Stanislaus Republicans criticize party’s “legitimate political discourse” blunder
At least a couple of local Republicans — both former state office holders — have taken a side publicly in the fracas over the national Republican Party laughably minimizing the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot as “legitimate political discourse.”
“What utter nonsense!” tweeted Modesto’s Kristin Olsen, former state assemblywoman and most recently Stanislaus County supervisor.
“The Party has lost its mind,” said Anthony Cannella, former state senator from Ceres, also on Twitter.
Their voices join notable Republicans like Mitch McConnell (“It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election, from one administration to the next. That’s what it was,”) and Mitt Romney (“Anything that my party does that comes across as being stupid is not going to help us,”) and Susan Collins (Those who “broke windows and breached the Capitol were not engaged in legitimate political discourse, and to say otherwise is absurd.”)
Reacting with sanity to the Republican National Committee’s imbalanced resolution is bold and laudable at a time when loyalty to one man at the expense of everything else — including personal dignity — is a priority for too many candidates.
Which Olsen and Cannella currently are not. Candidates, that is.
Now out of office, they have much less to lose than those counting on party money for their campaigns. Who in those ranks has the courage to call a spade a spade?
Be sure to tune in when The Modesto Bee Editorial Board interviews congressional hopefuls in April for the June primary.
Stanislaus sheriff’s race peters out
Speaking of local races, there might be one less to watch now that Sgt. Juan Alanis has decided to run for the California Assembly instead of taking another run at Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse. Unless someone else steps up to challenge Dirkse, that is.
In their first contest four years ago, patrol deputies backed Dirkse but Alanis had the support of custodial deputies working the jails. This time, both unions endorse Dirkse. It could be that Alanis saw the writing on the wall and decided on an easier path to office.
But the 22nd Assembly District race will be no cakewalk. Alanis will have to set himself apart from fellow Republicans Sean Harrison, Joel Gutierrez Campos and Guadalupe “Lupita” Salazar, and Democrat Chad Condit — and any others who might join the fray by mid-March when the filing period closes. The top two in June advance to the November election, regardless of party.
This race is hugely important to Stanislaus County, all of which is in the 22nd District, plus some towns in north Merced County. It should be a fun one to watch.
Patterson’s forlorn spectacle
What isn’t any fun to watch: Mayor Dennis McCord’s hot mess in Patterson.
If a 58-year-old high school math teacher like him responds with “Wish I was there” when a 15-year-old girl sends him a SnapChat bikini photo, you’ve got a school personnel problem. When he skips city meetings, it becomes a citywide problem.
No wonder an active recall petition is circulating, crowds are protesting in the council chamber, hundreds have signed a petition demanding he leave and the council is forced to consider what punishment is appropriate.
Predicting these very distractions, The Bee’s editorial board way back in early December urged McCord to step aside while the school district decides if he can keep teaching. “Acknowledging that the greater good is more important than one’s individual pride and political ambition would require humility and courage, and may preserve some respect, for the time being,” we wrote then.
He remains on unpaid leave in his day job and seems to ignore the stain he has put on his night job — a position that demands integrity and respect, not the ridicule his own council members are ashamed of.
They don’t deserve that, and the people of Patterson surely don’t deserve this.
