This random thought just crossed my mind as I am traveling on the rental car shuttle at the Oakland Airport…

It would appear that President Obama is going to govern this nation as a hardcore left-wing ideologue. In some respects I am jeolous because our last President certainly didn't govern as a hardcore right-winger. Not even close. I think I feel kind of… cheated…… Read More

I was excited to hear from the University of the Pacific College Republicans that my former Congressman and Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, will be in Stockton this Tuesday evening delivering a speech titled "The Gathering Storm in Hard Economic Times: Challenges and Opportunities."

For those of you who have never had the pleasure of hearing Rick speak in person, I would recommend a trip to Stockton. As the author of "It Takes a Family," Rick has been at the forefront of the national debate in protecting the traditional American family and its values. He recently has been a loud voice against radical Islamic fascism as a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Rick is an inspiration to conservatives to stand up and fight against leftists and their culture and was recognized as the strongest and most articulate defender of life in the Senate. His campaign for Congress in 1990 was the first campaign I volunteered in and he continues to inspire many young conservatives to continue to "Join the Fight" as he did with me as a young college student.

Details: 6:30 P.M. at the University of the Pacific,… Read More

The Duf Sundehim/CRAFT pay package story was first reported by yours truly five days ago on Red County.com, and then headlined on the FlashReport.org the next day.

The Sacramento Bee has now picked it up, and reporter Andrew McIntosh gave glancing acknowledgment to the story’s origin in the fifth paragraph:

It was Red County, Mr. McIntosh. R-E-D C-O-U-N-T-Y.

And you’re welcome.

By the way, Jon Fleischman is described in the Sacbee story as "a former vice chairman of the state GOP," when in fact Jon was re-elected to that post little more than a week ago. Details.… Read More

I’ve received a steady barrage of news releases from "Budget Reform Now," the campaign committee seeking approval of Propositions 1A through F — which in turn are part of the Schwarzenegger/Democrat "Kill California’s Economy Now" budget.

Four landed in the ole inbox today alone, and they drive home the sad truism that big businesses interests — contrary to the self-delusions of the Left — are not the bankrollers of the Right or battlers for the free market. Oh, that it were!

In one press release, I am treated too the depressing spectacle of Joel Fox — former long-time president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association — singing the praises of Prop. 1A as head of something called the "Small Business Action Committee."

I wasn’t aware small businesses favored action to extend the massive $13.5 billion tax hike for two additional years! Call me old-fashioned, but champions of small business are supposed to oppose transfering wealth and power to government, not support extending such transfers.

Other "pro-business" groups selling out the free market include the… Read More

Today at 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, the U.S. Senate will commence deliberations on a bill to fund the federal government for the rest of the year. Sometime this week, as part of the legislation, a heated discussion about polar bears will likely take place.

Then the majority Democrats (with a little help — it will take 60 votes) will probably push through the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, H.R. 1105, along with several "riders" such as Section 429, all of which President Obama will probably sign into law.

Section 429 is aimed at protecting polar bears at all costs, while at the same time creating a real possibility that the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) will finally push America’s economy, the Act itself, the polar bear himself/herself, and perhaps all of the above, toward extinction.

This reminds me a little bit of last year’s tax day, April 15, when the Nevada Development Authority sent people dressed in bear suits to the Capitol in Sacramento. The bears held up signs saying it was "Time to Feed the Bear."

This was intended as a message to business owners and relocation managers thinking of leaving… Read More

Is a well-written spending cap worth extra years of tax increases? That is the question that confronted our legislators and now confronts every California voter. The deal that was pushed by the Governor was to re-enact a spending cap as good as or better than the original Gann spending limit of 1979. For a variety of reasons, I conclude that this has been achieved. Once in place, this spending limit could be changed only by the voters, although I fully expect future governors and legislators to search for every loophole. This spending limit will not cut taxes. In fact, passage of the measure is linked to extensions of the new tax increases on sales (though 2012), income (through 2013) and cars (also 2013). Can California’s economy survive more years of our being the state that is the least competitive and most hostile to new jobs in the nation? I know it will exacerbate the suffering of unemployment and failing businesses. If this spending limit succeeds in containing spending, then the big budget battles still lie ahead. Future legislatures will be forced to repeal current spending formulas to be able to live within the… Read More

Believe it or not – it’s true. In one of the most blatant attempts that I have ever seen to deprive voters of a remotely fair and remotely balanced title and summary for a ballot measure, the state legislature approved wording for Proposition 1A for the ballot that literally fails to mention that voters are being asked to make a trade off — a spending cap (subject to a 2/3 legislative override via tax increases) in exchange for extending massive taxes for additional years. There is a case to be made to the voters for passing 1A even with the taxes, of course, that advocates can make. But it is insulting to Californians to purposely deprive them of information critical to making an informed decision.

If you want to play "Where’s Waldo" — click here for the official title and summary of Proposition 1A — you see if you can see where there is a mention of the massive taxes?

Well, someone is "taking it to a judge" as they say… Just in from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association…… Read More

I am a real John and Ken fan. Back in 1993, I used to listen to them every day, and one day sent them a budget proposal by the Assembly Republicans. They mentioned on the radio, said they didn’t care about the budget, and asked what I was going to do about the Three Strikes law. I sent them some information on a motion to withdraw that I and a group of Republicans did in May of 1993 to try and pass the Three Strikes law. That little event led to a revolution that passed Three Strikes, led to a Republican majority in the Assembly, and toppled Willy Brown as Speaker. It was all due to John and Ken.

Since then they have been voices of clarity on the budget, on illegal immigration, on the recall, on Governor’s Schwarzenegger’s betrayal of the recall, and on the recent tax increase. They have taken a lot of heat, but they have given a lot of it as well, and they have done it in the pursuit of good issues right for the people of the state of California. They are proof that if you do the right thing, good things (including good ratings) will result.

But I have to disagree on Jeff Miller. Jeff Miller did the right thing. He voted… Read More