DeVore Didn't Deserve a Palin Endorsement - Part One

Conservative supporters of Chuck DeVore seem outraged that Sarah Palin didn't endorse their candidate for the California GOP Senate Primary race to take on Barbara Boxer in the November election. To them, it seemed like the likely thing for her to do and I know DeVore himself had asked for the nod. DeVore's supporters are operating, to this day on the notion that their guy is the "one true Conservative in the race." They run off of emotion and perception but they are omitting many facts about the Senate race and about Chuck DeVore himself with their analysis.

I'm going to go through a series of things I feel (this is all my opinion and speculation) as to why Chuck DeVore did not deserve a Sarah Palin endorsement. I'll be writing a short series of posts on the matter, starting with this one.


An article came out on Friday in the Los Angeles Times titled "Chuck DeVore has a staunch conservative record."On the surface, the headline and the picture that accompanied it, made the article look like some sort of Chuck DeVore fluff piece. However, once you read the content of the article, it is very clear that this is no fluff piece at all. In fact, the article is reminiscent of Chuck DeVore himself. "Strong," "Conservative," and "patriotic" on the outside.... Somewhat shallow, untruthful, and slightly corrupt on the inside.

There are many telling revelations cited within the article. DeVore's supporters get over-heated at the assertion that Chuck had used a misleading title on the voter ballot and 'fudged' his military record a bit. But the article states:

During a radio debate with them in early March, DeVore talked of being the sole candidate in the Senate race with military experience. "I'm a lieutenant colonel of military intelligence within the U.S. Army," he said. His campaign material shows he's a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army retired reserves.

His actual title is "Retired Reserve" and nowhere in his title on the ballot or listed in the description on the Primary Voter Guide does the word "retired" exist. Not to say he went as far as Richard Blumenthal in 'fudging' his record, but it's clear to me that Chuck DeVore tried to create a certain perception about his biography. After all, his own supporters have told me that Chuck has "served in Afghanistan." I doubt they will use that as a debate talking point again in the future.

I'm not going to harp on that issue though because I fail to see what good it does. I'm also not going to rip Chuck DeVore over another claim made in the L.A. Times piece about whether or not he was shot at in Lebanon. DeVore uploaded an audio clip of that incident and the file clearly sounds like the group he was with had been shot at and returned fire. Read the piece and then listen to the file here for yourself to make your own determination. This is, I think another distraction.

There are yet more accusations disclosed in the L.A. Times article that have not been dealt with by the DeVore campaign at all. These are the items I chose to discuss because they haven't been talked about in the media or the blogoshere. There are serious charges made that would easily negate an endorsement from an anti-corruption hawk and proponent of honest government like Sarah Palin.

For starters, the fact that Chuck DeVore attempted to take credit for the The Arrow “anti­tactical ballistic missile” program, a system designed to defend Israel. In 1986 DeVore worked for Margo Carlisle in the Reagan Administration. Records show he was hired because

"officials were impressed with DeVore's service as an Army Reserve officer; the officials also noted his GOP campaign experience and the fact that DeVore's mother chaired the Fullerton Republican Women's Club.

DeVore's references included Chief White House Science Advisor William Graham, a family friend from Mammoth Lakes, where DeVore went to high school and where his father owned an auto parts store."

DeVore worked at the Pentagon for Carlisle, who was the assistant secretary of Defense for legislative affairs. While there he managed to boost his own role in the creation of a vital weapons system for Israel and diminish Duncan Hunter's work in the process. The article says:

While working at the Pentagon, DeVore says in his campaign literature, his "initiative helped develop the Arrow Anti-Ballistic Missile program." The Arrow was proposed in 1986 as a way for Israel to defend itself from potential missile attacks from Iraq, Iran, Syria and other hostile nations.

DeVore, who was 25 at the time, said he approached U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a San Diego County Republican, with an idea on how to skirt the congressional opposition to Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative — popularly known as "Star Wars.'' Democrats had attacked the program as costly, ineffective and in violation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union.

If the U.S. funded an Israeli-built missile defense system, the U.S. would be able to study that country's test data without violating any prohibitions on missile-defense testing in the U.S., DeVore said. He said he told Hunter that with the support of pro-SDI Republicans and pro-Israel Democrats, the proposal was sure to win congressional approval, which it eventually did.

'Dear Colleague'

"So in his office, I dictated to him a "Dear Colleague'' letter that he personally typed up on his Selectric typewriter," DeVore said. "Within a week, Duncan Hunter had 40-plus signatures — House and Senate, Republican and Democrats, that went to Reagan and [then-Defense Secretary Caspar] Weinberger … the idea was born."

Hunter was then a Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. In a recent interview, he recalled DeVore as a staunch advocate of the Arrow program on behalf of the Reagan administration — but Hunter said he wrote the letter, and pursued the idea, on his own.

