[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is hell-bent on convincing Republican primary voters that he is a real conservative — which makes the contrast with his assault on insurance companies that may have even indirect investments in Iran all the more jarring, because he is laying the groundwork for social engineering by Democratic successors of the kind that set conservative teeth on edge.

I first reported on this back on December 2, when Poizner was threatening insurance companies to "voluntarily" divest themselves of $12 billion in indirect investments — and if the didn’t volunteer, he’d force them.

As I commented at the time, this reeks of campaign posturing and is the kind of gratuitous, publicity-seeking corporate bashing I would expect from a Democrat:

… Read More

From the things you can’t make up file. I tried to "splain it in 140 characters on Twitter as follows…

Although Abel Maldonado Lt Gov bid fails in Assembly, 37-35, reports have Arnold claiming it takes 41 vote majority for a rejection. Here’s the longer "official" version…

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 11, 2010

Contact: Aaron McLear Rachel Arrezola

Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Legal Secretary Andrea Lynn Hoch Issues Statement on California Constitutional Requirements for Governor’s Lieutenant Governor

Governor Schwarzenegger’s Legal Secretary Andrea Lynn Hoch today issued the following statement on the Governor’s Lieutenant Governor nominee Senator Abel Maldonado and what the California Constitution requires for confirmation:

"The California Constitution is clear: if the legislature does not act to refuse to confirm the Governor’s nominee, his… Read More

Former San Bernardino County Assessor, former Supervisor and former San Bernardino County GOP Chairman Bill Postmus has been arrested again, with substantial charges leveled at him. His former aide, Jim Erwin, was also arrested again, with substantial new charges leveled at him.

Read more here.… Read More

The long, sad saga of Poway Councilwoman Betty Rexford reached what may be its final stage this morning. The FlashReport just confirmed that the San Diego County Registrar of Voters completed its sampling of petitions submitted by recall proponents, certifying that more than the required 5,657 needed signatures were submitted. Over 6,300 valid signatures were previously turned in.

This qualifies the election for June 8, with both the Rexford recall and an "if she is recalled, who replaces her" question to appear on the ballot, sure to start a scramble by potential candidates.

"June 8 can’t come too soon," said recall organizer Steve Vaus, "It’s a bad day for Betty, but a great day for Poway."

For more on the recall: www.recallrexford.com… Read More

KTVU television reports that Democrat consultants Ace Smith and Chris Lehane will head up a new labor-funded $20 million independent expenditure campaign to start bloodying up GOP gubernatorial front-runner Meg Whitman. See the KTVU piece below, and read more about it from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Is that Steve Poizner smiling over there?

… Read More

Round trip from DC to SF at $120,000

It is really getting challenging to show patience given the tone-deaf nature of the Democrats who control the State Legislature. State Senate Democrats just unveiled their new "jobs package" (read it and weap here) that supposedly is going to create six-figures worth of new jobs here in the once-Golden state.

It is really not rocket science to figure out how the Governor and State Legislature can best act to foster an economic environment for job creation in California. I would like it if every Democrat legislator and staff reading this would put down their coffee, and stop multitasking with Tweetdeck, and pay attention to this SIMPLE TWO STEP plan that would be a huge boon to California’s economy… STEP ONE: UNDO DAMAGING TAXES AND OVER-REGULATION That’s right, we should operate under the theory that the state government should get out of the business of actually doing harm to the business climate, and restricting the growth of private sector jobs. Whether it is reducing taxation on income to stimulate spending,… Read More

Dave Gilliard, consultant for Congressional candidate State Senator Jeff Denham, fired off a note to an unknown number of recipients in which he lays out how particular "hits" on another candidate, former Congressman Richard Pombo, really drag him down in popularity. Gilliard attached to his note a memo from longtime FR friend Steve Kinney, with more summary details on a poll that Public Opinion Strategies conducted in CD 19. Below is the text of Gilliard’s note, and linked below is the Kinney memo… And who ever said politics wasn’t a contact sport?

2/10/2010 TO: Interested Parties FR: Dave Gilliard Public Opinion Strategies just completed a poll in CA 19. A memo from… Read More