For months know, rumors have circulated around that Congressman John Doolittle who represents California’s 4th District, east of Sacramento, was going to announce his retirement. The Congressman has been been in a tough political battle, that must be very frustrating for him. You see, he is battling against a federal investigation of him that has been very high profile, but has yet to actually result in any formal charges. Yet, in the court of public opinion, Doolittle clearly has problems. In a district that was literally drawn to elect a Republican, he barely won re-election in 2006. His former opponent, military veteran Charlie Brown is running again, and I have seen polling data that shows it would be a very uphill battle for Doolittle to get re-elected. The taint of the FBI probe has also had a significant and negative impact on the Congressman’s ability to raise needed funds for re-election, and has also caused a severe financial drain as potential resources for a re-election bid are diverted to pay legal bills.

I know John Doolittle well — and he is a good and honorable man. I find it hard to believe that he has broken any laws, and… Read More

Tomorrow morning I will have a bit lengthier critique of the Governor’s State of the State Address, but I thought I would post some immediate reaction, along with the full text of the speech (below) so that you have an opportunity to read it for yourself.

I think that I will preface my immediate comments by quoting an excerpt from the analysis given by Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Weintraub on his blog (free registration required), because I found these lines to be quite insightful:

It’s simply impossible anymore to categorize Schwarzenegger politically or ideologically. He is a fusion politician, taking ideas from the left and the right and the center as he sees fit. He is one of a kind.

Not long ago, I visited my favorite spot in Sacramento…the hallway where then-Governor Reagan’s picture hangs. I never walk through the Capitol without going there for inspiration, and I never fail to receive it. There were 2 things about Ronald Reagan that I can never forget: his effervescent smile and his optimistic message. I never saw him in person, but each time I saw him on TV, the part of my soul that belongs exclusively to my Country was always stirred. He made me proud to be an American.The last time I visited that portrait, I felt sad. I had just attended a RJC event at the Reagan library, where I reminisced on some of my fondest political memories, and I couldn’t help missing the days when President Reagan constantly reminded us of all the good things about America, and all the reasons to be hopeful about the future. We just don’t hear that message much anymore.

But tonight, I heard a message that reminded me of the Great Communicator. Here is an excerpt from Senator McCain’s speech tonight that I found especially moving:

We are the makers of history, not its victims.

Whatever the… Read More

The No on Prop. 93 campaign has starting their television advertising campaign, exposing “The Big Lie” initiative for what it is… Check out the spots below – they are VERY hard hitting…

… Read More

I meant to blog right after the debates on Saturday night…then again last night…but I got so enthralled in the Facebook discussions on the debates that I just couldn’t shake myself loose. I must admit, it was pretty shocking for me at first to dive right into the deep end of some of the discussion boards, because some of the people I talked to were very comfortable shedding the niceties of a face-to-face discussion, like: respect for others, good manners, logic, etc. But once I got my sea legs, and got just as comfortable being a mom in the online world as I am in real life, I managed to temper some of the discussions and I actually learned a great deal about what my young Facebook friends think about the Presidential candidates.

I’d like to report that they unanimously support and adore my favorite candidate, John McCain, but the truth is that only 98.9% of them feel that way.

:) Kidding…but seriously, many of them became converts after I endured hours of carpel tunnel pain to teach them online history lessons that Ron Paul’s website didn’t teach them. They had never been previously versed in the parallels between today’s… Read More

The Romney for President Campaign has released the following list of of folks as potential National Convention delegates. The statewide delegates are awared to the candidate who obtains a plurality of the statewide GOP vote, and the local Congressional District delegates are awarded on a district-by-district basis, again, to the candidate who gets the most votes (they will get all three delegates seated in that CD).

We have the Giuliani list as well, which I we’ll post next.

CALIFORNIAROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT DELEGATE LIST

Congressional District 1: *William Pauli *Mark Pruner *David Reade Congressional District 2: *Brenda Haynes *Walter Dean Herger *Doug LaMalfa Congressional District 3: *Rob Stutzman *Kathleen Wood *Michael Wood Congressional District 4: *Margaret Favero *Leslie Dean Forman *Pam Peterson Congressional District 5: *Jose Luis Angeles *Duane Dichiara *Paul… Read More

Just in from the Fred Thompson for President Campaign, they have submitted a full slate of 179 potential delegates for California…

(Again, the formatting is a function of the way I received the data…)

CD 01 Janet Ney 01 Letha Carlstedt 01 Susan Biagio 02 Rick Keene, Assemblyman 02 Sean Bridgett 02… Read More

Here are the Giuliani for President submitted potential delegates… (See the Romney list below this one for more explanation on this — also, the formatting is largely the way they were sent to me by the campaigns themselves…)

At-Large: William Simon, Jr., Pacific Palisades Ali Jahangiri, Newport Beach Dr. Tod Allen Burnett, Los Angeles Wardell A. Connerly, Sacramento John McMonigle, Irvine Tracy Price, Laguna Hills David W. Hanna, Laguna Beach Jon Liebman, Santa Monica Former Governor Pete Wilson, Los Angeles Lyle R. Davis, Newport Beach Thomas F. Tait, Anaheim 1st Congressional District: Margie L. Handley, Willits Iris Cochlan, El Macero Marleia Sire, Napa 2nd Congressional District: Gary Freeman, Orland Margaret Dominici, Redding Susan F. Gibbs, Colusa 3rd Congressional District: Pauline June Downum, Glencoe Kenneth Lunde, Antelope… Read More