Here are a few itemsfrom the Conservative Political Action Conference, being held this weekend at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C……

Total paid registrations as of noon today: 6,800, and still coming. The total for last year, which was the highest ever, was 6,400.

Total credentialed media in attendance: 500.

Number of co-sponsoring organizations: 90.

The Conservative Movement is the biggest it has ever been.

Last Fall CPAC and the hosting American Conservative Union prepared a questionnaire for all the Republican Presidential candidates and asked for responses bylate last year so the information could be distributed at this CPAC. John McCain, and all the other candidates responded in detail,with just one exception. By a letter dated December 7, 2007, California’s Bill Simon, identified as "policy director" for the Rudy Giuliani campaign, on the campaign’s stationary, informed CPAC/ACU that the Giuliani campaign would not be responding to the questionnaire, and had a policy against responding to all questionnaires because of the shear volume of work.… Read More

President Bush delivered a tremendous speechthis morningbefore a very large crowd, several thousand, of highly enthusiasticactivists at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. The crowd wildlysupported references to the war on terrorism policy.

The Washington Post had reported this morning excerpts of the President’s planned speech, which were distributed to some reporters last night,andincluded verbiage generally supportive of McCain’s quest to wrap-up the Presidential nomination very soon. The Post had suggested in the story that Bush’s speech was an attempt to shore-up support for closing down the nomination in favor of McCain. The real story was not exactly that. Bush hit on the heartstrings of the crowd, discussed his accomplishments, the crowd responded extremely well, and, according to long-time CPAC staffer Tish Leonard, Bush ended his speech "stunned" at the highly supportive response he received. The White House must be thinking now, after the speech, of missed opportunities to rally the troops in past years with the loyal conservatives here at… Read More

As I was reflected on the results of how all of the ballot measures fared in last Tuesday’s election, I was struck with a sense of déjà vu. No on 91. No on 92. No on 93. Yes on 94. Yes on 95. Yes on 96. Yes on 97. Then it struck me, and I looked back through my e-mails and sure enough, the California Chamber of Commerce put out a release urging ALL of these positions. Or, to put it another way, the CalChamber went seven for seven, or 100% on election day! All of the measures either passed or failed by pretty wide margins on Tuesday, with the exception of Proposition 93, that was so close that newspapers had to go to print for Wednesday morning without a definitive answer on whether it passed or failed.

Relative to that close measure… **There is more – click the link**… Read More

As I was reflected on the results of how all of the ballot measures fared in last Tuesday’s election, I was struck with a sense of déjà vu. No on 91. No on 92. No on 93. Yes on 94. Yes on 95. Yes on 96. Yes on 97. Then it struck me, and I looked back through my e-mails and sure enough, the California Chamber of Commerce put out a release urging ALL of these positions. Or, to put it another way, the CalChamber went seven for seven, or 100% on election day! All of the measures either passed or failed by pretty wide margins on Tuesday, with the exception of Proposition 93, that was so close that newspapers had to go to print for Wednesday morning without a definitive answer on whether it passed or failed.

Relative to that close measure… There is no doubt that in the hotly charged effort by legislative leaders to extend their own terms, the Chamber’s opposition to Prop. 93 made a big difference. No doubt… Read More

President George W. Bush will speak at 10:20 am this morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., his first appearance at the annual conference as President.

During his presidency, Ronald Reagan attended every CPAC conference in person, with the exception of one, and he sent a recordedmessage to that one. He also was a frequent visitor before his election.

I can personally verify, however, that George W. Bush has been to more CPACs than just the one he is attending today, where he is certain to receive a rousing welcome and support for the troop surge in Iraq.

It was the 1988 CPAC conference. However, George W. Bush was not a speaker, rather, he was an on-sitebehind the scenesobserver of a sort of"monitoring" operation on Jack Kemp’s campaign activities at CPAC,as his father, Vice-President George H. W. Bush and Kemp were sparing for the 1988 Presidential nomination, and conservative support, in the process that would ultimately be won by George H.W. I know because I was there…..

My friendCraig Shirley was running the operation, with plausible… Read More

Sometimes taxpayers vote to spend more money for better government, but actually get the opposite.For example, San Francisco residents voted to pay their Board of Supervisors $60,000 more a year to compensate the board for meeting on a nearly full-time schedule. The supervisors convinced San Francisco voters that full-time pay would allow them to devote even more time to the job. Voters approved the raise, thinking the supervisors would be more productive and improve the city.But, after six years, the only improvements that have been made are to the board members’ bank accounts. The San Francisco Chronicle (January 30, 2008) reported that "[e]ver since members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors persuaded voters to pay them like full-time government workers, the city’s lawmakers have been holding fewer meetings to debate and pass legislation." … Read More

I am at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. today and the report from the floor is no different from what viewers saw on FOX News in real time. John McCain re-established his bona fides with conservatives today in a talk that went into detail, sometimes almost excrutiating detail (immigration!) on his policy positions, and on his professed commitment to the conservative political philosophy.

McCain referred to Edmund Burke, "the Creator", and Ronald Reagan twice each during the speech to thunderous applause. This was a CPAC speech, on the record, and a promise from a great American to advance our core principles in the presidency.

And on issue after issue, McCain laid out his 24 year history of advancing our political philosophy. I was especially impressed with his stalward pro-life position, and his enthusiastic support for actually "winning" the war in Iraq, despite MSM opposition to both positions.

There is a lot going on here and I need a little shut-eye, but tomorrow I will have opportunities to enter the inner sanctums of the national conservartive movement and… Read More

Today was a great day. While Don Perata and Fabian Nunez are not off of their imperial thrones just yet, their poltical capital in the State Capitol, with the failure of Prop. 93, as of today has diminished greatly.

On the Senate site, Senator Darrell Steinberg will replace Perata, but not until later this year. On the Assembly side, they will have a vote for a new Speaker in March, who will replace Nunez after the legislative session.

Especially in the case of Fabian Nunez, the specific news on the timeline of his departure from the State Assembly is great to hear. Now we know how the Winkies felt when they were excited and grateful when the wicked witch was doused with a bucket of water, and melted.

I can think of no better spectator sport this next few months than watching Fabian Nunez slowly melt…

Oh, is that Steve Poizner holding the bucket of water?

(… Read More