After Deadline: Chasing Republicans

Gov. Schwarzenegger bypassed Stanislaus County in his search for a new lieutenant governor and appointed Sen. Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria to the post.

Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, was rumored to be on the short list of people the governor was considering. He told mymotherlode.com last week that he was interested in the job.

Sen. Jeff Denham of Atwater, who represents much of Stanislaus County, also had an interest in the job. Denham's running for lieutenant governor next year. The position opened for the final year of John Garamendi's term when he won a seat in Congress earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Fresno County Republican Central Committee resigned at a conspicuous time. Dr. A.P.S. Sidhu told his colleagues on the party executive committee that he was stepping down because of work and family obligations, but his resignation happens to come while the state Fair Political Practices Commission investigates the committee's transactions with a Southern California assemblyman.

Assemblyman Joel Anderson drew the attention of the FPPC when he sent more than $100,000 to Republican committees in Fresno, Placer and Stanislaus counties only to have the money returned to a new fund he had set up to run for a Senate seat.

Here's an eye-catching section from The Fresno Bee story:

"Michael Der Manouel Jr., a prominent local Republican who is chairman of the Lincoln Club of Fresno County, questioned why there even is an investigation.

'The primary function of a political party is to launder money, and they all do it," he said.

'All the local committees, the state parties. They all launder money. That's why they're there.'"

Democratic and Republican leaders here in Modesto have been telling me that this incident reflects what happens when parties try to circumvent state campaign finance laws, in particular, Prop. 34.

"There's loopholes through that Prop. 34 that you could drive a Hummer through," Jim DeMartini, chairman of the Stanislaus County Republican Central Committee said last week.

- AA