Chuck DeVore: The New Conservative Darling, Birther Connections And All

One of the next great conservative hopes seems likely to be a California Republican who has already taken on Senate Republicans, has ties to birthers and tea-partiers and is virtually unknown by the mainstream media establishment.

Chuck DeVore, a Republican member of the California State Assembly, is positioning himself as the ideologically pure alternative to Republican Carly Fiorina in the party's effort to take Sen. Barbara Boxer's Senate seat in 2010. This past week, he got the seal of approval from the party base: an endorsement by the Senate Conservative Fund and the explicit backing of conservative darling Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Among the right-wing netroots, his race against Fiorina has been elevated to top-tier importance: alongside Marco Rubio's primary bid against Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

But who, exactly, is he? Not many people beyond Republican devotees and California political watchers know the guy. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza -- who is more plugged into local politics than most D.C.-based reporters -- copped to not really having a clue about DeVore just last week.

The assemblyman does check off the majority of boxes on the conservative purity test. He has a full pro-life record, opposed the stimulus package and the bank bailout, and has never met a tax cut he didn't like. His most famous moment in office may, in fact, have occurred when he resigned from his position as Chief Republican Whip out of anger over a tax increase agreed to by California's Republican leadership.

"We need to shake up the Republican Party," DeMint said, when announcing his endorsement. "He's gonna join the country, and not the club."

In addition to fiscal discipline, however, DeVore's closet includes some weird and potentially damaging associations. As pointed out by a Republican source, the assemblyman is connected to noted birther Floyd Brown. Brown, who is famous for creating the 1988 Willie Horton ad and, more recently, pushing an effort to impeach Barack Obama, was supported by DeVore in his efforts to attack Democratic candidates in the 2008 presidential primary.

"Poll after poll shows it works," DeVore said of Brown's deeply controversial product.

All of which is not to say that associations like these -- and his relative obscurity -- will trip DeVore up in a primary race. Indeed, he likely relishes his current frame as a man of the conservative fringe.

Eight Senate Republicans announced on Thursday that they would be backing Fiorina's bid for the nomination. The next day, the assemblyman put out a web advertisement that contained a direct dig at one of Fiorina's endorsers -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) -- for his ghastly efforts at working with a Democrat on climate change legislation.

Comments

[TokyoCalling]

06:27 AM on 11/09/2009

One word... L O S E R.

[E NUFF]

09:41 PM on 11/08/2009

I wish they would stop calling it Pro-life and call it what it is

Anti-choice or Anti-abortion

[Lt]

03:22 PM on 11/09/2009

how about calling them what they really are

ANTI HUMAN

[Chipher]

07:43 PM on 11/08/2009

DeVore attended Claremont McKenna College, where he earned his B.A. in **Strategic Studies**.

"With honors".

From 1986 to 1988, DeVore served in the Reagan Administration as a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs in the **Department of Defense**.

In 1988, DeVore was the public liaison director for the Congressional campaign of Reagan's Senior Associate Counsel Chris Cox, former Chairman of the SEC, in Defense heavy Orange County.

DeVore was called to active reserve duty **but served stateside** during the Gulf War in 1990–91.

In 1991, DeVore joined SM&A, an **aerospace engineering and management services** firm in Newport Beach, where he was vice president for **research** for the firm.

Obviously, his Cox connection 'paid off'.

Another double-dipper "doing research" for defense contractor story, there are 10,000's in the Big City.

[clearpepsi]

07:01 PM on 11/08/2009

give us a break, were suppose to think this guy would be competive against Boxer - this is good news for boxer, she should donate to his compaign... LOL - gopers, the culture of failure continues...

[msgirlintn]

07:01 PM on 11/08/2009

And the Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck crowd rides again. That worked so well for them in the NY23rd.

[IJKMNO]

04:23 PM on 11/08/2009

There is no better possible news for Senator Boxer and the Democrats than for a guy like this to get the Republican nomination. He will be a one-man clown show.

[care4mypeeps]

03:13 PM on 11/08/2009

Ideological Pure Rhetoric is code for "Pure Racist" just listen to all of the code words they use in place of the N**** Word. The Rhetoric is cutting and provocative, it is meant to cut and offend all but the crazy few.

Look at their bumper stickers and their placards. This strange group of people are planning revenge and it is not like they are doing it in secret. So what ever Tea Bagger, Birther, Deather or any other deranged fringe group espousing that rhetoric we will be push them back and exposethem as the frauds they are.

[Jesster]

02:49 PM on 11/08/2009

That Jim DeMint sure is a whiz with words!

[applebutter]

02:42 PM on 11/08/2009

Interesting. This reminds me of a recent situation in upstate NY. Feh, my money's on Barbara, either way. You GO, Barbara.

Aside: I wonder if Carly would have voted 'YES" on the wire coat hanger amendment last night.

[BIG JOHN]

02:35 PM on 11/08/2009

Sounds like a beck without the t.v. show.

[AllShookUp]

02:34 PM on 11/08/2009

Jeez, another conservative who considers himself "ideologically pure." Endorsed by DeMint, so you know he has to be extra special. Does he come with whipped cream and a cherry, too?

[bluntobject]

01:10 PM on 11/08/2009

This guy looks demonic. Oh wait...he is a republican, so he MUST be demonic.

[clearpepsi]

07:07 PM on 11/08/2009

hp looks for bad pictures just like drudge does, so I am sure it's a bad picture of him -- with that having been said he does look creepy, spent and like he may have gotten a few concustions in his life - like the type of guy that wants to talk about guns at a BBQ

[ipastor01]

12:19 PM on 11/08/2009

We do have some pockets of ultra-right wingers here in Cali, just like we have just about everything in ideology that can exist living here, but there is no way that this guy, who ever he is, can defeat Boxer for Senator in California, running with those background and credentials. No Way.

[biabouman41]

12:18 PM on 11/08/2009

Once the Democrats do a decent job of organising they wiil beat the Republicans. I watched the Georgia campaign of Sen Chambliss in 2008 and if his Democratic opponent had reasonable effort he would have beaten Chambliss. As it was he was forced into a runoff election. The Democratic opponent was so bad that I cannot now think of his name; I did not know by Sep. 2008 who he was, what his positions were. Just a poor effort, but he was still able to force Chambliss into a runoff. This was Georgia!
Do you realise that since Obama was elected all special elections for Congress have gone the way of the Democratic Party?? Think of it. The Republicans offer nothing. How may votes can I get for outlawing them?. Can we outlaw them for obstructionism??? They are not needed.

Fact is the Democrats themselves will provide opposition, you just have to pay them $1.4m for $200K property like happened with one Democratic rep from Arkansas, who opposed health care reform.

[Factonfact]

11:35 AM on 11/08/2009

Is this fellow the next bought-and-paid-for candidate of the Republican millionaire's club -- the Club for Growth?