In the coming days, newly minted Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines will be announcing key leadership team members, the most prominent of which will be his selection for Chairman of the Assembly Republican Caucus.

We have verified that Villines’ pick for this important post is conservative leader Bob Huff. Huff has quickly risen in prominence in GOP circles because of his understanding of politics, his commitment to core Republican principles, and his ammiable personality.

Congratulations (in advance) Assemblyman Huff – our expectations are appropriatly high! And a nod of respect to Leader Villines – a superb pick!

(Note: I’ve had this intel for a little while, choosing to hold it in confidence. I’m only posting it now because so many folks have told me, that it will be common knowledge by noon. I guess make that eleven now!)… Read More

I really couldn’t be more proud to live in Oakland than I am today. Not only do I have to look forward to seeing Jerry Brown hands the reins of power over to Ron Dellums, but we get a hand-holding ceremony around Lake Merritt to celebrate the new mayor to boot! The Chronicle’s Matier & Ross write today about Dellums’ and Schwarzenegger’s planned festivities. One can’t fault Schwarzenegger for throwing a big party this time around. He rightly held off when he was first elected, rolling up his sleeves and telling the voters that he understood he was sent to Sacramento to get work done that the recalled Gov. Gray Davis was unable to accomplish. But under normal situations, it is customary for governors to throw inaugural parties and there’s no doubt that… Read More

Today the Governor made fifteen more appointments into State Government — 9 Republicans and 6 Democrats. To the Shasta County Fair Board: Eileen Bauer (R), Emmett Burroughs (R), Bill Gibson (R), Bradd McDannold (R), Pete Peters (R), Larry Russell (D), Patrick Wallner (D), Victor Woolery (R).

To the Advisory Committee on Juvinile Justice and Delinquency: Carol Biondi (R, Los Angeles), Sandra McBrayer (D, San Diego), Winston Peters (D, Los Angeles), Maria Rochart (R, Glendale).

Also: * John Dunker (R), of Rio Dell to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. * Matthew Magner (R), of Bakersfield, as special assistant inspector general of the Bureau of Independent Review in the Office of the Inspector General. * Samuel Wakim (R), of Yreka to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. (A special FR congrats to Sam Wakim, who is Chairman of his… Read More

Since the election, several of the Governor’s top staff have announced they are leaving for greener ($$$) pastures.

The blog LA Observed has a post of an email from a Democratic consultant looking for people to work in the Villaraigosa’s administration in Los Angeles. See post here.

That is good economic news for Democratic operatives as they now have two places they can apply.… Read More

This week the Republican members of the California State Senate and State Assembly will hold a ‘retreat’ at Donald Bren’s posh Island Hotel (formerly the Four Seasons) in Newport Beach, California. This multi-day affair is an annual tradition, and affords a chance for nearly fifty GOP legislators to come together and spend some ‘quality time’ — getting to know one another (over a quarter of these legislators are taking office for the first time next week), and look at their political and policy strategies for the upcoming legislative session and election cycle. If FR readers will recall, on the Thursday after the election, Assembly Republicans caucused for several long hours and emerged with a new leader – Mike Villines of Fresno. We featured a column from Villines on this site the very next day, where the new Assembly Republican Leader talked about his priorities, paramount of which is trying to bring fiscal discipline and sanity to state government.

Because of the way California’s Constitution is worded, it takes a two-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature to enact a tax increase, or to pass a… Read More

This week the Republican members of the California State Senate and State Assembly will hold a ‘retreat’ at Donald Bren’s posh Island Hotel (formerly the Four Seasons) in Newport Beach, California. This multi-day affair is an annual tradition, and affords a chance for nearly fifty GOP legislators to come together and spend some ‘quality time’ — getting to know one another (over a quarter of these legislators are taking office for the first time next week), and look at their political and policy strategies for the upcoming legislative session and election cycle. If FR readers will recall, on the Thursday after the election, Assembly Republicans caucused for several long hours and emerged with a new leader – Mike Villines of Fresno. We featured a column from Villines on this site the very next day, where the new Assembly Republican Leader talked about his priorities, paramount of which is trying to bring fiscal discipline and sanity to state government.

Because of the way California’s Constitution is worded, it takes a two-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature to enact a tax increase, or to pass a… Read More

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took on Federal election campaign finance reform yesterday and stated that the McCain-Feingold law, intended to restrict "soft money" in Congressional elections, has resulted in restricted First Amendment rights and more negative campaigning. McCain-Feingold and its amendments have indeed resulted in some bizarre situations. Here in California, Congressman Darrell Issa was the unfortunate target of a months long FEC administrative action becauseof his support for the recall of former Governor Gray Davis. The FEC objected to the Congressman’s fundraising effort to support collection of recall signatures. The FEC would have limited the Congressman’s ability to raise funds for a state effort by artificially imposing the "Federal" McCain-Feingold limits onhis state electioninvolvment. That case was ultimately dropped, but McCain-Feingold was the pretext, and the FEC hasn’t really completely clarified the rules going forward. The case illustrates that when a California Congressman gets involved in a state race, ballot proposition, or recall, he/she really doesn’t have the same First… Read More

When we lament about the ‘Blue Wave’ that swept Republicans out of control of Congress, and arguably washed out the close elections of Tom McClintock, Tony Strickland, and Bruce McPherson, it is frustrating to feel like the GOPers in Congress truly don’t understand that a big piece of the blame goes to the Republican embrace of federal spending (up 44% since 2001!).

Check this out from FR friend Stephen Moore in today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary:

Wake-Up Call…or Snooze Button?

The political finger-pointing and recriminations are beginning in earnest among Capitol Hill Republicans, and it’s not a pretty picture. In the few days… Read More