One of the first things a candidate does when the declare their intent to run for a state legislative race, is decide whether to accept the voluntary spending caps. This is a product of the Proposition 34 “campaign reform”. The idea behind Prop. 34 to give a benefit to candidates that agree not to spend so much money. The benefit is that the will be acknowledged in the ballot pamphlet as agreeing to obey spending limits. Sort of like a “that’s a god boy (or girl)” pat on the head for voters. They also get to buy a ballot statement that is sent to all voters in the official sample ballot. The cost varies based on numbers, but is in the several thousands dollars range. You can seesome Prop. 34 info here. If you don’t agree, you don’t get these benefits, but you do get to blow the spending caps. The caps are currently $483,000 in an Assembly … Read More

I just returned from a trip to Vancouver, B.C. and even in that beautiful city had occasion to think of a few things political and legal:

1. Our Governor was all over the news during my five days in British Columbia! While his activities as diplomat do not include the force and effect of a formal treaty, he seemed to get a lot done on a "voluntary" basis. He signed memoranda of understanding with Canadian provincial leaders and with the conservative Canadian Prime Minister on a range of issues, including the environment, and also some conservative icons too, such as copyright protection. Know which place in the world is the biggest infringer on intellectual property rights of theentertainment industry, through pirated copying? Phillipines? China? Nope! Guess Quebec and you got it right! The Governor inked an agreement with the P.M. which will include a promise to introduce legislation that for the first time will make copyright infringement of this type a crime.

2. No recall in Canada? Can you imagine a Mayor of a city in California who gets drunk, goes to his girlfriend’s house, assaults her, publicly admits he is… Read More

In my "vacation" mail I received an unexpectedinvitation to a fundraiser for Harry Sidhu, the Anaheim City Councilman who is running for the 33rd State Senate seat against GOP stalward and conservative Assemblywoman Mimi Walters. The event is a special seating at an Angels game, but it featured recently-elected Board of Equalization member Michelle Steel as a cosponsor. Michelle Steel is a leading light in the Republican Party, like Walters,and the highest ranking Korean-American elected official in the nation. Like her husband, Shawn, she is a "hard-core" conservative. The fact that she is co-chairing a fundraiser for Sidhu (whom I do not know) seems to be significant, given Walter’s conservative credentials. Can an endorsement for Sidhu from former GOP state chair Shawn Steel also be in the offing? My head is realing! Is this seat really up for grabs?… Read More

Santee Councilman Brian Jones is taking a hard look at an anticipated open 52nd Congressional seat next year, and has filed committee paperwork with the FEC. Brian tells me "I am planning onmaking an announcement the first part of July…I am still makingcontacts and generating support."

As posted here several times, the media and blogs have been rife with stories about son Duncan D. Hunter taking a shot at dad’s seat. Several other lookers have been mentioned, but movement has been relatively slow.

Congressional Quarterly details Jones’ foray into the realm of the "big boys" today (see CQ article). Brian notes to me that his background in the story should be "ministry leadership" instead of "industry leadership," as he previously had six yearsexperience on staff at Sonrise Community Church. (The CQ reporter subseqently corrected this… Read More

The College Republicans continue to be the major voice of clarityagainst the Jihadists on campus.

Thursdaynight the College Republican club at the University of California, Irvine, sponsored an unforgettableevent… It was held at the Bren Center withover 1300 paying to get in. It featured excruciating stories of three former terrorists [PLO and an early Hezbollah]. Each man is marked for death. One carries wounds of one assassination attempt. I have never heard such realistic and credible evidence spoken in public.

UC Irvine boasts the largest number of Muslim students in California, estimated to be several thousand. Naturally it has a militant Muslim Student Association. Hamid Algar, a Western Muslim scholar of impeccable academic credentials, who is qute hostile to Israel, still charged the MSA as being similar to Comintern financed by the Saudi government.

Walid Shoebat… Read More

Our Appropriations Committee, of which I am a member,met to do the Suspense File today.

Some of the more interesting Dem bills moving forward to our floor:

AB 583, taxpayer funded election campaigns

AB 1334, taxpayer funded prophylactic devices [you don’t want anymore details]for prisoners, in prison

AB 43, allowing same sex marriage

AB 374, assisted suicide

AB 355, register to vote [and vote] on election day

AB 722, incandescent light bulb ban [modified to require lower electricity usage per bulb, essentially banning them with goals that most bulbs, esp. lower wattage bulbs, likely cannot attain]

Bills "held in committee"

AB 755, the Sally Lieberno-spanking bill

Republican bills held:

AB 1161, requiring the state to resell land taken by eminent domain, first back to it’s original owner, or the open market, if it hasn’t been used for it’s intended public purpose in 5 or 7 years.

AB 165, creating Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, to coordinate volunteer and charitable organizations with state agencies for… Read More

When the incredible LA Times goes after a Republican, most conservatives can tell by the headlines that a hatchet job is in the making.

Sadly, the smear job was so effective it fooled conservative blogger.,Erick Erickson of the venerable Red State, Erickson with an attempt to route our corrupt Republican House members, so GOPers win in 2008, targeted Ken Calvert’s rise to Appropriations. Unfortunately, Erickson read the LA Times and believed it. His call to remove Calvert from Appropriations got a lot of MSM [liberal] reportage.

Congressman Ken Calvert is one of many of California congressional Republicans to endure the fueling of unfounded rumors and half truths.With snappy prose it took 3 "Times staff writers" to make up its story against Calvert.They thought they had a hot one.

The Times complained that Calvert made a profit when he sold property. The innuendo was old… Read More

I found this little item in Capitol Morning Report

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of CA and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, "bake sale for birth control," cite "urgent need" to increase Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for family planning services. 8-10 a.m., Posey’s Corner, 11th and O sts.

You have to wonder about private fundraising to bring attention to the greed of more government funding, but you really have to ask about whatare in these brownies?… Read More