This time of year everyone is getting a little on edge. TV spots are being produced, mail is being designed, money needs to come in, and candidates are flipping out.

I have two things that are really sending me over the edge today.

The first is reporters that call and ask for the biography of my client. This makes me question that value of websites and the reporters ability to type in a google search. They can go just as easily to the candidate website and find the bio as I can — but they ask me to do it. The worst part is that I actually do it for them.

The second is candidate questionnaires. For people working on races this cycle we have filled out hundreds of them. My observation is this — if your organization can’t create an electronic copy to send around you are probably not much of an organization. The questions aren’t some big secret.

I called someone today asking about a questionnaire. The message that I got in return was that the PAC Chair did not use e-mail so the staff could not send me one electronically. If you want to set a rule that you will not… Read More

Once upon a time, when now-Congressman Kevin McCarthy was a Young Republican activist, we used to cross swords on some issues. One, in particular, was the Life issue. I was a passionate advocate for the party’s strong stand for the unborn and Kevin… Well, we didn’t agree. Then again, those schooled by moderates like former Congressman Bill Thomas and his moderate minion tended to…do as ordered.

Well, years have gone by now, and to Kevin’s credit, as he has found his own way, he’s moved to the right. Many acknowledge that while he still has some of Thomas’ pragmatic brinksmanship, he’s definately staked out a more principled stand on many issues (for example McCarthys’s been reasonably good on the issue of earmarks, where Thomas was a porker of some skill).

Anyways, I’ve been told that McCarthy will be announced as Chairman of the Platform Committee for this Summer’s RNC Convention… Congratulations! An honor for the Congressman, and for California. All of these years later, it will be Kevin’s job to make sure that the GOP stands tall for the Right to Life of the innocent… Read More

This morning there was a conference call with media to announce the kick-off of a new GOP group with the acronym KRAFT. I was pleased as the Publisher of this website to be invited to the virtual press event.

I will be taking time later to share with you my thoughts and observations about the content of the call. But for now, I will throw this out — several times during the call I pushed the requisate buttons to get in the queue to ask questions. Questions were taken from the LA Times, the Chron, the SacBee and others, but not from me (in these kinds of calls, the host can see the callers in the queue and select the ones they want to let onto the line). Somehow they never got to me. Understandable (and coincedental) if the number of reporters with questions exceed available time. But the MSM reporters kept getting “re-selected” for follow-ups as I kept pushing my buttons over and over.

My questions weren’t tough ones to answer – perhaps not as tough as the one I have now… Why invite me to participate and then exclude my ability to do so in a meaningful way? It doesn’t give me warm fuzzies about a group… Read More

I know the title of this blog may seem a bit incendiary, but after what I witnessed in the Assembly Public Safety Committee yesterday, I believe it is merited. Yesterday morning the committee passed, on a party-line vote, AB 2943, Assemblywoman Sally Lieber’s ban on spanking. AB 2943 will make it a misdemeanor for a parent to spank their child with a stick or switch. But many parents use a wooden spoon or stick to spank because they believe that the hand is an instrument of love, not punishment.

During the hearing we heard the usual arguments that parents who use corporal punishment are abusers. But the most shocking part of the hearing came when the California Teachers Association testified in favor of the bill as one of Lieber’s two main witnesses. This goes far beyond simply sending in a letter of support. To actually attend a hearing and testify in favor of the bill proves how far the CTA is willing to go in controlling the lives of not only their students, but parents as well.

The CTA lobbyist’s testimony mirrored their letter of… Read More

In no particular order the interesting news of the day:

How the CIA factors-in to the fight over an Air Force tanker contract, here, from The Hill. Also from that paper, lawmakers weigh in on cellphones in the air. As noted many other places, Sen. Lieberman (D-Conn.) is reported to be "open" to the idea of addressing the GOP convention — if asked, also from The Hill.

Democrats have launched a new "Consumer Justice Caucus" hoping to capitalize on coverage of a down economy. In related news, business and labor battle over campaign rules. And, several from… Read More

Pope Benedict XVI answered some press questions on the flight from Rome to America, and veteran Catholic journalist John Allen posted transcriptions here.

The question dealt with the objectives of his trip, the clergy sex abuse scandal, immigration, the United Nations and the role of religion in public life.

Given the discussions generated in the local blogosphere over the display of "In God We Trust" in local city council’s and school board chambers, I thought the Pope’s answer to the latter topic be particularly insightful:

Lombardi: Thank you, Your Holiness. Now we’ll have a question that refers to American society, the place of religious values in American society, from our colleague Andrea Tornielli, the Vatican writer of the newspaper Il Giornale.

Tornielli: Holy Father, in receiving the new ambassador of the United States of America,

[Publisher’s Note: FR State Capitol Correspondent Jim Battin serves as a colleague in the State Senate with Dave Cogdill, the new Senate Republican Leader. In our continuing effort to help FR readers around the state (and nation) gain some insights into Cogdill as he begins his new challenge, we asked Battin if he would draw on some personal thoughts and observations… Which he has done in aces! I found this interesting and I hope you do, too! – Flash]

First and foremost, Dave Cogdill is my friend.He also happens to be the new Senate Republican Leader.He’s a man that I enjoy spending time with and discussing the trials that face California.We frequently do that while smoking cigars.It’s not really so secret, but the Hyatt Hotel across the street from the Capitol Building has a great patio and fire pit where we frequently retreat to the patio to discuss the day’s legislative activities, or to unwind from a busy committee schedule.… Read More

[Publisher’s Note: FR State Capitol Correspondent Jim Battin serves as a colleague in the State Senate with Dave Cogdill, the new Senate Republican Leader. In our continuing effort to help FR readers around the state (and nation) gain some insights into Cogdill as he begins his new challenge, we asked Battin if he would draw on some personal thoughts and observations… Which he has done in aces! I found this interesting and I hope you do, too! – Flash] First and foremost, Dave Cogdill is my friend.He also happens to be the new Senate Republican Leader.He’s a man that I enjoy spending time with and discussing the trials that face California.We frequently do that while smoking cigars.It’s not really so secret, but the Hyatt Hotel across the street from the Capitol Building has a great patio and fire pit where we frequently retreat to the patio to discuss the day’s legislative activities, or to unwind from a busy committee … Read More