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More Parsky Watch Parsky Watch - The Magazine Take the Parsky Watch IQ Test Visit the Parsky Watch Store	Back to Parsky Watch archives Voting against Ward Connelly’s Racial Privacy Initiative Parsky Watch #46 May 22, 2003 PARSKY HANGS ANOTHER LEFT TURN It would be an understatement to say we are no fans of Gerry Parsky. While we excoriate his mismanagement of the California Republican Party and question his political instincts and competence, we assumed that Parsky, at some level, cared about being a Republican. After all, his oft-proclaimed devotion to President Bush presumes a commitment to the political party and principles the President has so effectively fought for and advanced. Much as we hate to admit it, it looks like we overestimated Gerry Parsky. As you may know, Ward Connerly has qualified the Racial Privacy Initiative for the March 2004 ballot. The RPI “prohibits state, local governments from using race, ethnicity, color or national origin to classify current or prospective students, contractors, or employees in public education, contracting or employment operations. Does not prohibit classification by sex.” It also exempts “law enforcement descriptions; prisoner and undercover assignments; action taken to maintain federal funding.” The membership of the California Republican Party voted overwhelmingly to endorse it. Connerly is also a member of the University of California Board of Regents, along with Gerry Parsky. Last week, the Board, led by liberal Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, voted to oppose the Racial Privacy Initiative. Also opposing it were liberal Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson, liberal Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell – and Gerry Parsky. That’s right – Gerry Parsky cast an official vote against making state and local government completely color blind. Another sharp left turn from the same man who proudly works with Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to pick federal judges. One has to ask – why exactly does Gerry Parsky want to control the California Republican Party? It’s obviously not from some impassioned commitment to Republican principles, or a desire to build the party’s grass roots – after all, by voting against the RPI he spit in the face of the near unanimous majority of CRP members who support it. Clearly, Parsky is more comfortable working with liberal Democrats than members of his own party. This latest finger in the eye of the state GOP begs the question: why doesn’t Parsky simply divorce himself from incompetently running the affairs of a party he holds in contempt, and return to being a President Bush’s California money man. The two things don’t obviously go hand in hand. In fact, if he shed himself of the time consuming burden of running the California republican party into the ground, Gerry would have more time to single-mindedly devote himself to President Bush’s California re-election campaign. Then again, that might not be such a good thing for the President.