Hmmm wonder why the Republicans and Lincoln Club want to get rid of one of the few Latino Republicans holding office.

I would REALLY like Tony K and TJ to take a step back after this election and see if we couldn't try to advance some more POSITIVE arguments in the next cycle. This slash and burn politics perhaps works to energize the base but doesn't help grow the movement. I thought the last newsletter from the party was PARTICULARLY distasteful - with not a single affirmative argument for why to support Senator McCain but some standard play book bashing of Obama over Trinity and a couple of unflattering pictures of Clinton. Might feel good when you are putting the newsleter together but isn't going to appeal to anyone other than the base. (And lets point out - the most recent Field Poll suggests that simple minded bashes on Obama are not really going to find a receptive audience among the state's population).

And this isn't that Hard. Rather than run the anti-Brian piece - run a "Why Republicans are supporting Jan Goldsmith" and lay out all the affirmative, center-right reasons (and there are a ton) why Goldsmith should be our next city attorney.

I think I got some positive pieces from the GOP for Vinson and for Hall.

RE: I got said" - that is great and I hat tip tony. I want more of that and less of the negative stuff. I know that the party is a decent conduit for the negative stuff and that is TACTICALLY smart. But STRATEGICALLY we should be taking advantage of elections to talk about how, for example, Carl and April hold conservative values when it comes to running our city AND why those values will make San Diego a better place. Not just "no new taxes" but "No new taxes because San Diegans already pay enough and are getting squeezed everyday"

I can't say that this surprises me. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm probably not going to be surprised when the financial disclosures reveal who funded these attacks. The Lincoln Club has always been a hired gun for certain monied interests throughout the County. That's its whole purpose of existence. Given that Chula Vista's old guard is starting to act like a cornered dog, it is logical that they would lash out like this via the Lincoln Club; because, as we all know, when you're well behind toward the end of the campaign, you're only choice is to go negative.

However, for the party to levy such an attack on one of its own members is S-T-U-P-I-D on more than one level. Although I do not personally believe that the attacks on Castaneda are racially motivated, this is how they will be viewed in Chula Vista. Therefore, the first effect of these mailers is that they'll help solidify the white Republican vote against Castaneda, but the second effect is they will also piss off and alienate the large number of Hispanic Republicans in CV; and lastly, they will solidify the Hispanic Republican, Hispanic Democrat, and White Democrat votes for Castaneda. Not only did the Party probably just help Castaneda, they also alienated another block of their own members...and all to make a buck off of member comm. Aren't we all glad that we have the RPSD to represent the interests of Republican voters throughout the County?

D. Morton, I'm not sure if you live in Chula Vista, but I have for many years. I'm tired of people saying Hispanic this and Hispanic that, we are all "Americans". With that being said, I do not know much about this group the Lincoln Club and why they reach out to voters, but I did receive their latest mail piece, "You be the Judge!" If these documents are accurate, I will never vote for this guy again. He seems to be too controversial and crooked.

He needs to resign his seat or we should recall him. Maybe that will happen this coming Tuesday.

Chula Vista Westsider

"CVVoter": While I share your sentiment that we are all Americans, I also realize that this is not how everyone views the world.If it were, race relations would simply not be an issue in America. Furthermore, as a longtime resident of CV who obviously pays attention to what is going on, you should be well that there are three tiers that divide CV politics in a 2x2x2 format: party affiliation, old guard vs. outsiders, and hispanic/white. And while I do not believe that there is any intentional systematic effort to exclude anyone based on race, it is also undeniable that regardless of party affiliation, no Hispanic can be included among the monied old guard of insiders.

It is this old guard that is acting like a cornered dog because they know that their time is limited. These mailer's demonstrate that old guard is even willing to go to the extreme of smearing a member of their own party, effectively dividing the party in CV, in order to maintain their power in the City. CV is a very different political place that it was even 10 years ago: it bigger, its more diverse, and there is now the presence of large numbers of prominent hispanics that cannot be politically marginalized the way that poorer SW CV has been for years. That puts the old guard into a pretty desperate long-term situation; and they are acting accordingly.

D. Morton: I don't know what you are talking about. There are many good CLEAN latino republicans in our area. For example, Reuben Garcia who ran for congress against Filner, (it's obvious from today's Star News that Steve supports liberal Bob Filner), and David Bejarano, he serves on the schoolboard and was supported by many to run for Assembly.

In regards to you comment about "cornered dog", it is obvious you are lashing out and some sort of political operative blogging in favor of Steve. I actually like and have supported Steve, but folks like you turn me off of him. I will not vote for him this time due to his ties to the unions. I make my money from running a small family construction company, ask Steve if he supports the "Fair Competion Initiative" being put forth by the ABC. I doubt it after the Unions are funding over 65% of his campaign.

Then get rid of the likes of Tom Sheppard and Duane Dichiara. Dichiara in particlar is from the Karl Rove school of use negative to turn out your base.