"I drafted the letter that was signed by members of the Armed Services Committee, recommending that Israel embark on the missile defense program," said Hunter, whose son now represents that congressional district.

Hunter said that he and members of the Reagan administration were working on ways to develop defenses to medium-range missiles at that time, so it would be difficult to credit any one person for the successful funding of the Arrow missile.

"No one in the administration said, 'It was my idea' — DeVore included,'' Hunter said.

Duncan Hunter honorably served California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd House districts from 1981 to 2009. His district elected his son to replace him after his retirement. Hunter was easily my favorite Congressman while he was in office, and he served this community well. I have a tremendous respect for the man and if this issue comes down to believing him or believing Chuck DeVore I can safely say, 'no contest.' It sort of angers me that DeVore would use Duncan Hunter's hard work as resume padding.

This is an example of dishonesty from Chuck DeVore. We all make mistakes but to take credit for something that massive... Well, that could only come from someone with an ego on the same scale.

I know DeVore supporters will attack me for writing these pieces. They are convinced he is their California Conservative savior and I am just some sort of hater out to promote Sarah Palin's agenda at any cost. They have it backwards. I know Sarah Palin's record and I believe she and her staff take a thorough look at candidates before they give a stamp of approval. I also don't believe that Chuck DeVore is the person his supporters think he is. I am frankly astonished that some in the Tea Party can stand so strongly behind a guy that merely tells them what they want to hear. Yes, Chuck DeVore is a very good salesman in my estimation. He knows how to sell a certain product to a certain crowd.

I realize California Conservatives are starved for a leader that actually shows signs of being a real Conservative. I am one, I live here, I get it. But before you throw the ONE TRUE CONSERVATIVE in the country that is taking the lead in the fight against the Obama agenda, under the bus, you better be sure you know who you are propping up in the process.

NRA Backs Carly Fiorina

The National Rifle Association sent California Republican members a mailer endorsing Carly Fiorina for the GOP nomination in the California Senate race. To be fair they also gave Chuck DeVore a 'thumbs up' for his defense of the Second Amendment. However, as Ben Smith from Politico states it, they made their "preference" of Fiorina clear. He writes:

The National Rifle Association sent this postcard to its California Republican members, making it the latest conservative force, along with Sarah Palin and much of the organized pro-life movement, to swing behind Carly Fiorina.

The card describes Fiorina and Chuck Devote as strong pro-gun candidates, but makes its preference clear, writing effusively of Fiorina, "a gun owner, proud NRA Member, and strong Second Amendment Supporter."

The mailer attacks the third candidate, Tom Campbell, at length as having cast "anti-gun votes."

The NRA issues ratings for candidates like a school grading system. They handed out an "A" to both Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore. Based on Tom Campbell's voting record and current positions on Second Amendment issues, he received the rating of "F."

During the last debate between these three candidates, Tom Campbell had another episode that should make any Second Amendment advocate cringe.



Like Carly Fiorina, I too know somebody that is currently on the federal government "no-fly" list. That person is about the last person I would expect to be a danger to any flight. Whatever criteria they are using is bogus, considering Faisal Shahzad, the Time Square wannabe bomber actually made it on to a flight after his attempted terrorist attack. For Tom Campbell to put his faith into this broken bureaucracy and be so willing to take away a person's Constitutional rights, is frightening. But there are a lot of things about Tom Campbell that are frightening.

Both Fiorina and DeVore deserve accolades from the NRA for their Second Amendment record, membership, and political stance. By displaying a preference to Fiorina, it's clear that the NRA sees the writing on the wall. To them, Tom Campbell is unacceptable and they are making their opposition to him known.

DeVore supporters have been trotting out poll numbers that show him gaining on Barbara Boxer. Everyone is gaining on Babara Boxer. The trouble for Chuck DeVore and his supporters is that he cannot beat Tom Campbell. On the other hand, Carly Fiorina can. So it's pretty clear why the NRA is displaying a preference for Fiorina.

The National Rifle Association endorsement is a high mark for any Conservative candidate. Being a member myself, I trust this group to watch out for our Constitutional right to bear arms. A right that I believe, fundamentally keep us a free people. The NRA understands what is going on in the GOP Primary as well. They know what the score is, so to speak.

It should also be obvious to anyone paying attention that Sarah Palin would never endorse a candidate that is squishy on Second Amendment rights. She, herself being a strong advocate and taking her fair share of lumps from the anti-gun, ultra-left for doing so.

Carly Fiorina scores an "A" with gun owners and Second Amendment activists. She will do a great job as Senator and give California dramatically different representation than what we are currently getting from the ultra-left's own, Barbara Boxer.

