[Pub. Note – FlashReport readers will have to pardon my temporary and brief departure from writing about California’s overspending crisis, in order to write about something that really has me worked up… – Flash]

Washington’s bailouts are bad enough, but it adds insult to injury when bailout recipients use their money for stupid things. AIG thought it smart to hold a corporate retreat at the Ritz Carlton. Citi defied logic and tried to spend $50 million on a new corporate jet. Now, there is word that another bailout recipient is wasting its money, this time on a frivolous lawsuit.

Hollywoodʼs six major studios have filed a lawsuit to prevent consumers (like me!) from being able to buy RealDVD, a cool program that allows you to legally back up your DVDs to your personal computer just like you back up your CDs with iTunes.… Read More

The members of the Republican National Committee are balloting to elect a new Chairman who may (unfortunately) be the old Chairman, Mike Duncan – former President Bush’s man.

After the first round of balloting, the first results are in: 52 for Duncan, 46 for Michael Steele, 28 for Katon Dawson, 22 for Saul Anuzus and 20 for Ken Blackwell.

So now deliberations will continue, and balloting will go on until some gets a majority of the votes… There will be another ballot soon. As to whether anyone drops out, it isn’t required but probable…… Read More

RNC Second ballot result:

Duncan 48. Steele 48. Dawson 29. Anuzis 24. Blackwell 19.

85 votes needed to win.

15 minute recess before next vote.… Read More

51 Steele

44 Duncan

34 Dawson

24 Anuzus

15 Blackwell… Read More

After the third round of voting (see results in the post below this one), RNC Chairman Mike "I said absolutely nothing about the bailouts of wall street and the automakers" Duncan is OUT — he was withdrawn from the race.

As to how his votes end up divvying up among the others?

The fourth ballot: Dawson 62 Steele 60 Anuzis 31 Blackwell 15

85 needed to win.… Read More

Ordinarily, I’m not one to get much excited about news involving the party-out-power this soon after a presidential election. Finding out who’s keynoting the Iowa Republican Party’s Lincoln Dinner, for example, is about as earth-shattering as new of, oh,the Dodgers’ new Assistant G.M. Newsworthy? Yes. Will we be talking about it a year from now? Not likely.

That said, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect onthe news out of Washington: the selection of Michael Steele as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The choice was not just historic — Steele being the GOP’s first Africa-American chair, chosen less than weeks after the swearing-in of the nation’s first African-American president. It could turn out to be an important early step in digging the GOP out of its current bind as the nation’s minority party.

Off the top of my head, here are four reasons why Steele seems the right choice:

1) He’s battle-tested Steele twice sought statewide office in Maryland — winning a race for Lieutenant Governor (making him, at the time, the nation’s highest-ranked… Read More

Blackwell out. Endorses Steele. Fifth round of ballots handed out.… Read More

Steele 79.

Dawson 69.

Anuzis 20.

After the results were announced, Anuzis dropped out, endorsing no one. 85 votes needed to win — the next ballot is probably it…… Read More