Have you ever qualified a referendum without huge amounts of money? CRFI is on their way. Having been involved in referendums before I know how hard this is. The time is short and unless you have a big special interest money it is very hard. Today is the last day to request petitions. You have to get plenty out there and the campaign has almost 400,000 petitions out there. That is huge. If only 15% come back full it qualifies. That is part one Then they have to get them back. To date they have over 161,000 signatures. That number doesn’t include the over 100 people or churches that promised 1000 signatures and … Read More

(If this post seems familiar, we’ve used the "Disneyland" analogy below before, as this isn’t the first time that the liberals in the media have "lept" onto a poorly worded survey to assert public opinion.) As FR contributor and public opinion pollster Adam Probolsky likes to say, a poll is only as good as what you ask, and to whom you ask it. So I was quite amused to see so much enthusiasm erupt from the liberal media and left-wing Democrats when the Field Poll released their latest survey response. The source of their glee?

Their question asks a sampling of random Californians if they support the current health care proposal before the legislature.

The response to this question: 38% Favor Strongly, 34% Favor Somewhat, 12% Oppose Somewhat, 11% Oppose Strongly and 13% No Opinion.

Here is the problem — the question is a "feel good" rosy one… Read More

After Friday, the FR main page will be on haitus until we return in full-force starting Wednesday, January 2nd (we’ll still have plenty of good reading on this blog page). On the 2nd, we’ll be announcing the FlashReport 2007 Legislators of the Year. We will be singling out for honors one member of the State Senate, one member of the State Assembly, and one member of the California Delegation to Congress.

The FlashReport team will be huddled over the holidays looking at everything from voting records, to effectiveness, to support of the conservative cause.

As an FR reader, we invite you to make your suggestions to us, along with your reasoning. If you send in an e-mail, your name will be held in confidence, but we’ll give you direct feedback. Or you can send in your suggestion anonymously.

Thanks for your input… Read More

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