On Thursday night I attended the LA County Republican Party’s annual fundraiser in Beverly Hills. For a County Party that just a few years ago failed to be able to consistently make rent on their headquarters, the event was a huge success.

County Chair Linda Boyd and her team should be congratulated for the ongoing success of the Party.

The event itself featured several hundred paid attendees, and brought in over $100,000 to the Party. It honored longtime LA conservative fixtures Supervisor Mike Antonovich and donor extraordinaire Burt Boeckmann and his wife, Jane.

Also in attendance were CRP Chairman Ron Nehring, former CRP Chairs Shawn Steel and Frank Visco, Sheriff Lee Baca, super donor Eli Broidy, longtime politico Bill Saracino, and former Mayor Dick Riordan. It was also good to see former Assemblyman Tony Strickland, Palmdale Councilman Steve Knight, and Nathan Fletcher – each legislative candidates from around Southern California, make it out to the event.

The old adage is that money is the mother’s milk of politics, and after Thursday night, the LA County Party will have a few bucks to invest in the cause.… Read More

As San Bernardino County’s population continues to grow, the region’s clout and influence in the State Legislature is increasing as well. Perhaps the most significant victories of the last election cycle occurred in Republican Party primaries for seats in the State Legislature. Among the 2006 victories San Bernardino County residents can be proud were the surprise wins of Yucca Valley’s Paul Cook for the 65th Assembly District and Hesperia’s Anthony Adams for the 59th AD. Both Adams and Cook replaced non-San Bernardino County incumbents (The 65th was held by termed-out incumbent Russ Bogh of Riverside County and the 59th was held by Dennis Mountjoy of Los Angeles County). Thus, the victories of Anthony Adams and Paul Cook increased the number of lawmakers in the State Capitol who call San … Read More

I’ve known Richard Pombo since before he ever a Congressman. He’s a great guy, with a lot of integrity, and there isn’t a dishonest bone in his body. That said, by the time the onslaught against him was over in Congressional District 11 last November, Pombo was out of office because of a lot of accusatory voter communication that made it out like Richard was tainted by a rather iffy connection to the now-imprisoned Jack Abramoff. Pombo is a great example of how it is perception, not reality that often times matters the most in the arena of politics. To be honest, I don’t really know Guy Houston (pictured to the left) too well. We’ve met a few times, and I find him to be quite pleasant. He’s a good conservative, and he has some great people on his staff. Like the rest of us, he has seen Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, I’m… Read More

Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger decided that he would ‘stick it in the eye’ of legislative Republicans by signing a bill authored by liberal Democrat Carol Migden of San Francisco, SB 376. We’ve spoken here before about Schwarzenegger’s "bi-partisan, party of one" and signing this bill is a great example — in the State Senate, EVERY Republican voted against is, and in the State Assembly EVERY Republican voted against is, as did one Democrat. That’s right, SB 376 arrived on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk WITHOUT A SINGLE LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICAN VOTE. (Don’t take my word for it, the Senate and Assembly votes are attached below…) What does the bill do? In essence it would give the authority to the City Attorney of the County and City of San Francisco to file "unfair competition actions" and "pursue recovery of a civil penalty therefor without authorization from the district attorney." Given that particular city’s unique ability to elect total left wing nuts to office, why would we… Read More

I’ve known Richard Pombo since before he ever a Congressman. He’s a great guy, with a lot of integrity, and there isn’t a dishonest bone in his body. That said, by the time the onslaught against him was over in Congressional District 11 last November, Pombo was out of office because of a lot of accusatory voter communication that made it out like Richard was tainted by a rather iffy connection to the now-imprisoned Jack Abramoff. Pombo is a great example of how it is perception, not reality that often times matters the most in the arena of politics. To be honest, I don’t really know Guy Houston (pictured to the left) too well. We’ve met a few times, and I find him to be quite pleasant. He’s a good conservative, and he has some great people on his staff. Like the rest of us, he has seen Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, I’m… Read More

Jon asked me to offer a few thoughts on the happenings in the race to replace me in the 2nd District Assembly seat up here in North California. I’m nearly halfway through my third term and out the door in November ’08, so I was particularly pleased with former Senator Jim Nielsen’s decision this week to throw his Stetson in the ring to replace me.

A lot of folks in the Northstate remember Jim from his 12 years representing the area in the State Senate. There weren’t many elected Republicans in this part of the state back then, but thanks in large part to Jim, that changed. My parents knew Jim since he first ran in ’78. I was just a high school kid not paying much mind to it other than knowing the names and rooting for Reagan when I could vote in ’80. Jim "came out of nowhere"to win his Senate seat in ’78 ina district that was a Democrat stronghold, barely 30% Rep and 60% Dem, besting incumbent Democrat Senator John Dunlap.

Jim has won more friend of the taxpayer awards than one can count, being a "Prop 13 baby" in that ’78 sweep when 13 passed. Jim works today as Chairman of the… Read More

Rudy Giuliani’s Presidential Campaign just fired off a press release announcing "California Mayor’s for Rudy" here in the Golden State. The endorsers are…

Jean Blois, Mayor of Goleta Dene Bustichi, Mayor of Scotts Valley Roger Campbell, former Mayor of Fillmore Jim Desmond, Mayor of San Marcos Dr. Donald J. Kurth, Mayor of Rancho Cucamonga Larry Lavagnino, Mayor of Santa Maria Robert McKaben, Mayor of Colusa Ila Mette-McCuteon, Mayor of Marina Curt Pringle, Mayor of Anaheim David Smith, Mayor of Newark Michael Termini, Mayor of Capitola Ernie Villegas, Mayor of Fillmore … Read More

Talk about "all politics being local" — this takes it to the extreme. This morning I walked over to my local Einstein Brothers bagel shoppe where Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani made a campaign swing. I grabbed the FlashCam while headed out the door, and so I have the following edited nine-minute ‘work of art’ for interested FR readers. I hope you enjoy it!Not visable on the video were a few "FR friends" that were ‘working’ the event — Deputy Campaign Manager Anne Dunsmore was traveling with the Mayor, the hard working California staff team of Brett Lowder and Eric Beach, and who was driving Rudy’s cool blacked-out SUV? None other than Erik Weigand from Assemblyman Jim Silva’s office!… Read More