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

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

Late last week I got a phone call from Eric Roach. Roach, who recently was the top conservative vote-getter in the recent CD 50 Special Election where conservative candidates split up the vote and moderate lobbyist and former Congressman Brian Bilberry narrowly came in second place, and a spot in the runoff.

Roach is now looking at a potential active run in the GOP ballot for the full two-year term in the “Cunningham” seat.

Roach asked me my thoughts on whether he should run or not. We spoke at length and we certainly agreed that Bilbray’s election would do nothing to contribute to a conservative majority in the House, and that the 50th district was conservative enough to send someone to DC that would confront the “pink elephant” in the room – massive growth in federal spending under the GOP watch.

Roach asked me if I would take couple days off of work and join him on a trip to Washington, D.C, to meet with some interested conservative groups.

In talking with Roach extensively on the flight out, I was filled with excitement at the drive, energy and optimism that he has – even after the narrow loss in the special.… 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

This morning I had an opportunity to listen to President George W. Bush speak for the better part of an hour at what I would characterize as an ‘intimate’ townhall-style ‘talk’ to several hundred Orange Countians who were arranged bleacher-style in a 360 degree layout around the President. It was a respectful audience, and clearly everyone in the room was proud to be an American, and was relishing in the opportunity to hear in such a direct, familial fashion from the President of the United States. Of course, to get into the Hyatt Hotel (about four blocks from my home in Irvine) you had to pass the two distinct groups of protestors — the ones who disagree with the President’s ‘guest worker’ solution for the illegal immigration problem, and those who just disagree with the President on everything. The event was hosted by the Orange County Business Council and I want to give a shout-out to FR friend Todd Priest (and to RD with Team43) for the hook-up, and… Read More

[Today’s guest commentary is from Adam Probolsky.]

Folks, I have a real hard time with anyone telling me in what language I have to communicate. Especially when its not English.

Today’s Flashreport features an exclusive column from OC Supervisor Chris Norby on multi-lingual ballots. As a pollster, I deal in many languages because my job is to identify public opinion. So sometimes that requires us to survey people in the language in which they are most comfortable speaking. But I sure wouldn’t want to be forced into such a practice. We only do it when it is necessary or prudent.

If you have tried to circulate recall papers or a local initiative for signatures lately chances are your attorney told you to publish the notice and circulate petitions in as many a five (5) additional languages: Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese.

What a crock.

I mean no disrespect, but in the business of collecting signatures for a ballot measure, circulators do not have the time nor the interest… Read More

Morgan Crinklaw, the Press Secretary for the Assembly Republican Caucus, privides these answers to my questions:

Assistant Republican Leaders are an important part of the Republican Leader’s team. They assist the Leader in articulating the caucus message, promoting policy and maintaining unity among members. Assistant Republican Leaders work with the Leader to focus and frame the debate. Republican whips are also an important part of the Assembly Republican Leader’s leadership team, providing guidance on public policy issues before the Legislature. Whips also assist the Republican leader in devising legislative floor strategy, and advancing caucus positions and goals to the Assembly’s 32 members. Their primary role on the floor of the Assembly is to convey messages from the leader to the other members… Read More