Based, at least in part, on questions raised on this blog about the performance of the CRP’s Victory Program, the CRP sent out the following email today. I anxiously await the thoughts of Mike Spence and the otherswho’ve joined in questioning the Victory program.

TO: Republican Activists and Donors

FR: California Republican Party Board of Directors

RE: California Republican Party Board of Directors Meeting:

December 8, 2006

Some people, through comments and other communications, have raised questions of the California Republican Party (CRP) Board of Directors they wanted addressed at our December Board Meeting. The Board of Directors met on December 8, 2006 to discuss… Read More

From Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard:

***Huge Tax Hike on Beer Drinkers***

State law is full of gray areas and ambiguities. One old one is now the real culprit in this week’s headlines. When the Legislature wrote the first alcohol laws after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, California defined what a beer is and what wine is. The definition was simple – anything added to beer or wine renders it something else. Sometime thereafter beer and wine producers started adding things such as preservatives, flavor enhancers and other things. So narrowly reading the law there is NO such product as either beer or wine sold in California today. Now common sense and alcohol regulators know that is not true and so for years have ignored this narrow… Read More

Assemblyman Villines has so far done a great job in leading the Assembly Caucus. This announcement of the makeup of the Assembly GOP Leadership Team seems to be another solid step in the right direction.

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER MIKE VILLINES ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TEAM AND VICE-CHAIRS SACRAMENTO – Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, of Clovis, today named a dynamic group of Assembly Republicans to serve as members of his leadership team and as committee vice-chairs for the 2007-08 legislative session. The new members of his leadership team represent a diverse array of backgrounds and communities. “I am honored that such a respected group of Republican leaders from across California have agreed to serve our party as members of my leadership team,” Villines said. “I look forward to working with them as we set our legislative priorities and work to build a stronger California.” The Republican Caucus Chair is the second-highest ranking Republican in the State Assembly, assisting the Leader in advancing the Republican policy agenda and achieving the Caucus’ political… Read More

Former Orange County GOP Assemblyman Ken Maddox has been tapped by Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel to be her Sacramento-based Director of Legislative Affairs, looking out for the insterests of her office in relation to the goings on of the legislative process taking place in the State Capitol.

This selection is a good one for Steel, who is a strong fiscal conservative. Maddox, as a GOP legislator, was a strong voice for fiscal sanity.

Maddox served three terms in the State Assembly before being forced to retire from the legislature due to term limits. Prior to serving in the Assembly, Maddox was a long-time member of the Garden Grove City Council.

Interestingly, California’s other Republican member of the Board of Equalization, Bill Leonard, also has a former Republican legislator on his team — his Chief of Staff is Barbara Alby, who has also served since 1996 as California’s Republican National Committeewoman.… Read More

Thegroup of Republican volunteers that filed the original failed lawsuit challenging Jerry Brown’s qualifications to be Attorney General has been allowed to amend their complaint in Sacramento Superior Court, and they are now getting a second try to keep Brownfrom taking office.Their complaint centers on the fact that Brown allowed his official status with the state bar to become "inactive" for a few years while he was serving as Mayor of Oakland. The prohibition the Plaintiffs are relying on puts form before substance in determining the qualifications of a candidate for Attorney General: it is California Government Code section 12503, which states, "No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General unless he shall have been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state for a period of at least five years immediately preceding his election or appointment to such office."

Brown was admitted to the State Bar of California in June 1965 but was an "inactive member" from Jan. 1, 1997, through May 1, 2003, bar records show.

I didn’t vote for Brown in the election, but I… Read More

Today’s Commentary is guest authored by Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association. Coupal takes the opportunity to offer his perspective on the healthcare proposal recently released by State Senate President Don Perata…

Senate leader Don Perata has a plan to provide all uninsured working Californians with Health Insurance at an estimated cost of $5 billion to $7 billion without a tax increase. Okay… The Perata plan would force businesses that do not provide health insurance, and their employees, through a payroll deduction, to pay into a state agency that would attempt to negotiate for “affordable” coverage. When paying taxes, workers would have to show proof of medical insurance.… Read More

Jon has posted a letter to the editor in the Washington Times from Nathan Fletcher. Fletcher served two years overseas in Iraq and Africa fighting for our country. He is also a top-notch political operative. I first met him when he was working for the CRP. He was the speaker along with his wife (Mindy Fletcher, Deputy Campaign Maager for the Gov.) at the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club and will also be the speaker at the South Bay chapter.

Nathan lives in San Diego. Why would he travel up her to LA? 2008 George Plescia is termed out and guess who is running for that seat?

Fletcher almost ran in ’06 when it looked like Plescia might run for Congress or State Senate. He raised around a100K in that limited time. He will be one candidate that will have to be beat.… Read More

On Tuesday, Valerie, Ella, and I squeezed into the Volvo and began the long drive home. We had beeninSan Diego for over 120 days, and it was time to clean up the yard before the neighbors rose up as an angry mob and took their pitchforks and torches to us.

At 9:30am we left downtown San Diego. It was 60 degrees. Actually, I thought recording the weather might be interesting but it turns out, as you may read, the temperature was pretty constant everywhere we passed through.

At 10:00am we passed through Oceanside. Other than a short pause on the 805 in Sorrento Valley, we averaged around 70mph through the county, and about 10mph faster through the Marine Base. The immigration check point was closed, but we actually saw what I imagine was an illegal alien being detained in the middle of the freewaynext tothe dividing fence, so I guess the signs that warn drivers against running down folks running across the road actually have a reason. It was 62 degrees.

At 10:30am we hit the 405/5 interchange in Irvine. It was 67 degrees and there was no traffic. We decided to take the 405 north.

At 11:15 we passed LAX, where it was 69 degrees. Readers will… Read More