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.

I literally don’t have the space to list out all of… 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

Some years ago I wrote a post on the death of my dog, Felony the Dog, that came to mind today when I learned that Kingpin, the dog of my friends, Jason and Patty Roe, was on his last legs. As a person who spent many years in the company of Kingpin I thought I’d republish. After all, if the people in politics were more like dogs, we’d have to watch our backs a bit less and our shoes a bit more. To me that would be a fair trade.

Eat many burgers in your last days Kingpin, and take many walks.

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FELONY THE DOG

For some thirteen years I’ve had a British Staffordshire Terrier named Felony the Dog, or Felony for short. One of my peers in my first year of law school had purchased a puppy, but his apartment manager had very particular and definite views about the acceptability of pets that required either Donald and Felony, or just Felony, to move. Donald chose to stay, and I, who had just moved into an ancient Victorian downtown that happened to have a yard, became Felony’s new owner. Felony proved to be an intelligent dog who picked her friends and her enemies at first site and generally stuck with the… Read More

Brett Henry leaving the race opened up the San Bernardino area of the seat for another candidate. Ken Hunter is already running from that side of the district. Hesperia Unified School Board Member Anthony Riley is getting in the race. Anthony worked for Supervisor Gary Ovitt until recently and hung out a shingle for a PR firm.

Riley has had an interesting journey. While part of his resume is staffer, he was also principal of the now defunct charter school.

But even more importantly Anthony Riley was on Melrose Place. Yes in a small role he was back when Heather Locklear, no relation to the State Treasurer, was hot. Okay she is still hot.

A couple of issues may be in a GOP primary are the fact the local teachers union supported his election and the charter school officials up above him are in criminal trials (not him, but mail pieces may say it.).

More importantly can he raise the money? The machine in San Bernardino County that was there when Adams was elected is not there. Although, Riley has shown he can compete in many difficult environments.

This race will be a barnburner.… Read More

***Apparently as quick as it was up, the post is now down that is references below. I have an email into Aaron Park to figure out what the deal is — since I linked to his post after he notified me of it. I did not download the docs separately. I will let you know what happens…***

Longtime NorCal conservative activist Aaron Klein just hit me with an email to check out the latest story he has filed on his RightOnDaily.com website. So clicked to check it out and when I ready his post, Abel Maldonado Got His Wages Garnished For Back Child Support, I admit that I was a bit skeptical. After all, Maldonado went through a bruising primary in his first run for the Assembly, and I don’t remember him having any "Deadbeat Dad" allegations.

I am sure that the Governor’s office goes through a thorough vetting process for all potential appointees, let alone to be nominated to fill a vacancy in such a significant Constitutional Office. If you had a short list… Read More

Although I might put it a tad more tactfully then "Criticus" did on San Diego Rostra this morning (see Campaign Money in Assembly 77 Race), the overall message is similar forthose vying in the open Joel Anderson State Assembly seat:

Uhhhh, you’d better step it up. That is, if you want to be taken seriously.

Liking and trusting more than one of them,Istated several months ago that my support for any particular candidate may be dependenton how they are doing financially at the end of the 2009.

First sign that none may be doing very well? Easy. No press releases or early touting of financial disclosures. I had to wait all of January.

The jury is still out. Plus, getting hungry and irritable. The reports speak very…ummm…quietly:

Santee Councilman Brian Jones Raised – $22,625.00 Cash on Hand – $20,878.96

Christine Rubin Raised – $26,891.00 Cash on Hand – $7,112.34

El Cajon Councilman Bill Wells Raised –… Read More

Once again we are pleased to present a our weekly offering from the FlashReport’s new in-house political cartoonist, Eric Eisenhammer! Capitol politicos will already be chuckling as they look at Eric’s latest satirical look at Arnold Schwarzenegger.

To give this week’s cartoon some context — last week Governor Schwarzenegger unveiled a new video just outside of his office in the Capitol which plays (over and over again) a clip of President Barack Obama saying that the worst thing we can do in this economy is raise taxes. This hypocritical statement comes from a President who is actively supporting massive tax increases to fund his socialized healthcare scheme.

The point that the Governor is trying to make, as he has proposed a budget that largely avoids tax increases, is that Democrat legislators (who want to tax everything that moves, and then tax everything that doesn’t move) should heed the statement of the President.

While we support a no-new-taxes budget, we… Read More

This is a "must watch" video to see a Congressman who is completely out of touch with the major drought effecting his district. Liberal Democrat Jim Costa campaigned as a so-called "Blue Dog" (moderate) Democrat, but he votes virtually ALL OF THE TIME with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.

Someone should perhaps remind the Congressman that unemployment in the San Joaquin Valley is nearly 20 percent and as high as 40 percent in some cities and that according to a recent University of California at Davis study, based on the water reductions outlined in the Delta outlined in the Delta smelt Biological Opinion, revenue losses in the San Joaquin Valley of California for 2009 will be $2.2 billion and job losses at… Read More