It’s been interesting to watch therace for National Committeeman unfold, as the campaigns beingwagedhave been as different as the canddiates themselves.

Challenger Shawn Steel has stuck to what’s worked time and again in CRP races. Highlight what you’ve done – in Shawn’s case shinging a light on having narrowed the registration gap in the state, and having overseen the Party the last time we picked up any Legislative seats.Showcase endorsements.For Shawn that being an overwhelming majority of State Assemblymen, and bunches and bunches of other electeds and County Chairs. Shawn has put together a very strong race, one you’d frankly normally only expect from an incumbent. If Shawn turns his people out, or gathers their Proxies, (and there’s no reason to expect he won’t)he’s in good shape.

Incumbent Tim Morgan is running, let’s say, a more low key, more unconventional race. Instead of touting endorsements en masse, building to a crescendo with displays of support nearing the Convention, Tim has chosen to really only trumpet one endorsement (that I can recall) and instead fill delegates’… Read More

Nothing. But one of my friends got a pro-Prop 93 piece featuring the Governor with some bizarre color schemes.… Read More

The crying sound that you hear is that of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. Rumor has it that he locked himself in his private office restroom and won’t come out. He is apparently crying over the most immediate impact the anticipated loss of his Proposition 93, which would keep him in office for six more years.

Only one of seven Democrats voted for the healthcare plan/tax hike plan that he authored, AB 1X1, on behalf of himself and the Governor. All four Republicans voted against it.

What could be next for poor Fabian? Soon he will have to take in his own dry-cleaning!… Read More

Just in from the Romney Campaign, some new endorsements (I highlighted them below:

"These legislators join California Romney for President Co-Chair Tony Strickland and U.S. Congressmen Buck McKeon, John Campbell, Dana Rohrabacher and Wally Herger in supporting Governor Romney’s campaign." New California State Legislators Supporting Governor Romney: • Assemblyman John Benoit, 64th Assembly District • Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, 63rd Assembly District • Assemblyman Guy Houston, 15th Assembly District •… Read More

KMJ is reporting this morning that Governor’s Health Care plan has been killed in the State Senate.

Good. It was perhaps the worst public policy idea ever proposed in California history.

To Arnold’s senior staff, who are reading this: try capitalism. It works every time.

Also, you don’t raise taxes $14 billion when the housing market is tanking, in the middle of a credit crisis, and while businesses and consumers are spendingless than last year already.

So why don’t you fix the State budget mess you created first, without raising taxes and fees. And if you have any time left over, maybe you could pay the State Republican Party back the money you drained in 2006 while running up your landslide while ignoring Bruce McPherson and Tom McClintock.

You know, if Prop 93 passes with the Governor’s help, members of the legislature will have more time to……. learn math! Then, the Governor can go back, study Milton Friedman and maybe become a capitalist again.… Read More

As appeared in Sunday’s opinions column in the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

By Assemblyman John J. Benoit

What if I told you that California can raise revenue of at least $10 billion and stimulate more than $100 billion in economic activity without raising any taxes? Essentially, that is the opportunity that we have as a state if voters cast a "yes" vote on Props. 94, 95, 96 and 97.

The four ballot measures are referenda on gaming compacts negotiated between Gov. Schwarzenegger and four Indian nations, three of which — the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians… Read More

[Publisher’s Note: FR readers, please do NOT react to this post by sending us your event flyers or requests to publicize your events. Jim’s wife is appearing at the conference below, so we’ll let him off the hook. But we do not, as a rule, advertise events on the blog. That said, this looks like a good one. Thanks. – Flash]

A high-octane Election law seminar produced by Lorman Education Services is scheduled for April 16, 2008 in Santa Monica at the DoubleTree at 1707 4th St. in Santa Monica.

The day-long event will feature presentations by experienced professionals on California and Federal election law, political and advocacy activities of tax-exempt organizations, candidate activities of so-called "527" groups after the recent Wisconsin Right to Life decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, issue advocacy, independent expenditures, voting systems and voting procedures, initiatives and referenda, and a practicum on regulation of political advertising and voter persuasion.

Confirmed speakers at the seminar include Chuck Bell, senior partner of Bell,… Read More

Hopefully soon we’ll be featuring some television advertisements from GOP Presidential contenders that are airing in California — although time is running out.

That said, I’ve been keeping an eye on the various ads being run over in Florida, where things are totally insane right now.

I LOVED the ad below, by Rudy Giuliani, that he just unveiled today because it goes to one of my pet peeves — GOP candidates who tout endorsements from newspaper editorial boards.

EARTH TO CANDIDATES — Editorial Boards of major newspapers are almost always stacked with liberal elitists who, when they endorse in a GOP primary of any type, are dabbling into a primary in which none of them will actually be voting.

Anyways, in Giuliani’s ad below, he takes the issue head on! THAT is Moxie. Good for Rudy. … Read More