There is an ominous cloud on the horizon and conservative bloggers (and their readers) should beware. Conservative author, blogger and commentator Mark Steyn is about to go on trial in Canada to face charges of spreading “hate and contempt” for Muslims. A chapter of Steyn’s book “America Alone” was published in Canadian magazine Maclean’s, which drew complaints from Islamic Canadians who disagree with Steyn’s warnings about an encroaching Islamic state in Europe and the West.

In Canada, this type of “hate speech” is against the law. British Columbia actually outlaws any images or language “likely to expose a person…to hatred or contempt” for a variety of reasons, including religion, marital status or sexual orientation. So Mark Steyn now finds himself a defendant before both the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission simply because he wrote a book expressing his opinions about a religion and its impact on the world.

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Today each Republican in the State Assembly will have their opportunity to make it clear that ultra-liberal Karen Bass is not their choice for Speaker. Whether by voting for Mike Villines for Speaker (if his name is placed into nomination) or by insisting that their “NO” vote be RECORDED for posterity, each GOP legislator can make the record clear.

When they do, Speaker Bass should not take it any more personally than if these Republicans were voting against one of her bills to increase taxes.

Anyways, Republican legislators who quietly whisper “no” while an official acclimation (unanimous) vote for Bass s tallied aren’t fooling anyone.

Don’t complain about what this next Speaker does with her office if you don’t have the moxie to record your opposition to her being Speaker.… Read More

My column of yesterday where I urge Republicans in the Assembly to nominate and vote for Mike Villines as Speaker came about as I had some discussions with some well-heeled Capitol types about the upcoming vote (today) for Speaker.

Well, I just got off of the phone with Assemblyman Mike Duvall, who called to whomever you call about such things, and he was told there IS NO VOTE TODAY on Karen Bass’ becoming the next Speaker. Duvall was told that such a vote had taken place already (I remember that Democrats caucused and chose Bass as their Speaker-designate, but I did not recall a floor session with a ratification of that selection by the full Assembly).

So I went back and looked at some articles from late February — and sure enough, on Thursday, February 29, the Sacramento Bee reported that the previous day, Bass had been elected Speaker WITH NO DISSENTERS.

So the good news for some, and the missed opportunity for 32 Assembly Republicans is that apparently there will be no vote today.

So all of my friends in the Assembly Republican Caucus can feel good knowing that they… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary…

Re-Airing Ronald Reagan

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Last week, the California Department of Fish & Game issued a permit for work on the 241 toll road completion — specifically on environmental mitigation measures.

It comes on the heels of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announcing completing the 241would not threaten endangered species, and of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration saying it would not threaten the steelhead trout (which no one has really seen in that vicinity, anyway).

Dan Silver of the Endangered Habitat League dismissed the decision as "procedural and routine."

Yeah.

And if Fish & Game had denied the permit, does anyone think Mr. Silver would dismiss it as "procedural and routine"?

Not hardly.

He and the rest of the anti-241 enviros would be trumpeting it from the roof tops as "more prof" that finishing the 241 will turn that section of South OC into a wasteland.

Instead, the F & G, F & W and NOAA announcements have been greeted by crickets from Environmental Left, and received near-cricket treatment… Read More

A new verb was created during the hearings on Robert Bork’sunsuccessful nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. He was "Borked" by his opponents.

A charter amendment I wrote for the City of Newport Beach, and proponents William Ficker, Jack Croul, and the Hon. Marion Bergeson, was adopted by a majority of the voters in February, despite opposition from 4 of7 city council members,and it places the new City Hall on City owned property near the Central Library. A pretty reasonable proposal. And a cost saving one.

But resident Alan Beek has a different idea. Despite overwhelming case law to the contrary, including a century-old California Supreme Court case, he is now suing the City to have the initiative and vote of the people set aside. It is a curious situation. The City Council, a majority of whom did not support the Measure, must defend it in court through their lawyers Reed and Davidson, and the exceptional Brad Hertz. So, the proponents, my clients, seek intervention to help protect the law. We set a hearing for June 5 to intervene in the case. But after that motion was filed, Beek and his lawyer, a… Read More

Roll Call* has published their list of the Top Ten Must Vulnerable Incumbents In Congress. Six are Democrats, four are Republicans — only one is from California — below is the relevant excerpt:

JERRY MCNERNEY Not only did McNerney oust then-House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R) in the 2006 general election, to get there he had to upset the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s preferred candidate in the primary. So McNerney has shown his mettle. Still, he’s sitting in a fairly conservative district. And his challenger, former state Assemblyman Dean Andal (R), carries… Read More

In case you missed it Sunday….

Hunter’s rivals work to stand out By Michele Clock STAFF WRITER

Duncan D. Hunter is making his first run for Congress, but he’s got many of the advantages of an incumbent.

As the son of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, the 31-year-old captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve has built-in name recognition and political connections, and he has raised more money than his rivals for the 52nd District seat.

How much those assets will help in the June 3 statewide primary remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Duncan D. Hunter’s three Republican rivals are using their own considerable experience and connections to collect endorsements and carve out constituencies, which could play an elevated role in a campaign in which there is little difference among the candidates on key issues.

All the Republican candidates are focusing on their backgrounds to underscore why they would be best qualified to serve the heavily Republican district, which covers much of eastern and… Read More