Yesterday, Oakland’s KTVU interviewed me about who is the real Arnold Schwarzenegger (not just me, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom too). The gist of their story was, given the left-leaning bills the governor has been signing lately, Republicans and Democrats alike are wondering what to expect from the Schwarzenegger Administration in its second term. When KTVU’s Randy Shandobil asked me if I was a Schwarzenegger supporter early on, I replied that I was because, although I knew that he’d be middle-of-the-road on social issues, I liked his focus on dealing with the state budget’s structural… Read More

In light of Adam’s post below on the L.A. Times, here is some news that casts into doubt the objectivity of another major California newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News…

When I got an e-mail yesterday from the San Jose Mercury News entitled, "Governor, It’s Time To Set A Date" — I opened it right up. That is and of itself if notable because I get over a thousand e-mails on any given day, and many, many mass-emails go unopened. But it is unusual to get e-mail from the Merc, and even more intriguing because it sounded to me like this large, reputable newspaper was laying out a challenge to Arnold Schwarzenegger! Right under the large, reassuring logo of the Mercury News (I lived in the San Jose Area for a couple of years so logo adorned by front doorstep on a daily basis) was this HUGE logo of the Phil Angelides for the Governor campaign, and then a sarcastic letter that basically attacks the Governor for only… Read More

With the deadline for the signing bills approaching, 40 leaders in Los Angeles’ Antelope Valley held a press conference telling the Governor to veto AB 606 and AB 1056. Both these bills are sponsored by Equality California. Hats off to teacher Scot Sutherland in organizing the event, which featured Assemblywoman Sharon Runner. See the article here.… Read More

Democrat elected officials and candidates just slay me sometimes. They consider themselves intellectually and morally superior than all of society, yet their political strategies are just idiotic. Now Phil Angelides, probably the worst Statewide candidate ever fielded by the Democrats, has finally found his issue – the Iraq war! Yes! That will do it! What genius!

Memo to Democrats: you ran on the Iraq war in 2004 and lost. You are running on the Iraq war in 2006 and aregoing to lose again.

The President’s poll numbers, in my judgment, are not about any one issue. His 9-11 tribute speeches, falling gas prices, and hysterical rhetoric from the left are all important, but not the main reason his approval ratings are up. Here’s the reason:

He’s on OFFENSE. Republicans are so desperate to see their elected officials on offense, rather than the usual backpedaling, that the base gets very fired up when we go on the attack. If we stay on offense through election day, the election cycle will go well.

GOP prospects across the country rise and fall beginning with what is… Read More

San Bernardino County Republican Party Chairman Bill Postmus today announced the Republican Central Committee’s endorsements for 62 candidates and measures on the November 7 ballot.

Click here to see the list.

"We received requests from more than 80 candidates, an unprecedented number," Postmus said. "Every year our party is getting more and more successful at helping Republicans get elected to local office, and the demand for our support has grown every election."

Those candidates endorsed by the county party are included in its voter contact programs, including direct mail, telephone calls, and precinct walks. Since 2000, 85% of GOP-endorsed candidates have won their respective races. Thanks in part to the GOP’s voter contact programs and heavy Get-Out-The-Vote efforts, cities such as Fontana and Ontario, traditionally Democrat strongholds, have been swung to the Republican column.… Read More

I feel really bad for every partisan Democratic activist in California.

I can only imagine that they must all be moping right now. When they aren’t complaining about how much they hate George Bush, they must be spending all of their time bemoaning the fact that their nominee for Governor has to be the worst candidate ever in the history of the Golden State. As a matter of fact, and I really do mean this with all sincerity, if the Democrats had Bozo the Clown as their nominee, they really couldn’t be any worse off than they are now. As a matter of fact, they would be better off. Because while neither Phil Angelides nor Bozo the Clown have any real clue on how to run for, let alone competently occupy the job of Governor — at least Bozo the Clown is funny. Watching Phil Angelides campaign since the primary has actually … Read More

Did anyone stay up and watch NBC’s Tonight Show? Jay Leno told a joke about GOP US Senate Nominee Dick Mountjoy and his lack of service on the U.S.S. Missouri. The Los Angeles Times story rests on a mistake Mountjoy stafferPeggy Mew made six years ago. See here.

The joke was a play on his name.Standard Leno, except then Leno added something about Dick making up his war time service.

Jay Leno is wrong. Even the Los Angeles Timesprinted his service record. Dick Mountjoy was involved in combat and gun strikes on Communists in Korea as part of his service on the U.S.S Brementon. Period. Check for yourself.

See his service record here.

Interesting note: The Missouri was deactivated in Brementon, Washington, which served asits’ homeport for many years. Hmmm!… Read More

The new PPIC poll shows Governor Schwarzenegger up 48 – 31 over Phil Angelides.

Angelides is leading among Democrats by 57-21.

Schwarzenegger is up among Republicans, 82-4.

Among independents, it’s Schwarzenegger by 42-27.

Among men: 54-27.

Among women: 41-24.

Schwarzenegger is even getting 30 percent among Latinos.

The question is, will this produce coattails for McClintock, Poochigian, Strickland and the rest of the downticket?

And, in the face of these numbers, will the unions really spend $25 million?… Read More