The Republican Governor’s Association just wrapped up its annual meeting in Carlsbad in Northern San Diego County. I asked State GOP Vice Chairman and FR friend to give us a report on how things went. Here is his "report from the field" – enjoy!

From Ron Nehring:

If you join the staff of a Republican governor, one of the first lessons you learn is that you want to be the guy who gets to staff the governor at the annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association — it’s always held at a first class resort in a warm climate while the rest of the country is blanketed with cold, rain or snow.

For the last two days I’ve attended the RGA’s meeting here at the La Costa Resort in Carlsbad in San Diego County, both in my role as Senior Consultant for Americans for Tax Reform, and… Read More

INFRASTRUCTURE, YES! MEGA-DEBT, NO! With all of the ‘noise’ of the Governor’s controversial pick for Chief of Staff, the FlashReport is committed to keeping our eye on the ball of exposing the lousy idea of floating mega-billions of dollars in bonds for infrastructure needs. We’ve already heard from Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and from State Senator John Campbell, both expressing their strong opposition to such a scheme.

Today in the FlashReport, we feature a column from George Passantino, a senior fellow with the well-respected Reason Foundation. In this piece, George also lays out a… Read More

Things have been hectic since Arnold turned on all of us. I meant to post this a little sooner.

The 59th Assembly District is one of those districts drawnin a very gerrymanded way.It goes from Monrovia in LA County along the 210 to the San Bernardino County Border. It then shoots north through the Angeles National Forest over to Hesperia.

Dennis Mountjoy is termed out. There are four candidates at this point running in the GOP Primary. No Dems need apply. You can read Brad Mitzelfelt’s take here.

I have endorsed no candidate. I know or have met with them all. CRA has not endorsed a candidate. Obviously, that could put one over the others.

Bart Doyle is a former Sierra Madre City Councilman. Nice guy.He has ties to Antonovich and a small base in the murky world of transportaion and government committees. To be honest I don’t see how he gets to 1st in a GOP Primary.

Chris Lancaster is a former Covina City Councilman and son of former Assemblyman Bill Lancaster. Bill represented much of the LA County… Read More

John Fund and Brendan Miniter weigh in from Manhattan with their talented pens…

December 1, 2005

In today’s Political Diary: Darn It, He Just Can’t Resist Anyone Named Kennedy

An episode of the TV political drama "The West Wing" could never top the bizarre appointment Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has made as his new chief of staff, the top administrative post in his government. Susan Kennedy is the former deputy chief of staff to Gray Davis, the discredited, spendthrift governor whom Mr. Schwarzenegger replaced after a… Read More

OK – the headline should have read: RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, speaking at the RGA Meeting in San Diego County, criticizes anti-war Dems.

It would be nice if Chairman Mehlman would explain why the RNC raised so much money out of California but made no transfers of cash (that I know of) to the Caliornia GOP to assist with GOTV efforts in our statewide election. The RNC shares a portion of the responsibilty for that defeat. But I guess that will be a different speech on a different trip. He will give that one flanked by the only nine Republicans in California who opposed redistricting reform (coincidentally, all Members of Congress!).

Ok…ok… Back to Mehlman and the Republican Governor’s Association meeting. The GOP Governors are meeting at the posh La Costa Resort and Spa near Carlsbad for a few… Read More

A relatively peaceful balance of power has existed in North San Diego County for some time, with general cooperation between Supervisor Bill Horn, Assemblyman Mark Wyland, Assemblyman George Plescia, State Senator Bill Morrow, Congressman Darrell Issa, and Congressman Duke Cunningham. With seats opening rarely in this solid GOP turf, there was little reason for the party organization and the elected officials to concentrate on anything but cleaning out pockets of local Democrat officeholders, or running up the region’s vote tally with solid GOTV programs. But like in WWI, the Duke (I guess the historical figure was actually an Arch Duke) is gone. This is combined with various partisan seats which were opening regardless, and a challenge to the sitting Supervisor from a former legislative member. Meaning: Flanders (no Probolsky, not Homer Simpson’s neighbor) and the Somme are yet to come, and the political graveyards are… Read More

Should Arnold Schwarzenegger run for re-election as an Independent?

Schwarzenegger has always had an uneasy relationship with the Republican Party’s base. Susan Kennedy’s hiring has only intensified the tensions that have existed since he first announced plans for a ballot initiative to fund after school programs.

Schwarzenegger is a centrist. He’s conservative on economic issues and immigration issues, moderate on cultural and environmental matters. As I’ve written before, that ideological balance is what allowed him to attract the support of swing voters in the recall election. But it has also kept him from forming a stronger relationship with his own party.

Most successful politicians figure out away to balance the needs of their base with the demands of the political center. Bill Clinton did it by calling himself a “New Democrat”. George W. Bush accomplished the same goal by presenting himself as a “compassionate conservative”. Arnold didn’t come up with quite as catchy a turn of phrase for himself, but a governor who repeals the car tax and opposes drivers’ licenses for… Read More

I think most of California’s political community is scratching their heads over the Susan Kennedy COS appointment. Even if you are a liberal, sorry progressive Democrat you have to wonder how it all happened.

We Republicans especially are searching for answers. I have identified a few reasons, thoughts and some options, some rational, some not.

>"It is 99% Maria and 1% desperation," says Probolsky [Note to media, feel free to use this as long as you attribute to me and Flasreport.org]. -Call me vain for quoting myself, but I think this is the best explanation. It is no secret the insider pull the Governor’s wife has. If Maria trusts someone, and I gather there are few people she trusts, they have a pretty good shot at becoming [fill in high level government job here]. > "Some would suggest it… Read More