" around for a position that would pay at least $100K a year...and been found wanting. She wanted to be Secretary of State...but could not rally the support. Then she tried to be Tax Collector, but didnt have the qualifications. If she really wants to be Supervisor, why not run in the District she has lived in for many years against Peter Foy?

Strickland claims to want to bring jobs to Ventura County. But the only job she seems interested in is her own. Even more to the point, why doesnt she do what many other far more qualified professional women have done when they have lost their jobs and let her husband be the sole breadwinner? Yes, the reduction in income might necessitate a "downsizing" from their Moorpark mortgage to a rental so that they could live on one six figure taxpayer funded income rather than two. However, she only considered leaving her multimillion dollar home in another district in order to run for office, thus proving that her "job" more important than staying home with her kids.

This latest political maneuver is not only insulting to the true residents of the Conejo Valley, but, in my opinion, will only insure the reelection of Linda Parks, unless a more "legitimate" candidate enters the race.

So, I must ask, what is the real agenda of the Ventura County Central Republican Committee? Since this seems to have been orchestrated by Peter Foy and these political insiders, I suspect their true motive is to use Strickland as their "poster child" to further enrich the war chest of those right-wing Republicans who may be threatened in 2010. I suspect that they also do not think Strickland has a chance to win against Parks, but this "fight" will serve Foy and others well in raising money from those in the other areas of Ventura County who see their right-wing base disaffecting to independent status. Thus, Audra Strickland has again proven that she is nothing more than a loyal political opportunist in a desperate dance to the drums of those in Washington, Sacramento and, yes, the Planning Commission of Ventura County.

Thus, it seems likely that Strickland will split the Republican vote in the Conejo, while doing her duty to the Central Republican Party who "selected" her to raise money for their cause in other races. However, this will also open up the field to someone who actually cares about the middle-class families of Ventura County who are truly struggling to keep a roof over their heads, to raise and educate their children, to keep a car running, and to keep food on the table and pay for health care. (Also, I should point out that ONLY those who live and are registered to vote in the 2nd District will be able to cast their vote for this office. Her name will NOT appear on the ballot of those in the rest of the County.) Perhaps that is why Strickland is seeking financial donations from those outside the District.

I do not expect all my friends, family and acquaintances to vote for me or support me just because they know me, or because we might share similar backgrounds and experiences. All I ask is that, before you put your support behind ANY candidate for any office, especially your financial support, that you look at their record, and who they have been financed by.

The filing deadline for this position is in mid March. I will be making my decision in the next couple of weeks. And, the fact that Audra "Carpetbagger" Strickland is now in the race, makes my consideration to run even more relevant and urgent.

Nostra--

While I enjoy your penchant for prose, even though it's often sprinkled with lifts from Wiki and more than a little plagiarism, you seem to have missed the point of this thread.

We started with my point that Parks' supporters included a "Who's Who" of county Democrats and absolutely no Republican leaders. Evidencing that she is basically a Democrat who changed parties to win election in a largely Republican district.

Gs theorized that no Republicans leaders got on the Parks bandwagon because of GOP discipline and they feared the wrath of the VCRCC. gs went on to use Mikels as an example.

To your point, whether or not Republicans helped Dantona is not the issue, many certainly did and suffered no ill effects. But the VCRCC was not involved because there was leadership that preferred Mikels. The old VCRCC had never supported individual candidates because they were never able to raise money or to evolve beyond a debating society, much like the VCDCC. The change of Party leadership brought a new level of organization and activity and the VCRCC became the machine it is today. Also high level Republicans have broken ranks with the Party before and suffered no negative consequences. One Thousand Oaks example the comes quickly to mind is Jacqui Irwin, she has been supported by both Strickland's.

in closing I'll repeat my point. Linda Parks will not receive any leader level Republican support, for no other reason than she hasn't earned it. She is a Democrat, with ideologies and policies that run counter to Republican ideals and she will lose this election.

Ciao bello

Voter - the VCRCC is fractured as is the local Ventura Republican Party - all thanks to the STricklands and Ron Nehring, the head of the CRP. Quit lying - the jig is up.

Katie, Katie, Katie,

You've really got to get a life and quit living on these blogs.

The VCRCC continues to get and build great support throughout the county. Been to a meeting lately? I have. The room is packed, at times standing room only. Folks having a great time, volunteering, wanting to be part of a winning team.

The VCRCC continues to grow and it just kills you Katie.

Maybe it's time for you to get another cause. The destruction of the VCRCC doesn't seem to be going too well for you. All the dead wood (such as you described in an earlier post) is gone and has been replaced with motivated active people who are excited at the prospect of being part of an organization that makes a difference.

