I’d like to mine to collective expertise and experience of FR Blog readers to answer the question: what is "absentee ballot harvesting."

The reason I ask is the OC Democratic Party is having an "absentee ballot harvesting precinct walk" this Saturday to boost former Democratic Assemblyman Tom Umberg‘s candidacy for the Feb. 6 OC Board of Supervisors special election.

As I wrote on Red County/OC Blog, I’m not sure what an "absentee ballot harvesting precinct walk" is, but it sounds like Democratic Party volunteers and operatives going to the homes of absentee voters and asking them for their completed absentee ballots, i.e. "harvesting" their absentee ballots.

If that is what "absentee ballot harvesting" is, it would violate the California Election… Read More

I ran across a bit from John Myers Capitol Notes about the Speakers’ trip to Switzerlandfor the World Economic Forum in Davos. He will speak on the subject of AB32, passed last year,and all the wonderful things it will do to reduce those pesky greenhouse gasses. Because he will have to fly over in a fossil fuel burning aircraft, the Speaker will pay $136 to the Davos Climate Alliance for carbon offsets to mitigate the impacts of the trip. No word on whether the Davos C. A.will split that with the Climate Alliances of North America, the Azores, or Atlantis…… Read More

With all the talk of the folks in Sacramento moving the Presidential Primary from June to February (and for what it’s worth, the idea has moved from thedrawing board to the legislative calendar as odd couple of George Plescia and Ron Calderon have introduced legislation to do just that), it is worthexploring who would be most benefited by such a move.

The polling firm, American Research Group did a statewidepoll of the Presidential wannabes from January 11-17.

Yayaya, they did test Dems and independents, but as this is a Republican blog, I thought I’d point out the results among Republican voters.

Guliani – 33% Gingrich – 22% McCain – 17% Hagel – 4% Romney – 3% Hunter – 1% Undecided – 20%… Read More

I am a fan of C-Span and all it’s sister television and radio off-shoots. There is just something mesmerizing about watching the author of a biography on David Rowland Francis, Secretary of the Interior under President Grove Cleveland (from his second stint in the WH) that I can’t turn off.

So when I saw this job opening I had to share it with all of you in the hopes that someone I know would get the job and give "a shout out’ to me every once in while on the air.

C-SPAN is seeking a full time Announcer/Producer to write and voice transitions between programs. (see the full listing here).

I once met Brian Lamb (president and CEO of C-Span) on tour of the C-Span studio in DC. Women are always impressed when I tell them this.… Read More

As the debate takes place in Sacramento about whether to move the California Presidential primary to the first Tuesday in February, there seems to be widespread consensus amongst the Sacramento-Insider crowd that the legislative primaries should stay in June. As is being reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the cost for holding an additional statewide election is somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million smackers. So why not move the legislative primaries to February as well? I can think of a practical consideration — which is that it would cause folks to have to decide pretty early if they want to run for office. But, heck, everyone seems to decide awfully early right now! But moving off of that logistical challenge for potential candidates, I think that it is obvious that many politicians in Sacramento see a statewide Presidential primary in February of ’08 as one last opportunity to place a measure on the ballot to somehow loosen term limits. What is $90 million bucks compared to the opportunity to keep such amazing legislators in office for a few more years! (Not!) I look at the legislation that passed before we… Read More

As the debate takes place in Sacramento about whether to move the California Presidential primary to the first Tuesday in February, there seems to be widespread consensus amongst the Sacramento-Insider crowd that the legislative primaries should stay in June. As is being reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the cost for holding an additional statewide election is somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million smackers. So why not move the legislative primaries to February as well? I can think of a practical consideration — which is that it would cause folks to have to decide pretty early if they want to run for office. But, heck, everyone seems to decide awfully early right now! But moving off of that logistical challenge for potential candidates, I think that it is obvious that many politicians in Sacramento see a statewide Presidential primary in February of ’08 as one last opportunity to place a measure on the ballot to somehow loosen term limits. What is $90 million bucks compared to the opportunity to keep such amazing legislators in office for a few more years! (Not!) I look at the legislation that passed before we… Read More

Some people lament term limits, saying that it means that some of the best and brightest legislators are forced to leave office too soon. Personally I am a fan of term-limits, for a number of reasons. But that is the topic for another day. But I did want to say that one of the advantages of term-limits is that we get to bring new talent into the legislature. In the case of the voters of California’ 38th Assembly District in Northern Los Angeles County, they elected Cameron Smyth. Smyth is shaping up to be an outstanding legislator, and I know that he will make a tremendous impact during his time in Sacramento. There are a number of issues about which Smyth is passionate, but certainly seeing that kids are able to receive a quality education ranks right up there. It is because of this passion for the well-being of young people that he has taken on the challenge of trying to deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District. When I say "deal with" — what it means is that Smyth realizes that the district… Read More

25th district Assemblyman Tom Berryhill took office in January. Come January 2008 there could be two Berryhills taking the oath of office on the Assembly floor.

With 26th district incumbent Greg Aghazarian term limited, Ceres Unified School Board Member Bill Berryhill (Full disclosure, he’s a client) has filed a committee to seek his seat. With a solid base in Stanslaus County, ability to raise money and contacts from a political family that goes back to his father’s previous service in the Assembly and Senate and as state Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Berryhill has a head start on what could be a large field of Republican candidates.

His tenure on the Ceres School Board will be a strong selling point and gives him a solid background on educational issues to go along with his career as a successful farmer. The real question in this race will be if San Joaquin can find a credible candidate who can counter Berryhill’s solid support in Stanislaus County. With a majority of voters residing in San Joaquin County it will be one of the few advantages an opponent will have to compete effectively.… Read More