We would like to wish our readers a Merry Christmas or a Happy Hannukah, and a great New Years. The FlashReport is currently in our "holiday break" mode, where we offer much more limited coverage. This takes place annually from the Saturday before Christmas through New Years Day. Traditionally the political news coverage is very slow, and it gives the elves here a chance to recharge their batteries before we return full steam ahead on January 4th. The FlashReport Weblog on California Politics will be up and running during our seasonal break, and so we encourage you to keep an eye on it. Our many bloggers will still be posting, and if there is breaking news or a particularly "yummy" political story or column, that’s where we’ll point it out to you! Thank you so much for making 2009 the most successful year yet, by any measurable standard, for the FlashReport. We had more blog posts and more featured columns than any other year. We’ve had more readers (by far) than we’ve had since we began as an e-mail newsletter in 2001. We’ve had more… Read More

If you transform into aconservative while an undergrad at Yale, then something special happened. It happened to Wm. F. Buckley. AndGovindini Murty, who with her husband founded the wildly successful Liberty Film Festival, became a conservative under liberal group think,and met Jason Apuzzo. Both are film makers with a vivid conservative/libertarian perspective.

Finally they made their own film with Govindini starring as the "girl" entwined in a wicked plot by a Jihad Terrorist to nuke LA.The insane terrorist is desperately seeking fame while stalking an exotic dancer. The same dilemma faced by the the9/11. Before purifying their souls for the suicide attacks, several were habituating strip clubs days before.

The black comedy takes you on a journey though Iran, Gitmo and the rough streets around the LA Harbor. The… Read More

Quote of the week: “No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while Congress is in session” – Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)

The House of Representatives adjourned for the year on Wednesday night. So, as Samuel Clemens so aptly stated, your property and freedom are safe until January 12th, 2010. You all know that the Senate is still wrestling with their Health Care Bill. Thus far, the absence of the government run part is a good thing, laregely because it is therefore unlikely to lead to full-blown socialized medicine. That’s why Howard Dean and other unabashed socialized medicine advocates are now against the bill. But the bill still stinks because it will raise taxes and costs on every single American who currently has health insurance in order to create a new expensive bureaucracy in an attempt to insure the uninsured. If this bill were to pass, it would not surprise me if health insurance costs rise by about 30% on everyone because of the resulting taxes on insurance policies, new mandated coverage’s, and expanded costs. I just don’t see how the President and the Democrats believe that this will help people or… Read More

As you may know, earlier this year I submitted the Vote SAFE Now initiative (which would require voters to produce photo identification at the polls) to Attorney General Brown’s office. While the California Constitution requires the Attorney General to write fair and balanced title and summaries, what Brown wrote for the Vote SAFE initiative was politically tilted and factually incorrect. As a result, I sued Brown this past fall.

Brown’s latest attempt at the title and summary for the Vote SAFE initiative is materially more accurate than the prior version. Thus, I have dropped the suit. It’s not perfect, but we believe we can move forward with the language in all but one respect.

However, I still plan to re-submit the initiative this week to the Attorney General in an effort to bring clarity to one of the initiative’s provisions – the one which would allowthe county registrar of voters 15… Read More

The Tony Amador for Congress campaign has actually put out a release that highlights Amador’s endorsement from the Sheriffs of Sacramento, Merced and Solano counties. While that’s fine and dandy even though none of those counties are part of the 11th Congressional District, it’s pretty amusing to see they added a scorecard on the release stating "Primary Scoreboard: Amador 3 Goehring 2." I guess it’s hard to be a good scorekeeper when one campaign is playing on the junior varsity level and being dominated in every aspect of the game by a clearly superior opponent.

Maybe it’s just me and I could be wrong here being that I’m biased and all in favor of my client Brad Goehring, but it seems to me you might not want to highlight the fact that your opponent has the support of the Sheriffs who represent the two largest counties in the district and are very popular and respected officials while your endorsements mean ZIP, ZERO and NADA in the 11th Congressional district.

Or maybe you would think of avoiding discussing endorsements when Brad Goehring has not only locked down the support of those two local Sheriffs but… Read More

The Lieutenant Governors race is sure different than just a few months ago. Back in that day Sen. Jeff Denham had been campaigning for over a year. His successful defeat of a recall aimed at his “no” vote on a bloated unbalanced budget allowed him to raise money and develop contacts statewide. Sen. Aanestad had jumped in and need to raise money quick.

Today, Denham is running for Assembly, Aanestad still needs to raise money (he can win if he can get his message out)and the Governor has vaulted Sen. Abel Maldonado into the LG race. Whether he is confirmed or not, Maldonado is in the LG race to stay.

It is no secret that with a little money a candidate can beat Maldonado in the GOP Primary. It is difficult to choose which betrayal of mainstream GOP and Californian voters to list as a reason to reject his candidacy, but I hope someone does an ad about his signing the no new tax pledge and then voting for huge tax increases. (His consistent betrayal of the GOP core principles and his ability to break his word does explain why he is good fit for the Governor as LG.)

So now that the field has changed, does Bill Simon say yes to running for LG?

There… Read More

This is a remind that today is the last day of publication of the FlashReport’s main news link page for the year. As has been our tradition since we went online in 2005, we gives the "elves" the weeks of Christmas and New Years off in order to recuperate and get ready for the busy new year.

The main page returns on Monday, January 4, 2009. We’ll include a look back at some of the major stories (if any) that took place during the brief hiatus.

The FR Blog page will be up and running during the holiday season, and look for action there — especially if there is breaking news.

During our break, the main page will featured exclusive columns from GOP Gubernatorial candidates Tom Campbell, Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman — and U.S. Senate contenders Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina. We’ll also have a special feature column from GOP consultant Dave Gilliard on why the so-called "open primary" that was birthed during the horrible February budget deal earlier this year is bad, bad news for Californians.

As always, your feedback is welcome.

Jon Fleischman, Publisher

… Read More

I have waited along time to go whole hog in support the minions that pay their dues to the California Teachers Association.

Finally, I found a teacher union action with teeth! Saul Alinksy has taught me that direct action against those oppressive elements of society is necessary.

The poor teachers of the Centinela Valley Union High School District have been put through too much.Today they stood up to the man.

They aren’t getting there fair share of the dough. No contract, no peace!

Today during nutrition breaks, instead of letting kids eat carrots and nutritious snacks and make money off the federal government subsidies for food welfare program they gave out donuts.

Not just any donut,Krispy Kreme donuts.

A luta contunia. The people united will never be defeated. And make mine a dozen.

… Read More