Sometimes, when a dad decides to give his son the same name, it can lead to unintended consequences later in life -- for father, son or, sometimes, both.

Take Fresno's two Michael Der Manouels, father and son, both in the insurance business. But not of like minds on some touchy political issues.

Last year, Michael Der Manouel Sr. endorsed Henry T. Perea, a Democrat, for Fresno mayor. One television news station left off the "senior" in reporting this, and Michael Der Manouel Jr., a Republican who often is the GOP's voice on local party issues, took grief for it in the form of 30 e-mails and six voice mails.

"It is driving me crazy," he said at the time.

Der Manouel, Jr. endorsed Ashley Swearengin, the eventual winner.

Then Michael Der Manouel Sr. offered support for embattled Elaine Bernard, who was a co-founder of the troubled Genesis Family Center, a nonprofit social-service agency. Again, many thought the son -- who is currently the more visible of the two, though the father is also well-known in the community -- was the one giving his support.

Now comes a letter to the editor from the elder Der Manouel attacking the Republican Party for "offering nothing but negativism for the American people."

Der Manouel the younger responded on a Bee blog posting in which he pointed out that he didn't write the letter and didn't agree with its conclusions. "Liberals are ruthlessly committed to ideas that have never worked and will never work," he wrote.

In this case: Not like father, not like son.