News reports today informed us that Mission Viejo City Councilman Lance MacLean, the current appointed Mayor, was recalled by the very narrow margin of just 19 votes in the city recall election held last Tuesday. After spending the extraordinary amount of $105,000 to oppose the recall (or about $15 a vote) (one wonders who did the union’s polling!) and lose by just 19 votes, the Orange County Deputy Sheriff’s union might want to demand a "recount" just to satisfy any doubts individual union members might have about the results, or the wisdom, of dumping such a large amount of precious PAC funds down the drain on just this small part of the County.

If union members want a recount, however, they will have to pay for it, adding insult to injury. Under the law, a County Registrar may initiate a recount where he/she believes there has been a miscount of the vote. However, today’s news reports make it clear that the County Registrar’s office, through their spokesperson, has full confidence in their election count. Where the government does not initiate a recount, the law allows any "voter" in the district to request… Read More

Today you will be asked to vote on whether to approve or reject the nomination of your colleague, Abel Maldonado, to be elevated into the position of Lt. Governor of California. I have spoken with many of you, and know that there are a range of opinions on this subject within your caucus.

I have yet, in the context of this confirmation, to find a Republican Senator who has told me that they are enthusiastic about Abel’s nomination, and looking forward to having him as Lt. Governor. But unfortunately that does not mean that I have encountered unanimous and strong opposition to confirming Maldonado, either.

To be blunt, there seems to be a lot of agreement that for various reasons, Abel Maldonado, as a politician, is not well liked or respected. Some feel that he doesn’t keep his commitments, others object to his quest for attention, others resent his lack of commitment to any set of principles, and of course there is deep unhappiness stemming from his role in the budget deal last year.

The reason why there is not uniformity in voting no on such an unpopular politician has nothing to do with Maldonado personally, but rather everyone seems to be… Read More

I have many fond memories associated with South Lake Tahoe – renting a cabin with friends, a couple of weddings, a couple of rowdy New Years Eves… I’m sure I’m not alone in having a lot of great times at this great postcard perfect vacation spot. But while many of us visit South Lake Tahoe, believe it or not there are nearly 35,000 people who call that city their home.

Whether a visitor or a year round resident of South Lake Tahoe, everyone sees the signature “Go Blue” public buses that zip all around town. For someone like me who doesn’t like to drive in the snow, I’ve hopped on them a time or two.

The reason why I bring this up is because today I am going to devote my column to exposing the bizarre story of John Andoh. John Andoh is the Big Kahuna of the Go Blue public bus transit system – in… Read More

We just received this piece from BOE Member Michelle Steel…

Willie Horton, Maurice Clemmons and Now… By Michelle Park Steel, BOE Member

Kevin Peterson was arrested – for attempted rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment, and violating the terms of his parole – early Tuesday morning, 12 hours after his early release; part of the Governor’s effort to reduce the state’s prison population. He was one of the many released under the Governor’s new release plan. Of course, this plan was to involve only the release of prisoners who were jailed for non-violent offenses. His chosen victim? A female counselor at the Catholic charity, Loaves and Fishes, helping the poor and destitute in our state’s Capital, on a route frequently taken by the very legislators who passed the bill, and the… Read More

The most effective way to communicate with voters in a state as large as California is through television and cable advertising. It also happens to be the most expensive. That said, we can certainly be sure we will get to see a LOT of it coming from the two candidates who want to be the Republican nominee for Governor. Thus far, the campaign of Steve Poizner has not been doing any direct voter contact (obviously choosing to wait until close to the election which is still four months out), and the Whitman campaign has been running a series of statewide radio spots.

As of today, the television "phase" officially begins in this primary — with the announcement today that Meg Whitman’s campaign is launching their first statewide television and cable ad. The ad, which is below, will be running in all of California’s media markets. And our FR sources have verified that it is a substantial seven-figure buy (not one of those minimal buys geared more towards earned media coverage of it).

Clearly this throws the gauntlet down to Whitman’s opponent, Steve Poizner. He’s need to get up his own advertising campaign yesterday if… Read More

So if you are a conservative in the California legislature, and you decide you want to seek higher (or lower) office – you can expect a few questions to come your way. As important as the no taxes pledge has rightfully become in GOP primaries because government at every level has expanded well beyond a sustainable level, the next big question will be – “How did you vote on the confirmation of Abel Maldonado as Lt. Governor?”

If you are a conservative in the state legislature, public policy positions taken by an official that you would place one-heartbeat (a very strong heartbeat, Governor) away from the state’s top job matter – in fact they matter a lot.

Who occupies this position also matters a lot for the messaging of our party. We already have the Governor who dismisses routinely GOP legislators in the Capitol – and with Maldonado we will have another “media darling” who will use his bully pulpit to attack conservatives.… Read More

This just in from longtime FR friend (and fellow Vin Scully devotee) Rob Stutzman, Main thing you should know about Rob before reading the following is that his name does appear on the list of "well compensated" consultants to Meg Whitman’s campaign for Governor.

Who ever said politics wasn’t a contact sport?

Rob Stutzman: Poizner Can’t Win The War I can just imagine last Monday morning’s staff meeting at Poizner for Governor HQ. … Read More

Seems to me that while I have plenty of reasons for why conservatives should for sure not vote for Maldonado’s confirmation, I am struggling to figure out why Democrats would want the guy?

From a Constitutional perspective, if Democrats don’t confirm Maldonado, then it is another Democrat (Steinberg) who is in line to succeed the Governor should calamity occur.

But from a point of principle, and an important one — Democrats are equally victim of Maldonado’s blackmail scheme last February to force his so-called "open primary" onto the ballot. So it seems particularly humiliating to have someone rob you at gun point, and then to vote to give them a promotion.

Never mind the idea that every Democrat who votes for Maldanado is going to create headaches in their own future primaries, taking flak for supporting a Republican (well sort of) for the job.… Read More