In a surprising move, the Republican Party of San Diego County endorsed openly gay Councilmember Carl DeMaio in his race to succeed termed out Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders. Two thirds of the 59-member central committee voted Saturday morning to endorse DeMaio over two other Republican candidates: District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, and state Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher.
Before the endorsement battle, the DeMaio campaign circulated a 14-page document to members of the Republican central committee questioning Fletcher’s “conservatism.” DeMaio’s campaign manager, Ryan Clumpner also directly took issue with Fletcher’s failing grade by the California Republican Assembly and the Capitol Research Family Institute. Both conservative groups gave Fletcher failing grades for supporting LGBT-related legislation, including his vote in favor of a resolution by the California Legislature in support of the repeal of the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy and his support of Senate Bill 48, the FAIR education act, which mandates that the contributions of the LGBT community be taught in public schools.
The DeMaio campaign’s assault on Fletcher’s record is especially significant given the fact that DeMaio is openly gay and has professed support of LGBT rights.
Since 2008, DeMaio has been criticized on numerous occasions by members of the LGBT community for his silence during the fight against Proposition 8 and his lackluster support of other initiatives of interest to the LGBT community. Doug Case, president of San Diego Democrats for Equality told San Diego LGBT Weekly “Carl DeMaio has never been a leader when it comes to LGBT equality, nor has he demonstrated courage in publicly challenging the anti-gay positions of some of the people who are helping to fund his campaign. Silence is the voice of complicity.”
DeMaio has also been criticized for not attending events of significance to the LGBT community. In September of last year DeMaio opted to go to a fundraiser for his campaign as opposed to attending a rally celebrating the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” DeMaio, in a Tweet to his followers, said he was looking forward to attending, but he was a no-show.
To many, DeMaio was also noticeably missing from a rally celebrating the 9th Circuit ruling that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional. DeMaio’s lack of attendance at any of the Imperial Court events celebrating their 40th anniversary and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Brunch was also widely criticized by LGBT community leaders. Each of the other candidates for mayor were participants.
LGBT Weekly reached out to both the DeMaio campaign and Nathan Fletcher for Mayor 2012. We are awaiting comment from each camp.
Not trying to be controversial but just wondering, is Hale dealing with some sort of illness?
Tea Party leader and major supporter of DeMaio arrested for rape.
Police on Friday announced the arrest of Michael Kobulnicky, spokesman for the San Diego Tea Party, on suspicion of kidnapping a woman and then sexually assaulting her on Fiesta Island last month.
Kobulnicky, 50, was taken into custody about 3:45 p.m. Thursday as he was walking to his Lemon Grove home, said San Diego police Lt. Anastasia Smith. He was being held in the central jail without bail.
The 56-year-old victim had been walking home on Linda Vista Road near Tait Street about 7 p.m. Feb. 25 when a man drove up to her and offered her a ride. She accepted, but he went past her residence and drove to Fiesta Island. The man pulled her out of the car, pinned her down, assaulted her and drove off, police said.
The woman walked to a trolley station and reported the attack to police.
Video surveillance of the suspect before the attack was obtained from a convenience store, the location of which is not being disclosed, Smith said. Police released the video on March 2 and received numerous tips that led them to Kobulnicky, she said.
He was booked into jail on felony counts of kidnapping for purposes of sexual assault, rape by force, and sex with a foreign object. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in San Diego Superior Court.
Smith said Kobulnicky’s occupation is a gardening supervisor.
In a statement Friday night, the leadership team of the San Diego Tea Party, a grass-roots conservative political group, said that Kobulnicky had taken a hiatus from the group in January for personal reasons and had not been in touch with members since then. He has been removed from his position while the legal process runs its course, the statement said.
Kobulnicky’s personal Facebook page has Images of Carl DeMiao together with Kobulnicky at political events in San Diego.