If you can hear the thunder in the background, it is the sound of the Sacramento Bee attempting to change the current paradigm of how major newspapers deal with politics and the internet.

The Bee was on the front end of internet blogging, providing a forum and support for columnist Dan Weintraub as he attempted to pull together the first real blog on California politics with no road map to follow. From our end of things, how would it look? How often would he write? What would be the kinds of things he would write about? From the ‘back side’ — how do you integrate the real-time efforts of a blog with the idea that editors like to review what goes up on the website? Anyways, Dan plowed through all of the challenges, and the Sacramento Bee lead what has been large cadre of journalists who now blog for their newspapers, radio stations, and even some television stations.

Now, of course, with trends showing that all print newspapers are declining in circulation as more and more readers look to the internet to get their news (blogs, podcasts, websites and more) — the Sacramento Bee is now looking to see how they can make their… Read More

Assemblyman Todd Spitzer is termed out in 2008 and by all accounts will run for OC District Attorney.

Phil Paule posts about the field of potential candidates over at Red County/Riverside.

You can also catch a funny post there by Jeff Greene — chief of staff to Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries — about his retaliatory strike against Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez for misspelling Jeffries name.… Read More

Today is the deadline for our esteemed legislators to submit bills. I finally found my thinking cap and put it on and came up with some bills that should be introduced. They probably won’t be, but I welcome your suggestions. Here two of my picks.

First bill: It should be illegal to impersonate an illegal alien and gain state benefits. I’m sure that some poor US citizen in Arizona may want a tuition break at California schools or someone may want access to health care illegals get. It has to be stopped! these US citizens are feeding off tax dollars meant for hard working illegal aliens.

Second Bill. There should be a 48-hour waiting period before someone can buy pornography at an adult bookstore. This will allow the owners to do a background check to insure that no registered sex offender has access to these types of material. Just like guns there should be some type of “cooling off” period.

There were other options like laws banning spanking, letting men marry men,eliminating all transfat and raising taxesfora socialistichealth care system,but apparently those aren’t jokes.

Any other suggestions?… Read More

If you can hear the thunder in the background, it is the sound of the Sacramento Bee attempting to change the current paradigm of how major newspapers deal with politics and the internet.

The Bee was on the front end of internet blogging, providing a forum and support for columnist Dan Weintraub as he attempted to pull together the first real blog on California politics with no road map to follow. From our end of things, how would it look? How often would he write? What would be the kinds of things he would write about? From the ‘back side’ — how do you integrate the real-time efforts of a blog with the idea that editors like to review what goes up on the website? Anyways, Dan plowed through all of the challenges, and the Sacramento Bee lead what has been large cadre of journalists who now blog for their newspapers, radio stations, and even some television stations.

Now, of course, with trends showing that all print newspapers are declining in circulation as more and more readers look to the internet to get their news (blogs, podcasts, websites and more) — the Sacramento Bee is now looking to see how they can make their… Read More

I was reading the Union-Tribune the other day and stumbled on a column by Ruben Navarette, who envisions a ‘cafeteria style’ system, wherein voters pick and chose from amongst various parties and candidates based on each voters preference. In theory, that’s a wonderful system. I dream columnists and professors love to discuss at length. And I have no doubt that among some small subgroups of the population this is and has nearly always been the case. But it simply isn’t the case todayand unless we undergo a cultural revolution, isn’t going to be the case for the lion’s share of the population tomorrow. While some Americans may follow politics day to day at every level in their jurisdiction, most voters follow politics as a ‘background’ to their day to day lives. Political parties offer the invaluable service of offering the majority of the voting population a shortcut of figuring what candidate best represents their basic political philosophy. After all, particularly with the long ballot, how many people are really going to research six dozen or more candidates and measures? Not many Ruben, not many…… Read More

Kudos to FlashReport for bringing attention to the race for CCA. One of the interesting dynamics in race like this are slates. Candidates put together slates to help show a qualified group of leaders and to get votes.

I know Linda Boyd has a a pretty impressive slate that includes as candidates:

CCA First Vice President, San Mateo County Chairman Karen King (like Linda a 3 time County Chair}

CCA Second Vice-President, Del Norte County Chairman Scott Feller (added GOP Voter Reg in his county)

CCA Treasurer,Ventura County Chairman Mike Osborn. (Mike ran one of my favorite PACs. ABATE. I loved it when they showed up in their Biker gear to work precincts.)

CCA Assistant Treasurer, Tulare County Chair Laura Gadke for CCA Assistant Treasurer. (Another competent County Chair)

CCA Secretary, Inyo County Chairman Thaddeus Taylor. (There should be a monument erected in Inyo county for the work he has done over the last 25 years)

It will be interesting to see how this race plays out and the role of slates. (Full Disclosure CRA has endorsed Linda Boyd) I haven’t found anybody that knows who is on Keen’s slate. If anybody… Read More

It has been a busy couple of weeks here in the Capitol, what with the budget, health care reform, the bond proposals, and everything, it has been hard to keep up. I thought I would let things settle down a little, and then comment.

First its time to give credit where credit is due. October, November and December were unusually warm throughout the country, and we were starting to read about how global warming was kicking in. Then, AB 32, California’s global warming solution came into effect on January 1, and within a week, California experiences a record cold snap. Good job, California government. I am sure that the country would not have experienced that cold snap without the hard work of our legislature. What is next? To paraphrase an old musical–"I know we made a law a year ago here. July and August mustn’t be too hot. And next, a legal limit to the snow here?" You finish the song. You’ll get the idea.

But what about health care? The Governor’s proposal is basically the old SB 2 on steroids. Remember SB 2. The Governor opposed SB 2, which was referended and defeated by the voters in 2004, saying… Read More

In Roll Call Magazine (the foremost newspaper covering the ‘insider news’ of Capitol Hill), they profile a handful of GOPers (five in the Senate, five in the House) worth keeping an eye on — one of these ten is a Californian… Freshman Kevin McCarthy.

Here is was Roll Call had to say about McCarthy: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.). In his first weeks in Congress, McCarthy already has shown signs of the same political acumen of his predecessor, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.): He was tapped to serve on the transition team at the National Republican Congressional Committee, the freshman class elected him as their representative on the powerful GOP Steering Committee, and he landed a seat on the House Administration Committee – a panel once chaired by Thomas before he took over the House Ways and Means Committee. McCarthy’s… Read More