Today we’re pleased to bring you this Guest Commentary from Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield)…

We’re Not Waiting Any Longer to Bring Common Sense Earmark Reform to the House By Congressman Kevin McCarthy Enough is enough. People are fed up with Washington spending their tax dollars to pay for wasteful earmarked spending, like:

One year before becoming Speaker, Nancy Pelosi promised the American people that under her leadership, the House would “bring transparency… Read More

The rosters seem to be set for both sides of the 60th AD Primary for next year, making it – so far as I can tell – the first competitive race with all sides having their teams in place. Within the last couple of weeks, both Curt Hagman and Larry Dick have brought on campaign managers to oversee the ground aspects of their races.

Hagman, a Chino Hills Councilman, snapped up Saulo Londondo to manage his race. Saulo had been working in Van Tran’s District Office. Previously, he ran Trung Nguyen’s OC Supervisor’s race, and before that was Deputy Manager on Lyn Daucher’s Senate race.

This adds another to Hagman’s impressive team, which includes lead consultant Jim Nygren, fundraiser Diane Stone, and Mike Richman lending a hand.

Dick, a Water Board member from OC, had to look a little farther for his ground guy, convincing Barrett Tetlow to move back down from Sacramento, where he had been working in Assemblyman Martin Garrick’s Capitol office. But OC certainly isn’t unfamiliar territory for Barrett. Before going up North, Barrettmanaged OC in it’s entirety asCounty Director for Victory ’06, and prior to that was VanTran’s… Read More

I would like to send a big “thank you very much” to all the Delta smelt lovers who are responsible for what looks to be an eminent rise in my water rates. When the state recently received a court order to change its pumping operations in the Delta to protect the endangered fish, state officials estimated that the order would result in reducing Delta water deliveries to the equivalent of 2 million homes. For homes in the East Bay served by the Zone 7 water agency, that meant that 80% of our usual water supply that comes from the Delta would be diminished tremendously, and that we would have to import water.

Residents and businesses responded to the crisis with excellent water conservation behavior…and now we’re going to pay for it.

Zone 7 is now looking at a 6% decline in their water demand for 2008, and instead of shaving off bureaucracy no longer needed to serve the needs of a population that did exactly what we were asked to do by conserving water, they are looking at raising our rates so their general fund can continue to hire the same number of people they needed for a greater water demand. The combination of saving fish and conserving our water… Read More

I wonder if it is a coincidence that the Giuliani for President campaign has released a list of it’s California Finance Team leaders in the mist of a five-day California swing by one of his opponents, former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney. Below are the Giuliani money folks — FR readers should also mentally add Bill Simon, who is the State Chairman of Rudy’s California effort, and a rather wealthy man in his own regard… It is also worth remembering that the Deputy Campaign Manager for the campaign for Fundraising is none other than the Golden State’s own Ann Dunsmore…

I caught up with Dunsmore this morning to ask her about the list of folks below… Here’s what she said: "We’re really excited about this outstanding group of leaders that have stepped up to head our Finance Team in California."

"They are actually heading up a large and extensive fundraising network that is an integral part of our state and national finance efforts.… Read More

I wonder if it is a coincidence that the Giuliani for President campaign has released a list of it’s California Finance Team leaders in the mist of a five-day California swing by one of his opponents, former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney. Below are the Giuliani money folks — FR readers should also mentally ad Bill Simon, who is the State Chairman of Rudy’s California effort, and a rather wealthy man in his own regard… It is also worth remembering that the Deputy Campaign Manager for the campaign for Fundraising is none other than the Golden State’s own Ann Dunsmore…

I caught up with Dunsmore this morning to ask her about the list of folks below… Here’s what she said: "We’re really excited about this outstanding group of leaders that have stepped up to head our Finance Team in California."

"They are actually heading up a large and extensive fundraising network that is an integral part of our state and national finance efforts.… Read More

With over two decades of involvement in grassroots Republican involvement, I have had the opportunity to attend a slew of training classes. Some have been better than others, I admit. For the past few years, I have been consistently impressed with what I have heard about the Marian Berguson Excellence in Public Service Series. Established here in the Golden State in 2004, the program was started with the goal of inspiring, empowering, and advancing Republican women through education, training and experience.

I have to tell you — it works. I have had the chance to know and work with many Bergeson school graduates, both before they started the course, and afterwards. This program takes capable students new to politics, and gives them an excellent running start. It also consistantly takes more seasoned GOP women, and pushes them to new heights, giving them to training and tools to be effective in elective or appointed office, or to serve in government positions, or in political roles.

My good friend, Leisa Brug Kline, currently serves as Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Chuck DeVore. She is a great example of someone who was more seasoned when she… Read More

For the second year in a row, the FlashReport is pleased to announce our special feature column outlining the twenty "worst of the worst" — legislation passed by the Democrats and placed onto the Governor’s desk.

Once again, we’ll be watching how Governor Schwarzenegger handles these twenty bills specifically, giving FR readers an ongoing update on his progress through these bills, and we’ll conclude by giving the Governor a "veto grade" of A, B, C, D or F, depending on how he does at "terminating" these terrible bills.

This year, I am pleased to have worked with State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in the compilation of the Bad Twenty, and we have unveiled the list in a feature column today.

So be sure to check it out right here!… Read More

H/T to "Mighty Thor" at Red County/San Diego to be the first up with the JohnsonClark release (see below). That makes the field in the 52nd Congressional as follows, for now….

-Duncan D. Hunter, USMC and son of the Congressman

-Ken King, Owner of San Diego Pools

-Brian Jones, Santee Councilman

-Bob Watkins (Bio below)

-More to follow?

Longtime San Diego Area Republican Leader Bob Watkins Preparing Run for 52nd Congressional District

Local businessman, conservative Republican, and former Chairman of the San Diego County Lincoln Club Bob Watkins today announced that he is exploring a run for the 52nd Congressional District being vacated by Duncan Hunter. "We’ve received very strong support from the donor community, as well as from the Republican grass roots activists," said Watkins, who is a conservative Republican. "We’re moving ahead toward a formal… Read More