Welcome to our third weekly FlashReport Podcast! I had a chance last Friday to chat for about twenty minutes with California Congressman John Campbell, our own FlashReport D.C. Correspondent, and also with Andy Roth, the Director of Government Relations for the Club for Growth. The three of us discussed Congressional earmarking, Presidential vetoes, and also Reagan 21, a new caucus made up of member of the Senate and House dedicated to true fiscal reform. [You can check out our first two Podcasts – one with Presidential candidate Fred Thompson, the other with Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, here.]

Please start the Podcast Player below and join us for an informative update on what is going… Read More

In the coming months much will be written about the ballot measure on term limits. Speaker Nunez and President Pro Temp Perata will both spend a tremendous amount of resources to extend their legislative careers.

So here is my question — if term limits need to be extended for the people of California to benefit from the experienced leadership of the Speaker and President Pro Temp then shouldn’t the people of California benefit from the experienced leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger and Insurance Commissioner Poizner?

All the arguments that apply for Nunez and Perata also apply to the Governor. If Prop 93 does pass in February I predict that Nunez and Perata will suddenly not be so enthusiastic about someone needing 12 years in the same job to get it done — when it will not help them.

If Prop 93 passes I am confident that an effort will be made to extend that same 12 year standard to constitutional offices as well.… Read More

UPDATE: 930 P.M. – FR friend Aaron Park, over on the Placer County CRA blog, refutes this rumor, saying that he has been on the horn with Team Doolittle planning events well into the Christmas season.

Hank Shaw, the Sacramento Bureau Chief for the Stockton Record, is the latest to blog the rumor that Congressman John Doolittle is about to announce that he is not running for re-election, and the that he will ultimately endorse conservative former state legislator Rico Oller (pictured) to be the GOP nominee in the 4th Congressional District. True or untrue? We don’t really know — but assuming… Read More

The "No on 93" folks* put this out, which is worth sharing in its entirety…

This weekend’s endorsement of Proposition 93 by the California Democratic Party’s E-Board actually turned into a dramatic sign of the initiative’s weakness rather than a moment of triumph for its proponents. Only the extraordinary personal intervention of Chairman Art Torres and other party heavy hitters enabled the Nunez and Perata forces to beat back strong efforts to have the party go neutral or oppose the initiative to loosen term limits. In a remarkable demonstration of the growing problems for Yes on 93, the Assembly Speaker and Senate President struggled to gain the support of their own party. A stunning 47% of the Exec Board voted to have the California Democratic Party go neutral… Read More

This morning, FlashReport readers in and around the Capitol have a unique opportunity — to enjoy a free lunch while the New America Foundation treats you to a 90-minute left-wing indoctrination about America’s "deteriorating social contract" and how no where is this more apparent than in the current subprime mortgage crisis.

First and foremost, before you put on your AOL Instant Messenger away message to head over to the first floor of the Capitol for this event, if you are looking to get an autograph from GOP Assemblyman Ted Gaines (who was billed as a host of this event) don’t bother. He’s cancelled his attendance, and pulled his name off of the event. Why? Because he has learned that the New America Foundation has a pretty blatant policy agenda, which is to expand the size and scope of government, with a goal of redistributing wealth from one American to another, and restricting the freedom of our… Read More

This morning, FlashReport readers in and around the Capitol have a unique opportunity — to enjoy a free lunch while the New America Foundation treats you to a 90-minute left-wing indoctrination about America’s "deteriorating social contract" and how no where is this more apparent than in the current subprime mortgage crisis.

First and foremost, before you put on your AOL Instant Messenger away message to head over to the first floor of the Capitol for this event, if you are looking to get an autograph from GOP Assemblyman Ted Gaines (who was billed as a host of this event) don’t bother. He’s cancelled his attendance, and pulled his name off of the event. Why? Because he has learned that the New America Foundation has a pretty blatant policy agenda, which is to expand the size and scope of government, with a goal of redistributing wealth from one American to another, and restricting the freedom of our… Read More

"No, duh," was the reaction many California observers had when the announcement came from New York’s Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer that he had wisely decided to abandon his unilateral executive order to grant drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. After witnessing the abrupt end of the Gray Davis governorship due in significant part to Davis’ decision to award drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, Californians were not surprised to see Governor Spitzer walk away from a strikingly similar path. (By the way, Eliot Spitzer is of no relation to California’s tremendous Republican Assesmblymember Todd Spitzer.) On September 21, 2007, Governor Spitzer issued an Executive Order directing that all residents of New York be awarded drivers licenses under the normal process for licensing motorists, with one caveat – immigration status would be of no concern for state government, meaning illegal immigrants could be afforded the chance to obtain a valid form of government-issued identification cards.… Read More

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke at the Heritage Foundation, and I really enjoyed seeing the clips of his remarks they put together. (h/t to FR friend Rob Bluey, who is the head honcho of Heritage’s web presence, who also penned a column about Thomas that appears today on Townhall.) … Read More