I stumbled across the ad above while looking at FlashReport.org, a California Republican blog and news summary page.

Have you heard of the California chapter of this group that Peter Foy is promoting?

From what I gather they are a small government, anti-tax, anti-regulation, and human caused global warming denying group. I have seen a few press releases and events where they bring an inflatable ATM ( that stands for Already Taxes to the Max) and argue that the state budget should not be fixed with higher taxes.

Here is a video of Peter Foy at an ATM event:

Click here for their website.

I would think this points to Peter Foy planning to run for a higher office (Rumor is he is thinking of running for Insurance Commissioner in 2010) and advocating for conservative causes could help raise his profile and make more contacts statewide.

Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy has been a long time supporter of conservative candidates and causes. Back in 1996 he supported far right candidate Alan Keyes in the Republican primary. If Peter Foy does run for statewide office I expect his past support for Alan Keyes will be a powerful criticism that could stop his ability to win over moderate voters. Is 1996 too distant to use in a campaign?

Alan Keyes sued to stop President Barack Obama from taking the office because of the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama wasn't born in America.

Alan Keyes said that Hillary Clinton moving to New York to run for the vacant senate seat endangered federalism. A few years later he moved to Illinois to run against Barack Obama to protect federalism.

Alan Keyes wants to eliminate the right to vote directly for senators and restore this function to the state legislatures.

Alan Keyes said that it is selfish hedonism to be gay and when the interviewer asked if the daughter of Vice President Cheney fit that description he said "Of course she is. That goes by definition."

Alan Keyes dropped out of the Republican Party in 2008 after failing to get almost any attention in the primaries ( did you remember he ran?) then tried to get the nomination of the Constitution Party, then after he failed to get their nomination he ran as an independent candidate. The platform of the Constitution Party doesn't appeal to the electorate of California.

I am sure we have all cast a vote here of there for a candidate we would prefer not to have linked to us but the difference is Peter Foy was a leader trying to get Alan Keyes elected. A fair defense I would expect Peter Foy to claim is that most of the wackiest things Alan Keyes has said happened after Peter Foy supported him.

I think Peter Foy has done a decent and effective job representing Simi Valley but his politics don't seem like a match for California. But would that be ignored in a campaign for Insurance Commissioner?

If Peter Foy runs for Insurance Commissioner and Audra Strickland continues to run for Secretary of State Ventura County elected officials might start getting more attention. Anyone remember that last Ventura County politician to get elected statewide? Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's state senate district included Santa Barbara and Ventura County but he is from Santa Barbara.

So, what do you say? Do you want Supervisor Foy to run for Insurance Commissioner? I would support him if his platform focused on the job of Insurance Commissioner, if I agreed with his ideas for the office, and if he wasn't going to use the position to advocate for far right causes and candidates. The ATM stuff doesn't surprise me but some of the other issues do. Peter, in retrospect does Alan Keyes represent your world view?

What do you think? Is Peter Foy too conservative for a bland, but important, job like Insurance Commissioner?