It is all in the wrist. Temple City Councilman Dan Arrighi lost his seat on the council after losing a coin flip. Over a decade ago, there was a tie for a seat on the West Covina School Board. I tossed the coin that decided a winner until a recount changed the victor by 4 votes. I always said that close elections are the worst to lose. A lot of would have and should haves enter a candidate’s thought. To lose big, no problem. You couldn’t do anything about it! See the story here. … Read More

* On Monday, we will be featuring columns advocating the leading candidates for President penned by some of their prominent California supporters. The candidate campaigns to whom we reached out for columns were that of John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and our own Californian in the race, Duncan Hunter. I am pleased that all four campaign chose to participate, and so you can look forward to that treat on Monday! Also, John McCain and Mitt Romney will be in California next week and I will be attending events for both – so we’ll be bringing you that scoop as well! * In Sacramento County, longtime Republican Party Chairman Donna Schalansky abruptly resigned after being convincingly re-elected to another two-year term earlier this month. Donna has been a longtime friend, and we wish her well in her future endeavors. According to insiders involved with the County GOP, First Vice Chairman Craig MacGlashan is heavily favored to be elected to replace her at a meeting on April the 12th. MacGlashan is the husband of Sacramento County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan. * We continue to toodle around with our newest feature – being… Read More

* On Monday, we will be featuring columns advocating the leading candidates for President penned by some of their prominent California supporters. The candidate campaigns to whom we reached out for columns were that of John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and our own Californian in the race, Duncan Hunter. I am pleased that all four campaign chose to participate, and so you can look forward to that treat on Monday! Also, John McCain and Mitt Romney will be in California next week and I will be attending events for both – so we’ll be bringing you that scoop as well! * In Sacramento County, longtime Republican Party Chairman Donna Schalansky abruptly resigned after being convincingly re-elected to another two-year term earlier this month. Donna has been a longtime friend, and we wish her well in her future endeavors. According to insiders involved with the County GOP, First Vice Chairman Craig MacGlashan is heavily favored to be elected to replace her at a meeting on April the 12th. MacGlashan is the husband of Sacramento County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan. * We continue to toodle around with our newest feature – being… Read More

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Imagine walking into Best Buy, strolling over to the television department, and grabbing a brand new Tivo unit. You then take this big, rather obvious box, and go right past the checkout stand, and out the door. On the way out, the guys who check to make sure you have paid for things start to approach you, and like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Jedi Mind Trick in the original Star Wars, you tell the guy, "I don’t have a Tivo in my hand" — and they look at you funny, but are forced into silence as you stroll out with your stolen merchandise. I know, you are wondering how this little parable is going to somehow translate to something going on in politics. Well, it does! I was reading a story from The Hill newspaper this morning, and apparently under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives has adopted a new twist on their House rules that is so unbelievable that, even when reading it, you don’t believe it! Apparently if you bring forth an earmark… Read More

The lovely, master-planned community of Gold River, in Sacramento County, is just outside of the actual City of Sacramento. Gold River is home to a few political notables, including Congressman Dan Lungren, and retired State Senator Ross Johnson, who just yesterday had the opportunity to wield the gavel for the first time as the new Chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. One of the first actions of the Johnson-led Commission was to smack Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo with a $2000 fine for failing to disclose a source of income on her candidate and 2003 annual statement of economic interests. So I guess if the Gold River Master Association (which substitutes for local government, I suppose, in a master-planned community in an unincorporated area) ever needs a liaison to their neighboring city, Johnson won’t be in the running. Welcome back to public life, Mr. Chairman!… Read More

This piece is mainly about the potential candidacy of Law & Order’s Fred Thompson (he plays the D.A.), a retired United States Senator from Tennessee, for the GOP nomination for President…

And Think of All the Crooks He’s Put Away

How the Republican presidential field might yet be spiced up with new entrants was the gossip at the American Enterprise Institute annual banquet in Washington Wednesday night. Admirers named SEC Chairman Chris Cox and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson among the wild cards they’d like to see in the race.

Indeed, I bumped into former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, who gave Mr. Thompson his first job in Washington as deputy GOP counsel on… Read More

Imagine walking into Best Buy, strolling over to the television department, and grabbing a brand new Tivo unit. You then take this big, rather obvious box, and go right past the checkout stand, and out the door. On the way out, the guys who check to make sure you have paid for things start to approach you, and like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Jedi Mind Trick in the original Star Wars, you tell the guy, "I don’t have a Tivo in my hand" — and they look at you funny, but are forced into silence as you stroll out with your stolen merchandise. I know, you are wondering how this little parable is going to somehow translate to something going on in politics. Well, it does! I was reading a story from The Hill newspaper this morning, and apparently under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives has adopted a new twist on their House rules that is so unbelievable that, even when reading it, you don’t believe it! Apparently if you bring forth an earmark… Read More