Today marks the first time that the Boss has let me write the Daily Commentary, and it’s a privilege that I do not take lightly. Thanks, Boss!

What Jon has done with the Flash Report in the short amount of time that it has been “live” embodies the pioneer spirit that drew me from my native Illinois to the Golden State. It is that same pioneer spirit-that celebration of individual freedom and liberty-that drew me away from my parents’ Democratic Party to join the Republican Party on my 18th birthday. My, how quickly 10 (or so) years go by… (:

As this article goes up on the Flash Report today, I’ll be driving up to Sacramento in my 9 year old, beat up minivan to attend an open meeting regarding the CRP platform that will soon be revisited. Based on the phone calls and emails I’ve received lately, there is no shortage of diversity of opinions on possible revisions to the platform, and I think that is a great thing! While there are some who drop the “RINO bomb” on anyone who doesn’t plug into their uni-mind, I think the majority of delegates and platform committee members will remain open-minded as we respectfully consider the thoughts of our… Read More

Sometimes a story is so interesting it deserves going up on my posts at FlashReport whether it has to do with California or legal developments or not, so, here it is, John Fund on former YR Chairman and (the tie-in) early Reagan for President field director Roger Stone……whom a few of us California Reaganites have had some experience with.

Title: Stoned: Republicans who hire Roger Stone, the not-so-merry prankster of American politics, should have their political sanity checked. The latest Stone client to learn that lesson is New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who had to fire Mr. Stone as his $20,000-a-month political consultant after he allegedly made a bizarre and threatening call to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s 83-year-old father, Bernard. “You will be subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Committee on Investigations on your shady campaign loans… And there is not a [expletive] thing your phony, psycho, piece of [expletive] son can do about it, Bernie” is how a portion of the call went. Mr. Bruno was getting advice from Mr. Stone on how to exploit Governor Spitzer’s own alleged dirty tricks efforts to discredit the… Read More

This morning, the Sacramento Bee has an article about former Placer County GOP Chairman Ken Campbell’s decision to pull his endorsement of Congressman John Doolittle for re-election next year. Ken’s a long-time friend (as is Doolittle, for that matter) and sent over the following statement about his decision… Campbell references the Club for Growth RePork Card, that measured how all memberse of Congress voted on up and down votes on 50 of the most egregious pieces of pork barrel spending. You can read how your Congressman voted here. MY DECISION TO PULL MY ENDORSEMENT FROM JOHN DOOLITTLE By Ken Campbell … Read More

Legislative chiefs of staff come and go, of course, but really good ones are hard to find and keep. Congrats to George Plescia for promoting Janelle Riella to COS (a great selection!), and best wishes toShaun Flanigan as he leaves theAssembly for the Flanigan Law Firm as a legislative advocate. Elizabeth Helmsin has also been named Plescia’s capitol director.

I particularly liked Janelle’s message to me, which — yes — she understood was for publication:

“I am looking forward to my new role as chief of staff to one of the hardest working and most honest people I have ever known — George Plescia. I have been fortunate to have worked for Team Plescia and with so many other great people in San Diego County. In fact, it seems like just yesterday I was interning for you, Barry, learning everything there is to know about politics!”

Kinda makes me feel like a proud papa.… Read More

Two interesting items from today’s WSJ Political Diary E-mail, from FR friend (and native Californian) John Fund…

Divvying Up California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has poured cold water on a fellow Republican’s idea for a ballot initiative that would end the practice of awarding all of California’s Electoral College votes to the statewide winner. Under the proposed reform, the winner in each of the state’s 53 Congressional districts would collect one electoral vote, while the remaining two (representing the state’s two U.S. Senate seats) would go to the statewide winner. In 2004, under the proposed formula, George W. Bush… Read More

The Governor signed his budget. One of the easiest reducations that could have been made to meet his $700 million in promised reducation was to wipe out the $6 million in the State Budget to support labor education and research at the UC. That didn’t happen.

He did take outfor the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and agricultural research. He also wiped out $8 million from the Public Library Foundation.

If I had to choose between a taxpayer funded labor union operation or library books. Well, I think everyone would choose the same way, except the Gov. and the union bosses.… Read More

Orange County Supervisor and legend who predicted that his predecessor would bankrupt the county coffers, John Moorlach has asked his successor to resign.

For more than a decade Moorlach served in the post of Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector after having been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to fill out the term of Bob Citron, the now infamous County Treasurer who bankrupted the county through risky investments.

Last year Moorlach was elected to the Board of Supervisors and his successor, Chriss Street eased into office with limited opposition. But Street had been dogged by allegations of fraud in his dealing as a trustee for a bankrupt trucking concern.

Recently it has been reported that Street is under investigation by Federal authorities as well as the District Attorney. Although it is unclear what the investigations are about.

Orange County looks to Moorlach for guidance on everything related to public finance and he is an honorable man who is known for his integrity. So when he points the finger, people listen.

Next: The Orange County Board of Supervisors meets on Sept. 11 to discuss whether to pull investment authority… Read More

You knew it was going to be a tough budget year for fiscal conservatives from the minute that Governor Schwarzenegger introduced his budget to the legislature — one that was more or less embraced by the ultra-liberal legislators that dominate the State Senate and State Assembly. As a Governor who campaigned in two different elections as a fiscal conservative, we were looking to him to propose a budget that reduced the size and scope of state government. But instead, again, he introduced a budget that contained deficit spending. Using some football parlance, I equate the introduction of this bloated budget by the Governor the equivalent of a football team downing the ball on their own 20 yard line! Where we wanted strong negotiation between Democrats advocating big government on one side and the government championing taxpayers on the other — instead we got a ‘status quo’ budget.

(Need some ideas on how to shrink state spending? Remember this? Or how about these… Read More