From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail:

Mitt Hitt

Much of Barack Obama’s sales pitch to voters is that he will "be a uniter, not a divider," a subtle slab at the polarizing figure many believe Hillary Clinton to be. As evidence for his claim, Mr. Obama touts his commitment to include Republicans in his cabinet. He often throws out names like Indiana Senator Dick Lugar and Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, both moderate Republicans.

But now Mr. Obama has added a new name to the mix: none other than California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will be forced to leave office due to term limits in 2010, midway through the next presidential term.

At a town hall meeting… Read More

I have to wonder if the Schwarzenegger early prison release proposal isn’t a way to force the GOP into voting for tax increases. Certainly, if the Democrats had their way, the only cuts that would be made to the state budget to solve this budget deficit would be to release prisoners. With the deficit as large as it is, the ONLY way the hole is closed is with massive cuts to health and social services, education and prison spending. It is no wonder that the governor’s office—run, at this point, mostly by Gray Davis staffers—is looking at prison spending first. How about forcing the schools to run efficiently? How about cutting chiropractor and acupuncture from the list of benefits Medi-Cal recipients receive? There is no arguing that the cuts needed in health and welfare will go far deeper than just these extras Medi-Cal currently pays for—and the cuts will be tough to sell—but the spending didn’t magically get this high. We’ve drastically added more programs and increased eligibility over the time the… Read More

The latest from State Senator Tom McClintock:

In 1866, Mark Twain said that "no man’s life, liberty or property is safe when the legislature is in session." Congress is now out of session so your life, liberty and property are safe until mid-January.

We engage in some pretty hard discourse on very weighty topics in this regular missive. Now, as the holidays approach, it’s time to talk about something even more important than taxes, spending, war, and energy policy.

By that I mean, of course, college football.

Now I follow college football, along with NASCAR and Formula One racing. And, like politics, I am not without my opinions. In the interests of full disclosure, my two sons are both undergraduates at USC and the captivating Mrs. Campbell (my wife) did her undergraduate work there as I did my graduate work there. I’m also a USC football season ticket holder and will be going to the Rose Bowl.

OK, disclosures complete. Here are my predictions for the 5 BCS bowls ahead of us over the next few weeks:

Jan. 1, 2008 – Rose Bowl – USC vs. Illinois: USC is going to run over Illinois like Democrats over a proposal to cut a John Murtha… Read More

‘Twas the week before the non-denominational winter break (we call it Christmas), and all through California’s house not a Lobbyist was stirring, not even a Democrat Louse; As the campaign stockings hung by the chimney, the state’s cupboards were bare, In hopes that a Christmas miracle soon would be there; The Democrats were nestled snuggly in their beds, While visions of relaxed terms limits danced in their heads; … Read More

‘Twas the week before the non-denominational winter break (we call it Christmas), and all through California’s house not a Lobbyist was stirring, not even a Democrat Louse; As the campaign stockings hung by the chimney, the state’s cupboards were bare, In hopes that a Christmas miracle soon would be there; The Democrats were nestled snuggly in their beds, While visions of relaxed terms limits danced in their heads; … Read More

Over the past decade, I have really gotten to know and develop a friendship with former Orange County Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez. I spent years working closely with his wife, Elaine, and can tell you they are great people. Don’t let Gaddi’s unique talent for working for agencies and organizations that we here at the FlashReport think should be abolished, keep you from admiring the man, and his dedication to public service. After President Bush was elected to office in 2000, Gaddi was appointed as the Director of the United States Peace Corps. You know, that place where American tax dollars, taken coercively from taxpayers, are they used as a "forced charity" to help other developing nations. (I’m sure Gaddi loves my editorializing in this introduction – not.). Nevertheless, in his time with the Corps, Gaddi brought the institution to new levels, and literally traveled the world over for years, as a good will Ambassador of the United States. Now, Gaddi is… Read More

From today’s WSJ Political Diary E-mail:

Subprime Workout

The retirement wave hasn’t been all bad news for House Republicans. More than a dozen Republicans will be leaving Congress after 2008, but several of them are handing over much of their campaign accounts to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which has been struggling all year to get out of debt and catch up with its free-spending Democratic counterpart.

Departing Louisiana Rep. Jim McCrery gave $200,000 at a fundraising meeting held by the House Republican Conference two days ago to retire the NRCC’s debt. New Jersey’s Jim Saxton, sitting on a war chest larger than $1 million, is expected to… Read More