Although he doesn’t mention me by name, John Kerry responds to me in the Wall Street Journal…..

Lamont Has the Courage To Defy Bush and the War August 25, 2006; Page A15

The sentiments expressed in "The Lamont Wing Is a Threat to Security" (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 22) will do nothing to make America safer. If the neoconservatives were half as good at fighting the war on terror as they are at misleading the American public, we’d be a lot safer than we are today.

The disastrous policy in Iraq has made America less safe. We were misled into a war which has become a dangerous distraction, and a profound drain on our financial and military resources. Nearly five years after the attacks of 9/11, it’s clear that this administration hasn’t learned the real lessons of 9/11 and failed to take the steps to make us as safe as we must be. Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. The 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to secure our most vulnerable infrastructure remain virtually ignored. Homeland security funding has been cut for cities… Read More

SB 1185 (authored by George Runner) would whave prevented School Districts from paying teachers arrested for drug use back pay. The Bill died in the Assembly , three votes shy of passage. It had passed the Senate with only 2 no votes.

The CTA and labor unions fought the bill because the liked money going to duggie teachers rather than getting into the classroom.See article here. Hit piece Alert. Nicole Parra voted against the bill. This is a top race for Republicans .You can donate to her opponent here.… Read More

Diane Harkey was supposed to be my state senator but some 200 voters who voted for Tom Harman ended that dream. However, we are all lucky that Diane is a strong woman and a committed conservative Republican and local elected official. Diane is one of the smartest local electeds we have in Orange County and she commands respect from all who know her.

So when I saw her email newsletter had a logical approach to choosing who should be you your next councilmember or school board trustee, I knew right away I needed to pass it on

Diane’s thoughts are as good a criteria as any I have seen:

… Read More

Updated final vote 42-29 sorry to steal your thunder, Amigo. [Once again, ‘Speedy’ beats me to it! Here is the post I almost got up before him — Well, the final tally on AB 523, the FlashReport’s 2007 Golden Trash Can Award ricipient, was 42 – . Since it takes 41 votes to pass a bill in the State Assembly, that means that this de facto ‘gift’ of $18 million is now in the hands of the Governor… I guess when you look at Matt Cunningham’s post below, we can try to hope that the Magic 8 Ball comes up – VETO. Oh yes — NOT ONE REPUBLICAN VOTED FOR THIS BILL, IN EITHER HOUSE – Flash]

Passes by a vote of 41-28. Sorry Jon. It is on call now. … Read More

Medical science has given us the body scan — a technology that enables us to scan an individual’s body and detect the presence or absence of diseases.

Political science needs to produce a political body scan — a technology that would enable us to scan a politician’s body and detect the presence or absence of principles. I recommend Gov. Schwarzenegger as the first test subject, because I am reluctantly coming to the belief he lacks any defining, determining set of political principles.

A politician’s party affiliation is generally a pretty good (but not perfect) indicator of his or her stance on an issue. However, If one is trying to figure out whether the Governor will oppose or support a policy, a Magic 8-Ball is probably as reliable an indicator as his political affiliation.

Case in point:… Read More

AB 2948, The Democrats "We’re StillApoplectic ThatGeorge W. Bush Won in 2000" bill passed 48-30.It wouldfurther shift Electoral College power away from what those "pesky" Founders thought would be fair to small states and rural areas, in presidential elections. This proposal even more so marginalizes places like theNorth State and boils the campaign down to the 11 most populated states having the number of Electors to decide the presidential election under this bizarre coalition. What if the 11 biggest states are all "blue" ones?

The bill, SB 1578, requiring dog owners to not tetherdogs for more than 3 hours at a time [the subject of numerous calls from farmers, ranchers, people with dogs and without huge yards] was stopped temporarily 40-33, with reconsideration today.

A bill [SB 927]to tax $30, every container that goes in and out of Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach scraped by 42-35, putting California exports at a further disadvantage and raising the costs of all the imported stuff to consumers.

A "locomotive air impact mitigation fee",SB 459, for the South Coast was… Read More

AB 32, just heard in Assembly Natural Resources Committee, on which I serve as ViceChair, was just sent on it’s merry way to our Floor on aparty line vote. This is the first shot that Republican Assembly members had to be heardon this bill in it’sformative and final stages. It’s been all over the map and has come down to just a very few negotiating these terms without our input nor the true stakeholders.The bill was introduced on the very first day of this 2 yearsession, Dec 6, 2004 [the day before PearlHarbor Day]and here we are at the last possible moment of sessionshoving it through in this manner of process. This could have such far reaching effects on every aspect of our economy, it makes one shudder, as things could get very precarious economically. Most business and industry groups are opposed but a few havegulped the Flavor-Aid.

Oh well, us sheepall get to deal with it…I’ll let you know when it hits our Floor.… Read More

Why are these women protesting John Garamendi? Stories are here, here and here.… Read More