Palin Endorsements Are Key in Primary Season

It's primary season and Conservative candidates around the country are all hoping to get a Palin endorsement to boost their campaigns. So far it is proving to be very beneficial for the candidates that have Governor Palin's official backing.

In Wisconsin, Sean Duffy's campaign exploded after the governor threw her support in his direction. They successfully put enough pressure on the very powerful Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and congressional fixture, Dave Obey to plan an early retirement.

Earlier this week in West Virginia, in a race marked by one of those anxiety inducing SarahPAC targets, Representative Alan Mollohan lost his reelection bid.

Palin endorsed, Rand Paul also has a comfortable lead in the Kentucky race.

(Nikki Haley, future Governor of South Carolina)

Thursday, Nikki Haley's campaign announced that Sarah Palin will endorse her candidacy for GOP slot in the South Carolina governor's race. They release the following statement:

GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN WILL BE IN COLUMBIA, SC TOMORROW EVENING, FRIDAY MAY 14TH, TO ENDORSE NIKKI HALEY FOR GOVERNOR

Columbia, SC – Today, the Haley for Governor campaign is proud to announce that former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be joining Representative Nikki Haley in Columbia tomorrow evening, Friday, May 14th, in support of her candidacy for Governor.

In response to Governor Palin’s endorsement, Nikki Haley said “It is a tremendous honor to receive Governor Palin’s endorsement. Sarah Palin has energized the conservative movement like few others in our generation. She has helped millions of Americans find the power of their voice. I am extremely proud that she has offered her support to my candidacy.”

Nikki Haley, state representative from Lexington, has been an advocate for fiscal responsibility, transparency in government, and conservative values since her first day as a state legislator in 2005.

Governor Palin and Representative Haley will appear together at a public event at 5:30 pm in Columbia tomorrow evening. Details on location will follow.

According to CNN, "Palin's endorsement of Haley puts her at odds with her running mate in the 2008 presidential election, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona.

McCain has backed McMaster in the primary. McMaster chaired McCain's South Carolina campaign in 2008."

... So take that Chuck DeVore supporters who claim Governor Palin is John McCain's "puppet."

Speaking of which, it's pretty obvious why those same DeVore loyalists are so cranky about getting their perceived snub. They know that Governor Palin is the top Conservative in the nation. They know that the DeVore campaign could have used the boost in exposure and revenue. They know that Chuck is starting to become a spoiler and may possibly get Tom Campbell nominated to face off against Boxer this November. Doing so would most certainly go down much differently than "the only Conservative in the race" message they have been trying to send. Rather forcefully and usually in ALL CAPS on twitter, by the way.

On that note, I'm still wondering why "the only Conservative in the race" is trying so desperately to send Tom Campbell to Washington. I'm also still wondering why he is running so hard for the second place spot in a primary election, attacking Carly Fiorina, not Tom Campbell (a scary candidate if there ever was one) on his website and elsewhere.

So for now, Chuck will just have to stick it out with this guy

The value for conservative candidates getting a Palin endorsement goes without saying. There will be many contentious battles in the coming months and I am glad to see Governor Palin getting involved. She's never been one to 'play it safe' or somebody to not 'step on any toes' as too many top political leaders are prone to do. She has shown courage and wisdom in her picks regardless of what many armchair pundits think or say. She has picked a number of great candidates to support and is making for a very interesting primary season, to say the least.

UPDATE: Governor Palin made the Nikki Haley endorsement official today on her Facebook page:

Shaking it up in South Carolina with Nikki Haley

I’m very proud to add my voice to Jenny Sanford’s and others in endorsing Nikki Haley for governor of South Carolina. Nikki is a strong pro-life, pro-Second Amendment fiscal conservative who served with distinction as a state lawmaker, a reformer who fought her own party to protect the interests of the taxpayer, a proud daughter of immigrants who worked night and day to achieve the American dream, a wife of an officer in the Army National Guard, a board member at her family’s Methodist church, and – most proudly – the loving mother of two beautiful kids.

It’s my honor to join Nikki today at a rally at 5:30 pm at the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina. If you are in the area, please come by and join us.

In the meantime, Nikki needs our support in her race. She’s the scrappy underdog in a tough competitive primary. Please visit her website here, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Let’s help this tough, proud daughter of South Carolina shake things up in the Palmetto state.

- Sarah Palin

My View of Palin's Fiorina Endorsement from California

I actually lived on that little strip of land for years... Mission Beach in San Diego, CA.

Anybody that knows me, knows that I am a staunch supporter of Governor Palin's. I also happen to be a Conservative that lives in California, so I have been following the GOP Senate primary race for some time. I had studied the candidates and after awhile I came to the conclusion that I wanted to support Chuck DeVore in that race. I followed his campaign, saw him give a speech last month, and even gave him some of my paycheck.

