History and arts are full of examples of how the acquisition of power leads to the corruption of the individual who seeks and obtains power. The Stars Wars movies are an anthology of how one person seeks to obtain power for good reasons (to save the life of the woman he loves) and it turns him into the evil Darth Vader. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is about how the power of the one ring can destroy anyone who wields that power, and that the only way to preserve society is to destroy that power. Indeed, the story of the recent Republican reign in Congress is the story of how the acquisition and maintainence of power led to corruption at a variety of levels. Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff were not the worst of the offenders. The worst was those who used their power, and the massive federal budget, to try to ensure their continuance in power. Earmarks, pork in the common parlance, are the source of that corruption. Subtle though it may be, the use of other people’s money to buy support for the maintainence of power is the worst kind of corruption there is, and Republicans, who promised not to engage in that kind of behavior, deserved to lose Congress for… Read More

My initial commentary on war profiteer Michael Moore’s visit to the State Capitol a few weeks back drew the ire of liberals all over the state. Now a new op ed in the Wall Street Journal adds to the mountain of evidence of Canada’s failed single payer health system. I dare say there is as much evidence of the disaster of single payer throughout the world as let’s say – global warming!

So let me use the liberal line on this: the debate is over. Single payer health insurance funded by government is an abject failure.… Read More

Former State Senator Republican Leader Jim Nielson, who retired from the Senate back in 1990, has decided that he is ready, once again, to serve the residents of the "North State" (as FR blogger Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa likes to refer to his sprawling 2nd District). This morning Nielson (pictured to the right, with Tom McClintock in the background), the youngest Senate GOP Leader in California history, is currently serving as a Deputy Commissioner of the California Board of Prison Terms. The Second Assembly District is ‘safe’ GOP territory, and LaMalfa is currently in his third and final term (though gearing up for a State Senate run himself in 2010).

As someone who served many years in the State Senate, we’ll be looking more at Nielson’s record as a Republican. That said, I do remember that Nielson co-authored (with Paul Gann) the Victims Bill of Rights. And in recent years, we’ve… Read More

As the drama regarding the resignation of Michael Kamburowski has been unfolding, I had been hoping that I could get someone on the CRP Board to shoot me straight, explain what actually went on, and tell me how this, let’s call it a “diversion” from Ron Nehring’s ‘Strategic Plan,’ happened in the first place.

But as I woke up yesterday, I never thought it would be as easy as clicking onto the San Francisco Chronicle’s website and reading it straight from the mouth, or I guess rather the keyboard, of the CRP’s National Committeeman, Tim Morgan.

Tim wrote about what a “sad day” it was for the CRP. And in one respect, he was correct. It is a sad day when a CRP Board member goes to arguably the least Republican friendly newspaper in the state to try to air the Party’s dirty laundry and attempt to distance himself from an unfolding controversy.

Beyond the fact that his own piece highlights Tim’s irrelevance on the CRP Board – that not a single other… Read More

The 37th CD Primary is over. Richardson won the Dem primary. Earlier, Iposted about the GOP field. See here. Turns out that among GOP voters. The cop John Kanaly came in first and the convicted kidnapper came in last. … Read More

Steve Cooley is the two-time District Attorney from Los Angeles County. Most Republicans like him. He was a stand up guy in the Tookie Williams case. See here.He has been hardcore on the illegal immigration issue. I have personally heard him call for the Pardoning of the imprisoned borsed guards and he is relentless in tracking down illegal alien murderers. He opened a public integrity unit that got a guilty plea from a member of my school board.

However, some question his view on three strikes. Cooley wants to change the three strike law and that is drawing alot of controversy. See here.He is also drawing an opponent, Steve Ipsen, president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys.Ipsen is aRepublican, he needs to raise some $$ to be competitive, but 3 strikes will be an issue. See article here.… Read More

The last few days there has been quite a bit of discussion about the sudden circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of the California Republican Party’s Chief Operating Officer. To those who are still interesting in rehashing this matter… Get over it. It’s time to move on. The guy omitted key information when he applied for the job. When it was revealed, he quit. The CRP has hired a new, well qualified, intirim COO. The Chairman has expressed his regret over the situation. A higher degree of scrutiny will be given to future applicants. End of story. We’re now at the point where people who do not have the best interests of the California Republican Party at heart want to make a long, drawn out issue (like our "friends" at the San Francisco Chronicle). If any readers of this website still have any real lingering questions or concerns about this matter, go ahead and drop me an e-mail and I will be happy to speak with you about it.

I am making this post deliberately short to emphasize my point. … Read More

Last week we featured a column from State Senator Tom McClintock critical of a decision by the California Air Resources Board to require that 10% of gasoline be made up of ethanol. Yesterday, former California Secretary of State, now Chairman of the Board of Pacific Ethanol Bill Jones responded with this column. Last night Senator McClintock sent me the following ‘rebuttal’ to Jones’ response, which I am publishing to further this outstanding discussion! … Read More