• Republicans are poised to pick up three U.S. House seats in California, which is a big deal since with our highly partisan gerrymandering, it is rare to see a party-flip in a single seat.  This portends well for Carly Fiorina, if federal races in California are being caught up in this national sweep for the GOP.
• The next big “scandal” to rock California politics will be public awareness and repudiation of local part-time elected officials (city councils, school boards, water boards) who are cashing in on full-time employee benefits (Cadillac healthcare benefits or big cash payments to opt out of it, retirement benefits, and the like). 
• In Assembly District 5, the California Medical Association is pumping big bucks into electing a liberal Democrat Doctor into what has been a long-time GOP seat.  Apparently the priorities of the CMA are raising taxes, and increasing burdensome government regulation.
• Everyone has become obsessed with public opinion polling, trying to figure out who is going to win for an office based on each latest survey.  I would remind you that the results of a survey are only as good as a pollster’s ability to gauge an accurate turnout model.  So the more “off” they are on predicting the turnout, the more skewed their results.
• It was just uncovered that embattled San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane spent years driving his county wheels on a suspended drivers license.  He says that because he didn’t know his license was suspended, he therefore didn’t violate the law.  Huh?
• It is going to matter here in California that it is likely that by just after 5pm on election day word will spread like wildfire that Democrats have lost the House of Representatives, and that Republicans are having a historic evening.  With so many voters more “connected” than ever due to advances in technology, this news could really increase a late GOP turnout, and suppress Democrat enthusiasm (even more).
• My favorite story of egregious abuse of full-time bennies for a part time official this cycle comes out of “Surf City” Huntington Beach.   The taxpayers provide gold-plated healthcare coverage for Councilman Joe Carchio and, apparently, for his ex-wife.  He’s signed up his wife, then  got divorce, but kept it a secret, and kept her on the taxpayer-funded healthcare.
• U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, dubbed the “King of Pork” for the piles of egregious earmarks that were approved by the House Appropriations Committee, of which he was Chairman, in 2006 when the GOP lost the majority, recently said that he would have educate Carly Fiorina (who has taken an no earmark pledge) about how some earmarks are good.  Right.  This from the guy who supported the Bridge to Nowhere, Highway to Nowhere, the Airport to Nowhere, and who used earmarks to spruce up the local D.C. part walking distance from his home in Washington.
• Proposition 24, placed on the ballot by the California Teachers Association, would repeal business tax breaks to the tune of $1.3 billion annually.  Why is the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association officially neutral on measure that could be seen as a de facto tax increase?  Oh yeah, most of these breaks were achieved when big business rallied behind a massive tax increase last year – hiking income, sales and car taxes.
• Republicans are surging all across the country.  Looks like it will be a landslide.  The lesson to be learned if Republicans take back a majority in either or both the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives?  We didn’t win it, they lost it.  Focus should be on high profile actions that show voters this is not the “comfortable with running big government” GOP of 2006.
• When the “business community” works to elect a pro-business Democrat in a “safe” Democrat seat, that is savvy.  However, when those same interests work to re-elect Democrats in competitive seats, then it’s time to tell these business politicos that they have gone off the deep end.  These so-called “moderate” Democrats cast their votes to elect ultra-liberal leaders every time.
• Republicans will get a second chance at running Congress after Tuesday’s repudiation of the agenda of Obama and Pelosi.  A key test of whether lessons were learned will be whether there is wholesale change of the Appropriators.  This panel has been dominated by moderate, pro-pork spenders, and needs a serious makeover.  In Scrabble you can have such bad tiles you can throw them all in for a new set – that needs to be done with this committee.
• On election night, I will be in-studio doing live analysis for KCBS2/KCAL9 television in Los Angeles, sparring with seasoned lefty Kerman Maddox.   Should be fun!
• Starting in December, Assembly Republicans will be able to form a GOP Jewish Caucus – with the arrival of Linda Halderman, joining with Jeff Miller.    A proud day for this conservative, Jewish blogger!

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 28th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.