Calif. GOP hires Canadian for key state position

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The California Republican Party has decided no American is qualified to take one of its most crucial positions -- state deputy political director -- and has hired a Canadian for the job through a coveted H-1B visa, a program favored by Silicon Valley tech firms that is under fire for displacing skilled American workers.

Christopher Matthews, 35, a Canadian citizen, has worked for the state GOP as a campaign consultant since 2004. But he recently was hired as full-time deputy political director, with responsibility for handling campaign operations and information technology for the country's largest state Republican party operation, California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring confirmed in a telephone interview this week.

In the nation's most populous state -- which has produced a roster of nationally known veteran political consultants -- "it's insulting but also embarrassing ... to bring people from the outside who don't know the difference between Lodi and Lancaster ... and who can't even vote,'' said Karen Hanretty, a political commentator and former state GOP party spokeswoman.

Read more: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/13/BAGKQQF2BU26.DTL

[Kerrytravelers]

1. So, basically, they couldn't find someone in CA to slosh around in the much with them.

[Supersedeas]

4. CA freeps will have to nip the Canada jokes in the budkus, I guess

[ClusterFreak]

2. I'm Canadian...

...our Conservative Party (not MY party you understand) had Frank Fucking Luntz hired to help them say black is white and up is down, prior to the last election here a year and a half ago. Frank used his skills as a master of manipulating the English language to help our Conservatives bullshit and obfuscate their way to getting elected.

Oh...and you won't like this one much, but the dude who wrote the now infamous "Axis of Evil" speech for Dumbya...is a Canadian. Sorry to drop that one on ya...but David Frum...you can have him. I guess the Chimp's people couldn't find a Red, White & Blue native soil neocon to do the job.

[Lisa]

3. I say we make it a package deal!

The GOP can keep Frum and the other guy. I would throw in Conrad Black too, but really I wouldn't want to inflict the Lord of Crossharbour on our good friends to the south ... America doesn't deserve that much aggravation!