Politico.com is reporting the John McCain is seriously considering a Lieberman Surprise, tapping the Democrat-turned-Independent U.S. Senator (and former Democrat Veep Nominee) to be his running mate (the photo is of Lieberman "running" with the last guy who asked him to be a running mate).

Because I have a blog, I thought I would share my instant reaction to this news (you know, "ready-fire-aim" – my specialty)…

I choose not to put much credence in such an idea as it is sign the McCain is looking in exactly the wrong direction (to his left) for a VEEP nominee. If you are a conservative and you win the primary, I can understand the idea of moving to the middle at this point. But McCain beat more conservative candidates to win his primary, and he needs to use the convention, and his VEEP pick to consolidate Republicans behind his candidacy with… Read More

I’m not sure if the Governor’s pain medication for his recent knee surgery impaired his decision-making, when he picked up the phone and called into the John and Ken radio show yesterday, and defended his discussions with state legislators and his proposal to increase the state sales tax as a means to get the votes to pass a state budget.

The show is absolutely fabulous political theatre — with the Governor trying to defend the tax increase and his battle against global warming — while he is rather mercilously strafed by John and Ken.

There’s one point in the interview where they ask, "Are you still on anethesia?" The point I made above.

Here is the link to the John and Ken Show website. Click on the 8/18 3 p.m. hour broadcast to listen.

While the Governor’s call into the show starts around the 12 minute mark in the show, he follows a GREAT interview with FR friend Assembly… Read More

Update: 7:15pm: In my haste to post on Big 5 meeting below, I erroneously said that the Governor was pushing an INCOME tax. That is an error. I meant to say SALES tax. But to be honest, exactly what taxes the Governor was advocating in the meeting is assumed on my part — it’s not specified in Villines’ comments- Flash

"Post-Partisan" Arnold has become a royal pain in the celebrity posterior. Post-Partisan Arnold isn’t the guy who we re-elected in 2006 who ran on an emphatic platform of never raising taxes. Post-Partisan Arnold is the guy that the Governor of the 2006 campaign trail "morphed" into after he was re-elected. Post-Partisan Arnold has no "team" — he is a team of one.

Today the Governor hosted a meeting of the Big 5 (The Governor and the four legislative leaders) in his office to see where everyone stands on budget negotiations. Apparently, according to the Sacramento Bee story covering the meeting, Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines had to walk out of the… Read More

Yesterday the California State Assembly convened a rare Sunday session for what was an important vote on a state budget. Of course, the only budget bill to come up for a vote was that written by Democrat lawmakers — one that responds to the crisis created by their overspending by heaping billions of dollars of new taxes on Californians. It was well known throughout all political circles that the outcome of yesterday’s vote was pre-ordained, because Democrats are unwilling to make the additional necessary cuts in state spending to balance the state’s books without penalizing taxpayers with a tax hike, and Republican lawmakers have made it abundantly clear that this overspending-caused situation must not be responded to with tax increases.

The contrast between the parties couldn’t be more clear. Democrats are the party of big spending, more government, and less freedom for Californians. Republicans want to empower individuals and family, and think that government should live within its means, including shrinking its expenditures substantially when state revenues decline.

It is now time for Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata (while… Read More

Yesterday the California State Assembly convened a rare Sunday session for what was an important vote on a state budget. Of course, the only budget bill to come up for a vote was that written by Democrat lawmakers — one that responds to the crisis created by their overspending by heaping billions of dollars of new taxes on Californians. It was well known throughout all political circles that the outcome of yesterday’s vote was pre-ordained, because Democrats are unwilling to make the additional necessary cuts in state spending to balance the state’s books without penalizing taxpayers with a tax hike, and Republican lawmakers have made it abundantly clear that this overspending-caused situation must not be responded to with tax increases.

The contrast between the parties couldn’t be more clear. Democrats are the party of big spending, more government, and less freedom for Californians. Republicans want to empower individuals and family, and think that government should live within its means, including shrinking its expenditures substantially when state revenues decline.

It is now time for Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata (while… Read More

From State Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard’s latest e-newsletter: UNDER THE DOME ***The ‘No-Budget’ Budget*** As everybody knows from family or business budgeting, some 85% of spending is the same year after year with some adjustments for inflation. The real decisions are over the remaining 15% of available revenue, when it is available. The California state budget is the same. Except when it is warped by excessive borrowing (which is the current problem), the spending programs grow at a predictable rate. When spending gets out of hand there are major reforms that come together to make changes as we have done… Read More

Senator Dick Ackerman called to let FR readers know that Assemblywoman Parra has been relocated — to a legislative office building outside of the Capitol! Maybe the folks at the State GOP HQ can find it and offer her a voter registration form…… Read More

Just off the phone with Assembywoman Bonnie Garcia, who informed me that in retribution for her not supporting the Democrat budget (the one with the tax increase), she is currently being moved out of her office, presumably to something quite tiny…… Read More