Charles Munger Dipping His Financial Finger Big Time into South Orange County
Posted by Craig P. Alexander on May 21, 2014
It is no secret that Palo Alto physicist and political financier Charles Munger likes to put his money into Republican v. Republican races. What is his goal? In my opinion to remake the California Republican Party in his own liberal / moderate image complete with a platform that takes no position on social issues (or takes pro-abortion / pro-homosexual marriage positions). Thus you can count on the candidates he backs to appoint delegates to the CRP who will be Charles Munger approved and vote they way he wants.
In the 73rd Assembly District (where I live) there are four Republicans and one Democrat running to replace Diane Harkey who is termed out (and running for the State Board of Equalization). One of the Republicans is CUSD school board trustee Anna Bryson who I used to support. However after she won re-election in 2010 she took a sharp turn towards the teachers union and started voting for their causes and positions. I have posted about this before: Why Does the Teachers Union Love Anna Bryson? Due to these votes, I and many others who supported her previously do not support her for any elected position including this one.
Now her major financial backer, Charles Munger, has put into his Spirit of Democracy PAC $250,000 to support Ms. Bryson in her quest for the 73rd Assembly seat. John Harbe over at CalNewsroom.com blog has posted an excellent article outlining how Mr. Munger has spent $322,713 (inclusive of the recent $250,000 into his PAC for her) in support of Ms. Bryson (73rd Assembly: Charles Munger). This is more than all of the candidates have raised for this race combined.
Apparently those of us living in the 73rd Assembly District will now be subjected to TV and other media ads for Ms. Bryson. While she touts herself as a conservative – her voting record (as I have posted about in the above link) tells a very different story. In addition, she recently lost a challenge to her ballot statement when the judge found she had made a false and misleading statement in it (and it was stricken and amended by the judge). I posted on this blog twice about that. Breaking News & Follow Up the latter post including a link to an excellent article by Katy Grimes over at the Flashreport on this subject.
What is particularly disappointing to me are the number of conservatives who have either not vetted her record, spoken to local activists like myself or simply don’t care about her record and endorse her anyway. These include people like Edwin Meese, III, George Shultz, Hugh Hewitt and Assemblyman Don Wagner. I note that none of them live in the 73rd Assembly District. I don’t know if these conservatives realize it, but by supporting someone like Anna Bryson, they are supporting someone who is now extremely beholden to Charles Munger. She will likely join him in making the CRP are much more liberal place where conservatives like them are not welcome. This is in addition to adding her wobbly voting record to the floor of the State Assembly.
For me, I will continue to support the real conservative in the race for the 73rd Assembly District: Dana Point City Councilman Bill Brough. (Why I Am Supporting Bill Brough) I should note that the California Republican Assembly endorsed Bill Brough (CRA RECAP) and he was featured in our recent mailer which Chris Emami just reported on (CRA Newspaper). Anna Bryson did not even show up to the CRA endorsing convention to ask for the endorsement or defend her voting record – even though she was invited to do so. Naturally I hope that Charles Munger cannot buy this seat for her and Bill Brough will be one of the top two to advance to November.
OC Political 
Larry Gilbert said
Craig. Sadly the voters do not challenge the self serving statements found in campaign mailers. We have received four full color cards form her campaign along with two I.E.’s “paid for by the Spirit of Democracy California” with a Sacramento address.
Greg Diamond said
So if she wins, does Munger get to be her Chief of Staff? Her Legislative Director? Or both? Or does he just appoint them?
It’s no surprise, I’m sure, that I’m for Democrat Wendy Gabriella, despite that she’s much more conservative than I am. (She’s probably close to the median voter in the district, though, which some people might consider a decent qualification for office.) But I really do feel for you guys being colonized by Munger’s Hunger. I mean, you think that you enjoy local self-determination … and then something like THIS happens!
I expect that this will be another Leslie Daigle ’12-type fizzle, but IF Bryson wins a spot in the general against Gabriella and you let Munger get away with installing her for the next 12 years, then what happens next is entirely on you. You could cut Munger off at the knees by supporting Gabriella (for what would be likely be a sole term) and rack ’em up again for 2016 — or you could see how you like — or can get used to — the feeling of powerlessness.
Again, as a dissident Democrat who routinely runs up against the dictates of the well-heeled in my own party, I do feel your pain. These rich guys, huh? Am I right?
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