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

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!

The Farce About Ethanol… By State Senator Tom McClintock… Read More

There are a lot of reasons why the massive state government expansion into California’s health care marketplace is a bad idea. But there is a very good chance the the proposals by the Governor and Democrats violate the Federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act. FR friend and San Diego Union Tribune editorial writer Chris Reed has been the loudest trumpet on this issue, but now six Assembly Republicans have signed a letter to Democrat Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, Chairman of the Health Committee, formally requesting a hearing to examine how ERISA might impact proposed plans… The signers were all five GOPers on the Health Committee, along with the Assembly Republican Leader: Dr. Alan Nakaniski, Dr. Bill Emmerson, Ted Gaines, Bob Huff, Audra Strickland, and Mike Villines. The letter is thoughtfully written, and worth a looksee. It’s linked below.

I’m not sure that actual legitimate policy concerns matter much to the Nunez machine, on their endless quest to expand the size and scope of state government… But I am proud that Assembly… Read More

Well, I don’t there is such a caucus, but there is no doubt that if there was one, it’s Chairman would be none other than Orange County’s Assemblyman Mike Duvall.

I get LOTS of e-mail newsletters from state legislators (if I am not on your list, you should add jon@flashreport.org), and today I received Duvall’s Dispatch. I ‘lifted’ this cool photo of the Assemblyman straight from it…

Did you know that Mike Duvall was born on Flag Day? See what you can find out by reading legislative newsletters? Of course, Duvall does not mention that he shares a birthday with none other than Donald Trump!

Perhaps when ill-fated attempt to extend term-limits fails next February, Duvall can go up to Fabian Nunez, and say,… Read More

I don’t have a problem with what Ann Coulter has to say. That’s her right. Her "side show" is all about making herself a pile of money, selling books, and getting obscene speakingfees. But I do have a problem with her doing what she does at the expense of the credibility of the conservative movement. Conservatives and conservative organizations need to rethink continuing to empower her by paying her speaking fees and providing crediblefora forher self-serving antics.

Ann of course is known as the journalist who at the national Conservative Political Action Conference last March sullied the reputation of former Senator John Edwards by callinghim outas a "faggot." Now she is at it again against Edwards. "So I’ve learned my lesson," she said ona recentABC program. "If I’m going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I’ll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."

When Coulter appeared Tuesday on MSNBC’s "Hardball," Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the former Senator,called in to ask Coulter to stop making personal… Read More

From State GOP Chairman Ron Nehring……

California Republican Party- Chairman’s Report Greetings!

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on a few important events at the CRP.

With my background serving as a county chairman for more than five years, I take the role of state party chairman with enormous seriousness, and feel a great sense of personal responsibility for ensuring the party’s success.

As a county chairman, I was accustomed to working in a fairly tight circle, keeping things moving rapidly in a campaign environment where we had more than 10 elections in just five years. Although I was Chairman of a large county party, the CRP is much, much larger, requiring a wider circle of people and adjusting expectations of how quickly things can happen accordingly.

As a result of this, and a short timeframe to fill the position, we moved too quickly in the hiring of our previous COO, and certain assumptions were made that proved not… Read More

San Jose State’s Survey Policy and Research Center just released some survey results on the term-limits weakening measure, public sentiment on illegal aliens, and popularity numbers for the Governator. You can read the summary release which is attached below. Of particular note in this survey were the numbers on the term-limits weakening measure being placed on the ballot by termed-out legislative leader politicians Don Perata and Fabian Nunez. On the first pass, the career politician set would be chuckling with glee as respondents to the survey, based on having the ‘official’ description of the measure read to them, seem to support the measure with 56% saying they would vote for it. Well, that is where the good news stops for them and the good news for those who oppose career politicians begins. The analysis with the attached survey penned by survey director Melinda Jackson makes it clear that it is Jerry Brown’s slanted wording that is responsible for… Read More

Congressman Kevin McCarthy has circulated a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger which has been signed by all nineteen California Republican Members of Congress. The message in the letter is simple — any fair redistricting plan must include House seats.

We contacted McCarthy’s office this morning and they provided us with a copy of the letter (it is attached at the bottom of this post).

Interestingly, this is a marked change for most of the delegation who either opposed or sat on their hands during the 2005 Proposition 77 campaign to redraw districts…

FR friend and Roll Call writer David Drucker has penned a story about this in today’s issue of Roll Call, which I have reprinted below. RC subscribers can read it online here.

GOP Unity On Remap June 26, 2007… Read More