As far as whether or not I'm telling the truth, any Republican is welcome to attend VCRCC meetings and check it out for themselves. They'll see a room full of Republicans ready to work, ready to assist candidates, ready to win elections.

Fractured? No.

Disappointing to you? Yes!

Right Voter - keep drinking the kool-aid. It is factured and everyone knows it - the county is blue and getting bluer, less Republicans are holding office locally and the money is from outside the county. Facts are facts.

Hate to break it to you Katie but the number of Republicans holding office went up last election.

And as soon as we root out all the Acorn fraud in the county we'll get back to red.

If you are counting the Ventura City Council race - then it did go up on the City Council and I supported the new Republican Mike Tracey. Your Strickland sycophant and VCRC chairperson endorsed Republican Mike Gibson. Hmmmmm. And the Acorn fraud isn't why the Republicans are now losing ground in the county.

Voter,

Where is the local ACORN office? If they are committing fraud have you called the police? Is the county elections department either being tricked or are they in on it?

Brian,

We've been over this. The Acorn office for the area is in San Fernando.

As far as criminal charges they may be coming, I know the authorities are aware of the issue.

Katie,

Just called Osborn, he actually answers his phone, and he said the only endorsements brought before the Committee were Monahan and Andrews, who were both endorsed. He also said his endorsements will always follow the Committee's. He said he had not given, or authorized, any other endorsements. He did say that he and Mike Tracy were friends before the campaign and remain friends now.

Here is the nearest office.

ACORN Housing Corp
2010 Wilshire Blvd., Ste #604
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: (213) 484-1475
Fax: (213) 484-1476

If it isn't Mothers cornered in churches it's the homeless. When has a Republican ever cornered a bank executive?

Voter,

Are you saying there was voter registration fraud by ACORN in 2008 that hasn't been dealt with yet? The implication of your charge is that the DA' office or county elections don't take voter fraud seriously.

What town did it happen in?

Voter was it Lake Sherwood I was wondering how they could afford those houses?

I didn't say the VCRCC endorsed Gibson, I said Mike did and so did Mary.

Tracy previously endorse Hannah Beth for Senator so there is no way he would get a VCRCC endorsement - no matter that he got the most votes.

Yeah right, the VCRCC only had Monahan and Andrews brought to them for endorsements. What a crock!!!

There were like 9 Republicans running in that race. They should have either endorsed them all, or none of them. By picking Monahan and Andrews they were just playing it safe. I heard the remaining Republicans who were not endorsed were angry as hell and I don't blame them.

The VCRCC is becoming famous for candidate-shopping except, of course, if one of the Stricklands is running for something. Then it's a slam dunk.

The VCRCC is fast becoming an irrelevant and untrusted organization that lacks integrity and backbone. The days are numbered for Osborn and his band of boot-licking Strickland sycophants.

The VCRCC has taken the republican name and turned it into crap. They do not represent the Republicans in the community. The VCRCC uses the republican name as a weapon to achieve their own personal goals and greedy evil desires.

The VCRCC represents everything you don't want in a politician so who cares who they endorse.

If you're Phony Tony or Fraudra Strickland, you care a lot about the VCRCC because they are the machine you use to achieve your goals. If you're everyone else in the County, you could give a crap because you've recognized them to be nothing but a joke for years now.

Mike Osborn and a handful of ex-Strickland aides run the show and make sure that anyone and everyone they endorse or lend their approval to has been cleared by Phony and his wife before they do anything. The most recent example of this was during the Ventura City Council election when they snubbed most of the entire field of Republican candidates and sat on the sidelines during the campaign.

Here is a situation where they had an opportunity to get behind some Republican candidates and exert their influence in an important election. The results of which could have had a significant impact on the future direction of the City. But no, Tony and Fraudra must have directed them to stay out of it and focus their time and money on more the important elections in 2010, namely the various seats that Fraudra was considering running for.

Everyone has lost faith in this joke of an organization long ago. They simply exist to serve the Stricklands. Nothing more, nothing less.

Bill Owens, you've clearly stated what's wrong with the GOP in Ventura County and elsewhere around the country: the Party faithful have been hi-jacked by self-serving individuals who, collectively, have realized that personal agendas, power and fortunes can be made in politics simply by dressing up in sheep's wool and organizing the flock to do their bidding. The only reason it's not happening as obviously with the Dems is that they're too splintered, with little discipline.

The only way to put a stop to the hi-jackings is to boot people like the Stricklands out of office by making them account for their own records in office....and their records are miserable.