Who does a California conservative support for President?

The top tier of candidates — John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani — must all overcome varying amounts of suspicion from the GOP base. The second tier of candidates — Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore — have to make a credible case that they can win. Without a natural candidate around which to rally, conservatives are forced to decide which of the front-runners they can trust. The developments so far have been fascinating to watch.

My former boss McCain was the insurgent when I worked for him in 1999 and 2000, when he was anethema to a party establishment had flocked to then-Governor Bush. Eight years later, though, McCain is now the establishment candidate, using his strong support of Bush on terror and Iraq to develop an organizational and endorsement infrastructure that early front-runners have historically used to ward off challengers. Watching this year from the sidelines, it’s been… Read More

An Orange County Superior Court Judge today decided to not rule on Jim Gilchrist’s request for an ex parte emergency order to take back control of the Minuteman Project, Inc. website, bank account, and other assets. Instead, the Judge scheduled a new hearing on March 21.

The scheduling of the new hearing gives dissident Minuteman Project, Inc. Directors Barbara Coe, Marvin L. Stewart, and Deborah Peterson, the opporunity to prepare more extensive responsive papers and potentially some time to schedule a deposition of Gilchrist. Gilchrist claims that Coe, Stewart and Peterson are not directors of Minuteman Project, Inc., and that he is the sole director. But Coe, Stewart and Peterson claim they are the directors of Minuteman Project, Inc., and that Gilchrist has poorly managed the organization by bouncing checks, signing checks without authority, failing to obtain IRS tax-exempt status, abusing postal rate regulations, and using the nonprofit organization to receive personal royality payments from a private book deal.

Gilchrist is represented by Irvine attorney and former Congressional candidate Guy Maille. I am representing Coe, Stewart and… Read More

Who does a California conservative support for President?

The top tier of candidates — John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani — must all overcome varying amounts of suspicion from the GOP base. The second tier of candidates — Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore — have to make a credible case that they can win. Without a natural candidate around which to rally, conservatives are forced to decide which of the front-runners they can trust. The developments so far have been fascinating to watch.

My former boss McCain was the insurgent when I worked for him in 1999 and 2000, when he was anethema to a party establishment had flocked to then-Governor Bush. Eight years later, though, McCain is now the establishment candidate, using his strong support of Bush on terror and Iraq to develop an organizational and endorsement infrastructure that early front-runners have historically used to ward off challengers. Watching this year from the sidelines,… Read More

I just received the following obviously-quickly-written missive from MoveAmericaForward.org, and had to laugh.

BIG BIG NEWS!!!

Dr. Laura Schlesinger, the 4th highest radio talk show host in the nation, is urging her listeners to support Move America Forward’s "THESE COLORS DON’T RUN" national pro-troop/patriotic caravan (heading across the nation from Thursday March 8th – Saturday, March 17th) and the "Gathering of Eagles" event that takes place at the culmination of the national caravan.

See her "Call to Action" here: http://www.drlaura.com/action/index.html?mode=view&tile=1&id=13528

Find out where you can join the caravan or attend one of the 2 DOZEN pro-troop/patriotic rallies that will take place along the caravan route here:http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

OK, I know that Rush has… Read More

Today’s San Francisco Chronicle reports that local Chinese media was barred from Sen. Clinton’s fundraiser at the Sheraton Palace on Friday. They were not included on Clinton’s media list for a press release on the event, and when reporter, Portia Li, arrived to cover the event, she was told that no “foreign press” was allowed. The incident was considered quite a snub, and though the Clinton camp apologized, the Chronicle reports that tension remains.

The first thing that went through my mind when I read this article was.doesn’t the Clinton campaign have someone knowledgeable on the ground in San Francisco who can help them avoid such a provincial faux pas?

And then it hit me: this is Nancy Pelosi’s home turf.

Can we infer anything about the relationship between Pelosi and Clinton if the former allows the latter to make such a blunder? San Francisco is no small media market for Democrats in a presidential primary. This could get very interesting.… Read More

On a party line vote, again, the Assembly Appropriations Committee pushed the early presidential primary to our floor, wherethe Assemblywill probably take it up Thursday and send it off to the Governor’s desk. Appropriations Vice-Chair Mimi Walters offered amendments to ensure this bill had language to guarantee reimbursement tocounties up to $88 million that this extra election will cost…the amendment was denied on a party line vote as well. Counties will have to rely on "trust us" intent language in the bill. I’m sure our county sheriff’s, libraries, and mental health departmentswill be happy to reduce their budgets to pay forwhat is really aterm limit extension election. More to come….… Read More

In a Friday morning column from the Republican Governor of South Carolina, you will read some familiar concepts that were posted on the FR a couple of weeks ago.

The item begins:

A Conservative Conservationist? Why the Right Needs to Get Invested in the Search for Climate Change Solutions By Mark Sanford Friday, February 23, 2007

When George W. Bush, The Post and the insurance giant Lloyd’s of London agree on something, it’s obvious a new wind is blowing. The climate change debate is here to stay, and as America warms to the idea of environmental conservation on a grander scale, it’s vital that conservatives change the debate before government regulation expands yet again and personal freedom is pushed closer toward extinction.

The fact is, I’m a conservative and a conservationist — and that’s okay.

For the past 20 years, I have seen the ever-so-gradual effects of rising sea levels at our… Read More

Los Angeles County has numerous elections on March 6. One interesting race is the Redondo Beach race for City Treasurer. It features long time GOP incumbent Ernie O’Dell and a comeback for former Redondo Beach Mayor and GOP Assembly candidate Greg Hill. See previous FR Post on Hill’s candidacy. Need less to say this race has split friends of both and Republicans. Take a look at the story here.

Note to O’Dell: Endorsements by other city Treasurers probably doesn’t help you in RB. You are already considered qualified because you have been there 12 years… Read More