To All My Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere.

Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the anyone involved in the wish.

To My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New… Read More

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Former US Rep. Tom Campbell got himself on TV this week.

On the Bay Area ABC affiliate Campbell proposed an $ .18 per gallon gas tax increase to fund the state’s budget shortfall. Campbell of course suggests that the tax increase be ‘temporary’.

I commend the former state budget director for his candor but wonder if he understands that he will have to face the voters if he hopes to become CA Governor. Being the first one out of the gate to propose a tax increase sure is bold.

Campbell also this week sent an email from his exploratory committee for Governor to former supporters. The email reads: Today, I look to you for advice about whether I should re-enter public service.

I find it interesting that his email fails to mention his grand scheme to raise taxes.… Read More

State GOP Chairman Ron Nehring had the following op ed run in the Washington Times today…

The Road Back For The GOP Ron Nehring, Chairman, California Republican Party The Washington Times. With Washington in near-total Democrat hands for the next two years, our party’s best opportunity for advancement lies in the states. Historically, the first mid-term election of a new president doesn’t go all that well for his party as voters seek to restore balance against the administration. Our party must be ready for that… Read More

One of the reasons that our main page is shut down this time of year, is that the drop-off of interesting political news is substantial these last couple of weeks of the year. Especially on an election year, the political reporters who pushed themselves to the limits covering all of the elections have typically already made their "quotas" for the year and are enjoying a break.

Today, there were a few links worth highlighting on a very disturbing topic. As you know, last week Governor Schwarzenegger announced that he would veto massive taxes that were passed by the Democrats in the legislature by a majority vote. We here at the FlashReport feel strongly that these tax increases are illegal, as do taxpayer advocates such as Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

When the Governor held his press conference to announce his opposition to the package, though, he avoided opining on the issue of the absence of a 2/3 vote on the "revenue increases" and now is apparently negotiating directly with Democrat leaders, and there is no mention of… Read More

A few months back, longtime FR friend Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee started on a new project for the Sunday Opinion page of the Bee. This new feature is called "The Conversation" — they pick a topic, and ask someone to pen a lead editorial on the subject, and then get a couple of others to pen smaller companion pieces (to start a "conversation"). Today’s topic is the Future of the Republican Party and the lead editorial on the topic is penned by yours truly. The other, shorter columns are from Tony Quinn and State Senator Abel Maldonado. The Bee’s editorial board also weighed in with their own ten cents (with some sort of bizarre "we need a Republican Party that believes government should be smaller, but we think they shouldn’t be intractable and should actually compromise to give us bigger government — bizarre).… Read More

A few months back, longtime FR friend Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee started on a new project for the Sunday Opinion page of the Bee. This new feature is called "The Conversation" — they pick a topic, and ask someone to pen a lead editorial on the subject, and then get a couple of others to pen smaller companion pieces (to start a "conversation"). Today’s topic is the Future of the Republican Party and the lead editorial on the topic is penned by yours truly. The other, shorter columns are from Tony Quinn and State Senator Abel Maldonado. The Bee’s editorial board also weighed in with their own ten cents (with some sort of bizarre "we need a Republican Party that believes government should be smaller, but we think they shouldn’t be intractable and should actually compromise to give us bigger government — bizarre).… Read More

Our own Shawn Steel, who is Republican National Committeeman from California, has penned this piece which appears in Politico today. It is worth a read. A healthy critique of the incumbent RNC Chairman Mike… Mike who?

MIKE WHO? By Shawn Steel A friend of mine recently attended a “where do Republicans go from here?” session with a selected group of high-powered politicos — congressmen, legislators, donors, party leaders and activists — in the Republican citadel of Orange County, Calif. It was a group closely attuned to GOP politics. As a test, one of the congressmen queried the group, “Who is the chairman of the Republican National Committee?” drawing blank expressions as attendees racked their brains. Only two could come up with the correct answer —… Read More