I’ve been meaning to add a word here on the decision by the California Supreme Court rejecting, by a narrow, 4-3 vote,a pre-election challenge to the Marriage Amendment on this November’s ballot. Readers will recall that I predicted on June 23 that the Courts would allow the measure to go to the ballot. I said "(w)hile some readers may be disappointed in the Court’s decision earlier over-ruling the ban on same-sex marriages in California, this lawyer predicts the Court will not take the marriage amendment initiative off the November ballot before a vote — at least not yet."

My prediction was based on the strong deference California courts must give to the validity of ballot measures to qualify for the ballot.The right to initiative is a fundamental constitutional right in California.

Now, supporters of the Marriage Amendment need to kick into gear and show the Los Angeles Times and their other liberal opponents thatthe double-digit lead for this measure in the polls is not the "smallmajority" the Times would like it to be.… Read More

We have spent a considerable amount of electronic ink on this page criticizing California Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis (pictured) for embracing the "culture of big spending" that we believe played a large role in the eventual collapse of Congressional Republicans into minority status. Lewis, who served as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and now serves as the top Republican, has a very unsavory attititude about even the most egregious pork earmarks dished up on Capitol Hill — I’ll vote for yours if you vote for mine. That, combined with a rather imperious attitude when in comes to the primacy of "Appropriators" as the dominant class in Congress, make him the kind of Republican that is indistinguishable, most of the time, from a Democrat. (Check out this startling CNN video on Lewis). … Read More

I couldn’t believe it. Pete Wilson and Gray Davis are worried about the impartiality of our court system. They testified recently in front of the Steering Committee of the Statewide Commission for Impartial Courts.

The Committee Chair Supreme Court Justice Ming Chin is concerned that ‘unfair political attacks” on the courts are undermining our democracy.

All three need to look in the mirror before worrying about the courts. Pete Wilson was clear that he would appoint law and order type judges.

Nothing wrong with that?

Gray Davis took it a little further. He actually told a bunch of Governor’s that this:

"They are not there to be independent agents…They are there to reflect the sentiments that I expressed during the campaign.”

If they arrive at a conclusion that differs from the governor, he said, "They shouldn’t be a judge. They should resign."

Then his administration had a pro-abortion, pro-death penalty litmus test for judicial nominees.

Nothing wrong with that?

Judge Chin when first appointed to the bench immediately… Read More

We have spent a considerable amount of electronic ink on this page criticizing California Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis (pictured) for embracing the "culture of big spending" that we believe played a large role in the eventual collapse of Congressional Republicans into minority status. Lewis, who served as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and now serves as the top Republican, has a very unsavory attititude about even the most egregious pork earmarks dished up on Capitol Hill — I’ll vote for yours if you vote for mine. That, combined with a rather imperious attitude when in comes to the primacy of "Appropriators" as the dominant class in Congress, make him the kind of Republican that is indistinguishable, most of the time, from a Democrat. (Check out this startling CNN video on Lewis). … Read More

Today, I alongside Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) announced that we will actively oppose and challenge any attempt to earmark more federal dollars to Chairman Charlie Rangel’s ‘Monument to Me’.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that Chairman Rangel has secured a total of three earmarks for the City College of New York’s proposed Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service, totaling close to $3 million.

Last year I offered an amendment to strike the largest earmark worth $1.95 million for the Charles B. Rangel School Center for Public Service. 316 members voted to allow this earmark to stand. I am interested to see, in the current anti-earmark climate how many of my colleagues will continue to side with this egregious use of taxpayer dollars.

It also should be known that Chairman Rangel has been soliciting donations throughout the business community, touting his status as Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over tax policy, trade, Social Security and Medicare.… Read More

What a week in Washington. Luckily I’m not a GSE shareholder!

Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) proposes a deal with Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Obey (R-Wisc.) to avoid amendments and certain procedural manuevers in the hopes of continuing the annual federal budget and spending process. In The Hill.

Speaking of the GSEs, The Hill ran a list of elected officials who have met privately with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and it includes Rep. John Campbell (R-Irvine). Speaker Pelosi (D-San Fran.) is the only other Californian on the list. If those walls could talk!

Dick Morris has an interesting column in The Hill today handicapping the state of the presidential race.

Over at Wilshire & Washington, some "lighter" news including high school photos of Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama… Read More

There are a few very good political treasurers in CA. I work with Dana Reed and Lysa Ray and John Ramirez with various clients. But my treasurer is Betty Presley and she sends email updates every time a major deadline is approaching or with any big updates in campaign finance law.

I thought this one was interesting enough to post since so many good people get into trouble with the nuances of campaign finance restrictions. (Full document attached in .pdf format below).

Federal law limits contributions to party organizations to just over $100,000 per contributor. This is a terribly stupid law. It not only restricts political speech, but it also forces political dollars into the shadows of 527s and other independent efforts not tracked as well as direct political contributions.

Some other fun facts courtesy of Betty Presley:

I. $2,300 to a candidate committee per election. II. $5,000 per year to a non-candidate controlled Federal PAC. III. $10,000 per year in each state to all state, district, and local political… Read More

Today’s front page of the Wall Street Journal offers a perfect example of the idiom "fiddling while Rome burns." At the top of the page, there’s an article about the run on IndyMac bank in Burbank, accompanied by a picture of worried customers trying to withdraw their money. Let your eyes drift down the page and you’ll see another article about California—-a front page story about Senator Jack Scott’s proposed ban on foil balloons. So let’s recap: California is experiencing a horrible fire season, and our national and state financial system is in dire straits, but our lawmakers are busy stopping teenagers from singing the national anthem in the capitol rotunda and trying to ban metallic balloons. Oh, and as Jon wrote about today, our legislators still haven’t passed a state budget. What exactly are we paying these people to do for us?… Read More