I read today’s article about the State GOP having to eliminate funding for local County party operations and it confirmed to me what I have believed in every cycle since 2002 – the State Party literally has nothing to do in 2008.

There is no statewide election. Neither side will contest the Presidential race in California. There are maybe five State legislative seats that could change hands either way – although none of them have in the past two election cycles. Some in leadership have to pretend to like what the Governor is doing although nobody really does.

This isn’t the fault of current or past State GOP leaders, and this isn’t, and never had been about social issues. California’s demographics have stampeded right over the top of the GOP and there is nothing we can do about it. Although the citizens of the State showed in 2003 that they have a pain tolerance level, and Gray Davis exceeded it, they don’t seem to be nearly alarmed at what the current Governor has allowed to happen to State finances. The GOP won’t be able to use financial… Read More

This holiday season chances are your credit card is going to get an extra workout.

Despite those that seem to actually want our economy to be in the doldrums – it isn’t.

We’ve just had our 50th consecutive month of job growth in the United States (the longest on record) – and we had an impressive 3.9% growth in our GDP in the third quarter of this year.Who says those Bush tax cuts don’t work :-)

You can get some more info about our economy here.

I know those of us in the Golden State have some economic challenges – believe me, I’m watching our state budget deficit get worse every day. But, if the shopping frenzy this past couple of days in my area is anything like the rest of the state – some credit cards are going to melt.

Lots of consumers are going to hand over their cards to clerks. People will happily begivingtheir numbers over the phone and, of course, those credit card numbers will be flying over the internet.

All of that is good. Great, actually. Our free market economy is based on robust… Read More

As FR readers are well aware, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore this year authored a ballot iniatiative that, if passed, would allow for the construction of new nuclear power plants in some parts of California. Despite the fact that this source of power has proven to be safe (there have been no significant radiation leaks from reactors in a very, very long time and the technology used in these plants only gets better), and despite the fact that nuclear power is among the sources of energy that contributes the least to the amount of human-produces carbon into the air (for those who buy the global warming alarmist spin), DeVore was unable to garner sufficient support to move this measure forward for the 2008 election. I asked the Assemblyman to share with FR readers his thoughts…

As FR readers are well aware, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore this year authored a ballot iniatiative that, if passed, would allow for the construction of new nuclear power plants in some parts of California. Despite the fact that this source of power has proven to be safe (there have been no significant radiation leaks from reactors in a very, very long time and the technology used in these plants only gets better), and despite the fact that nuclear power is among the sources of energy that contributes the least to the amount of human-produces carbon into the air (for those who buy the global warming alarmist spin), DeVore was unable to garner sufficient support to move this measure forward for the 2008 election. I asked the Assemblyman to share with FR readers his thoughts…

That’s the message in my email box (you can see the paragraph below) from the Americans for Cures Foundation. Rather than thank God, as Thanksgiving was to be intended, they us want to be “thankful for the promise that stem cell research holds…” However, this is the sentence that caught my eye in the opening paragraph. “With the recent breakthrough in Oregon we could be closer to that day – but only if opponents do not successfully use the more recent skin cell research as a reason to stop embryonic stem cell research.” (italics added) Well, it is clear that they aren’t really thankful for stem cell research, just the kind that uses human embryos. If they were thankful for “stem cell research” why not include the “more recent skin cell research”? Oh wait that would jeopardizeTheir 3 billion dollars in state supported bonds. … Read More

Thanksgiving provides each of us with an opportunity to reflect on our lives, and give thanks to the Lord for all of the things that he does for each of us, and for everything. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with our families, and to give thanks to them for the support they give to us. It is also an opportunity to be a bit reflective on our lives, and on those things that are important. But I won’t wax on, as this is not a "Thanksgiving Day Message" from the FlashReport. But it was this general Thanksgiving "happy and appreciate state of mind" that was interrupted yesterday for some time by disgraced, imprisoned former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. I am not sure what it was that caused me to think about Duke yesterday. Perhaps the ongoing string of articles that appear in the San Diego U-T and the North County Times as they track the trials of those involved with Duke’s dastardly deeds. Then again, maybe when you are thinking about… Read More

Thanksgiving provides each of us with an opportunity to reflect on our lives, and give thanks to the Lord for all of the things that he does for each of us, and for everything. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with our families, and to give thanks to them for the support they give to us. It is also an opportunity to be a bit reflective on our lives, and on those things that are important. But I won’t wax on, as this is not a "Thanksgiving Day Message" from the FlashReport. But it was this general Thanksgiving "happy and appreciate state of mind" that was interrupted yesterday for some time by disgraced, imprisoned former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. I am not sure what it was that caused me to think about Duke yesterday. Perhaps the ongoing string of articles that appear in the San Diego U-T and the North County Times as they track the trials of those involved with Duke’s dastardly deeds. Then again, maybe when you are thinking about… Read More

Let us on this day give thanks to the Chinese government. What could be a more dreary way for the 8,000 men and women stationed on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier and accompanying escort ships than to chart a circular course through the South China Sea? Well that is what they will be doing because, without explanation, the Chinese have abruptly cancelled permission for the liberty call that the Kitty Hawk was planned to make in Hong Kong this holiday weekend.

Makes you wonder if they will just as arbitrarily block Americans from attending this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing… I can think of a whole lot of reasons to be critical of the Chinese government. But this is certainly the latest and greatest. What a bunch of jerks. Well, as you are enjoying a Thanksgiving Day feast today with family and friends, raise a glass to our American troops. From those in perelous danger… Read More