With all due respect to Duane Dichiara, one of the FlashReport’s San Diego Correspondents,, whom I respect immensely, I am very pleased that one of the candidates for Congress has hired you. Former Congressman Brian Bilbray had the foresight to hire you, and since he is a regular reader of the FlashReport, he knows of your role with us. I would be disappointed, disclaimers included, if you did not help out your client, on occasion, with a positive post (perhaps you can talk about his lawsuit arguing how wrong it is that illegal aliens pay less tuition in California colleges than his children).

That said, I will be making great efforts to personally cover this special election as I have endorsed no candidate in the race, nor has any candidate hired me (though two have purchased ads on this site…so far). So if you have any thoughts or input on this race, by all means send them to Jantz and Dichiara (and to our DC Correspodent, Jason Roe) if you want, but please send them… Read More

Despitethe FR Publisher’s attempt to delete my post. See below. Here is the post Jon didn’t want you to see :).

In a move upsetting the long held assumptions about this race, Harry Scolinos dropped his bid for the Republican nomination in 59th Assembly District.

For my past report on this race click here.

Scolinos’s campaign needed to get get going in order to win this race. A successful lawyer and bisinessman, it looks like he liked making money instead of running for Assembly. (BTW nothing wrong with that)

This changes the dynamic in the raceinthree ways.

This self funding conservative dropping his bid should help front runner Anthony Adams. Clearly Anthony Adams looks like the most conservative candidate.

But in this district geography is an issue. You have the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County and the High Desert in San Bernardino County and a forest in between. Scolinos and the other two major candidates hail from the San Gabriel… Read More

In response to yesterday’s post on retired NFL cornerback Scott Turner making a run for Duke’s former congressional seat, which apparently resulted in a few media inquiries, I received a call from Congressman Duncan Hunter’s office this morning.

Scott Turner, although he has interned for the Congressman and assisted the office with support-the-troop efforts, is not an aide to, or in any way a paid employee of Duncan Hunter.

He is, however, running for Congress. (You still read it here first.)

I stand corrected, as does this blog, and I apologize for my reference to Scott as an "aide to Congressman Duncan Hunter."

I am, however, glad to know the media and congressional staff are reading the FlashReport.… Read More

Since it’s been a couple of months since we last updated you on Jessica’s Law, here’s the latest. The legislative package (SB 588 and AB 231) has run into Democrat opposition in Sacramento (as mentioned by Jon Fleischman in a recent commentary), most notably by Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata (D-East Bay) and Senator Dean Florez (D-Bakersfield). The Press-Enterprise editorial page last week called the Democrats’ position "disingenuous," adding that the Democrats’real objection is to the "harshness of the bill." Read it here. The editorial points out that "the Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees killed nearly 30 measures last session that would have placed greater restrictions on high-risk offenders."

Meanwhile, the proposed legislation, which would make California’s laws against sexual predators the most… Read More

This time of year we often reflect upon the things and people we are most thankful for. Given that traffic is the number one issue among voters in just about every Southern California community, most voters are thankful for just about any proposal to build new freeway lanes. And don’t be surprised if the voters, even the most conservative of the bunch vote for a massive bond measure or sales tax hike if they are promised more lanes.

Orange County Supervisor and OCTA Chairman Bill Campbell is pushing a good idea that would not cost nearly as much as widening a freeway. He along with his colleagues are urging Caltrans to allow carpool lanes in Southern CA to be used by all vehicles regardless of the number of passengers on off-peak hours. Additionally, the proposal is… Read More

Not to debate either Duane or Jon (see their posts below), but perhaps to "moderate."

Using Jon’s ACU ratings, Hunter scores a 92, one less than Issa. Bilbray comes in at 71. Self-described moderate Mike Castle is at 59, which our fearless FR leader describes as "considerably more to the left than Bilbray." Some, maybe many,would call Castle a liberal.

I know I went to public schools, but the difference between the scores for Castle and Bilbray is a mere 12 points. Between Bilbray and Hunter? … 21 points. If Castle is considerably to the left of Bilbray, then clearly Bilbray is significantly to the left of Hunter and Issa. But, who’s counting (besides me)?

Who, then, is the moderate? It depends on where you draw the line.

My gut indicatesthat a conservative will win the 50th … or someone who convinces the voters they are such. Any consultant worth their salt will claim their candidate fits the mold of the district.… Read More

I received a phone call after I posted about the 38th Assembly District race.The callerdidn’t buy my analysis. See it here.

Seethe personis in the slate mailing business and had a couple calls from consultantsasking to keepthat space open for a well funded, yet undeclared candidate in the 38th GOP primary.

I know a year ago the actor Joseph C Phillips (Cosby, theDistrict,Vegas and more)had looked at the race and decided against it.

Who is the mystery candidate?

Come out, come out where ever you are.

In the mean time, Smyth may have to start walking the district and raise more campaign cash.… Read More

The published story this morning is that Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler is out, and Rancho Santa Fe businessman (read: has money) Ken King is in the race to succeed Duke Cunningham.

The unpublished story, found only here on my blogbarry, is that recently retired NFL cornerback and aide to Congressman Duncan Hunter is just days away from jumping into the mix.

The nine-year veteran of the Redskins, Chargers and Broncos has apparently been thinking about his next career for some time. The following was posted last year on ESPN.com:

August 13, 2004 – Broncos cornerback has his eye on politics in his next career: Scott Turner might someday trade in his helmet and pads for a suit and tie, and start passing laws instead of knocking down passes. Turner, 32, an eight-year veteran, worked as an intern in the San Diego office of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.… Read More