GOP Scrum for Doolittle¹s Seat Coming

By David M. Drucker Roll Call Staff

January 15, 2008

With Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) now out of the race, Republicans in the solidly conservative 4th district are jockeying for position to replace him ‹ setting the stage for a primary battle that could split California¹s House GOP delegation.

One potential scenario features a grudge match between rivals Rico Oller and former 3rd district Rep. Doug Ose ‹ with moderates in the delegation siding with Ose and conservatives backing Oller, a former state Senator. Oller finished ahead of Ose¹s sister, Mary, in the 2004 3rd district GOP primary to replace Ose but a close second to the upset winner, now-Rep. Dan Lungren (R).

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It really is déjà vu all over again for me. I am pretty sure we have been here before. So why are the media and everyone else acting like it’s the first time?

Every four years the same things happen. Some candidates compete in Iowa and New Hampshire and some don’t. There is a huge build up to Iowa, even though at the end of the day only a few of the major contenders are competing there. They pick the safe, conservative, strong-family, candidate, who sometimes isn’t the national frontrunner. Everyone acts shocked. Then they scramble to explain what might have happened – even though it is the same thing that happens every four years. Tom Harkin won Iowa for the Democrats in 1992 and Dick Gephardt in 1988. Bob Dole won for the Republicans in 1988 and in 1996 when and barely won there over Pat Robertson, who subsequently won New Hampshire, when Dole went on to become the nominee.

Then we are off to New Hampshire where another candidate is up in the polls. It is the non-traditional candidate. Shocker. The people of “Give Me Liberty of Give Me Death” are supporting John McCain, for the second time. Does that really surprise… Read More

To avoid the easy criticism that this post is just a shameless attempt by a termed-out legislator to get another term – let me start right off by admitting that, yes – if Prop 93 passes it would allow me to run for another term. (** full disclosure **) If we chose to, it would allow me (proud recipient of the FlashReport Senator of the Year Award)– and Tom McClintock (conservative living legend) –and Dick Ackerman (Senate Republican Leader) – and George Runner (author of Jessica’s Law) – and Dennis Hollingsworth (conservative SenateBudget Vice-Chair)… Read More

In an email to me Duane DiChiara expressed some passing interest in my last post on the Orange County election reform legislation that referenced election "reform" restrictions in ancient Rome. His email inspired me to jot down a few more items herein that might cause political reformers to think some of their ideas may not be so new.

Take, for example, the Freedom of Information Act, or as it is known more appropriately in California, the Public Records Act. Reformers passed these laws in the post-Watergate era to try to make government more transparent, of course, to help the public gain access to government writings.

Government writings, chronicling of events, and public access to them, however, are nothing new.The keeping of official records was an early feature of the Roman state, over 2,000 years ago.Butdo you know why they kept these records? Because the Governmentcould take no formal action without first formally ascertaining the will of the gods, which required the keeping of records. Thus, government records were a matter that also involved religious authorities, who kept an annual register ofgovernment… Read More

Okay, so I was one of the idiots that thought Arnold Schwarzenegger would be the answer to the State’s problems. I confess my transgression, and beg forgiveness. After riding a historic recall wave in 2003, fueled largely by support from the State Republican Party, we went along with the "refinancing" of the Davis mess with a $15 billion bond. Then the Governor signed historic Workers’ Compensation Reform, his only significant public policy achievement. Then he gave a great speech at the Republican National Convention but it was clear by then that he was his own entity, not the head of the State Republican Party.

His failed 2005 ballot initiatives were courageous and necessary, but his conduct since that defeat has been political cowardice at best as he himself has become a "girly man". He’s allowed state spending to rise faster than it did under Gray Davis. He was re-elected against a weak candidate in 2006 and put the State GOP millions in debt to finance his landslide, all while ignoring down ballot candidates. He was rude and dismissive of the Republican leadership in 2006 and signed some of the most insulting… Read More

Tonight the Republican Party of San Diego County unanimously made the following endorsements:

Shawn Steel – National Committeeman

Linda Ackerman – National Committeewoman

Keith Carlson – CRP Treasurer

Steve Baric – CRP Secretary

The Steel and Baric endorsements come four days after the LA County GOP opted for the same.

Of course, the arguably competitive race is for National Committeeman. "The unanimous vote reflects the strong support Shawn Steel has among San Diego delegates," said local GOP Chairman Tony Krvaric. "He will make a fantastic National Committeeman and bring tremendous value to the CRP board."

Here also is the Red County… Read More

FlashReport readers need to hold onto your desk chairs as we share with you some disturbing and terrible news. We have learned from VERY reliable sources that the Governor is about to ENDORSE Proposition 93, the Fabian Nunez "Big Lie" Term Limits Weakening Initiative. Yes you read that correctly — counter to the many commitments that he has publicly made to the opposite effect, the Governor is about to bail on his apparently untruthful position in support of California’s existing term limits laws.

I think that perhaps the worst part about the Governor doing this (worse than going back on his word, and worse than opposing the official position of his own party) is that according to my same VERY reliable sources, this endorsement has nothing to with the underlying policy issue of term limits. Rather, that the Governor is endorsing Nunez’ self-serving measure in return for Nunez’ support on the health care/tax hike package. Actually, my sources tell me that the Governor actually wants Nunez to stay in place in order to have his help to raise money and campaign next year for the health care/tax hike plan. This may sound… Read More

This was recently post over at The Corner (maintained by National Review Online):

Cutting Taxes Is Critical [Victor Davis Hanson] The candidates haven’t had much discussion about why they should cut taxes as much as possible. The Bush tax cuts created more, not less, revenue. They were slurred only because spending during the first term vastly outpaced the rate of inflation — in part due to the wars, the dislocations from 9/11, and new entitlements (e.g., prescription drugs, No Child Left Behind, etc) that led to rising deficits. Tax cuts have to be coupled with either spending restraint or cuts, or the additional revenue gained is forgotten when sums far vaster are spent.… Read More