The editorial cartoon that the Oakland Tribune ran today is great (it’s syndicated from the Detroit News). This cartoon particularly hits home here in California after an Oakland judge struck down the state’s exit exam yesterday, calling it unfair. Of course, what’s unfair is allowing students to graduate from our public high schools who don’t even have a grasp of sophomore-level English, which is what the exit exam requires.… Read More

ARE THESE EIGHT GOP LEGISLATORS THE NEW FACES OF "BIG GOVERNMENT" CONSERVATISM? … Read More

CRP Vice Chairman Ron Nehring sent an important email out today and if you missed it, you need to visit www.unionfacts.com to check out the beginning of an important strategy to retain the Governorship. I am not going to get into how many times I have written about the importance of defining unions before they beat up the Governor, again. As a matter of fact, the Governor really needs to run his race against them, and not against Westly or Angelides.

Democrat approval numbers are even lower than Arnold’s. This is why they have transferred their voice to teachers, nurses, firefighters, cops and prison guards. And those groups are our real opponents in November. Run your campaign against the legislature, the unions, and the Democrat nominee, in that order, and you just might win.… Read More

ARE THESE EIGHT GOP LEGISLATORS THE NEW FACES OF "BIG GOVERNMENT" CONSERVATISM? … Read More

Sign of the Times: Arthur Laffer Reverses Jed Clampett’s Trek

California legislators were slapping themselves on the back last week for having passed a $35 billion infrastructure bond measure that will go before the voters in November. Predictions filled the air that all the building would spur job creation. Aides to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger say his success in pushing the bond package may help seal his re-election this year.

But one of the 16 members of Mr. Schwarzenegger’s council of economic advisers isn’t nearly as optimistic. Supply-side economist Arthur Laffer says the biggest threat to the national economy — which… Read More

Woodie Guthrie’s communistic song must be sung by the planning czars on the West ide of Los Angeles. They recently had to back down on a permit granted to a Christian School thatlimited the school toonly secular educations during the week. See the article here.But there is a catch. You have to read it to believe it. the city may require a reduction in enrollment if the school can’t get the carpool ratio of 2.5 children per driver.

My solution: The school should rent some Hummers and tell the carpool goons they have 6-8 in a car.… Read More

I was talking with a friend of mine — a very educated, articulate conservative — a couple of weeks ago about Governor Schwarzenegger‘s re-election. The topic: why should we care if the Governor returns for another four years?

Now, this is an odd conversation for two politically active conservatives to have. I want to care. I want to want to support the Governor‘s re-election.

It‘s more than the standard divide between conservative and moderate Republicans. Governor Pete Wilson always managed to bridge that divide somehow, even in the wake of Ron Unz‘s 1994 primary challenge. Wilson‘s people could ultimately boil it down to, "Hey, we know conservative don‘t like that the Governor‘s pro-choice and he signed a huge tax increase, but he‘s… Read More

I spent the day in Sacramento yesterday, partly on personal business, partly catching up with political friends. But I must have been asked ten times why I was in Sacramento instead of greeting the Governor and Jerry Brown at the Big Bond press event they were holding in Oakland. While Team Arnold personnel effectively got their message out via Jon and the Flashreport that this was more a Don Perata event than a Jerry Brown event, this had better be the last event that Arnold shares the stage with Jerry. What part of "ticket" don’t they understand? I don’t remember Governor Gray Davis doing major press events with Secretary of State Bill Jones!

I’m beginning to think that the governor simply doesn’t believe that the GOP base matters… Read More