I just got off the phone with City of Highland Councilman Larry McCallon (pictured right), who is currently at the Fox News studios in Los Angeles preparing to tape a segment of The O’Reilly Factor that’s scheduled toair today at 5 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Pacific time. His counterpart on the program is scheduled tobe Willie Brown, former Mayor of San Francisco and former longtime "Ayatollah" of the State Assembly.

As you may recall, in my February 15post I called on Fox News to get on this developing local story in San Bernardino County about the City of Highland, whose Council recently enacted a policy prohibiting its employees and public officials from spending taxpayer dollars attending conferences, seminars or forums in San Francisco — basically boycotting the City by the Bay. This was in response to San… Read More

On his website today, Hugh Hewitt shares more pearls on the startling revelation that Rob Reiner sits as Chairman of the State Prop. 15 ($$$) Commission solely, at this point, at the discretion of Governor Schwarzenegger, who can terminate Meathead by merely naming a new commissioner to replace Reiner.

I’ve already suggested that Reiner be replaced with Hewitt! Another FR reader has suggested that FR contributor Mike Spence, a local school board member, be named in Reiner’s place. FR READERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO POST THEIR FAVORITE SUGGESTIONS FOR WHO WOULD BETTER SERVE CALIFORNIANS ON THIS COMMISSION THAN ROB REINER!

Here is the beginning of Hugh’s latest, which contains and excerpt from an interview he had on the air with LA TImes political reporter Dan Morain on Reiner. Click through to Hugh’s site to read more. … Read More

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Eugenia Eyherabide to a judgeship in the San Diego County Superior Court.

Eyherabide, 46, of San Diego, has been a prosecutor with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office since 1995. Previously, she was an assistant attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia from 1992 to 1995. Eyherabide earned a Juris Doctorate degree from University of Santa Clara School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She will fill the vacancy that will be created by the retirement of Judge William Pate effective February 28, 2006. Eyherabide is a Republican.… Read More

THREE AND A HALF CONTENDERS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL I am a huge fan of contested primaries. I think that the whole argument that a candidate is better off because they have "cleared the field" is a misnomer and misplaced. Of course the challenge of winning a party primary means that resources will need to be raised and spent in order to do so. But it is this process that makes a candidate the best they can be for the general election. A primary hones a candidates speaking skills and fundraising skills. A primary allows a candidate to understand who really supports them. A primary also causes candidates to have to make some very real decisions and choices that allow party members to appreciate the candidate who becomes their nominee. I think the same holds true whether we are talking about candidate for the Democrat or Republican nomination. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a stronger candidate for re-election this… Read More

THREE AND A HALF CONTENDERS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL I am a huge fan of contested primaries. I think that the whole argument that a candidate is better off because they have "cleared the field" is a misnomer and misplaced. Of course the challenge of winning a party primary means that resources will need to be raised and spent in order to do so. But it is this process that makes a candidate the best they can be for the general election. A primary hones a candidates speaking skills and fundraising skills. A primary allows a candidate to understand who really supports them. A primary also causes candidates to have to make some very real decisions and choices that allow party members to appreciate the candidate who becomes their nominee. I think the same holds true whether we are talking about candidate for the Democrat or Republican nomination. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a stronger candidate for re-election this… Read More

"If the United States didn’t have a military, all in all we would be in a much better place." – San Francisco Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval on Hannity and Colmes.

Former State GOP Communications Director Karen Hanretty appeared last night on Hannity and Colmes to talk about this startling statement from a prominent Bay Area Supervisor. You can click here to see Sandoval’s outrageous comments and hear Karen talk with Hannity and Colmes. (Once you click through, then you need to select the program, "Fighting for the U.S.S. Iowa.")

This Democrat Supervisor was such a nut that on this program, even Susan Estrich, who appears with Hanretty doesn’t want anything to do with him.

This is Sandoval’s… Read More

Dr. Phil Kurzner has decided to end his quest to become California’s next Insurance Commissioner. During my opportunities to talk with Phil, I found him to be an intelligent, engaging and savvy candidate. While I understand the politics of his departure, I do lament a process that causes some of our better candidates to decide not to run.

Phil’s departure, combined with the very low-key candidacy of Gary Mendoza appears to leave the doors wide open for businessman Steve Poizner from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Here is a statement released today from Dr. Phil Kurzner on his departure from the race:

Based on a ton of emails that I have received since my post yesterday afternoon on the California Republican Party hiring Patrick Dorenson to be its new Communications Director, I felt like I needed to follow up with a note.

You see, I thought it was incredibly newsworthy that the CRP has hired a prominent former Democrat political operative to head up their Communications effort. I first heard about this hire from reading about it in Capitol Weekly, who also thought that Dorenson’s past work for the campaigns of Al Gore and Bill Clinton were worthy of note, leading with that in their story.

The reason for this note is that many are assuming that because I pointed out this ‘unique’ (to say the least) background for Dorenson, that this means that I am unhappy or displeased with his being hired. That is not the case at all. As a matter… Read More