First a quick thank you to FlashReport publisher and friend Jon Fleischman for allowing me to be the guest commentator for today.

In today’s news… Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials conducted raids throughout the country rounding up 1,187 illegal aliens from the workplace including two locations in CA (Bakersfield and San Bernardino). The announcement yesterday was hailed by some and condemned by others.

I am unimpressed.

The Department of Homeland Security is playing games–shucking and jiving–to make it look like they are doing something when they are falling down on the job. I can walk into the kitchen of… Read More

Oakland teaches and the district reached a contract agreement last night after two years of negotiations. The district has been asking the teachers to pay for 50 percent of any future health care premiums increases, a demand to which the union refused to agree. Neither side would reveal the details of the final agreement. I’m sure the final agreement will protect teachers from the rising health care premiums the rest of us pay, but what I found particularly annoying about the deal was that the district and the union announced that parents should keep their kids home today. The teachers had planned to strike today and district administrators said it would be to confusing to hold classes. (Administrators had originally planned to hire strike teachers, but backed down on that plan when the union complained.) If parents sent their kids to school today, the district said that they would be supervised, but not taught.… Read More

I am running out the door this morning as the Orange County Republican Party is hosting a small breakfast reception with none other than northern California Congressman John Doolittle. I’ve known John for many, many years (working for him for a short spell) and he is a fine Congressman. He’s a strong, conservative voice in the House Leadership serving as House Republican Conference Secretary. It will be good to see him, let alone a couple miles from my front door!

Look for some great work the next three days from guest editor Nicholas Romero, who will be filling in for me. Also, look for some FR ‘regular faces’ to be filling in for me on this Daily Commentary page! Today the FR features a column from Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia. Plescia has just assumed the reigns of leadership from… Read More

Actually, the title should be who the elite think are important in LA. If you ever wondered, LA Weekly has profile on the elites you might here about in art, media and politics. See a listing here.It includes a profile of Villaraigosa, several other LA politicos. Have fun.… Read More

I am running out the door this morning as the Orange County Republican Party is hosting a small breakfast reception with none other than northern California Congressman John Doolittle. I’ve known John for many, many years (working for him for a short spell) and he is a fine Congressman. He’s a strong, conservative voice in the House Leadership serving as House Republican Conference Secretary. It will be good to see him, let alone a couple miles from my front door!

Look for some great work the next three days from guest editor Nicholas Romero, who will be filling in for me. Also, look for some FR ‘regular faces’ to be filling in for me on this Daily Commentary page! Today the FR features a column from Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia. Plescia has just assumed the reigns of leadership from… Read More

In LA County the Republican Governor’s appointments to LA Superior Courtrun 2 to 1 in favor of the Democrats. Today he announced three appointments. Ray Jurado, Steve Blades and… Read More

The Field Poll that was just released looks at the downticket statewide candidates running for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Controller, and Attorney General. My favorite analysis comes from taking the favorable and unfavorable numbers, and figuring out a "net favorable" on the candidates. When you do this, you’ll never guess who the most popular down-ticket candidate is for any race from any political party? If you guessed Tom McClintock, you’d be right!

Here are those numbers, with the straight up ballot polling questions below, where you will see that Jerry Brown enjoys a seemingly uncertmountable lead, and that John Garamendi and Tony Strickland are performing very well in their respective primaries.… Read More

Earlier this morning, the Orange County Republican Party hosted a small reception honoring Congressman John Doolittle in the spacious office of County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh in Irvine. Congressman Doolittle and his wife, Julie, were given a hearty welcome from Orange Countians. The caliber of some of the attendees is apparent in this photo (from left to right: Scott Baugh, Julie Doolittle, Congressman John Doolittle, California Republican Party Treasurer Keith Carlson, Young Republican Federation of California President Matthew Harper, and FR’s own Orange County Correspondent Adam Probolsky).

Doolittle was introduced by Chairman Baugh (Doolittle is pictured below speaking, with Baugh in the background) and yours truly. The Congressman spoke for about fifteen minutes and then took Q&A. It was a treat to hear him speak — this is one fine, conservative… Read More