Bloggers won a court victory here in Orange County on August 24, when OC Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of Mr. Christopher Lotts, a blogger who works in the Santa Ana office of the state Department of Labor Standards Enforcement.

You can read my June 24 post for a more complete backstory, but I’ll cover it quickly here:

Lotts runs a blog called No Labor Standards, in which he exposes what he sees as waste and incompetence in the DLSE. Department management had been hounding Lotts for months, in hopes of shutting down his blog. Specifically, they wanted him to reveal who were his sources and to turn over his private journals.

Lotts hired Garden Grove Councilman Mark Rosen and sought a writ of mandate telling the DLSE to back off trying to get Lotts to couhg up his sources and journals. I had the opportunity to testify as an expert witness on blogging when the trial began back in late June.

On August 24, Judge Sheila Fell handed down her ruling, which I excerpt here:

The

Just minutes ago the influential Initiatives Committee of the California Republican Party voted unanimously to recommend that delegates put the GOP on record as opposing the Nunez- Perata scheme to extend their time in office. This action means that it would take a 2/3 vote of the full committee to change this recommendation!

Those present got to see the lively debate between myself and fellow FR blogger, Senator Jim Battin. FR friend Assemblyman Bob Huff weighed in on behalf of my resolution.

Also of note, the committee has also recommended that delegates support the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act, as well as to oppose the efforts (both legislative as ACA 8 and as a threatened initiative) by the redevelopment industry and the League of Cities.

All great news!… Read More

Greetings from the California Republican Party State Convention. As you can see by the timestamp on this commentary that it is very late, indeed, and so this will not be a long one. The State GOP is gathered at the Renaissance Esmerlda Hotel in Indian Wells, out in the Coachella Valley east of Los Angeles. I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech to conventioneers at last night’s dinner banquet. You can pretty much read about what he said in a plethora of articles highlighted on our main page (look for various comments from me in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and the San Diego Union Tribune). In short, the Governor came before us, declared that the State GOP was in trouble, and in essence prescribed that the ‘cure’ for our party’s ills is to move to the left on major policy issues in order to capture the political center. Frankly, and to be honest, I couldn’t disagree more. First and foremost, the purpose of a political party is to achieve it’s public policy goals. No where in our goal is a massive and costly government… Read More

It isn’t everyday that you get to shake hands with a man who put on the uniformof his country, suffered for years under tortuous, vicious enemy soldiers, and emerged grateful to his nation and to God, devoting his life to serving both. I got to do that today. I met John McCain.

Being in his presence for just a moment made me weak in the knees. Speaking with him for a few brief seconds reaffirmed everything that I know this nation and the GOP are capable of offering to the world. Those who know me best know that I do not engage in hero worship and am not star struck by anyone, but today was different. I met a real American hero. And as great as Senator McCain is…he thanked me for my service in the Navy. Unbelievable…honor and humility…what a an incredible comibination.

Before his luncheon speech today, we watched a video about the life of this Maverick. He’s led a life of leadership and in-your-face patriotism. He’s been a spitfire his entire life, and an… Read More

Greetings from the California Republican Party State Convention. As you can see by the timestamp on this commentary that it is very late, indeed, and so this will not be a long one. The State GOP is gathered at the Renaissance Esmerelda Hotel in Indian Wells, out in the Coachella Valley east of Los Angeles. I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech to conventioneers at last night’s dinner banquet. You can pretty much read about what he said in a plethora of articles highlighted on our main page (look for various comments from me in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and the San Diego Union Tribune). In short, the Governor came before us, declared that the State GOP was in trouble, and in essence prescribed that the ‘cure’ for our party’s ills is to move to the left on major policy issues in order to capture the political center. Frankly, and to be honest, I couldn’t disagree more. First and foremost, the purpose of a political party is to achieve it’s public policy goals. No where in our goal is a massive and costly… Read More

The last time Republicans won a serious majority in California was when Ronald Reagan was President. Yes, Ronald Reagan, the right wing nut; that seriously immoderate fellow. Yet we are now being told we must moderate our positions to win. But how do we moderate? Do we like some taxes but not others? Do some people have the right to life but not others? What principles do we abandon, which constitutional provisions do we ignore, to move to the "center" of the political spectrum? And what is the center? If our socialist legislature proposes Stalinist communism, is the the center to embrace Hitlerian nazism or Mussolini’s fascism? Should we be moderate communists to counterbalance our radical socialists in the Legislature in order to be popular "at the box office?" What do we do, what do we do?

Earlier this week, I talked about systems determining strategies, one of the two rules of politics. The other rule is principles, not popularity, determine policies. Let me explain why.

The first question anyone asks of anyone else who seeks political power is: why do you want power? What are you going to do with that… Read More

Update: The call was lifted earlier and only four more aye votes were cast, making it 32-34. There are 77 members present to vote on today’s file. SB 110, that would create a prison sentencing commission, basically allowing "another 2nd chance"for criminals convicted of serious crimes to have reduced sentences, was onour floor minutes ago. It has run into problems with even many of the Dems as it is on call with a 28 aye to 34 no count…wow. [6 Dems voting "no", all Reps present, "no"]… Read More

by a 34-37 vote… Read More