Recently a police officer friend of mine, very active in his Central California based union, grabbed me by the shoulder told me how critical it was to get Fresno State Senator Chuck Poochigian elected Attorney General in 2006. After a nod and a brief pause, I asked “then why are you screwing him so bad on TV right now?” Befuddled, he looked at me and asked me “what I meant by that.” I replied, “It’s real simple, your union is spending $50 million in a concerted campaign to destroy the Governor. What makes you think ANY of our candidates down the ticket from the Governor can win if you are successful in your efforts? You can’t have it both ways. If you defeat Arnold, you get a terrible replacement AND Jerry Brown for your Attorney General. You will be less safe under that scenario than ever before. But you might get a 4% cost of living raise!” With that, my friend walked away shaking his head. I shook my head back. I have never been more disappointed in public safety unions that I am today. Pursuing a narrow, labor first agenda, they are imperiling all the citizens of California by attacking our Governor. If you know a… Read More

UNION THUGGERY Today in the Los Angeles Times is a ‘must read’ story that talks about how, in their battle to stop Proposition 75, "Paycheck Protection," unions how now resorted to threatening companies if they contribute towards the passage of the measure. This is thuggery at its worst. But, the public employee unions have everything on the line here. Remember that the CTA even mortgaged its headquarters to pay for their political push to defeat this measure. Why? You need only look to the union membership. Exit polls showed that in the 1993 recall election, around 40% of union members actually voted for Arnold Schwarzenegger or Tom McClintock. Yet, if you look at public employee union political spending, 100% (yes, that would be ALL) went to defend Gray Davis. It is really about a small group of union leaders that are totally out of touch with their members. The do not want to empower the individual employees, for fear that if they continue to be myopic in their spending habits, that their members will simply stop giving a portion of… Read More

All of us agree that he Governor has an uphill battle to fight in this special election. Few would disagree that his political shop has failed him. You can’t populate the shop with conservatives, moderate and liberals or you get a jumbled message, which is what we have seen up until list week. A couple of suggestions: quit talking about “union bosses”. Today’s public employee unions, while thuggish as a political adversary, are viewed more professionally than in the old days. Instead, refer to them as what they are: enemies of reform. Repeat it often. Second, these “staged” town halls are phony and they look phony. In the recall campaign you mingled with the people. Do it again. Take on the protesters. Better yet, let us do it for you. We are itching for the fight because you are RIGHT on the issues and we are eager to defend you. Return to your populist instincts. As a politician you look too contrived and scripted. The Terminator didn’t run from the competition. More later……..… Read More

Late last week, former State GOP Chairman Shawn Steel sent out an e-mail announcing that his wife, Michelle, had been appointed Deputy to Board of Equalization Member Claude Parrish. This becomes important because in the race between Michelle Steel and Assemblyman Ray Haynes to get elected to the Board of Equalization in this sprawling district (OC, SD, Riverside and parts of LA and San Bernardino Counties), ballot title is a huge advantage!

It was reported in a FlashReport analysis of this race back in August:

You can check out the e-mail that I got from Shawn below.

In tennis parlance: "ADVANTAGE: STEEL."… Read More

Arnold Schwarzennegger is running behind. So why is his campaign running like they’re ten points ahead?

I respect the people around him: I’ve worked with most of them and they’re a talented group that does very good work. But there’s a lack of urgency surrounding the initiative campaigns that doesn’t make any sense. Mike Murphy talks about having enough money to drop a "grand piano" at the end of the campaign, which is the right approach, especially when the other side has more money. Hopefully that piano is a message that can change the dynamic of the debate, because so far it seems like pretty standard stuff.

Schwarzenegger himself is saying the right things on the stump, although tying the special election back to the recall is something they should have suggested to him in January rather than August. The ads are OK, but they’re the type of messaging for when you’re ten points ahead. Worse, they feel like boiler-plate campaign commercials that Pete Wilson, Gray Davis… Read More

The million dollar question is: Will State Senator John Campbell hit the 50% plus one vote mark he needs to win the 48th District Congressional seat outright on Tuesday, October 4 or be forced into a run-off.

The race has 17 candidates, but only a few with a prayer of even making a real showing:

Campbell of course had the edge from the get-go (see the Probolsky Poll [insert rolling of the eyes for my shameless self promotion here] from June). Former Assemblywoman Brewer has spent real money to try to be a player again and Minute Man founder Jim Gilchrist has parlayed his boarder protection volunteering and KFI radio’s John and Ken appearances into something.

Its important to note that the Dems will vote, some will listen to Brewer’s appeal that says a Democrat can’t win so vote for me a… Read More

The Main Street Partnership’s decision to get involved in the special election for the 48th Congressional District is an example of putting their agenda for the Republican Party ahead of the Republican Party. I’ve seen enough polling data to convince me that Ms. Brewer has no chance of winning but every chance of forcing Senator John Campbell into an unecessary run-off election. A run-off for Campbell would waste hundreds of thousands of dollars in Republican money, put a safe Republican seat in possible jeopardy, and leave the House GOP short-handed a vote for several weeks.

You can argue that the House GOP doesn’t need that one vote, or that there is plenty of campaign cash in Orange County, or that Jim Gilchrist won’ t have enough impact on a run-off to put the 48th in play for the Dems. But why take the chance?

Some will argue that the national GOP needs to hear the message from the base (in the form of Gilchrist) by forcing a run-off but I would argue that the national GOP has heard the message.… Read More

As "experts" wonder in awe at lagging box office receipts, the worst summer in history, and no improvement in sight, can I just suggest that there are a few of us who won’t subsidize the blame America first crowd in Hollywood? Now Donald Sutherland, who heretofore was rather quiet about all things political, is making an ass out of himself for all the world to see. For all Bush’s many, many faults, the war on terror is not one – no attacks since 9-11 on our soil would be the barometer to measure the outcome by. If you choose, you can link to Sutherland’s comments here.

… Read More