George Skelton writes today about Joe Klein’s new book, taking the common approach reporters love to take: bashing political consultants. Like reporters don’t play a role in shaping modern day campaigns.

Klein’s book is called "Politics Lost — How American Democracy Was Trivialized by People Who Think You’re Stupid." Klein and Skelton see the "People" in that title as political consultants; I’m sure the political consultants would say that "people" could easily be switched out with the word "reporters."

Klein writes: "I am fed up with the insulting welter of sterilized speechifying, insipid photo ops, and idiotic advertising that passes for public discourse these days. I believe that… Read More

OK, I have had about all that I can stomach of this post-primary Abel Maldonado ‘flame out’ on Arnold Schwarzenegger. While it is true that Senator Maldonado was an ally to the Governor — both in supporting his candidacies and in authoring the Governor’s controversial mandate on businesses, requiring them to pay a higher wage to employees — it is also true that the Governor was certainly very helpful to Maldonado in return. Maldonado wrapped himself in the Governor’s image, and happily sucked up to a lot of the Governor’s big donor friends. If the Governor had formally endorsed Maldonado in his contested GOP primary against former Assemblyman Tony Strickland, I don’t think it would have brought anything more to the table for Maldonado.

But you have to ask yourself, is it really that unexpected for an incumbent Republican Governor who is seeking re-election to not endorse one candidate over another in a contested Republican primary for statewide office? After… Read More

Back on June 6th I did a final prediction / wrap up on the Fresno County Sheriff’s race, where I predicted that retired CHP officer Cal Minor would get 38% of the vote and that Colleen Mestas, backed by Congressman George Radanovich, would finish second with 23%. I was wrong.

Minor received 37.35% of the vote and liberal Democrat Margaret Mimms scored 27.89%. Mestas was a distant 4th, at 13.47%. Mestas, ever the team player, has endorsed Minor.

Now, we actually have a dream matchup. Republican Cal Minor versus Democrat Margaret Mimms. And in this bright red county, where even the Democrats are to the right of many Republicans (Westly got 59% in the Demo primary for Governor) , it looks like a walk for Cal Minor in November. He’ll win with 58% of the vote to 42% for Mimms, as the County Republicans and like minded voters overwhelmingly come our for State Senator Chuck Poochigian, Tom McClintock, Governor Arnold and others.

Game over.… Read More

Whoops. I realized about an hour after updating the main page today that I totally skipped the treasure trove of articles that appear on Thursday’s on the Capitol Weekly website. Those articles now appear on the main page, so if you’ve been there, you may want to head back. Especially since our FR State Capitol Correspondent Karen Hanretty is featured in this weeks Capitol Weekly with a column!

While I am at it, Vanity Fair’s current issue has a lengthy piece on the trials and tribulations of disgraced former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. A couple of folks sent it to me as a .pdf file so I have attached it for those who are interested.… Read More

I’ve known Andy Gharakhani since the mid nineties when I was on the CRP Board and he was a lowly CRP staffer. As a staffer Andy always delivered.

I was surprised to get his email asking me to attend a meeting of LA County GOP leaders being convened by the Los Angeles New Majority. Andy now delivers for the LA New Majority as their Executive Director.

I probably qualify as a GOP leader in LA County. I’m a long time elected official, Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club and held too many positions in the LA County Central Committee over the years, but I’m also president of the California Republican Assembly. As most readers know, the CRA is the conservative volunteer organization in the party. And when the New Majority first arrived on the scene they tried to wrest control of the Orange County Republican Party from Tom Fuentes and change the party from its conservative roots. … Read More

Gov. Schwarzenegger issued the following statement regarding today’s events in the Middle East [the part of the quote in italicized red really wasn’t said by the Governor, but I added it to say what I think the Governor could have added]: "As violence and terrorism once again erupts in the Middle East, we pray for the safety of all the people in the region. I urge all Californians to join with me in disavowing terrorism wherever it lives and rejecting any expressions of hate. No one benefits from violence whether they are Israeli, Palestinian or Lebanese." After the senseless attack on Israel and her people by the Hezbollah, not only do I not blame Israel for their attack on neighboring Lebanon, who shelter these terrorists, but I commend their strong action. There is only one way to deal with terrorism — and that is with force, and a resolve to never give in to their demands, which in this case, are for the end to a Jewish home state.

Israel is fighting for its very existence and for the lives of its citizens who live in constant fear for their lives at all… Read More

I’m sure Mr. Joe Justin won’t mind me borrowing the song title ideafor this post entry especially as a follow up to his Take Me To The River earlier…[who can name the artists of both songs without Googling the answer? a bag ofButteCountyrice in it for the first correct guess…maybe even some Sutter County peaches if you’re ‘in the building’]

I spent part of Tuesday afternoon with Governor Schwarzeneggar,DWR, Army Corps and others out on the Yolo County levee here in the 2nd Assembly District, near Knights Landing, cited in the Justin post and Bee article, viewing the rockplacement work being done there. It is a refreshing example of getting the work done now and worrying about a lot of obstructions later. The 29 most critical sights of erosion on levees are the focus of decisive action takenby the Governor,declaring a state of emergency on them. If you could have seen thebirds-eye-view of the mass volume of water up against this leveeand all over the SacramentoValley just a few months ago, from thehelicopters that a few of us legislatorstoured in, atthe Governor’s invitation, along with… Read More

State Sen. Abel Maldanado is apologizing for his publicremarksabout the Governor. Below is the short press statement. Can’t wait to see what is said tomorrow. Heads are spinning pretty fast, but that may be better than heads rolling.

RELEASE FROM ABEL MALDONADO’S OFFICE

Statement from Senator Abel Maldonado regarding his comments in July 12, 2006, Los Angeles Times: “I apologize to Governor Schwarzenegger for my public comments to the Los Angeles Times. The Governor and I have worked together for the past three years on important issues beneficial to California’s Latinos. I will continue to support the Governor in his efforts to strengthen… Read More