Our previous speculation took a step closer to reality today as rumors are starting to get traction regarding the race for San Bernardino County Third District Supervisor. Chatter has increased ten-fold in the past two days regarding a run by Assemblyman Paul Cook. Cook terms out in 2012, and with redistricting leaving state Senate districts up in the air, its said to be eyeing the Third District Supervisorial seat or a Senate seat. Cook had planned leaving office after six years but discovered how much he enjoys legislating.
This could make for a very interesting race. Cook is a highly decorated war veteran, retiring as full-bird Colonel. He currently has $250,000 on hand in his campaign war chest, which gives him an excellent start. Cook won a come-from-behind race in 2006 against Brenda Salas and easily won re-election in both 2008 and 2010.
The addition of Cook could prove challenging for Derry’s campaign consultant, Chris Jones. Jones’ forté is dirty campaigns and hit pieces. Attacking a candidate of Cook’s stature in such a manner would surely backfire. Tab Berg recently kicked Jones’ ass in the Rutherford-Biane campaign and he is also Cook’s Sacramento campaign consultant.
This should be interesting.
Very interesting.
good times!
Cook, as many know, was a Yucca Valley Town Councilman before he became an Assemblyman.
Cook is pissing off many Republicans up here in the Morongo Basin. They are very disturbed that Cook interferes in local politics and local elections.
How so? Republicans don’t appreciate Cook spreading his political slush money around to his favorite sons candidates. He is seriously pissing off die hard Republicans.
Cook supports Y.V. Lincoln Club candidates. The simi-secretive Y.V. Lincoln Club is an ominous organization that undermines the Democratic process with its radical far right Rush Limbaugh push for extremist powers. “The Club” is a cesspool of opportunist, developers, brokers & large landowners.
The Lincoln Club of Yucca Valley is an extremist group of local cronies, insiders, developers, builders or brokers that are out for themselves and to cease power.
They have already nearly destroyed the rural atmosphere and natural beauty of Yucca Valley.
Cook is also severely criticized by staunch Basin Republicans for backing fluff bills, and having little effect in Sacramento.
However, the Inland Empire voters are not going to be concerned with his egregious interfering in local elections.
All told, I think Cook is making irreversible mistakes and doing irreparable harm to his own political future.
Cook needs to butt out of local elections!
Is the 2nd Grand Jury one of those fluff bills, Brandon? Cook’s office advised us that the BOS’s political lobbyist was the party that requested that bill, so wouldn’t that turn your argument around 180 degrees and sound more like the local government politics in San Bernardino County that we are used to? I applaud Cook’s office for introducing the 2nd GJ, even though the GJ process itself lacks teeth. Especially in this County, the more GJs that can be convened, the more the blatant corruption in this County can be exposed to the light of day (sunshine). Hell, we already are ACTing on a list of a dozen “special projects”, so with Sharon and iePolitics it would be a baker’s dozen and growing every day, s.a. Traci Dean’s federal action/ County legal services fraud and Gilbert and Yvette at http://www.mybabiesneedme.webs.com
Sorry, Branson not Brandon.
And Cook’s major accomplishments in the California Asembly are…..?
I know that during the Anthony Adams debacle, his prime effort was to plead to us that he was not a leader, even in his own party.