The Washington Post reports this morning that Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t the only governor facing a clemency decision, but the politics involved for Mark Warner of Virginia are much different. Warner is the current favorite of the centrist, "faith-based" Democrats lining up for the 2008 presidential primaries, who’s political success has been predicated on his ability to reach out to the culturally conservative swing voters who’ve been supporting Republicans in recent years.

Let’s assume that Warner, like Schwarzenegger, will not allow political motivations to influence his decision over a man’s life. But both governors are certainly aware of the political ramifications of their respective decisions. And Warner’s advisors must remember another southern governor who flew back to Arkansas from the campaign trail in 1992 to personally oversee the execution of a mentally retarded criminal.

But what’s most interesting about the debate in Virginia isn’t the political impact on… Read More

At first blush, the Great Crab Strike of November 2005 might sound like another organized labor stunt. But a quick review of the facts reveals a far more entrepreneurial story.

Although the season opened on Nov. 15, Bay Area crab fisherman have left their boats tied up while they haggled over prices with the largest company that processes their catch. In a great example of market forces at work, the independent crab fisherman, represented by the Crab Boat Owners Assocation of San Francisco, refused to catch any Dungeness crab until the processor, Pacific Seafood, an Oregon-based company, raised the per pound price it was willing to pay.

While there are other processors, Pacific Seafood has a near-monopoly on the market, and is using (abusing?) it’s power to dictate the price. At the official start of the season, the two sides were 35 cents apart on the per pound price of crab. The crab fisherman wanted $1.85 a pound, a dime increase over last year’s price. Pacific Seafood initially said… Read More

Can Los Angeles County Sheriiff Lee Baca be beat? As Baca approaches re-election, there are dark clouds above him. Prisoners escape, get killed aor are let out early. He supported a tax increase that failed.

Baca is allegedly a Republican, although no one would know if from his endorsements or public policy ideas.

The Los Angeles Times has an article on the three current challengers Ray Leyva, Ken Masse and Don Meredith. See it here.

In full disclosure, I know Don Meredith from his time on the LA County Republican Central Committee a decade ago and I’ve met with Ken Masse, a West Covina resident several times about his campaign.

I’m in the process of writing an analysis about this race—so stay tuned. [Publisher’s note: I certainly remember when Baca… Read More

[This request for input will be here Thursday – Sunday of the holiday weekend. I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving! – Flash] The online version of the FlashReport is getting ready to celebrate its two-month anniversary next week. I hope that you have enjoyed the new look and format of the report. As most of you know, the FR was an e-newsletter for years before being published as a website.

The process of creating this site was a collaborative one. I had a lot of input from readers, and also a great development crew over at Cloudspace in Orlando (they are the development team with which I worked – and their site is linked at the bottom of the site).

That said, we are constantly updating the site, both the front-end for you, the user, as well as the ease of use ‘backstage’ for the Publisher (me!) as well as the fantastic FR Blog Team (aren’t they great?).

Just recently we… Read More

Happy Thanksgiving to all fans of the FlashReport! We are getting close to two months of publishing of this site! I hope that you have enjoyed it. Today in my Commentary, I am soliciting your input and feedback. If you read this blog (which, if you are reading this, you undoubtedly do) — take the opportunity to tell me how you would like to see it improved or changed — or tell me what you like about it.

There are plans underway to integrate a method for you, FR blog readers, to be able to comment on the site. We are considering options with a goal of minimizing anonymous blogging, but maximizing reader interaction. Anyways, read more about this and provide your input here.

Finally, did you know that union bosses have been quietly circulating petitions to qualify a so-called "Shareholder Protection Measure" for the June… Read More

Fior d’Italia may not be the darling of the foodies in San Francisco, but it is one of city’s oldest restaurants and serves a mean plate of pasta. It made headlines on Wednesday for offering dinners at… Read More

MARK WYLAND – A GREAT LEGISLATOR Yesterday’s news that Assemblyman Mark Wyland, the well-respected legislator from northern San Diego County will not run in the GOP primary for Congress (the seat currently occupied by the sullied fighter ace, Duke Cunningham) will certainly impact that Congressional race. But it should not be lost that Wyland, who will likely face little or no competition for the State Senate seat for which he has opted to run, will make a great addition to the State Senate GOP caucus. State Senator Bill Morrow is term-limited out of his office, and is a leading candidate for the Cunningham seat.

In his time as a State Assemblyman, Wyland has garnered a reputation for being a smart, political savvy, and policy-wise legislator. He has been a leader within his caucus for philosophical conservatism, and he also has put together a great group of staffers who are dedicated to the same limited-government cause which Wyland… Read More

A mail piece featuring Diane Harkey, candidate for the 35th Senate District has hit district mailboxes today. She apparently used personal money because the piece was for the CA Border Patrol Initiative, but it is clearly the beginning of her campaign.

First mail piece in the race for the 35th. Her only opponent, Assemblyman Tom Harman has been somewhat absent from the GOP political scene since Harkey announced. This is not necessarily a bad thing for his chances since his first race for Assembly was won with Democrat votes in that year’s ‘open primary’. He may be courting them now since the Special Election (which will feature an ‘open style’) for the seat (to replace soon to be Congressman John Campbell) will be coming up very quickly.

Tom, send us your first piece…

NOTE: The OC Power Brokers Series III – Lawyers Edition I promised will be… Read More