Just hearing the word conflict gives government watchdogs a warm fuzzy feeling and the media just can’t help themselves from writing a story ANY time someone suggests a conflict exists.

Few people, even those engaged in the business of government and politics and public policy can cite what, under the law, actually constitutes a conflict. Thus every time someone lobes an accusation of conflict, it becomes news.

Not being a member of the State Bar I cannot offer legal advise, but I do know that there is NO law that would put a political consultant who is not on the government payroll in the position of having a legal conflict.

So you can imagine my frustration when I read a story in the LA Times today with an Internet link that reads: Conflict of Interest for Gov.’s Aide?

Folks, I will let you in on a little secret. I use the same technique in political direct mail. The devise: framing the damning accusation as a question. This way you are not making an… Read More

Just hearing the word conflict gives government watchdogs a warm fuzzy feeling and the media just can’t help themselves from writing a story ANY time someone suggests a conflict exists.

Few people, even those engaged in the business of government and politics and public policy can cite what, under the law, actually constitutes a conflict. Thus every time someone lobes an accusation of conflict, it becomes news.

Not being a member of the State Bar I cannot offer legal advise, but I do know that there is NO law that would put a political consultant who is not on the government payroll in the position of having a legal conflict.

So you can imagine my frustration when I read a story in the LA Times today with an Internet link that reads: Conflict of Interest for Gov.’s Aide?

**There is more – click the link**… Read More

This blog entry falls squarely into the category of, "You’ve GOT to be kidding me, right?

A great resource on the internet to find out what is really going on Inside the Beltway is Human Events Online (I actually subscribe to the print edition). There are a lot of great feature columns on the site, one of which is the Taxpayer Rip-Off Of The Week.

Well, this week’s highlighted rip-off is yet another example of the "Earmarker in Chief" Congressman Jerry Lewis (so dubbed by the Wall Street Journal), who is Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Lewis is a California Republican, and a moderate who clearly has a difference of opinion from this publisher on the proper scope and role of the federal government, as demonstrated by this column below…

After you read it, you’ll be scratching your head, and asking how a Republican could support such a boondoggle earmark. But before you throw all of… Read More

Two California Republican Congressional Representative voted against protecting marriage. A total of 27 Republican voted no while 34 Dems voted the right way. LA County based Congressman David Dreier and Congressman Mary Bono voted with Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and others that want to undermine traditional marriage in the states. As we can see courts have invalidated several marriage laws and the Supreme Court can do the same thing. I agree with critics that we shouldn’t have to pass these types of amendments. There right we shouldn’t have too, unfortunately activist liberal judges make it a necessity. To find out what other liberals Dreier and Bono voted with click here.Good news is that Newest Congressman Brian Bilbray voted yes on the amendment.… Read More

Fifteen months after he officially began running for Governor… Almost a year since Governor Schwarzenegger proposed the legislation now known as Jessica’s Law… More than a month after law enforcement and others asked him to take a stand for California children…. More than three weeks since he himself promised to lay out an "alternative," Phil Angelides today finally came out with a position on Jessica’s Law…

He endorsed it. (No-brainer.) Nice work for a first day on the job by Angelides’ two new Democratic operatives — Steve Maviglio and Roger Salazar — who were called in to pick up the slack left when senior advisor Bob Mulholland was benched last week.

But in typical Angelides fashion, he had to tweak his support a bit to maintain his "anti-Arnold" image. So, he criticized the state’s parole system for sex offenders. And what does he use to back up his assertion? Not info from the Governor’s Office. Not stats from the Department of Correction or any other state agency. What does he use? A… Read More

I know that many readers of the FlashReport assume that publishing this site is a full-time endeavor. Thanks to the great support team on this site, and miracles of modern technology, the FR is largely done in the wee hours of each morning (at least my part). My full time job since March of 2001 (when I left my position as Executive Director of the California Republican Party) has been as Deputy Director for Public Affairs with the Sheriff’s Department in Orange County. It’s been a great position, working closely with our great Sheriff Mike Carona.

I’m excited to share with you all that after over five years, I have decided to go out on my own, and form my own business. So starting in August, I will be opening up an office (actually I will be subletting some office space from FR friend and former Assembly Republican Leader Scott Baugh) and starting up a government relations – political – communications consulting firm! I’ll share more with you about it when I get it off of the ground in the coming weeks. I am very excited to be going out on my own!! (Of course, this will give me more time and flexibility to work on… Read More

Last month in the Napa Valley, I had a chance to meet a lot of interesting people while participating as a panelist at a California Chamber of Commerce post-primary retreat. One of those people was Democrat operative Darry Sragow. I found him to be quite interesting. A bit more subdued than I thought he would be – at least as he came across at this event. Then again, given that his audience was mostly Republicans… I bring up Sragow because he is apparently gifted with the ability to understate the obvious. Today in the Sacramento Bee is a story entitled, "Campaign 2006: For Angelides, the path ahead is mostly uphill," in which Sragow is quoted:

Last month in the Napa Valley, I had a chance to meet a lot of interesting people while participating as a panelist at a California Chamber of Commerce post-primary retreat. One of those people was Democrat operative Darry Sragow. I found him to be quite interesting. A bit more subdued than I thought he would be – at least as he came across at this event. Then again, given that his audience was mostly Republicans… I bring up Sragow because he is apparently gifted with the ability to understate the obvious. Today in the Sacramento Bee is a story entitled, "Campaign 2006: For Angelides, the path ahead is mostly uphill," in which Sragow is quoted: