The 36th AD is very safe. The fued between the Runners and Jim Ledford has been around as long as I can remember. Ledford is a Liberal, the Runners aren’t. His challenge to Sharon in preparation of a 2008 bid has been nasty. See article here. Of course the big question is Who is donating to Ledford? He is the Treas. for the campaign and hasn’t filed. See article here.… Read More

Over the years I’ve worked for candidates from the top of the ticket all the way down to Mosquito Abatement District. They all have one thing in common: they are obsessive about yard signs. How many they have up (never enough, although the bill for the signs is always outrageous), how many their opponents have up (always tens of thousands), and, of course, who is ripping down whose signs (not us, them).

The ripping down of signs. Years ago, this was fairly common practice for signs placed in public places. There were even clever little devises invented for the task, like “The Hook” which was basically a tree branch trimmer with which you could easily cut down hard to reach signs. Or sharp straight edge blades on a stick that could cut through those new plastic fiberboard signs like a hot knife through butter. Some years ago I nearly got beat to a pulp by a particularly muscular union thug in a wife-beater t-shirt who had big long chains behind his truck with steel hooks that, when attached to a 4×8 firmly planted firmly, allowed the truck to rip the sign to shreds. Or liquids that could be brushed or squirted on signs that would make the ink… Read More

TERMINATOR TAKES DOWN EITHER DEMOCRAT There are a lot of articles today on the release of the Field Poll, and the startling amount of undecided Democratic voters (26%!), I found the best news of the poll to be that whether you are Phil Angelides or Steve Westly, you are LOSING to Arnold Schwarzenegger this November. Now who knows what the fall will bring, but the survey shows that undecided voters are increasingly supporting Schwarzenegger. As FR State Capitol Correspondent Karen Hanretty points out — perhaps this will now create an incentive for the Governor’s campaign to focus on issues to drive up (and equally as importantly TURN OUT) conservative voters. JERRY LEWIS IS NO CONSERVATIVE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE HIM A CROOK Congressman Jerry Lewis is famously moderate. He is very comfortable, apparently, presiding over the unprecedented growth we have seen in government spending. I only draw this conclusion… Read More

TERMINATOR TAKES DOWN EITHER DEMOCRAT There are a lot of articles today on the release of the Field Poll, and the startling amount of undecided Democratic voters (26%!), I found the best news of the poll to be that whether you are Phil Angelides or Steve Westly, you are LOSING to Arnold Schwarzenegger this November. Now who knows what the fall will bring, but the survey shows that undecided voters are increasingly supporting Schwarzenegger. As FR State Capitol Correspondent Karen Hanretty points out — perhaps this will now create an incentive for the Governor’s campaign to focus on issues to drive up (and equally as importantly TURN OUT) conservative voters.

JERRY LEWIS IS NO CONSERVATIVE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE HIM A CROOK Congressman Jerry Lewis is famously moderate. He is very comfortable, apparently, presiding over the unprecedented growth we have seen in government spending. I only draw this conclusion based on the profligate spending by the Republican… Read More

I received a missive from a conservative Republican yesterday, concerned about the prospects of Francine Busby serving in the House. Brief, but to the point. And, 100% correct:

The Bilbray team has to get this message out to pouting Republican voters: 1) This election is essentially about illegal immigration. 2) I am serious about solving the problem, Busby is not. 3) If Busby wins, her victory will send the message to all politicians that the voters are not serious about immigration issues. 4) The result will be for the nation’s border problems to be returned to the back burner — unsolved. 5) If you want the border problems fixed, YOU MUST GET OFF YOUR REAR-END AND VOTE!… Read More

Danny Ramirez may be the least known Democrat in the CD 51 Filner-Vargas brouhaha, but he may also be working for Filner.

Thanks to John Dadian for sending this along fromthe Capitol Morning Report:

Danny Ramirez, a Democrat running in the 51st CD, has announced filing a criminal complaint with the DAs in Imperial and San Diego counties and with the AG’s office against his opponent Asm. Juan Vargas and Vargas’ “campaign staff man” George Bresnahan. Ramirez says Vargas and Bresnahan violated CA Election Code 18205 by offering him “valuable consideration” in exchange for running in the 80th AD instead of the 51st CD. According to Ramirez, he and Bresnahan are acquaintances from church and Bresnahan visited his home on the evening of March 7. Ramirez recalls Bresnahan saying explicitly that he’d been “sent by Juan Vargas to make an offer or deal with me in regard to not becoming a candidate for the 51st CD.” The approach made Ramirez “uncomfortable,” he says, “so I promptly got a witness.” Ramirez remembers Bresnahan saying to him, “Danny, both you and Juan Vargas have Hispanic names, so you know what will… Read More

Just came over the wire that Governor Schwarzenegger is putting National Guard on the border, and that he is claims authority over them. I think I’ll offer up a toast to the Governor tonight.… Read More

I read with great interest Karen Hanretty’s two previous posts regarding the Governor, the first theorizing that he will sign an illegal immigrant driver license bill if he is re-elected, and the second his apparent support of single payer health care for California during a second term.

It’s time to put him on the record on both of these issues. As soon as these primaries are over the State GOP Board or Executive Committee needs a commitment from him to oppose both of these issues if he earns a second term. If we can’t get a firm commitment, there isn’t any reason to work for his re-election. The Governor needs to understand who his primary constituency is.… Read More