When you play poker, the expression "all in" refers to when a player takes all of the chips in front of them, and pushes them all to the center of the table. It means that everything comes down to one hand. If you win, you win big. You win it all. If you lose, then you lose everything with which you came to the table. It takes a particularly gutsy or brave poker play to go "all in" for obvious reasons. But, while you take an incredible risk, you have the chance to reaping incredible rewards. From time to time, we have situations in politics that remind me of the poker concept of being "all in" — and we have one such political situation going on in California politics right now. … Read More

When Governor Schwarzenegger unveiled his proposed state budget earlier this month, it caused quite a stir. Instead of shrinking, the state deficit had increased to $14.5 billion, and it may end up higher than that by the June budget deadline. The state now faces a genuine fiscal emergency, and, like a broken record, many of my Democrat colleagues are calling for new taxes and fees to balance the books. I believe taxpayers are already doing their part with revenues up almost seven percent this year, but there is clearly a stark imbalance between spending and revenues. The state’s chronic budget problems are beginning to add up. This year the state must scramble to simply meet its cash flow needs, as lenders downgrade our debt and demand a budget in better financial shape. … Read More

UPDATE FROM JON FLEISCHMAN: Today the Romney Campaign will make Huff’s endorsement official. Here are statements from Romney and Huff:

Upon the announcement, Chairman Huff said, "There is one candidate with the experience and determination to strengthen our economy and promote job growth in California and across the country and that is Governor Mitt Romney. Throughout his time in the private sector, at the 2002 Winter Olympics and as Governor, he led using fiscally conservative principles, and he will do the same as President. Governor Romney will bring real conservative change to Washington , and I encourage others to join me in supporting his candidacy." "Chairman Huff and I both believe that we must keep taxes low, cut wasteful government spending and reverse the current housing crisis facing families in California and throughout the… Read More

Full Disclosure: Like many in my home county of San Bernardino, I am a supporter of Mitt Romney’s candidacy. San Bernardino County – a county which solidly went for then-Governor George W. Bush over US Senator John McCain in the 2000 GOP presidential primary – is today fast becoming unshakable territory for Mitt Romney. As news broke that Fred Dalton Thompson has ended his bid for the White House, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Gary Ovitt – an early Thompson backer – announced he is now enthusiastically supporting Mitt Romney. Ovitt, who also serves as chair of the county’s Republican Party Central Committee, is joining all three of his Republican supervisorial colleagues (Chairman Paul Biane, Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, and Supervisor Dennis Hansberger) in backing the former Massachusetts governor. In … Read More

"Party of One" by Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub is the book i just finished reading. It is a very good read that i would highly recommend.

The start of "Governor" Schwarzenegger was something that I missed. When I came back from Iraq in the summer of 2003 I had missed the signature gathering for the recall and the tensions surrounding it. When I left, Gray Davis was getting inaugurated for his second term. When I got back, he was toast, and the candidates to replace him included the Terminator, a porn queen, Peter Ueberroth, and Arianna Huffington, 2002 GOP nominee Bill Simon, Gary Coleman, and Senator Tom McClintock. It seemed like things were more stable in Baghdad.

Many of you will not find the parts about the recall as interesting as I did. What you will find interesting is the observations of someone that has observed the Governor almost every day for the past four years.

We all have our views of the Governor that may be based on individual issues. Weintraub breaks down some… Read More

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson this afternoon pulled the proverbial plug on his candidacy for the White House.

He issued a brief statement.

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people." I know few Thompson supporters who did not share with me, privately in most cases, on how underwhelmed they were with Thompson’s performance.

One the the challenges about being an actor by profession, is that there is a high expectation that you will act… Presidential.

In the end, emulating his character from Law & Order, D.A. Arthur Branch, did him in.

As to where his supporters, especially, in the key battleground state of Florida end up? We’ll see!

I’m sure our two Thompsonites here in FR-land, Senator Jim Battin and former Managing Editor Nicholas Romero, will add… Read More

I saw an email from Political Vanguardthat touted after the South Carolina primary and Nevada caucus "No clear front-runner; Romney 1 – McCain 1," or words to that affect.

It is true there is currently no clear front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination. But Mitt Romney didn’t really win what mattered in Nevada. And McCain’s South Carolina win was impressive, but also not quite so important where it matters. What matters is actual delegate count, which is what the primary process is really all about (because one may only be nominated the candidate of the Republican Party for President by actuallywinning a majority of the delegates to the Republican National Convention).

Romney’s Nevada win was not really a win in the delegate sense. The reason is, Nevada did not award any delegates as a result of the caucus. That is still an open question in Nevada. And Romney spent a lot of time in Nevada todevelop this"win," even passing up opportunities to speak in California in favor of Reno audiences. It ispredictable that Romney would do well in states with… Read More

This morning Congressman Dana Rohrabacher announced his endorsement of the Presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney. He’s penning something for FR readers that goes into his reasons why, but we want to let you know asap.

Wonder if any more of the Congressional delegation (many of whom are on the sidelines) will endorse in the final days?… Read More