This morning members and guests of the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club (I’ve been a member for over a decade) were to hear a post-election polling analysis from pollster Steve Kinney. He wasn’t there and Assemblyman Bob Huff was asked to fill in at the last minute or give off the cuff remarks if you will. Bob Huff represents parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties. He spoke about many issues, but his comments on Kennedy are also worth noting. Bob has a 100% voting record on the CRA Score Card. See the rest here .He doesn’t sign off on pulling the pre-primary endorsement and wants the Gov. to win. Huff says he relayed to the Governor "that he knows no one in my district who supports this appointment.” Huff added that “Leadership is not just doing things, sometimes it is symbolic. And this was important”. Huff continued, “People can only hold their nose so much and that this is the point people are at.” He told the … Read More

Today in the Sacramento Bee, my friend, State GOP Chairman Duf Sundheim was quoted as follows after emerging from a closed-door, executive sesison of the California Republican Party Board of DIrectors, which included Governor Schwarznegger:

Assuming that Duf was quoted correctly, I am struggling with the big question of who is the "we" that "support his decision" to hire Democrat Susan Kennedy.

The members of the Board of Directors, I believe, have been done a disservice here. It is clear to me… Read More

Retired State Senator Dick Mountjoy is thinking of running for the United States Senate. Dick Mountjoy is a retired State Senator that represented the Eastern San Gabriel Valley during his career in the legislature. Before that he was a councilman in Monrovia. In 1994 he was re-elected to the State Assembly and elected to the State Senate in special election at the same time. That was the year the Republicans won 41 seats in the Assembly. He couldn’t resign without giving the Democrats the edge. After the Horcher betrayal, Willie Brown threw him out of the Assembly and into the Senate. In 1998 he ran statewide for Lt. Governor losing the GOP primary. After he was term-limited out of the State Senate, he headed the California Republican Assembly preceding yours truly. It’s obvious there is no … Read More

The ultimate ranking guide to your legislators has arrived. The CRA Scorecard is out and about. The publisherordered me to giveeveryoneaccess to the rankings. There werenine lawmakers who received a perfect 100. The rest well… You’ll have to look.… Read More

**If you don’t read anything else today, don’t miss this article from Capitol Weekly. Purely insightful journalism from Shane Goldmacher, if I do say so!

GOP BOARD TO MEET WITH GOVERNOR Today the Board of Directors of the California Republican Party will meet in Sacramento. Usually the Governor sends a representative to these meetings — but today’s meeting will have the Governor participating in the meeting – which is appropriate – given that the reason for the meeting was the Governor’s hiring of a Democrat activists as his Chief of Staff. Republican volunteers around California are reeling from the news – dismayed that the Governor they toiled to elect in the recall election has brought one of Gray Davis’ top advisors back into the Executive Offices of the Governor.

So,… Read More

WHAT WILL THE GOVERNOR DO?? SPECIAL ELECTION TIMING…

Orange County and San Diego are looking to have special elections very soon. In San Diego, the Congressional seat belonging to the disgraceful Duke Cunningham is now wide open. It is safe GOP territory. Similarly, in Orange County, with John Campbell’s election to Congress, his State Senate seat is wide open – also a safe GOP seat.

The political low-down on these primaries has been, and will be talked about on this blog. But the purpose of this post is to talk about the fact that Governor Schwarzenegger has to choose when these special elections will take place. He does have some lattitude.

Election officials from both counties have asked to have these elections consolidated with the June primary, for a savings of many, many millions of dollars. If the Governor does this, then the primaries (which is the whole game for… Read More

Good call by the Gov (see my previous post).

SPECIAL ELECTION PROCLAMATION

BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim and order that a special election shall be held on the 6th day of June, 2006 within the 50th Congressional District of the State to fill the vacancy in the office of Member of Congress from said district arising from the resignation of office by Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

I also hereby proclaim and order that a special election shall be held on the 6th day of June, 2006 within the 35th Senate District of the State to fill the vacancy in the office of California State Senator from said district arising from the resignation of office by John Campbell.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 15th day of December, 2005.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Governor of California

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(I posted via Blackberry, so pardon any messed up fromating)… Read More

What follows is the official statement put forth by State GOP Communications Director Karen Hanretty after the State Party Board meeting:

"The California Republican Party Board of Directors met today with Governor Schwarzenegger to have a frank and free flowing discussion about his recent appointment of Susan Kennedy as his new chief of staff.

The Board advised the governor on his appointment and in response to a question, he reaffirmed his support for his chief of staff as well as his life-long support for Republican principles.

The Board emphasized to the Governor the importance of remaining committed to his policies of not raising taxes, opposing drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants and expressed concern over proposed bonding in 2006."… Read More