Last evening, I attended an event in Oakland where 250 people—mostly Republicans—gathered to listen to Meg Whitman discuss why she wants to be California’s next governor. After a brief speech in which she laid out her three top priorities—cutting spending, creating jobs and improving education—she took questions from the audience. There were a number of interesting questions asked, including her position on Prop. 13 (she doesn’t want to touch it), how would she deal with the powerful public employee unions (tough negotiations) and how she would improve schools (among other things, increase the number of charter schools and give public schools a letter grade, A-F).

On economic and government spending issues, Whitman says all of the right things. She even says she plans to take on the CTA in order to improve the schools. But I can’t help to think back to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign for governor. He was saying the same things. Yet, in the end, he never had the skill set to actually achieve those reforms.

So my question to Meg Whitman last night was, essentially, how are you going to be different than Arnold Schwarzenegger?… Read More

Over the last couple of days, the Governor has been crying about Federal judges. Everything he is saying about them is true. They are out of control. They think they are the governors of this state. They think they have the power to tell the state how to run its operation. All of that is true. So what? Those things are not new. Federal judges have been out of control for at least 50 years, and they have had no regard for state government since at least 1936. So what?

In previous columns in this blog, in papers, and while I was in the Legislature, I have advocated that the state government, and particularly the Governor, tell the federal judges to take a very long leap off of a very high bridge. I have been ignored, because, as everyone knows, I’m am crazy, unrealistic, way too conservative, and I lack judgment.

I would have also saved the state a lot of headaches and a lot of money.

Today, another voice, obviously one who thinks himself very reasonable, not as crazy as Haynes, and certainly wise and judicious, has joined in my solo. We are now a chorus. Take a look at the… Read More

Last night in a telephonic Board of Directors meeting, the Young Republican Federation of California endorsed Republican National Committeewoman Linda Ackerman in her bid for the State Assembly.

This endorsing is a big one for Ackerman for two reason. The first is that the YRFC is significant statewide Republican group in California, with an ability to turn out large numbers of volunteers from around the state in special elections.

The second reason is that in a blistering in-essence two-way primary with a lot of mud being hurled in both directions, both the Ackerman and the Norby campaigns will be seeking all credible third parties to come in and vouch for them.… Read More

A few posts below, I talked about the importance of "third party" endorsements in the AD 72 election. People are going to want to hear from trusted messengers when they try to sort through their candidates choices for this special election — especially with how negative the race has been, from day one.

Today the campaign of Supervisor Chris Norby dropped a piece featuring the "gold standard" of California conservatism — that of Congressman Tom McClintock. McClintock has statewide name ID from three runs for statewide office (one of them in the 1993 recall election against Arnold Schwarzenegger). McClintock was elected to Congress in Northern California last year, but undoubtedly remains well known to high-propensity GOP voters statewide.

Here is the piece:

… Read More

Today mailboxes in AD72 were hit by two positive mail pieces promoting Linda Ackerman. The timing is critical because all of the district’s absentee ballot voters are also receiving their ballots right about now.

One piece ("Dear Friend" below) has been put out by the Ackerman campaign.

The other piece ("Ackerman IE Piece One") has been sent by an Independent Expenditure.

I will say this — it is critical that Ackerman’s campaign, in such a tight campaign window, put out mail that both promotes the positive image of her own candidacy — but, frankly, Norby who is popular in North Orange County will need to be brought down a notch or two (or twenty).

It will be interesting to see if the IE money for Ackerman continues to come — and also it will be interesting to see if that IE starts to go after Norby, hitting him hard.

I actually believe that for Linda Ackerman to win, it will be more important for her to sour voters’ impressions of Supervisor Norby that it will be to promote her own image — though clearly a mix of both is called for…

Enjoy the mail…… Read More

FR friend Greg Lucas over on his California’s Capitol blog posts up a media release issued jointly by Senatoor Mark DeSaulnier and Assemblyman Mike Feuer, who are Chairmen of each house’s Select Committee On Improving State Government, are convening the first joint hearing to, "address the pressing need for state government reform."

I noted with interest the group of panelists that will appear before the committee:

Bill Lockyer, State Treasurer and former President Pro Tem of the California State Senate Robert Naylor, former Republican Leader, California State Assembly Laura Chick, Inspector General of California, former Los Angeles City Controller Mac Taylor, Legislative Analyst of California William Hauck, Chairman, California Constitution Revision Commission Fred Silva, Senior Fiscal Policy Advisor, California Forward and former Executive Secretary, California Constitution Revision Commission Bruce Cain, Executive Director, U.C. Washington Center and former Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, University … Read More

FR friend Greg Lucas over on his California’s Capitol blog posts up a media release issued jointly by Senatoor Mark DeSaulnier and Assemblyman Mike Feuer, who are Chairmen of each house’s Select Committee On Improving State Government, are convening the first joint hearing to, "address the pressing need for state government reform."

I noted with interest the group of panelists that will appear before the committee:

Bill Lockyer, State Treasurer and former President Pro Tem of the California State Senate Robert Naylor, former Republican Leader, California State Assembly Laura Chick, Inspector General of California, former Los Angeles City Controller Mac Taylor, Legislative Analyst of California William Hauck, Chairman, California Constitution Revision Commission Fred Silva, Senior Fiscal Policy Advisor, California Forward and former Executive Secretary, California Constitution Revision Commission Bruce Cain, Executive Director, U.C. Washington Center and former Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, University … Read More

Over the weekend the campaign of Chris Norby dropped a mail piece to voters. "Why does Linda Ackerman Lie?" is in large print on the piece which takes to task Ackerman for dropping a piece attacking Norby on sexual harassment allegations.

This mail piece really highlights the fact that AD 72 voters will be getting a lot of "he said, she said" pieces going back and forth, which will make it very hard for those not closely involved in politics to sort of the truth of allegations (heck, even for those hip-deep in this stuff it is hard to figure it all out).

Nevertheless my initial thoughts are still relevant, the burden to overcome the back-and-forth and get a positive image of herself out there to voters will be on Linda Ackerman. Supervisor Norby is already a well known commodity in North Orange County. The challenge here is highlighted by a conversation I had with a non-political Republican voter from the district whom I asked about this race. He said that he was skeptical of allegations being brought up about Norby now. He wondered why allegations hadn’t been brought up before. I tried to explain that Norby hasn’t been… Read More