Just heard from Jim Nygren the consultant for the Alliance for California’s Tomorrow, the Sacramento insider crowd that is ponying up big-time to try and elect Linda Ackerman in AD 72.

Their latest expenditure comes in the form of individualized letters to voters (all voters, not just Republicans — presumably those with some propensity to vote). These letters are from a well known local elected official to people in their area or city. Tucked in with each letter is a brochure/puff piece on Ackerman.

Below is an example It is a letter from longtime Fullerton Councilman Don Bankhead. First is a letter to Republicans, and below that a letter to non-Republicans. They are virtually identical. Below that is the brochure in the mailings.

… Read More

I am pleased to announce that over the next week or so we will be introducing a group of new contributors to the FlashReport Weblog as we maintain a commitment to bringing you insightful, timely, cutting-edge analysis opinion from some of the Golden State’s best politicos from the center-right all of the way to the hard right.

As we “roll out” some of our new talented writers, I will ask for patience from our readers. About the time that I am posting up this announcement is the first time that these three contributors are getting their registration packets with the details on how to blog on FlashReport.

So in this “first wave” announcement, I am pleased to share with you that Ken Minesinger, Cassandra Pye and Jason Roe will be joining our ranks. Actually, in the case of Jason, it’s more like “welcome back” as Jason was our first Washington, D.C., Beltway Correspondent when the site first launched back in 2005. I should also add that Cassandra is finishing up a well-deserved vacation so you may have to wait until next week before she starts to contribute to the blog. … Read More

Last April 15th thousands of Californians descended upon Sacramento for a tea party protest of out-of-control government. On the same day, hundreds of thousands of other Americans met for similar protests in cities all across the nation. Political commentators wondered whether these massive nationwide protests were merely a passing fad or whether they were the beginnings of a legitimate movement. Seven months later, the tea party movement is still gaining momentum, which bodes well for conservatives in 2010. Last Sunday the Tea Party Express launched the second phase of its national bus tour with a rally in San Diego. Sponsored by the Our Country Deserves Better PAC, the tour will visit over 30 cities on its way to Washington, DC. The San Diego launch was very well attended and the crowd was bursting with energy. With the USS Midway providing a patriotic background, tea party participants were rallied by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, … Read More

"Circulation fell 10.1% to 212,293 at the Orange County Register and dropped 10% to 242,705 at the San Diego Union-Tribune. In the Bay Area, the circulation of the San Francisco Chronicle fell 26% to 251,782, while the Oakland Tribune recorded a 7.3% increase in subscribers to 68,067 — one of the biggest percentage gains among the handful of dailies that reported increases."

Read more in the Los Angeles Times.… Read More

Yesterday FR blogger Jim Lacy put up on this blog page the results of a survey he commissioned in AD 72. FR blogger (and Linda Ackerman’s pollster) Adam Probolsky offered a critique of Lacy here.

Below are some thoughts on the Lacy survey from State Senator John Lewis (Ret’d) who is the lead consultant for the campaign of Supervisor Chris Norby…

LATEST 72nd AD POLL – AWFUL NEWS FOR LINDA ACKERMAN COULD NORBY WIN IT ALL ON NOVEMBER 17TH? By John Lewis… Read More

Since I have left politics to try to earn an honest living, and become a profit center for the state, rather than a cost of doing business (that is, actually paying more taxes than I get paid), I have not gotten to involved in many campaigns. However, when Linda Ackerman called, I said I would do what I could to help.

I didn’t know Dick Ackerman when he ran for office in 1994. It goes without saying that I didn’t know Linda either. For the twelve years that I served with Dick, I got to know Linda, and spent more than a few hours talking with the both of them about politics, the Legislature, and the California Republican Party. During that time, on more than one occasion, I came to believe that Linda should have been the candidate in 1994, not Dick (only kidding, Dick). But it is true, Linda knew and understood policy, the Legislature and politics. Quite frankly, there are few people more suited to serve in the Legislature than Linda Ackerman.

First, she knows the right policy solutions, and knows how to work those solutions in the Legislature. Life is difficult for a Republican in the Legislature, and especially difficult for a… Read More

You can’t make this up. But FlashReport readers are going to want to check out this blog post over on the San Francisco Bay Guardian website.

The Governor vetoed a seemingly innocuous piece of legislation by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. But a careful look at the veto letter (as done by the SFBG) reveals that the first letter in each line of the letter spells…

The response from the Governor’s Press Secretary Aaron McLear when questioned about it: "My goodness, what a strange coincidence. I suppose when u do so many vetoes something like this is bound to happen"

A tip ‘o the hat to the Sac Bee’s Kevin Yamamura on this one!… Read More

Did you hear the one about dogs causing more damage to our environment than a Ford F-250 crew cab? If you are waiting for a punchline, keep waiting. Because this claim is true in a new book, "Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to sustainable living."

Brenda and Robert Vale, Victoria University professors who preach sustainable living, say pet owners should swap cats and dogs for creatures they can eat, such as chickens or rabbits.

By "swap" they mean…?

Another question is: How long will it take before the Liberal block of the California Legislature introduces a bill that outlaws dogs? OK, on a more serious note, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my Liberal colleagues authors a bill that requires dog owners (and cat owners for that matter) to pay for a carbon off-set fee. Now I’m not kidding.… Read More