My opinion changed today after Sarah Palin gave her endorsement to DeVore's challenger, Carly Fiorina. It wasn't Governor Palin's endorsement that got me to change my mind about him, it was his reaction to the endorsement that served as a big red flag warning to this man's leadership capabilities. Plain and simple, Chuck DeVore is no statesmen. The statement he allowed to be released by his campaign was immature and derogatory. It said:

“This grassroots movement is actually a grassroots movement,” said DeVore spokesperson Joshua Trevino. “Carly Fiorina thinks she can find the sheepdog to corral the sheep. Chuck DeVore knows they’re not sheep at all. They’re Americans. And they’ll make their own decisions.”

I was dumbfounded that he would let that be released in his name. It shows that he is lacking in class and maturity. Are we not electing leaders here? What kind of leader lashes out and let's his staff lash out in this manner? I think they may be in 'melt-down' mode over at his headquarters but that is no excuse. This evening has really highlighted a serious character flaw in what I perceived as a good candidate.

The endorsement wasn't a surprise to me and it didn't catch me off guard. I had a feeling Governor Palin was going to endorse Carly Fiorina for some time. I won't go into detail as to why I felt that, just know that I did. Thinking that may be the case, I saw no problem maintaining my support for Governor Palin AND supporting Chuck DeVore for the GOP spot in the California Senate race. I stated in a blog I wrote in response to Govenor Palin's "fair weathered friends" awhile back that I don't need to agree with her on every issue to support her. I said:

"Does anybody reading this know anyone they agree with 100% of the time? I sure don’t, and if I did, and that person so happened to be a politician I would start to wonder about myself. I don’t agree with Governor Palin about everything. I certainly don’t agree with all of the candidates she is supporting. But guess what? I’m not going to sit here on my little soap box and have a hissy fit because she didn’t respond with time and resources to my email. I actually never sent her PAC an email about any candidates but if I did, I wouldn’t expect her to put all of her judgment and consideration aside because an activist told her to."

I wanted to maintain my support for the DeVore campaign but I now realize that Chuck's camp would make that impossible for me to do. There is a certain way one can handle the various situations life throws at us. Character shows in difficult times and during difficult circumstances. Tonight I saw Chuck DeVore's character and it wasn't pretty.

So, where does that leave this California Conservative? Considering Carly was my second choice and Tom Campbell is nobody I will support, I've jumped ship into the Carly camp. Call me a flip-flopper all you want... It happens.

I understand Governor Palin's endorsement of Fiorina. It is actually a good move on her part and a good move for the country. I live in California and I know Chuck DeVore has absolutely NO chance of winning in the general election against Barbara Boxer. So why was I supporting DeVore in the first place? Because I liked his message. He said all the right things and I generally believed he would make a good Senator. Not that I ever thought he would actually be a Senator. Another thing I said in that "fair weather friends" blog post was a bit of foresight on my part. I said:

"I am no expert on Kentucky politics but from what I’ve read Bill Johnson is a long shot. So realistically this is a race between Rand Paul and Trey Grayson. To those dreamers that think Johnson stands a chance, considering his poll numbers, you’re wrong. Believe me, I live in the land of Chuck DeVore. He seems on the surface to have mountains of support but when you break down the numbers the guy doesn’t stand a chance. You have to base any political strategy for the end goal. Incremental victories only carry to the next phase. Supporting Johnson only helps Grayson in the long run by taking votes away from his real competitor. Almost ensuring a victory for Mitch McConnell part II."

I should have listened to myself. Nothing changed and supporting Chuck DeVore wasn't a good strategic plan on my part. Besides, I have no problem with Carly Fiorina's stated positions. Governor Palin updated her original Facebook post to reiterate these positions:

"Carly has been endorsed by the National Right to Life, the California Pro-Life Council, and the Susan B. Anthony List. She is pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-military, and pro-strict border security and against amnesty. She is against Obamacare and will vote to repeal it and prevent the government takeover of private companies and industries. Carly is also a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Like me, she is a member of the NRA, has a 100% NRA rating, and she and her husband are gun owners. She is pro-energy development and believes as I do in an all-of-the-above approach to energy independence. She is against cap and tax. And most importantly, Carly is the only conservative in the race who can beat Barbara Boxer. That’s no RINO. That’s a winner."

I also highly doubt she would be publicly trashing Governor Palin, or her supporters had the endorsement gone to the other candidate. Carly Fiorina has more class and professionalism than that. I look forward to helping Carly Fiorina win the GOP Primary and I really look forward to helping her kick Barbara Boxer out of the Senate for good.

In the mean time, please enjoy the best campaign ad I have ever seen.