Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time talking with media folks about this issue of Governor Schwarzenegger and his characterization on the Today Show on Tuesday of Rush Limbaugh (and his listeners) as ‘irrelevant’. While there were a number of interviews with radio and print reporters, the most fun was participating on Warren Olney’s radio program where I got to participate in a discussion of this issue with my good friend, and a fellow writer for this website, Dan Schnur. San Jose State’s Larry Gerston was also on the audio-panel. First and foremost, it was very clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger regretting making the offhand comment on the Today show – which would explain his calling into the Rush Limbaugh program yesterday (you can read the transcript, which is linked from the main page). There’s no better way to show that you really do think that Rush, his show and his listeners are not irrelevant than by appearing on the program, right? Well… Let me quickly add that it was very clear to anyone listening to the… Read More

Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, the latest in a long line of Republicans supported by the local Party and Lincoln Club only to disappoint on easy issues, clearly doesn’t have a clue on how to fix immigration policy, only that he doesn’t like anyone being deported. All around us here in Fresno there are Republican farmers supporting amnesty, called "adjusted status" now in a sleight of hand change of nomenclature. Of course, this will not work, and is a disaster waiting to happen in Washington.

We’ve gone almost six years now past 911 and Congress nor the President has moved to fix immigration. Add this to a long list of problems not solved. Autry’s actions don’t solve anything either.

What needs to take place is simple. We need to cut the wait time for entering the country legally from eight years to six weeks. Who can accomplish this? Silicon Valley tech leader can. They need to examine all of our duplicative bureaucracies, overlapping procedures, and outmoded technology and put the fixes on a fast track, without government intervention. Only until… Read More

In today’s Stockton Record, Hank Shaw broke the story that Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian (full disclosure: he’s my boss) will run for the open Senate seat of term -limited democrat Mike Machado in what will be the premiere Senate race in the state. Below is Greg’s statement to the readers of the Flashreport:

"In this era of term limits, we elected officials are faced from time to time with opportunities about our future. Sometimes the decisions are easy, sometimes they are not. As I come to the close of my time in the Assembly, it is no secret I have some opportunities. A Congressional run against a vulnerable freshman democrat in the 11th District or a Senate race in the open 5th District – That’s right, Machado is FINALLY terming out. At first blush, the decision seemed daunting, but it really came down to priorities. My top priorities: FAMILY, FAMILY, FAMILY … Read More

The Honorable Justice Randall Wilkinson, Orange County Superior Court, took "under advisement" the decision on the preliminary injunction in the Minuteman case today, wherein Plaintiff Jim Gilchrist is suing his former colleagues on the Defendant Board of Directors for control of the organization he founded.

It is very unwise for a lawyer in a case to speculate on a Judge’s decision (I represent the Defendants!). And I will not speculate. But I will observe for my readers that Gilchrist lost a motion for a temporary restraining order in late February, and the Judge today decided to not rule from the bench on the "shortened time" hearing on Gilchrist’s request for a preliminary injunction. Preliminary injunctions are based in part on urgency and need for "immediate" relief.

But, on the other hand, anything can happen ina California court. Just ask OJ!

I’ll report on the decision in the case, which is expected to be received in the mail in a few days.

It was a busy day at Orange County Superior Court Main Branch in Santa Ana today! As I was "enjoying" my egg salad… Read More

Long Beach voters will face more than which candidate to pick for President or changing term limits on the Feb 2008 ballot. The council voted to place on the ballot the referendum on the council’s lawforcing hotels to unionize without letting employees vote. I’m pro-choice!See previous FR post here.

This will be on the ballot along with a referendum on another law that stops "big box" retailers like Wal-Mart from setting up shop. (See article here, it is in the middle).

Someone needs to change the anti-business flavor of this city.… Read More

Today’s Washington Times featured an article on Ward Connerly, the former UC Regent who successfully led California’s Prop. 209 campaign in 1996. This year, he followed up his success in California and Washington State with a big victory in the state of Michigan. You can read the whole article here, but here are a few interesting quotes about the Republican Party:

Connerly says the opposition he has faced by many GOP officials has "led me to conclude that conservatives are to the Republican Party what blacks are to the Democrat Party — both are taken for granted. Just as the Democrat Party doesn’t have to worry about the black vote,… Read More

I consistently hear two things about Duncan Hunter’s 52nd Congressional seat:

1) The real goal of the presidential bid is a McCain/Romney/Giuliani/TBD offer of a NSA or DOD Sec’y position (or even VP)and — short of that — the Congressman will announce for re-election.

2) The prospect of son Duncan D. Hunter running for dad’s open seat is simply as a "place-holder," so as to scare off other potentials, especially when it comes time for dad to decide he wants some more.

Such a well-thought out scenario would mean some significant strategic planning in the Hunter camp. In reality, all they likely have time for is getting thru each day on the presidential campaign trail.

My guess is the Hunter Family’s strategic thinking is simply this: Dad’s not gonna run; Son can win the seat.

Not a bad strategy, in actuality.

That said, here’s yesterday’s news from the The Hill:

Rep. Duncan Hunter will not seek reelection… Read More

The Governor appeared on the Today Show yesterday to talk about his philosophy of government. During the course of the interview, the interviewer asked the Governor to comment on the criticisms of conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh, that he is not a Republican, and that he is not governing as a Republican. In essence, the Governor responded "Republican or Democrat is not relevant, Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. All that matters is the people of the state of California. I represent the people." That may not be an exact quote, but I think it is fair representation of what the Governor said. This, of course, was not his attitude during the recall, when I endorsed him, or even during his re-election campaign, when he actively sought the help of Republicans. I don’t know if it is his attitude now, but that is what he said.

I recently went to see the movie, Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce, whose decades long struggle to end the slave trade in England is one of the great political… Read More