That’s right, I’ve gone green.

– And I have the piece of paper to prove it (more on that in a minute).

My green adventure started today when I read this standard scold article in the Contra Costa Times. The headline says it all – and gives the reader the gist of the article right off: "Lawmakers’ flashy, fuel-sucking cars on road at the expense of taxpayers" Wow. Or should I say ouch. I just knew this article wasn’t going to be good – especially because I’m in it.

The article is the fairly standardpiece almost all papers do about legislators’vehicles – highlighting the cost of each car.They also tend to bereal vague that despite the actual cost – we all get exactly the same car allowance, and any costs above that allowance we pay for out of our own pocket. Since I drive a 2005 Lincoln Aviator, I pay $223.81 extra out of my paycheck each month to pay for the lease. So whether a legislator drives a Prius or an Aviator… Read More

Greetings, Flash Report Buddies! It’s a great day to be a California Republican…the Sacramento Bee recommends Senator John McCain in the upcoming GOP primary! We were fortunate to have the Senator at the CRP convention in Indian Wells last year, and thanks to my fellow FR flasher, Tom Ross, I got to meet the Senator. I’m so proudof the Senator’sresilience and statesmanlike campaign…he makes me proud to be a Reagan Republican! I love the way he reaches out to all Republicans in his speeches, and not just the ones working on his campaign. He’s a unifier. Here’s what the Sac Bee has to say:

The Bee recommends: McCain For GOP, a nominee of principle – Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, January 19, 2008 With no incumbent in the 2008 presidential race, the American people (and the Republican Party) face a clean break from the eight-year Bush presidency. That makes John McCain the clear choice for us. As a senator with 20… Read More

CRP Vice-Chair Tom Del Beccaro is not happy camper. He had plenty to say about the Presidential candidates at the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club Breakfast.I guess he should send them a copy of his book, The New Conservative Paradigm. If you see him ask him what he said when the reporter turned off the tape recorder.… Read More

One Republican Presidential candidate wins Iowa. Then fades. Another wins New Hampshire. Then still another wins Michigan. No clear frontrunnerhas emergedfrom these early, largely small state primaries. People have been saying it is an exciting and very surprising race for the Presidency in the Republican party.

Well, it is sure exciting, but perhaps not so surprising, at least to California’s Bill Simon, a key supporter of Rudy Giuliani’s campaign. I was on a call before the Michigan primary last week with Bill, and not only did he predict the outcome of that race, he also said key political advisors had been predicting the same results of these early primary statesfor over a year now – no clear frontrunner emerging from them. Meaning that the real decision to be made in determining the next Republican President will occur in the big state primaries to be held in the coming weeks.

And Rudy Giuliani is positioned better than any other candidate to capture the 1,191 delegates needed to become the Republican nominee. The first four primaries and caucuses produced only 54 delegates, which have tobe divided… Read More

We are pleased today to feature a special guest commentary from FR Friend Jon Coupal, who is President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and is a frequent contributor to this site:

As taxpayers are bombarded daily with bad budget news, they are fastening their seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Sacramento admits to a $14 billion deficit over the next 18 months and even this may turn out to be a conservative estimate. And right on cue, the tax and spend lobby has increased the pitch of its whining for higher taxes.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

I have joined a crew of Mitt Romney supporters to provide last minute assistance to turn out voters for tomorrow’s caucuses. The Romney operation has an impressive ground operation here (I’m in Reno right now) and is geared up after a rally for Governor Romney here in Reno this afternoon. The Governor laid out his agenda of taking on Washington and has been barnstorming the state from Elko to Henderson to Vegas.

Out in the battle at the doors the only other campaigns we have run into so far have been for Hilary and Obama. There are a few Ron Paul supporters who are continuing to try to prove the theory that yard signs and billboards actually have the ability to vote on election day.

We have been joined by some of our GOP youth leaders who are supporting Governor Romney, Kyle Tibbetts of the UC Berkeley CR’s and Adam Ellison of the University of the Pacific CR’s. While there has been no time for trips to the roulette table, we are hoping to deliver another victory for America tomorrow with another big win by Mitt Romney.… Read More

The environmentalism-uber-alles crowd wields a lot of influence in the California Democratic Party, and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer — who wants to be Governor some day — today reached out from the pages of the Los Angeles Times to remind them he’s still with them on their pet cause: stopping completion of the 241 tollroad in South Orange County. Lockyer urged the California Coastal Commission to find the proposed route inconsistent with the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. Lockyer claims the goal of traffic relief can "be accomplished with alternative means that do no environmental harm."

Lockyer is referring to widening Interstate 5, which would entail the destruction of hundreds of homes, businesses, churches, schools and other institutions.

I have a suggestion for Lockyer. I’ll… Read More

Last year was the most contentious and acrimonious that I have seen in the 3 different legislative bodies in which I have served. I think this was intentional on the part of Speaker Pelosi who believed that the new majority Democrats could roll over minority Republicans and a weakened lame duck President. She felt that this strategy would accomplish much and result in improving popularity for the new majority as they stared down the president and his party. Pelosi was wrong. Congress ended the year with a record-low near single digit approval rating, less than a third of the much-maligned approval rating of President Bush. Furthermore, only one of her vaunted "6 for ’06" issues actually became law. And, many of the benchmarks upon which Democrats ran in 2006 are now worse since they have been in power. There are more troops in Iraq now than before Pelosi became speaker. And gas prices are near record highs while the economy is sputtering amid deficits, which after 4 years of decline, may now start to increase again. It’s a pretty dismal record regardless of whether you agree with the Pelosi agenda or not. So, will Pelosi and Reid… Read More