U-Haul Candidate?

Residency schmesidency? Well, that's what Doug Ose has a problem with. So, as we've mentioned, Tom "I believe in limited government, and by limited government, I mean limit it to me" McClintock, is running in a NorCal congressional district, despite being a SoCal State Senator currently.

The above-linked article's main source of humor, I think, comes from the fact that McClintock's main rebuttal to carpetbagging charges is based in his being a career politician. Pick your cardinal sin of Republicanism!

See, he's been representing a SoCal district for so long that he's maintained a household in Elk Grove for nearly a decade. He knows the community. And knowing the community is why we have residency requirements at all. Except we don't for congress. But anyway . . . .

If you take a moment to ponder that it's Tom McClintock - freakin' conservative-er than conservative Tom McClintock - making these arguments. It's goofy, isn't it?

I think the best point in the article, and one that will be lost on most people, but that I'd do my best to jump all over, is that Tommy's been collecting his per diem for all these years too - and that's a payment meant to compensate for members having to maintain two households. McClintock's argument seems to be that he can run in NorCal because he's been here the whole time. Does he need a SoCal house then? He hates spending. Why take the per diem?

I know, I know - hey, I'd take it too. But if you're gonna be all not-voting-for-a-budget, then put that money where your mouth is.