Legitimate, real and important policy differences separate Senate Republicans and Democrats in the budget debate.

After it was clear that no forward momentum on a budget would take place (Senator Dennis Hollingsworth attempted to bring up GOP programmic changes and belt-tightening trailer bills to no avail), Senator Jeff Denham tried to bring up a motion to fund vital government services during this impasse. The Democrats voted as a block against this reasonable accomodation.

So to all of you TV, radio and newspaper reporters, you should report that it is the Democrats who want to use those in need of services as “pawns” to try and put on pressure for a bad budget resolution.

The Senate is in recess.… Read More

It’s that time of year again: the semi-annual campaign reports — the documents politicos pour over to see which candidates are raising how much from whom, grist for the candidate-positioning mill.

Over at Red County/OC Blog I’ve posted about the reports in Orange County’s 33rd Senate District and the 71st and 60th Assembly District reports. or more specifically, the candidates in the GOP primaries, which is the only election that really matters in those districts. Red County/San Bernardino also has an update on AD34, AD60 and SD29.… Read More

The latest release from the Giuliani campaign explains that they have hired on eight California Field Representatives to carry the banner of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to the far reaches of the Golden State.

TheGiulianiField Representatives are as follows:

Cathy Hayes Hayes was Regional Field Director for California GOP Victory 2006, handling the Central Coast . She has also served as the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Republican Central Committee, Regional Finance Coordinator for the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington , DC , Deputy Director of the Majority Leader’s Fund and Joint Fundraising Manager of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Ashley Ingram Ingram served as head intern with the California GOP Victory 2006. She worked specifically on youth issues for Governor Schwarzenegger. She coordinated precinct walks and phone banks, while recruiting high school and… Read More

This from Christine Hanley of today’s L.A. Times

"Gore is the youngest of Tipper and Al Gore’s four children. He was arrested in 2003 on suspicion of marijuana possession while a student at Harvard University. He completed substance-abuse counseling as part of a program to settle the charge and was not convicted of a crime.

He now lives in Los Angeles, where he is an associate publisher of Good, philanthropy magazine aimed at young people."… Read More

This weekend Larry Dick’s campaign for the 60th Assembly District came to part of the LA County. Walnut Valley Water Board member Ling-Ling Chang and Pomona School Board Member Andrew Wong sponsored Larry’s Luau in Diamond Bar. In the audience were quite a few “Water people”. As water board member Larry is working that angle. Water is big business in CA and there is more money there than some might think. There were also a lot of GOP activists from the SGV Valley, many that were also at the last Curt Hagman events I was at. They must be checking out the field. See here. Assemblyman Huff was there saying very nice things about … Read More

An exciting new proposed ballot proposition that would eliminate the current "winner-take-all" system of apportionment of Presidential Electoral College votes and replace it with a regionalized system based largely on voting results in Congressional districts, has been filed with the Attorney General by "Californians for Equal Representation" by Sacramento-based attorney Thomas W. Hiltachk. The ballot measure, identified as the "Presidential Election Reform Act," and identified on the AG’s system as "Initiative No. 07-0032," would give increased clout in the Presidential election to more local areas of the state, and might also help a credible third party candidate to pick-up some electoral votes, without having to win the entire state.Congressional Districts inthe Bay Area, for example, which usually vote for the Democrat, might be counted on for their electoral votes, however, Congressional districts in southern counties that usually vote for the Republican, would not have their electoral votes necessarily wasted in a Democratic sweep of the state, as in the current system. And vice-versa, were thereto be a really… Read More

The fundraising numbers are coming in. In the 36th AD only Steve Fox’s are currently available. He raised a over 57K. He is an attorney and Hospital board member , so some of the donations come from….lawyers and medical.

Now, many candidates will loan themselves some money. Not Steve Fox. No games being played here.Fox contributed $37,864.18 to the campaign. There is no moving money around to look good. Just plain old burning the boats so you can’t leave.

We will see how that works out?… Read More

Senators Aanastad, Ackerman, Ashburn, Battin, Cogdill, Cox, Denham, Duttin, Harman, Hollingsworth, Margett, Maldonado, Runner, McClintock, and Wyland — The fifteen of you are an inspiration to all California’s who believe that sound budgetary management is an important part of running state government. You are serving as a reminder that the GOP can be proud of each of one you, as you stand up to the special interests that have become the dominant players in California politics over four-plus decades of dominance of liberal Democrats in the legislature. You are showing that united, Republicans can make a difference in reigning in excessive spending in California. And the message we want to send you is — hold tight, the best is yet to come. There is an obscene amount of pressure being put on all of you to approve the budget sent over to you by the Assembly Democrats, along with slightly less than a third of Assembly Republicans. So far you have stood tall against this pressure, and you are to be commended. Of course, Senator Don "The Golden Pig" Perata won’t let any of the tax cuts that… Read More