Can A Progressive Former Marine Colonel Disloge Republican Crook Darrell Issa?

The slimiest of California's "Democratic" political consultants, slate vendor and ping-pong player Parke Skelton, is being paid a great deal of money to undermine Doug Applegate, in effect, guaranteeing that Darrell Issa retains his seat. I don't know exactly who's paying him but first, let's look at a little background. Issa, a former car thief and the richest member of Congress, was first elected in 2000. Currently his district spans northern San Diego County and coastal southern Orange County, from a thin strip of coastline in the northern reaches of La Jolla up through most of UC, through Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas and Carlsbad up along the 5 Freeway to Oceanside, right through Camp Pendleton to San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Ladera Ranch. CA 49 meets Rohrabacher's district, CA-48, at Three Arch Bay. In 2015 the district's PVI was R+4. Obama had managed to scrape out a 50-49% win over McCain but lost to Romney 52-46%. Last year the residents were horrified by the loutish Trump and Hillary won 50.7% to 43.2%. The PVI is now a more electorally attractive R+1.

The DCCC had never been remotely interested in challenging Issa and has studiously avoided the district. In 2014 the candidate was Dave Peiser and Issa creamed him 98,161 (60.2%) to 64,981 (39.8%) a race that saw Issa spending $1,749,467 to Peiser's $85,321. The DCCC spent zero, as usual. But last year a remarkable candidate jumped in against Issa, former Marine Colonel Doug Applegate. The DCCC ignored, ignored, ignored... until Applegate started raising some real money and making some significant headway in the polls. The DCCC kept waiting and watching and making nice noises about Applegate. When he was within a few polling points of Issa, a couple of months before the election, the DCCC jumped into the race-- too little too late. Issa raised $2,854,882 but panicked and dug deep, spending a gargantuan $6,275,754 to Applegate's 2,041,091. The DCCC + Pelosi's Super PAC bought about $3.5 in broadcast spots, primarily to enrich consultants/staffers from their inner circle. It was the year's last election called because it was so close, but in the end Issa won 155,888 (50.3%) to 154,267 (49.7%).

2 of Skelton's in-it-for-the-money conservaDem clients, Schiff and Levin

Applegate and his grassroots army of supporters decided early to finish what they had started and defeat Issa in 2018. However several multimillionaires have other ideas, thinking it looked so easy. One Pelosi crony who never lifted a finger to defeat Issa, a transplanted failed politician and fixer from Virginia, Ira Lechner, persuaded a friend of his, Mike Levin, to run. Members of Skeltons staff say it is Lechner who has been paying Skelton to undermine Applegate, primarily by having Levin run around with Issa's discredited opposition smears as though they were knew. Skelton specializes in seedy conservative clients and he's gotten a batch of them-- Blue Dog Adam Schiff, legislative conservaDems Tom Daly and charter school shill Laura Friedman, to endorse Levin. Without any honor whatsoever, Lying Levin has spread manure on Capitol Hill saying that Applegate has Domestic Violence baggage and more will come out. That’s apparently enough manure to have multiple congressional Representatives who are pawns of Skelton to refer to Applegate as a "wife beater." Court records clearly show that (1) no violence (or even threats of violence) allegations were ever made against Applegate by the ex-wife's DV petition "form" pleadings and that (2) the case was dismissed even with the court viewing all allegations in the context most favorable to ex-wife, without requiring any evidence or defense from Applegate. This was all made up by Issa last year-- rejected by voters last year-- and resuscitated by Skelton and Levin this year.

Is it working? Well, Skelton himself doesn't think so. He was overheard this week predicting his client-- Levin-- couldn't win the primary because Applegate was so well-liked by Democrats and independents, but vowing to destroy Applegate anyway, in effect turning off enough voters to let Issa slip in again in the hope that Levin would run in 2020 and beat him then. Meanwhile Applegate continues a completely progressive, straight ahead grassroots campaign, basically ignoring the poison being spread by Skelton, Levin and Lechner in DC. If you haven't heard it yet, please listen to the interview labor champion Jonathan Tasini did with Applegate this week (up top). And consider helping him beat back the slime by contributing to his grassroots campaign (at the Bluer California thermometer on the right).