(Also in orange. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)
Well, it looks like the latest SF Chronicle story on Michael Kamburowski’s immigration problems have knocked him out of his perch as the Chief Operating Officer of the California Republican Party. Damn you wicked irony, why must you always stalk the Republican Party like a successful version of Elmer Fudd? You always create such hilarity, how can I take the Republican Party seriously?
Well, thanks to the sometimes-fabulous, always-hilarious Carla Marinucci in today’s SF Chronicle, it seems California Republicans are rid of the “Australian menace.” (Not to be confused with the Canadian Menace.)
Michael Kamburowski, an Australian immigrant who served as the California Republican Party’s chief operating officer, abruptly resigned Sunday — less than 24 hours after The Chronicle reported he had been ordered deported in 2001, jailed in connection with the order, and now has a $5 million wrongful arrest lawsuit pending against U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials. (SF Chronicle 6/25)
Flip it…
Yes, the delicious irony just keeps on giving. Boy, are they enraged, and are thrilled to get one more “illegal alien” from “their country”.
Fleischman, in a letter distributed to GOP board members Sunday, warned that “needless to say, if any of this is true (especially alleged jail time, and alleged litigation against the U.S. government) it is a very serious matter.”
Red County San Bernardino, another GOP blog site, called the revelations jaw dropping, and added that “if it is true that Kamburowski did not disclose this arrest to the party, it suggests serious deficiencies in his character.”
Fleischman is the heart and soul of the CA conservative blogosphere, and he happens to be a board member of the CA Republican Party. And, he’s generally a stand-up guy (with neolithic political views). But, you know, he voted to bring him on board as COO.
Poor, Poor Republicans. The opportunity for schadenfreude is nearly impossible to resist here. But even Steve Schmidt, the man that ran Bush’s ’04 Campaign, and Schwarzenegger’s ’06 Campaign sees the irony and hypocrisy of the Republicans on these issues:
Former White House adviser Steve Schmidt, who ran the re-election campaign for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, angrily described the appointment of Kamburowski as “almost a parody of incompetence and malfeasance.”
“Somebody who has been imprisoned, faced deportation, has never worked on a state political campaign … and who is suing the government for harm inflicted by his deportation order defies description,” Schmidt said. “The bylaws of the Republican Party invest enormous authority in the position of chief operating officer — and it’s clear that this person brings no experience and qualifications to run a state party of the size of California, not to mention the assorted legal issues involved.”
Of course, Schmidt is more a corporatist than Minuteman-type, so it is hardly shocking that he would level this criticism at Ron Nehring, the current CA Republican Party Leader, and San Diego anti-immigation zealot (well, San Diego Republican and immigration zealot are probably redundant, aren’t they?). But, the tone of that remark is just classic. But, now that Kamburowski is out at the CRP, Schmidt needn’t worry about ol’ Mike’s threats.
Kamburowski generally suggested that Hanretty will never be able to eat lunch in Washington again.
“This story would not have the ‘legs’ it does were it not for the role Karen Hanretty is playing in fanning it,” Kamburowski said in his letter. “I do not know Karen, but I find the spectacle of someone who has fed at the trough of the CRP (California Republican Party) behaving in this way despicable and sad. If she desires a career in Republican circles in Washington — she may find her career rather short-lived.”
By the way, IMHO, this story should win Marinucci some kind of award. If no Pulitzer arrives, we may have to create the Calitics Journalism Award.