In between 3:40 pmand 7:32 pm today I received 14 different press releases at the same email address from Team Romney, 11 of them literally in a 62 minute time span between 6:09 and 7:11 pm.

I’ve heard of trying to keep folks informed, but did the Romney Press Shop want me to watch the debate or read their barrage? After the fifth one, it became drivel, quickly going to the trash. I’m not exactly a big John McCain partisan, but excessiveness is not becoming the Romney camp. I don’t know whether to think he’s grasping at straws or be embarrassed by the clumsiness of such a "media effort."… Read More

Except for a brief time before his exit when I decided to vote for Fred Thompson, this presidential contest marks the first time in my entire life I have been undecided in a GOP nomination fight.

Going into tonight’s debate at the Ronald Reagan Library, I was strongly considering voting for Sen. John McCain, in spite of McCain-Feingold and other heresies. After watching McCain in action tonight, he’d have to make a heckuva case in the next few days to keep me from voting for Romney.

There were a number of flash points tonight that pushed me away from going with McCain. First was his exchange with Mitt Romney over his charge that Romney supported fixed timetables for withdrawal. McCain was obviously misrepresenting what Romney said. Even Anderson Cooper pointed out that Romney had not called for publicly fixing deadlines for withdrawal.

Yet even after his misrepresentation was made plain to him, McCain stuck to his story and continued insisting that Romney had said something that Romney clearly had not — and at that point it just becomes a lie. And that’s significant for a man who has built his campaign on honor, straight talk and… Read More

Measure D is ascheme on the February ballot that "updates" the utility tax in Pasadena to include email, digital downloads as well asInternet and cell phone use. Freedomworks run by former Congressman Dick Armey have targeted the tax for defeat.

The tax effort comes as Pasadena continues to have a huge ballot surplus. Godspeed Freedomworks.… Read More

UPDATE: Thanks to FR Friends Michelle Malkin and Doug Bandow for linking to this post.

Once we get past California’s Presidential Primary, we’ll be able to devote a lot more attention to the goings on in Washington, D.C.

That said, we did want to take a moment to pass along a hearty THANK YOU to four California Republicans and one California Democrat for voting against the so called Bush-Pelosi "Stimulus" Package in Congress.

For FR readers, you need not look past the main element of this package to scratch your head and wonder how so many Republicans could vote for it.

The center piece of this package is a huge "tax rebate" to Americans — it’s like $600 for a single individual, $1200 for a couple, and an additonal $300 per child. Without getting into the question of how a bit "bonus check" for Americans is going to substantively "stimulate" the economy, you… Read More

With the announcement yesterday that Assemblyman George Plescia is supporting the younger Hunter for Congress, I asked myself how the endorsements seem to be flowingthus far among the candidates. That is, if endorsements amount to a hill of beans when it’s all done.

Santee Councilman Brian Jones seemed to get out early, locking in a number of East County local electeds. Many of those folks, if they had been asked to stay neutral until Duncan D. returned from Afghanistan so they could meet him, may have felt at least temporarily obligated to do so. But, Congressman Hunter was tied up in a larger campaign. So, the person doing the asking was Jones, who was all over the place garnering support fromhis fellow locals.

County Board of Ed President Bob Watkinshas nailed down some non-East County but significant locals like Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox and County Supervisor Ron Roberts. Given Watkins’ long service with the Lincoln Club, he no doubt is more prone to getting early support from the "downtown SD establishment."… Read More

SacBee Reporter Shane Goldmacher asks, "Does a newspaper endorsement matter?"

He has a blog post up, and also lists newspaper endorsements for and against the current statewide ballot measures.

The short answer is yes, but less than it has in the past, and more than it should. I think their primary utility these days is that they are used in this voter contact programs of the various ballot measure and candidate campaigns, to advocate for their position.

That said, I will make the case for why they shouldn’t matter…

One thing that I have learned over time is that behind "newspaper endorsements" are a group of very real human beings that make up that paper’s endorial board, and these folks typically decide on the paper’s endorsements.

Well, for some people, I suppose it is possible that their political party, or ideological persuasion, or philosophy on life, politics and public policy happen to mirror those of their local paper’s editorial board. I suspect, though, that this is rare.

Although it is… Read More

Today’s Los Angeles Times editorial opposing completion of the 241 tollroad led me to wonder if a) they let California Coastal Commission staffer Mark Delaplaine ghosted the editorial for them or b) they have ever actually been to the San Onofre State Beach.

For example, the editorial states:

As planned, the toll road would cut through a wilderness preserve in eastern Orange County and then traverse the length of a narrow, pristine canyon that makes up most of San Onofre State Beach, one of the most popular California state parks.

Most Southern Californians have never been to San Onofre State Beach, so if they were to rely on hysterical editorials they can be forgiven for thinking completing the 241 entails paving over paradise.

For those who haven’t seen the "pristine" ""wilderness preserve" park the LA Times rhapsodizes about, I’ll post some pictures.

Here’s a pristine stand of old growth power lines along the proposed route of… Read More

In old western days when settlers found themselves surrounded by hostile forces (I’m so P.C) they would circle the wagons.

Now in Los Angeles after years of losing battle after battle with the labor bosses, LA’s businesses are circling the wagons.

The local business federation is trying to organize and be as political active as the unions that control the city of L.A.

A good way to start would for businesses to stop giving ammo to the Democratic politicians that kowtow to the unions. Try that too. Partner.… Read More