We’ve been having productive meetings with Eric Roach on The Hill. It really resonated with Congressman Buck McKeon when we talked about how a Roach candidacy that is driving UP Republican turnout for the election day can only HELP the party keep the 50th in GOP hands. The opportunity of a Roach candidacy is a conservative Congressman long-term for the 50th. The danger if Roach doesn’t run is a suppresed GOP turnout and a real danger of a Busby win in June.

After all, there was a lot of pressure on Tom McClintock to stand down his campaign for Governor in the special election. But in reality, it was likely the increased conservative turnout is what put the first question, the recall of Davis, over the top. Had McClintock not driven conservative turnout, we might still have Gray Davis in office.

For those tired of this string, cut me some slack. I’ve never “live-blogged a trip to DC and I’m having fun!… Read More

Richard Pombo is a great Congressman. A principled conservative who has brought common sense to the Chairmanship of the House Resources Committee. It was great to be able to catch up with him. It’s one thing to write about these folks on this site — it’s another thing to get to talk to them! We had a chance to meet with Pombo – a great meeting. Steve Ding, his Chief-of-Staff is a close FR friend.

It was also nice to see another old friend today, Chuck Cunningham. Chuck is the political director at the National Rifle Association. A great guy and an FR subscriber. Chuck spent some time explaining how Bilbray earned his “F” ratins from the NRA because of his appearances with then-President Bill Clinton at pro-gun control events.

I did experience a bout of post-traumatic stress when we spent time at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Center, the headquarters building of the Republican National Committee. We went there since Eric Roach had a meeting scheduled with RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman.

I don’t know if I mentioned the wonderful weather here – balmy and nice. It’s been a great day!… Read More

The Eric Roach mission to Washington, D.C, has officially ended with our arrival back to San Diego!

I’m sure I will write more observations on this trip in the coming days, but the overwhelming impact of the trip is easily summed up – lots of encouragement for Roach. It was clear that conservatives in D.C., who were totally underwhelmed by Brian Bilbray’s previous stint in Congress, and that everyone was very excited after getting to know Eric.

Clearly a lot of seeds were spread on this journey…with the potential to grow into a big tree – a really big, conservative one!

On a closing note – traveling with John Feliz, Stan Devereux, Sal Russo, Bill Hauf, Howard Kaloogian, Duane Admire and, of course, Eric Roach was a great experience. For those of you who know me, you know that I do not give my “seal of approval” easily – I’ve been around the block a lot. Roach is the real deal – an honorable, values-driven conservative who understands and is a part of a conservative movement. There are great things in store for Eric’s future…his near future!… Read More

San Francisco is such a cutting-edge city. Not cutting-edge when it comes to reducing crime or successfully dealing with homelessness, but cutting edge when it comes to “cool” ideas like a free wireless network and, now, text messaging teens on their cell phones about safe sex.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city is spending $2,500 a month to run the program which is targeted at youth ages 12-24. Kids can text message the city’s public health department and get a quick response about how to have safer sex or deal with the ramifications of unsafe sex. City officials are concerned about the rising rates of sexually-contracted diseases. For example, last year there was a 100 percent increase in gonorrhea in African American youth.

At the same time, a… Read More

Howard Kaloogian, one of the candidates in the 50th who is along on this trip, made this interesting point: “There may be more candidates from the race on this ‘conservative unity’ trip to DC than attended a recent unity event for Bilbray.”

Oh, everyone here acknowledges that Bilbray is a “lesser evil” than Democrat Francine Busby, but that it would be extremely “underwhelming” to see Bilbray in the House. There is ZERO expectation that Bilbray would seriously confront the spending problem here. Especially when he campaigned on bringing San Diego “its fair share” (a big part of our problem is that most Members of Congress are “bringing home the bacon” – hence the fact that spending is going up, up, up.… Read More

In today’s FR, publisher Jon Fleischman penned a column on the Protect Our Homes effort chaired by Mimi Walters and endorsed by Tom McClintock. See it here.In their fundraising pitch it mentions a Filipino Church in Long Beach targeted for eminent domain. See churches are "bad" for cities beacuse they only help people to live moral lives and provide no tax revenue like a mini-malls with liquor stores,a Costco or condoswould do.

In Long beach it looks like the church won’t be condemned. You can see the story here. Of course it could still happen later or to someone else. What we need is an initiative! Wait a minute we have one. Sign it and send it in. Protect Our Homes.… Read More

If you were a member of the Filipino Baptist Fellowship Church in Long Beach, you would be confronted with the fact that the California Redevelopment Agency wants to condemn your Church… If you are in Yolo County, your county is using police powers to try and seize the 16,300 Conaway Ranch, intending to own and manage the ranch itself… If you are the owner of 16 acres of residential land in Grand Terrace, California, city officials are trying to force a shopping center and a ‘big box’ store on your land…

These are just a small sampling of abuses that are currently taking place because California property owners are lacking basic protections to preserve their private property rights against over 6,000 governmental jurisdictions in California that have the power to seize your property!

In the next couple of days, over ONE MILLION letters will arrive into the mailboxes of California voters. Inside of them, an urgent appeal from popular State Senator (and GOP Lieutenant… Read More

The President was spot on today speaking to the Renewable Fuels Association he outlined and reiterated several key policy objectives, most notably getting to supplies underneath our own soil and streamlining to under one year the length of time for licensing new refineries.

The President also didn’t say something he should have – he needs to sign an Emergency Executive Orders to open up ANWR and suspend rules on refinery licensing. If he did this crude oil prices would plummet – even before domestic supplies hit the market.

Democrats and some really, really stupid Republicans today called for a "windfall tax" on oil companies. Its not any small wonder they don’t stand much of a chance of taking over the House this fall. Not only that, but its DEMOCRATS that obstruct EVERY effort to create additional domestic supply. They’ve got a lot of nerve.

In the end, all the huffing and puffing by everyone is merely to conceal the fact that once again, politicians are a reactive, not a proactive group. We would have solved the supply and refinery capacity issue a long… Read More