Late this afternoon, ten GOP contenders for the White House will be trying their hardest to make in impression at a debate at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. The fact that the debate includes all ten candidates, and not just the three front runners, means that no single candidate is going to receive a significant amount of exposure during this event. You can be sure that each of the campaigns has figured out what message or theme they want to try to strike in what will be just a very few minutes. Don’t look to be overly impressed with the perfomances as I think that with 10 people vying for time, there will be little chance for anyone to really make one. I guess, especially with the lesser-known contenders, it will be fun to see them try to pick up some momentum by being a little bit more ‘outlandish’ — which should provide some interesting moments. As for McCain, Giuliani, and Romney — expect them to continue to emphasize the same campaign points that they have been making on the trail… As it has been said, Fred Thompson, who is speaking to the annual dinner of the Orange County Lincoln Club tomorrow night, is more likely to… Read More

Today Fleischman and I had the opportunity to debate Former Secretary of State Bruce McPherson and Former CRP Chairman Duf Sundheim at the “Voices of Reform Project” forum in Sacramento . At issue was whether the California Republican Party should change its bylaws to allow Decline to State (DTS) voters to participate in Republican Presidential primaries.

I will mercifully spare you the host of arguments made in support and opposition to such a suggestion, if only because it really boiled down to two fundamental considerations: The practical reality that allowing DTS voters to participate would likely increase the number of votes cast in support of Republicans and, in contrast, the belief held by Fleischman, me and many others in the party that electoral gains are not a sufficient justification for diluting and, in… Read More

I am flying to Sacramento this morning to participate in a forum to discuss whether DTS voters should be participating in selecting delegates to the RNC convention (of course they shouldn’t!).

Every time I fly to and fro from the Capitol City, for a few years now, there is always some familiar face (or ten) on my flight. This morning I was able to say hello to former California Education Secretary and State Senator Marian Bergeson. She flying up for a California Transportation Commission meeting – she is a member…

We’ll see if anyone of note is on my late afternoon flight tomorrow afternoon!… Read More

I’ve received dozens of emails, calls and comments regarding my first post regarding potential candidates in the Doolittle District. And no, they weren’t all because I quoted Eminem.

I received a hilarious message from Congressman Doug Ose (pictured to the right) — lets just say, he was flattered to be on the list but is definitely not running. Doug would have been a great candidate, he’s been through these competitive primaries in the past and knows what it takes to win. He has a solid base of supporters that are willing to donate, volunteer and even though he didn’t live in the district, he had lots of friends that did.

Local reader Meredith Turney posted Eric Egland as a strong candidate — I’d never heard of him until last week so I did some research. Turns out he served in… Read More

I’ve received dozens of emails, calls and comments regarding my first post regarding potential candidates in the Doolittle District. And no, they weren’t all because I quoted Eminem.

I received a hilarious message from Congressman Doug Ose (pictured to the right) — lets just say, he was flattered to be on the list but is definitely not running. Doug would have been a great candidate, he’s been through these competitive primaries in the past and knows what it takes to win. He has a solid base of supporters that are willing to donate, volunteer and even though he didn’t live in the district, he had lots of friends that did.

Local reader Meredith Turney posted Eric Egland as a strong candidate — I’d never heard of him until last week so I did some research. Turns out he served in… Read More

In was really no surprise that long time California ‘insider’ Attorney General Jerry Brown, the former California Governor and Oakland Mayor used his office to pen an extremely biased Title and Summary for the Term Limits Weakening Measure that is being supported by termed-out legislative leaders Don Perata and Fabian Nunez. U.S. Term Limits is used to having to battle entrenched incumbents, who have used every means at their disposal to not have their legislative careers cut short by term limits reforms. So it is with a strong record of standing up to these entrenched politicians that tomorrow representatives of U.S. Term Limits will hold a press conference (10 am, the Hyatt Hotel across from the State Capitol) to announce litigation to take Brown’s chosen, biased wording to court. You have to wonder what Title and Summary Brown will put on two other ballot measures that may appear in February — one to end tax-free per diem payments for legislators, and the other to significant reign in the ability of… Read More

Tomorrow, in Sacramento, the Commonwealth Club of California is hosting an hour-long forum on whether or not the California Republican Party should allow Decline-To-State voters to cast ballots in the GOP Presidential primary.

There are four panelists — representing the school of thought that DTS voters should be allowed will be former CRP Chairman Duf Sundheim and former Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, and representing the opposite point of view will be Assembly Elections Committee Vice Chairman Anthony Adams and… me!

There are still a few seats available for what promises to be an entertaining program. If you are interested in attending, here is the location (right next to the Capitol): Library and Courts Building, Room 500, 914 Capitol Mall.

If you would like to attend, RSVP here. The remaining seats will undoubtedly go quickly..… Read More

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can cause permanent damage…

As reported in the Victor Valley Daily Press, San Bernardino County Talk 960 talk radio host Barb Stanton was placed on “indefinite suspension” for a live on-air tirade that many in her media market characterized as racially-inflammatory. Read about it here. Stanton engaged in referring to members of the San Bernardino County’s growing Asian-American community as not being “real Americans” and stated that she didn’t want to see “Chinese faces” when patronizing area businesses.

Understandably, listeners throughout the region were justifiably angered at the on-air tirade directed at Americans of Asian heritage – particularly self-described conservatives who understand Stanton’s seeping generalization goes against the principle of individualism. Furthermore,… Read More