Former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack, infamous for vetoing Eminent Domain Reform in Iowa, drops out of the running for the Dem nomination for president, citing a lack of funding. Having his veto overridden [see my July 19 ’06 post on this] by about a 9-1 ratio in the Iowa Legislature to restorethe Eminent Domain Reform bill he vetoed, couldn’t have been a big momentum builder…

Even if he was righteous on the right to own and keep private property, this partially underscores the argument about California and the rest of the states in this gold rush to run their presidential primaries forward to February ’08, the results we’ll likely live with, and not get a real chance to correct, forthe next 8 years. It will make it nearly impossible for non "name" or non big money candidates to get a foothold in the race with a little early momentum, overcoming "conventional wisdom" and giving American voters a spectrum of choices instead of a red or blue rubber stamp.… Read More

The Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, George Valverde, was dispatched to Washington, D.C., last week – presumably at the direction of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger – to express grave concerns that the State of California Government (read: the Governor) has with the implementation of the REAL ID Act passed by Congress and signed by the President back in 2005. This law established federal standards for drivers’ licenses. If you want a license, you have to show demonstrate something that should be pretty simple: proof of legal residency (SS# or birth certificate). It would appear that the main objections that states all around America have is the tremendous costs associated with implementing the ACT (the National Governors Assocation pegs it upwards of $11 billion collectively for the 50 states to come up to snuff). The law gives states from 2008 – 2013 to check out drivers for their proper documents and re-issue new licences for the roughly 250 million currently licenced drivers nationwide. The penalty to states if they do not comply? Licenses in a non-compliant state cannot be used as… Read More

Stanislaus County was once a stronghold for the democrat party and the Condit machine had been a powerful force for years all the way until the Levy scandal broke. The collapse of Condit and that machine has opened Stanislaus for GOP dominance at the state and local office level. Continued population growth and local election victories bode well for maintaining the surge in Republican officeholders and voter registration numbers. Here’s the lowdown:

County Board of Supervisors

Not so long ago, county government had a strong contingent of democrats. Now, after a string of defeats there are zero democrats on the Board of Supervisors. County GOP Chairman Jim DeMartini and William O’Brien defeated long-term democrat incumbents in 2004 and are serving their first terms on the board. The seat of retiring board member Ray Simon was claimed by former state Senator Dick Monteith keeping that seat in the Republican column. They are joined by long-time board member Tom Mayfield and Jeff Grover, a growing power player in Stanislaus County who sailed to re-election in November.

DeMartini and O’Brien… Read More

The Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, George Valverde, was dispatched to Washington, D.C., last week – presumably at the direction of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger – to express grave concerns that the State of California Government (read: the Governor) has with the implementation of the REAL ID Act passed by Congress and signed by the President back in 2005. This law established federal standards for drivers’ licenses. If you want a license, you have to show demonstrate something that should be pretty simple: proof of legal residency (SS# or birth certificate). It would appear that the main objections that states all around America have is the tremendous costs associated with implementing the ACT (the National Governors Assocation pegs it upwards of $11 billion collectively for the 50 states to come up to snuff). The law gives states from 2008 – 2013 to check out drivers for their proper documents and re-issue new licences for the roughly 250 million currently licenced drivers nationwide. The penalty to states if they do not comply? Licenses in a non-compliant state cannot be used as… Read More

I’ve been feeling the heat – from my right, because I am an early supporter of Rudy Giuliani for President. I’ve got a number of reasons, but as a pro – life, anti – special rights and pro – second Amendment voter, the "single issue" voter now scares the heck out of me.

I’ve moved beyond conservatism as a standard for candidate support. Why? Because conservative rhetoric has become empty rhetoric. There has been no consistent "conservatism" practiced at any level of government in the last ten years. And frankly, when I hear members of our Party bloviating about "limited government", blah, blah blah, I could really care less. In my judgment, most of the Republican base has also lost faith. In California, where our "Republican" Governor believes centrism equals liberalism, the base is in no better shape.

So let’s look at the set of issues framing the 2008 presidential run. For me, its all about committing to the War on Terrorists. Romney has no experience in this area at all, and McCain’s… Read More

The basis of power for an urban Republican Party County Chairman is the ability to project force.

In order to project force the Chairman must be able to pay the rent and staff. The purpose to paying the rent and paying staff is to build a precinct organization that allows the Chairman and his committee to distribute tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of pieces of literature with the Party’s endorsed candidates on it to GOP voters, and turn those voters out, and thus win elections.

There are various bells and whistles a County Party can add after these basics, but these basics come first. Period. If you don’t have the manpower, and the money to support the manpower, then nothing else follows. Not money. Not victories. Nothing. Just a sham and a series of depressing meetings in the back of a library or county adminstration building..

This being said, any Chairman and his leading staff should read Chip Englander’s "Building a Republican Precinct Representative Program in Six Months". It’s the single most important nuts and bolts document available, and should be the Bible of any decent organization, and any… Read More

A few weeks back, Seneca at OC Blog had an interesting post about Orange County political figures spotted at a fundraiser for Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Guiliani that brought in over $300,000. Seneca said "I was pleased to see notable members of Orange County’s political and community leaders present including Paul Folino, Rich Wagner, Dale Dykema, Bill Simon, Dick Marconi, Lucy Dunn, Diane Harkey, Mario Rodriguez, Tony Rackacus, Jim Lacy, Jim Palmer and Tracy Price (the list could go on). All things said, the event went off extremely successfully, leaving me anxious to get on the invite list for the next OC fundraiser for the frontrunner." (Happy to be on the list!)

But not to be outdone, Mitt Romney’s campaign has a new fundraiser planned in the Orange County for March 16, and there are some equally interesting names from the O.C. on the host committee for that event, including former state Republican Party Chair Mike Schroeder and wife Susan, Jim Righeimer, prominent O.C. pollster Adam Probolsky, the Lincoln Club’s Buck Johns, devout Mormons Bob and LaDorna Eichenberg, Newport Beach political guru Dave Ellis, Congressman John… Read More

The Assembly Desk closed bill introduction today at the 5 PM deadline. Yesterday at the end of floor session, the bill intro’s were up to about AB 720 or so. Todaythe Desk was carpet bombed with another 1000 bills, ending at AB 1705 last we checked…plus probably another 100 "committee bills" floating around.

As a buddy of mine says at the end of the bill ‘spring planting season’,I didn’t know there was that much wrong with California.… Read More