I’m live blogging this morning from the organizational meeting of California’s Delegation to the Republican National Convention, taking place this morning in Burbank. After the primary concluded, the McCain campaign asked me if I would be willing to serve as a Statewide At-Large Delegate. I accepted the offer which means that FR readers who are not at the big event will be able to follow along as I blog from Minneapolis. There are about 450 people here, mostly made up of original supporters of Senator John McCain in the Presidential primary (each candidate puts up a slate of delegates and overwhelmingly, based on the results of California’s February Presidential primary, Senator McCain’s delegates were overwhelmingly seated). The meeting was opened by California’s Republican National Committeemembers, Tim Morgan and Barbara Alby. Both received a standing ovation for their service as both will be retiring this Summer after twelve years of service on the Republican National Committee. Tim and Barbara are both serving in leadership roles for the convention. Alby placed into nomination former… Read More

It seems like I should add, from my first post, by adding that there are quite a few folks at the delation meeting who were supporter other candidates than John McCain. In a few instances you have some Romney delegation who represent the handful of House District that the former Massachussetts Governor carried — but much more so is a lot of outreach done by the McCain campaign to include supporters of former candidates Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney (I’m still looking around for an official Ron Paul supporters that is now on the delegation).

Who is making everything happen for the delegation?

The delegation staff is as follows (thus far):

Kathy Tavoularis, Executive Director Hector Barajas, Communications Director Charles Moran, Media Director (he’s an FR friend, so we’re looking for special treatment) Anthony Kuo, Executive Assistant Martin Paine, Transportation Coordinator Christina Tatevossian-Clendenin, Delegate Services Coordinator Jame Clark, Finance Consultant Julie Vallante, Housing Coordinator Janine Eggers, Major Gifts … Read More

Besides the November showdown between Senators McCain and Obama, the highest profile item that will be on California’s general election ballot will clearly be the Protect Marriage Act. This is the Constitutional Amendment that would "undo" the unfortunate decision by the California Supreme Court to nullify Proposition 22, which placed into California statute a definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

When the California Supreme’s made their decision, there was a statement released by Senator McCain’s campaign that was very carefully worded, saying that California residents should decide who can marry "rather than having that decision made by judicial fiat."

Ummmm. If I were a trial lawyer, I would have to raise a question, "Objection! Vague!"

It is great that McCain thinks that the Supreme Court’s decision to nullify… Read More

It truly must be a terribly lopsided redistricting plan that allows the state legislature to be dominated with left-wing liberals who are so out of touch with the people of California. On the same day that four separate surveys of public opinion on Proposition 13 show that Californians overwhelmingly support the Measure and its protections against higher taxes (Field, PPIC, Jarvis, and Cal-Tax), newly-minted Assembly Speaker Karen Bass has picked up the Fabian “Higher Tax Conch Shell” and yesterday unveiled an unfortunately predictable budget proposal on behalf of Assembly Democrats. The unstable foundations of their plan are the same two balsa-wood pillars upon which they always stand –… Read More

Proposition 98 was destroyed at the ballot box this past Tuesday. Most pundits will say it was the inclusion of rent control provisions (really vacancy decontrol) that led to it’s demise. State wide it got 39% of the vote.

In Los Angeles County it got a whopping 31% of the vote.

While, polling I’m sure bears out the rent control argument. The reason that these measures have difficulty statewide is that it isn’t personal to people.

In the San Gabriel Valley cities with very different demographics have some interesting outcomes.

43% of Baldwin Park voted for 98. Now, Baldwin Park is a very Democratic city that consists mainly of working class families and has a large Hispanic population. Over 77% of the ballot cast were Democratic ballots.

44% of the Arcadia vote went to 98. Arcadia has been a Republican stronghold for the last few decades. 59% of the ballots cast were Republican.

Both these cities did better than some of the others. Glendora another GOP town went with 98 with 38%. Conservative Sierra Madre hit 37%. West Covina only 34% votes yes. Azusa and La Puente are much more like Baldwin Park demographically. Proposition… Read More

There is quite a dearth of them in Washington these days. To create a football analogy, the Democratic leadership believes that they have a two touchdown lead in the 4th quarter before the November election and so they are in a prevent defense and running off-tackle running plays so they don’t fumble the political football before then. That is why they are pushing this year’s budget/appropriations bills off until January and not doing anything substantive about energy or immigration or anything else that is not on deadline.

So, they definitely do not want to take on the looming entitlement crisis, about which I have told you before, that threatens our fiscal soundness and future standard of living. Every expert (conservative, liberal and in between) agrees that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, if left alone, will eat up 100% of the tax rates you pay today by 2040. That means that every tax on everybody by then would have to be more than double the rates they are today if we are to keep any of the rest of government functions like the military, judges, parks, unemployment insurance and the like. And every year we wait, the problem, and the current… Read More

It truly must be a terribly lopsided redistricting plan that allows the state legislature to be dominated with left-wing liberals who are so out of touch with the people of California. On the same day that four separate surveys of public opinion on Proposition 13 show that Californians overwhelmingly support the Measure and its protections against higher taxes (Field, PPIC, Jarvis, and Cal-Tax), newly-minted Assembly Speaker Karen Bass has picked up the Fabian “Higher Tax Conch Shell” and yesterday unveiled an unfortunately predictable budget proposal on behalf of Assembly Democrats. The unstable foundations of their plan are the same two balsa-wood pillars upon which they always stand –… Read More

As I type this blog post into my computer, I am more or less lamenting the fact that Senate President-Elect Darrell Steinberg is such a nice guy. He was just by my office suite (he didn’t come to see me, but I did have an opportunity to chat with him for a few minutes). I found him to be extremely engaging, friendly and disarming. All traits that make him especially dangerous, I suppose, from the perspective of these qualities all working to make Steinberg more effective as a politician. That is to say, I think state government is way too big and spends way to much. Clearly he does not agree. Ahhh, such is life.

It struck me that he won’t be the source of nearly as much fodder as the guy whom he is replacing in the big chair — Don Perata — who is famous for his flamboyant ways.

Anyways, here’s a photo we just took. Myself (in the casual attire), Steinberg, and Chino Hills Mayor Curt Hagman, the GOP nominee in the overwhelmingly Republican 60th Assembly… Read More