"MendozaFamily": You can speculate on the nature and scale of my participation in SD County politics all you want. Best of luck to you.

I actually don't disagree with anything you have said about Hispanic Elected Officials in South County nor about the specific EO's you have mentioned. I find those two gentlemen to be both good and competent Republican Elected Officials. However, also I do not see your comments regarding these gentlemen as inconsistent with my own. Bejerano and Garcia are not participating specifically in City of CV politics,and therefore are not threatening those monied old guard interests that I have previously mentioned. Let one of them run for CV City Council and take a stand in favor of private property rights (which the last time I checked is a Republican issue) against the Espanada project and see what happens.

"ask Steve if he supports the "Fair Competion Initiative" being put forth by the ABC. I doubt it after the Unions are funding over 65% of his campaign."

Why don't you. I'm sure that the number to his campaign office is on his website. Just like you speculated on the nature of my participation in SD County, you're speculating on one of Castaneda's policy positions, and that my ability to contact Castaneda is somehow different that yours.

"In regards to you comment about "cornered dog", it is obvious you are lashing out..."

Going negative, as the Party and Lincoln Club did, is what you do when you are behind...kinda like a cornered dog has no choice but to attack.

"...and some sort of political operative blogging in favor of Steve"

The grist I have to grind is far bigger than any one candidate. It has to do with the direction of the Party, and how its selective treatment/mistreatment of its own people is leading to its demise.

"but folks like you turn me off"

Would it be better if I put on a skirt...er...uh...I mean a kilt.

Like I said, read the piece, "You be the Judge". I think you will all change your minds on supporting Castaneda. Like I stated earlier, he's too controversial and crooked.

I agree with you CVvoter, I heard he is trying to send us the bill for his $200,000.00 legal defense. This guy is ridculous...Also, I don't like the fact that New York City Labor money supports him.

I can't believe castaneda. He REALLY doesn't care about people like ME who work hard every day to make ends meet, and then he just uses MY tax dollars to pay for his attorney because he lied?! Politicians are supposed to do what's best for their constituents. The best thing he could do is resign and not even TRY to run for re-election. The people of Chula Vista aren't going to elect someone who takes advantage of us and then tries be to nice and friendly now that he's up for election again. I'm NOT voting for him. My votes going to Vinson.

Jenn, I Ditto that...This guy is completely bad and embarassing to Chula Vista.

Ya'all are talking like Castaneda wasn't acquitted. So he should be the one to suffer 200k of legal fees when he didn't do anything wrong? You all can speculate and cite clearly partisan and biased mailers from the RPSD and Lincoln Club all you want; that's your prerogative. I, on the other hand, prefer the word of our legal system to that of an RPSD member communication mailer. Just remember that in the case of an RPSD member comm, the RPSD doesn't send those mailers unless a candidate, or some other interested party, raises the money for them.

"Jerrys": Castaneda was acquitted on all of the charges against him, a couple of which were dropped by the judge for being complete b.s. (I'm sure that the judge worded it more eloquently), and you think he's the embarrassment? You might want to think seriously about our DA.

Morton, so you agree that he is trying to stiff the taxpayers with a 200K bill. I hope you can admit there are other choices which aren't gonna cost us this kind of money for personal issues. By the way, I believe the jury was "hung" and he got off, and good for him and his family. I still believe he is an embrassment and too problematic. I can agree with your DA comment, but Castaneda needs to go.

"ataxpayer": I was neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement that Castaneda is trying to "stiff" the taxpayers. I really have no idea what is going on with Castenda and his legal bills. My point is that given the track record of Dumanis' public integrity task force someone needs to take a look at its negative effects vs. its positive effects (none as of yet) and figure out if it can be fixed. The more important question I ask you: do you think its ok for the DA's office to be able to financially ruin someone on a whim based on trumped up charges that were obviously false from the beginning? How much does a CV council member make? 40k/year? What percentage of elected positions in SD County make an amount where their holders can afford a 200k bill? Certainly I have no problem with screwing over a crooked officeholder, but an officeholder need not be crooked anymore to live in this fear?

The reality of the Casteneda case was that the judge dismissed a couple of the charges before the case went to the jury, the jury acquitted him of most of the counts, and there were a couple of remaining counts in which the jury was hung; which the DA subsequently dropped rather than go for a retrial. At this point, its pretty safe to say that Castaneda was innocent of all counts.

The case was probably dropped because Dumanis couldn't handle the media and political pressure, plus I think the prosecutor "fell short". But there is a very old saying..."Where there is smoke, there is fire". Castaneda, has been riddled with problems since he took office and now we get stiffed with a 200K bill. So this guy avoids his debts and then takes additional money for not attending meetings?

We need to make a change...

