Parsky in The News Parsky Watch Archives
More Parsky Watch Parsky Watch - The Magazine Take the Parsky Watch IQ Test Visit the Parsky Watch Store	Back to Parsky Watch archives Parsky promises to raise $10 million raises $3.5 Parsky Watch #25 September 26, 2002 It’s convention time again. Let’s see what’s in store. GUESS WHO’S NOT COMING TO DINNER? For the February convention, Gerry Parsky hand-picked Lorelei Kinder to run the show. Lorelei, whose adeptness at sniffing out and chasing money and power is equaled only by a bloodhound chasing down a fugitive, is allegedly an individual of some competence in the matter of running conventions. Not that it showed, since she managed to turn the evening dinners – which had routinely generated tens of thousands of dollars under past, “unprofessional” party regimes – actually lost money because the ticket price was less than the cost of the dinner. While we trust that particular screw-up won’t be repeated this weekend, we fear it is being replaced by another. The traditional Friday night fundraising dinner features Secretary of State Bill Jones as guest speaker. Taking place concurrently in the same hotel is a secret dinner with Gerry Parsky. Leaving aside the question why Parsky isn’t leading by example by attending the Friday night dinner and encouraging fellow donors to emulate his example – we have to say that setting up a secret dinner with the most powerful man in the California Republican Party that directly competes with and undermines a CRP fundraising dinner is a bone-headed thing to do. We imagine that is a key reason attendance at the Friday dinner is expected to be abysmal. But what should we expect? Parsky has blocked all efforts to secure a Bush Administration official to headline the dinner. No disrespect to our fine Secretary of State, but party regulars aren’t going to rush to buy tickets to listen to Bill Jones, when they can obsequiously bask in the power-charged aura of Gerry Parsky. But, Gerry and Lorelei know best, we suppose. They’re the professionals, after all. NOT PUTTING HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS Tom Stephenson is a wealthy GOP donor. He’s a stalwart of that citadel of moneyed Fabian Republicanism, the Lincoln Club of Northern California. He’s first mate to the captain of California Republicanism, Gerry Parsky – sort of Sancho Panza to Parsky’s Don Quixote (minus the noble idealism). He’s also the CRP Finance Chairman, and an enthusiastic cheerleader for the Parsky-ization… excuse us, professionalization…of the state party. He even gave $10,000 of his own money to fund the successful rules change effort that put he and Gerry Parsky in charge of the CRP. Now, since the whole purpose of the Parsky restructuring was to raise tons of money for the cause, it stands to reason Mr. Stephenson would at least as generous in that regard. Alas, you’d be wrong. Apparently, Tom Stephenson has not contributed a red cent – not even a Canadian nickel – to the party of which he is finance chair. POTEMKIN VILLAGE FOR CZAR GERRY We understand plans are being laid for a “We Love Gerry” rally by in order to reassure the Maximum Leader that we are happy peasants content with our fortunes under the Great Restructuring. But is everything OK? It is the doom of men that they forget, so let’s revisit the recent past once again. The Parsky “professionalization” of the party was agreed to because it promised to bring huge resources into the party, as well as the presidential clout that supposedly would come with enthroning Parsky. Instead, we got a clumsy power grab. Even that isn’t of paramount important – the husking of the CRP in the guise of professionalizing it is the true scandal. Last October, Parsky promised to raise $10 million for CalPlan. Even that amount is only about 60% of the $17 million raised to fund the Lungren political plan under the old, “unprofessional” way of operating. That was the promise. The Parskyites are fond of murmuring about the bottom line, so what has Gerry Parsky delivered? To date, he has raised just $1.5 million. He’s also snatched $500,000 from the RNC and $3.75 million from the Simon campaign – and calls that “fundraising.” Earth to Gerry: We’re talking about funding Republican operations throughout the most populous state in the Union, not bankrolling a really expensive congressional race.] And the alluring promise of leveraging visits by Bush Cabinet officers to assist CRP fundraising? A pleasant mirage. There have been more than 100 Cabinet visits to California since March 1, 2001 – not a single one has involved a CRP fundraiser. This is failure on a colossal scale. But don’t let us rain on Gerry’s Potemkin parade this weekend.