Let me start off my commentary this morning with a congratulatory message for United States Senator John McCain. Senator, your win here in California was impressive, and your overall performance around the country gives you bragging rights to be able to say that in 2008, it was Super McCain Tuesday. Congrats on your big win! A lot of folks were working hard on the McCain efforts in the final push, and so I also want to congratulate all of them.

Tomorrow I will be devoting my column to sharing more thoughts with FR readers about a John McCain nomination, but for today, I want to devote the rest of my column to a very important victory — THE DEFEAT OF PROPOSITION 93!! As FR readers well know, since I have devoted so much ‘cyber ink’ to Proposition 93, it was a terrible measure constructed out of the hubris of now-retiring Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. The entire campaign to pass the measure, which contained a specific provision to allow dozens of termed-out California State Legislators to serve well beyond even the new terms articulated in 93, was constructed around what had been labeled, THE BIG LIE. Attorney General Jerry… Read More

Congratulations are due in Newport Beach to political consultant Scott Taylor and proponents Bill Ficker, Marion Bergeson, and Jack Crowl on their victory last night with the Charter Amendment known as the "City Hall in the Park" Initiative, which will site a new City Hall in Newport Center near the main library and save taxpayers millions. I was pleased to write the proposed law for them and successfully defend it in court. The 5.5% margin of victory must have made for a sweet night, Bill Ficker!

That said, theCity of Newport Beach hasone of the most threatening and unconstitutional campaign ordinances on its books I have ever seen, and thefree-speech loving Republicans on that council need to repeal this law before the next municipal elections to avoid getting slapped with a civil rights suit they are certain to lose, and certain to pay for. The law, which can be found on the City’s website at Municipal Code section 1.30, criminalizes all "writings," direct-mail and flyers distributed to 200 or more people in Newport Beach within 14 days of an election, unlesscopies are filed with the City Clerk within 2 hours of… Read More

Let me start off my commentary this morning with a congratulatory message for United States Senator John McCain. Senator, your win here in California was impressive, and your overall performance around the country gives you bragging rights to be able to say that in 2008, it was Super McCain Tuesday. Congrats on your big win! A lot of folks were working hard on the McCain efforts in the final push, and so I also want to congratulate all of them.

Tomorrow I will be devoting my column to sharing more thoughts with FR readers about a John McCain nomination, but for today, I want to devote the rest of my column to a very important victory — THE DEFEAT OF PROPOSITION 93!! As FR readers well know, since I have devoted so much ‘cyber ink’ to Proposition 93, it was a terrible measure constructed out of the hubris of now-retiring Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. The entire campaign to pass the measure, which contained a specific provision to allow dozens of termed-out California State Legislators to serve well beyond even the new terms articulated in 93, was constructed around what had been labeled, THE BIG LIE. Attorney General Jerry… Read More

For nearly a decade, Corona Mayor Jeff Miller has been working to build out the 91 freeway. He has been successful by targeting projects that use existing tax dollars, that fit on the existing pavement, and can be done with a minimum of permitting, regulatory backlog, etc.

Sounds like a good idea right?

Man is it ever.

These projects have added lanes now on both sides of the freeway cutting some commute times by half without disturbing any of the birds, pocket mice, and fairy shrimp that turn out herds of environmentalists to stall and stop other transportation projects all over California.

Now to the really interesting part.

Jeff not only serves as an elected official in Riverside County – he is a Chairman of the 91 Toll Road Advisory Committee for the ORANGE County Transportation Authority.

Last year he testified for ORANGE County in their pursuit of money from the flawed transportation bonds. And you know what happened? His testimony, bringing together Riverside and Orange County talked the state into spending another $20 million or so in ORANGE County.

Today, Jeff joined a legion of ORANGE County electeds in… Read More

Gov. Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement in recognition of President Ronald Reagan’s birthday: PROCLAMATION Ronald Reagan was a man who kept his word. Whether the promise was to protect swimmers as a young lifeguard or defend the Constitution of the United States as President, he always delivered. In 1966, Californians gave him a chance to govern a state facing challenges in education and infrastructure, skyrocketing taxes and deep social unrest. It was Reagan’s characteristic optimism and can-do attitude that helped meet those challenges, and eight years later, he left office as one of California’s greatest governors. As the 1970’s came to a close, our nation was… Read More

If your name has been submitted by the Romney for President Campaign or the McCain for President Campaign as a prospective delegate for this summer’s Republican National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you may have a long night and early morning ahead. Over the past few days, we have seen several public opinion polls attempting to gauge who will win the GOP primary here in the Golden State. Some of these surveys show Senator Mccain ahead, others show Governor Romney ahead. Others show that it is neck and neck. The reality is probably somewhere in this range – it will be a tight race. For those who are frustrated about the disparagy of some of the polling results, I would take heed in something my friend and fellow blogger Adam Probolsky (a public opinion pollster by profession) likes to say, "The results of a survey of voters is only as accurate as your ability to try and predict who is likely to actually vote." There are predictions for a record turn out by California voters today. This isn’t surprising since on both sides of the political spectrum, Golden State voters will be actually making a… Read More

I went over to the Drudge Report website to see the latest, and was treated to a huge headline: SHOCK POLL: OBAMA TAKES 13-POINT LEAD IN CALIFORNIA, ROMNEY UP 7

The headline links to a Reuters story, Obama, Romney lead in California on Super Tuesday that is all about the results of a late breaking Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby survey. The phone interviews for the survey were taken Sunday and yesterday.

Remember to vote!… Read More

With the early returns rolling in for Super-Tuesday, the race for the White House is reaching full steam.

In the Caucuses in West VA, Huckabee racked up 18 delegates (the balance will be awarded in the May Primary) and won his home state of Arkansas and in Alabama, which apportion their delegates 34 and 48 delegates respectively.

McCain posted wins in the winner-take-all states of New Jersey (52), Delaware (18) and Connecticut (30) and leads in Illinois, which apportions its 70 GOP delegates. McCain is also likely to win in NY (101) and Arizona (53).

Romney won his home state of MA, which apportions its 43 delegates; and is likely to win in Utah, CO, and North Dakota (apportioning 36, 46 and 26 delegates respectively).

Returns from winner-take-all states MT, MO and apportioned states CA, OK, GA, MN, TN and AK will continue to roll in (Alaska reports last for this round), so tons of delegates are still up for grabs.

The largest state in the Union has recieved unprecidented attention from both parties, that alone should revive the… Read More