It’s that time. THE San Diego General Election Contest. Read below and take a stab. Pretty straightforward this time, no “name the top two” type questions. San Diego area only, no presidential or statewide issues. Every correct answer is worth one point.

Question #1: A Taxing Question – Does Prop A, the Countywide Parcel Tax for Fire Protection, win or lose?

Question #2: San Diego City Attorney – Will Jan Goldsmith garner more or less than 55 percent of the vote?

Question #3: 78th Assembly – Block or McCann?

Question #4: Oceanside – Will Esther Sanchez retain her City Council seat, yes or no?

Question #5: Chula Vista – Will Steve Castaneda retain his City Council seat, yes or no?

Question #6: 50th Congressional – Will Brian Bilbray garner more or less than 60 percent of the vote?

Question #7: 52nd Congressional – Will Duncan D. Hunter garner more or less than 60 percent of the vote?

Question #8: District 1 SD City… Read More

I’ve previously posted on this site about the endorsements that have been made in legislative races by current City Managers. It is my belief that it violates the spirit of the code of ethics of the International City Managers Association.

Certainly city managers are individuals with first amendment rights like anyone else. However, most reasonable local government types would conclude that a truly professional city manager would want to avoid directly being involved with political campaigns for candidates in their jurisdiction.

So what about a City Attorney? I think most people would also conclude that a City Attorney would not want to be making contributions to candidates or independent expenditures that would shape the elected body that they serve as legal counsel.

As the hit pieces keep coming in the Victorville City Council race I started to get curious about the Committee Against Corruption. They have been attacking candidate Ryan McEachron, the top challenger to the three incumbents up for re-election on Tuesday.

So after doing a little digging on line I found that one of the contributors to the Committee Against Corruption was… Read More

Joe Baca, a Democrat Member of Congress from the Inland Empire has drawn the wrath of citizens and local elected officials from within his district. These days, when you see negative advertisements on television or cable, they are typically either paid for by some Beltway interest, or funding by the campaign of a candidate’s opponent. Not so in this case, where local elected officials have come together to fund the two ads below blasting “Working” Joe Baca.

… Read More

The election campaign is still not over but the use of the popular word "rebranding" of the Republican Party is becoming as recurrent as the word "Obama" in my private discussions with conservatives. Conservative leader and fundraiser Richard Viguerie is holding a well known "secret" meeting of Beltway conservative organizations next Thursday to assess the results of the election and what must be done to make the GOP a dominant force again. One of my prominent conservative clients is holding his own set of meetings before and after the election. In a conversation I had yesterday with a New York City-based lawyer/GOP activist, the major point of the discussion was, "I don’t see how Duncan can stay on as the Chairman of the Party." There is a palpable tendency this weekend among the people I talk with to not look at what is going to happen on Tuesday, but beyond.

To be honest, we have been here before. I took a quick look through my files this morning and found a copy of the Orange County Register’s "Orange County Voices," published on Sunday, March 14, 1993, a full… Read More

Last week John McCain started utilizing an aptly descriptive title when referring to Barack Obama: “The Redistributor.” In two words, McCain accomplishes the dual goals of summarizing Obama’s communist plans and ridiculing them. With more and more focus now on Obama’s Marxist view of government (Thank you, Joe the Plumber), it should come as no surprise that the California Teachers Association is pouring money into electing Obama.

Earlier this year the CTA actively lobbied in favor of Senator Alan Lowenthal’s SB 1322, which would have prohibited schools from firing Bill Ayers-type teachers when they indoctrinate students with communist propaganda. By endorsing and campaigning for Barack Obama, the CTA continues their streak of supporting candidates and policies that are distinctly anti-American.

The following mailer is being dropped throughout California by the CTA and it bears an eerie resemblance to the disturbing “Obama kids” YouTube video featuring young children singing the praises of their great leader. Bill Ayres, Barack Obama and the CTA—are these the people we want in charge of… Read More

8:30 to 9:00am broadcast tv, flipping to find commercials: Aguirre for City Attorney: 1 (saw several on Fox cable too) Liebham for Congress: 1 Bilbray for Congress: 2 McCann for Assembly: 7 Block for Assembly: 4 Evans/Jackson for school board: 3 Prop 2 Yes: 6 Prop 2 No: 2 Prop 3 Yes: 1 Prop 4 Yes: 1 Prp 4 No: 3 Prop 5 Yes: 1 Prop 7 Yes: 3 Prop 7 No: 3 Prop 8 Yes: 1 Prop 8 No: 2 Prop 11 Yes: 3 No on B: 1 Yes on S: 1 (this one is a school bond ad that stars a janitor talking about how much the school needs fixing then a bunch of rather unenthusiastic kids walk up behind him… one girl actually rolls her eyes as he is talking)… Read More

Dear Senator McCain,

Sir, I know the chances of you seeing this note are slim, but I want to send you a public letter of encouragement. I am so proud of you, and feel fortunate for every single day I’ve had the privilege of supporting you. I read “Faith of My Fathers” in 1999, and since then I’ve been 100% in your camp. You’ve never let me down for a second, and I have been delighted to hold you up as a role model to my three kids who have been involved in both of your presidential campaigns. In 2000, they were just babies, and they rode in their car seats while I dropped off yard signs once a week, and in that same minivan they have traveled to McCain events during this campaign. As a family, we watch you speak on TV, and they respond to your leadership and positive attitude with the same gusto that my husband and I do. My husband and I are both Veterans – he’s a jarhead and I’m a squid – and we wish that we could have served under you as our Commander-in-Chief. You are brave, strong, wise and judicious, and that is why I believe you will undoubtedly be America’s choice on Tuesday.

Sir, I was part of your California campaign through Super… Read More

The African-American community overwhelmingly supports Proposition, the Restore Marriage Initiative.

So it stands to reason that the venerable NAACP — the nation’s oldest African-American organization — would also be supportive of Proposition 8.

You’d think…

…but NAACP President Alice Huffman has come out against Proposition 8.

Now why would she go completely counter to the strong sentiment of the community whose interest she purports to advance?

Perhaps the answer is here. Alice Huffman’s public affairs consulting firm, AC Public Affairs, has recieved $198,000 by the No on * campaign.

Huffman has, in the past, accepted huge consulting fees to assist ballot measures that the NAACP has endorsed.

But for the NAACP president to take money to work against an initiative that is overwhelmingly supported by the very community for whom she holds herself out as a spokesperson?… Read More