Rep. McClintock gave the following floor speech in support of H.J.Res. 3, which was a Republican measure to deny the authorization of the remaining portion of the $350 billion in bailout funds.

Mr. Speaker:

This resolution presents the House with its last chance to admit that the Bush bailout has not worked. And it will not work because of a simple and self-evident truth:

Government cannot inject a single dollar into the economy that it has not first taken out of the economy.

It’s true that if I take a dollar from Peter and give it to Paul, Paul has one more dollar to spend and that dollar will ripple through the economy.

But we forget the other half of the equation: Peter now has one less dollar to spend, meaning one less dollar to ripple through the economy. In short, it nets to zero.… Read More

It seems to me that Californians are getting what they asked for in State Controller John Chiang. The contrast between selecting Chiang or his opponent, taxpayer advocate Tony Strickland, on the November 2006 ballot could not have been more stark. While Strickland was openly supported by a cadre of pro-taxpayer organizations and leaders, the bulk of Chiang’s support came from the left-wing of the Democrat Party, and most significantly, from public employee unions eager to have yet another “tool” in an important state constitutional office, ready to be put into play should the need arise. (Below, left, is a photo of Chiang standing with all of his union supporters after being elected Controller.)

While the nation’s economy is reeling, as the United States, and California, plow into a recession, public employee union bosses continue to be advocates for the notion that… Read More

It seems to me that Californians are getting what they asked for in State Controller John Chiang. The contrast between selecting Chiang or his opponent, taxpayer advocate Tony Strickland, on the November 2006 ballot could not have been more stark. While Strickland was openly supported by a cadre of pro-taxpayer organizations and leaders, the bulk of Chiang’s support came from the left-wing of the Democrat Party, and most significantly, from public employee unions eager to have yet another “tool” in an important state constitutional office, ready to be put into play should the need arise. (Below, left, is a photo of Chiang standing with all of his union supporters after being elected Controller.)

While the nation’s economy is reeling, as the United States, and California, plow into a recession, public employee union bosses continue to be advocates for the notion that… Read More

John "Union Tool" Chiang, the State’s Controller, on video.

The first video is some leftist group interviewing Chang last year when he was in Denver for the DNC Convention during the budget crisis. Nice priorities. (If you get bored watching this first video, I don’t blame you. I started to yawn. It’s really not what he is saying that is notable, but rather than he is partying at the DNC Convention DURING a state budget crisis.) The second video is short and sweet — Chiang wants to be Governor. I guess that will depend 100% on the public employee unions that make his decisions — on what to run for, and what to do in office.

This guy is an embarrassment to all of us. … Read More

Today the Poizner for Governor campaign announced that he has been endorsed by State Senate Republican Leader.

While there will be a lively primary campaign between Poizner and Meg Whitman, it won't be much of a battle over GOP legislative endorsements, as Poizner has scooped up virtually all of those.… Read More

SMC to SNA — otherwise known as Sacramento to Orange County. I'm about to go “wheels up” — today's celebrity co-passengers are GOP ca$hectomy machine Marty Wilson, and Villa Park Councilwoman Deb Pauly.… Read More

Hello, Mr. President, from the loyal opposition. While I expect that I will have many disagreements over important public policies advanced by the Obama administration, the Inauguration of Barack Obama is a day for history.

The sight of America’s first African American president taking the oath of office (clumsily administered by Chief Justice John Roberts) was rich with symbolism. President Obama took a long train route to the nation’s capitol, beginning in Springfield, Ill. where he served in the state legislature, retracing the route traveled by his political hero, Abraham Lincoln, when the nation’s 16th president (also once an Illinois state legislator) headed to Washington for his own Inaugural in 1861. Lincoln’s decision to abolish slavery in late 1862, wildly unpopular at the time, is perhaps history’s greatest act in the cause of freedom. Obama was sworn into office the day following the national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. whose “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered as the culmination of the civil rights movement’s March on Washington in August, 1963, roughly 100 years following Lincoln’s historic Emancipation Proclamation. .… Read More

I’ve never attended a presidential inauguration before. And for my first one, I had a pretty darn good seat.

Members of the House and the Senate all sit up in an amphitheater-like setting behind the President. Also in that vicinity are a number of governors (Arnold was there), cabinet members, and other dignitaries from government such as Ben Bernanke and Colin Powell; both of whom were seated not too far in front of me. It was all government people up there. The celebrities; and there were dozens and dozens of them, were all sitting in seats in front of the stage.

It was really, really cold. I am a 4th generation Californian who doesn’t ski. Needless to say I don’t do cold well. It never got above 32 degrees Fahrenheit all day and there was quite a breeze on top of that. I’ve never worn so many clothes in my life, and it still wasn’t enough! There are many reasons I live in ‘The OC’ and don’t intend to leave, it’s days like today when I remember one of those reasons.

The crowd was amazing. From where I sat I could see all the way to the Lincoln Memorial and the… Read More