"Ataxpayer": As I said before, you can speculate on what you think has and might happen all you want. That's your prerogative. But unless you have some sort of insider information you'd like to share with the rest of us, the facts that are available do not support anything you've said in your previous posting. Do we even know for sure that Castaneda is trying to get the taxpayers to foot his legal bill? I don't, and as far as I know, there is nothing on the public record that indicated otherwise. If you know something I don't, please feel free to share. Likewise, do you know for sure that "political and media pressure" caused the DA to drop the remaining 3 charges? I don't. I can just as easily make the speculation that the charges were dropped because they didn't have a chance of sticking in the first place, and the game was up; but let us stick to the facts that are available to us.

Those facts are that although Castaneda has been repeatedly attacked by his political opponents, and then the law, nothing has withstood any degree of legal scrutiny. This is fancy terminology for saying that despite your "very old" cliche, Castaneda is clean. And although there may be smoke, you're way off in your search for its source.

Ataxpayer

"Where there is smoke, there is fire".

I'm sure Dale Akiki would agree with you on that.

Here...May 3, 2008 Union Tribune.

Outside the courtroom, a weary-looking Castaneda said he was “elated” to be free of the felony indictment. “I am glad for my family and myself, but I am sad for the taxpayers of this county who have had to pay the bill for this tragic event,” he said.

Additionally, I know he will stiff us with the "bill". You watch, why don't you email his office and ask him to go on record.

In regards to the Dale Akiki comment, I felt bad for Dale and his family. This guy is totally different, Channel 10 ran a segment on him and a guy Henry Barros, with a shady land deal, next the grand jury indictment, now I hear there is a new ethics complaint on him. How many chances do you want to give this guy. I guess we will all find out tomorrow.

ataxpayer
It took you long enough to respond. I'm sure you had more important things to do with your day rather than research a response to a blog posting by me.

Bottom line is this: Unless you have been falsely accused of a crime, you have no idea what Casteneda has been through. It is too bad that Cheryl Cox and her Casteneras-type cronies would rather waste their time railroading political opponents than getting something done for the Chula Vista bayfront.

"How many chances do you want to give this guy"

Castaneda has, and has always had, only one chance with me. Show me wrongdoing on his part that is backed up by more than speculation, very weak hearsay, and partisan attack mailers; and hasn't already been disproven by our legal processes, then I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong and switch sides on this issue.

“I am glad for my family and myself, but I am sad for the taxpayers of this county who have had to pay the bill for this tragic event,”

That quote sounds to me like he was referring to how the taxpayers' had to foot the bill for all the money that the DA's office wasted by carrying these obviously false charges as far as they did. Between the trial and the grand jury investigation, I'll bet the DA spent over a million dollars trying to make those false charges stick...you should be pissed at the DA "stiffing" the taxpayers with that bill. The Barros thing: just another political attack. There was no wrongdoing there either. Even the FPPC declined to take action on that.

Well it looks like we are not going to change each others minds...So, we will see what happens this evening. You two should be walking precincts for the guy instead of blogging.

ataxpayer

Have you ever read the magna carta or the US constitution? They both state that if the state has a case the state must pay for it. There is restitution for crime victims but making people pay for their own prosecution sounds like something Sadaam Hussein would come up with.

Considering how much conformity of mind is encouraged in the party statements like yours scare me.

Like I said, proves my point he will stick us with the 200K legal bill.

Here's how it goes:

Come right on in representative Schmuck. On whatever weak basis you're accused of a serious crime. Which one? Take your pick. That's "absurd" you say you've done nothing wrong?

Maybe, who knows? I'm not God. But consider, these things are decided by juries who walk in assuming politicians like you lie about everything and probably steal too. Sounds risky to me.

And besides, let me ask you. Do you really have $1-200,000 sitting in your checking account to defend yourself?

All you have to do is resign your office and you can leave this meeting without a care in the world. Doesn't that sound better?

This kind of abuse goes beyond personalities, relationships and political party. It subverts representative democracy itself.

ataxpayer

Wow! You just put the value Mr. Casteneda's 14th amendment's right of due process at 200k. Hey can I buy yours for that much?

Rino, you really hit the bottom line very astutely. It would be just barely possible for me to defend myself at great sacrifice in that sort of situation.

I've spoken to a lot of people, some of them elected, who candidly admit that they wouldn't have stood up to that. They say it's just not worth it, they would have resigned.

Some people on this blog can sneer from a safe vantage point. Personally, I'll admit that I'm just glad I haven't been tested to that extent.

You are entitled to your opinion, I don't think I should be responsible for his legal troubles, and pay for them. I'm glad he lost in the primary, now on to November!

Annonomous.
This is more than the mere prosecution of a city councilman.

The moment that we as Americans cave into this kind of political bullying, that cvvoter and atataxpayer are suggesting is the moment we become no different than the British loyalists who we fought against during the American Revolution.

What I am seeing from cvvoter and atataxpayer are arguments justifying intimidation towards political foes. No different than tactics used by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, and Saddam Hussein.

If they are willing to go after a fellow republican public official, with weak evidence and demand he pay for his prosecution. Then why would they not stop at doing just that to private citizens who get in their way and who don't have the media and wealth to protect them.

Did we not liberate Iraq from this kind of tyranny?