On this quiet Saturday, enjoy some of the top stories on the main page, including a FRONT PAGE profile of the FlashReport in the San Jose Mercury News, great news about the State GOP alleviating itself of a $3 million debt, and a profile in the LA Times on State Senate Republicans in this budget impasse.

If you have a few minutes, below you can listen to a great speech given by Ronald Reagan, before he was elected President, speaking out against socialized medicine. … Read More

On this quiet Saturday, enjoy some of the top stories on the main page, including a FRONT PAGE profile of the FlashReport in the San Jose Mercury News, great news about the State GOP alleviating itself of a $3 million debt, and a profile in the LA Times on State Senate Republicans in this budget impasse.

If you have a few minutes, below you can listen to a great speech given by Ronald Reagan, before he was elected President, speaking out against socialized medicine.

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More

Sunday will be one month since 23 Korean Christian medical volunteers were kidnapped by the Islamist Taliban , while working in Gazing province in Afghanistan. Two of the male volunteers, one a co founder and minister of a large Christian church in Korea, were murdered. Two of the women have been released. The Korean government is reportedly "negotiating" with the kidnappers. Payment for the hostages is widely anticipated.

While press reports have declined in the US, the hostage crisis gets white heat coverage in Asia. Here in Los Angeles, an organization called Concerned Citizens for Korean Hostages in Afghanistan urged in a press conference the release of the captives. Many different religious groups joined in the demand for the release. The controversial Muslim Public Affairs Council MPAC [ see HERE at this link ] joined this group. Recently MPAC was listed by the US Attorney General’s office as an unindicted co-conspirator in a criminal case of funding Hamas.… Read More

Today’s Commentary is guest-authored by California Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard, an outstanding conservative leader here in the Golden State…

Senate Republicans Break Their Rusty Cage Imagine a friend with talking parrots. He keeps them in a cage all year covered with a drape, feeds them occasionally, cleans their cage less often, yet once a year around June 30th when the relatives come to visit he drags out the cage, pulls off the drape, and orders the parrots to talk. This is the Senate Republican Caucus. And because they have not performed on cue they are being called obstructionist, stubborn, uncooperative, and even terrorists.

The truth is that the Democrats’ changes to the Governor’s Budget have only been available since mid-June and the Republicans have been detailing their objections to that “work product”… Read More

Today’s Commentary is guest-authored by California Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard, an outstanding conservative leader here in the Golden State…

Senate Republicans Break Their Rusty Cage Imagine a friend with talking parrots. He keeps them in a cage all year covered with a drape, feeds them occasionally, cleans their cage less often, yet once a year around June 30th when the relatives come to visit he drags out the cage, pulls off the drape, and orders the parrots to talk. This is the Senate Republican Caucus. And because they have not performed on cue they are being called obstructionist, stubborn, uncooperative, and even terrorists.

The truth is that the Democrats’ changes to the Governor’s Budget have only been available since mid-June and the Republicans have been detailing their objections to that “work product”… Read More

Andrea Hoch serves as Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She has sent us an update on the Governor’s filing a motion yesterday to join efforts to keep an artificial cap being placed on the population of California prisons, leading to the early release of dangerous felons…

"Yesterday Governor Schwarzenegger filed a motion in federal court supporting Republican Assemblymembers, district attorneys, county sheriffs and chief probation officers who want to submit evidence to the three-judge panel that could cap California’s prison population. The Governor is fully behind them. A cap-which would result in either early release or prohibit prisons from accepting new offenders-poses a very real public safety threat. We also believe it will place an enormous burden on our local jails and law enforcement. Representatives, DAs, sheriffs and probation officers can speak with authority about this burden. Obviously, a cap won’t reduce the number of offenders committing crimes in California-it will simply limit the state’s ability to … Read More

As the Vice Chairman, South, of the California Republican Party, I can tell you that I am very excited by the following news. The ‘infamous’ $3,000,000 loan that the state GOP has on the books from last years election… is going bye bye.

The California Republican Party has released the following statement to the press, so I feel it is okay to now share it on the FlashReport (I have a fidiciary obligation as a party officer that requires that I do things a certain way)… The California Republican Party has obtained commitments to retire its $3,000,000 loan obligation from Larry Dodge and Paul Folino and their affiliates on or before February 15, 2008. The CRP sincerely appreciates the generosity of these two pillars of our party and their faith and commitment to the CRP and Republican principles. The CRP also wants to thank Governor Arnold… Read More

Just a quick break from the excellent coverage of the California State Budget Debate of 2007:

News on a very competitive race forming in San Bernardino County’s Third Supervisorial District. The district, which includes the cities of Redlands, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, plus many rural and suburban communities. The longtime incumbent is controversial local political figure Dennis Hansberger, who has held the seat for the past twelve years (and did a stint on the board from 1972-86). Hansberger is being challenges by San Bernardino City Councilmember Neil Derry, who has vast public policy experience as an elected official and a top district staff member to then-Assemblymember Fred Aguiar of San Bernardino County.

No one else is expressing an interest to stand for this seat, meaning the race could be decided in the June 2008 primary. While the candidates are bringing their credentials to the electoral battlefield, the talent each team has lined … Read More