Today there is a lot of news to cover… GOP PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS The big story is that GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney didn’t just ‘win’ the contest for fundraising over his main rivals Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, he clobbered them. This was an important first step for Romney, who needs to show that he is a viable national candidate. But the big test lies ahead — which is whether Romney can spend his campaign money as effectively as he can raise it. We’ll be looking closely at what Romney does here in California over the coming months. Giuliani and McCain enjoy much more name identification among California GOP voters… I was actually surprised at McCain’s showing on the fundraising front. All three campaigns tried to downplay expectations before the big announcements. Romney hit the home run, of course. Giuliani scored a… Read More

Today there is a lot of news to cover… GOP PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS The big story is that GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney didn’t just ‘win’ the contest for fundraising over his main rivals Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, he clobbered them. This was an important first step for Romney, who needs to show that he is a viable national candidate. But the big test lies ahead — which is whether Romney can spend his campaign money as effectively as he can raise it. We’ll be looking closely at what Romney does here in California over the coming months. Giuliani and McCain enjoy much more name identification among California GOP voters… I was actually surprised at McCain’s showing on the fundraising front. All three campaigns tried to downplay expectations before the big announcements. Romney hit the home run, of course. Giuliani scored a… Read More

This morning, the dominant headlines in California concerning Presidential politics are the results of a Field Poll that show, among Democrats, Al Gore is the most popular candidate – and he’s not even running. In the absence of the Academy Award winner, Hillary Clinton holds a commanding lead.

Also big in the news are all of the fundraising numbers from the Presidential campaigns, which I will touch on in my commentary in about an hour.

In the midst of all of this news, the McCain for President campaign shot out a news release about three minutes ago (see the attachment below) sharing with us that former California legislator JIm Brulte is now onboard with the Arizona Senator’s campaign for the White House. Brulte served as Senate Republican Leader before term-limits brought his legislative career to an end. The Senator is known as a politically savvy pol, and his endorsement is a feather in the cap of McCain’s California campaign.… Read More

With over 312,000 registered Republicans in San Bernardino County, you know it just had to happen. As of midnight April 3, 2007, Red County San Bernardino went online. Read the press release here.

Like its sister internet sites in Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties, Red County San Bernardino will offer breaking news and commentary on all things political that occur in California’s Inland Empire and High Desert regions. The inaugural blogpen features ten distinguished authors of whom many of you are familiar, plus yours truly serving as editor, for now.

I invite those who have an interest in San Bernardino County political developments to keep an eye on this website. And watch for our blogpen to expand soon to include… Read More

I used to believe there was a difference between Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Boxer was (and is) always the shrill airhead attack dog, while Feinstein carried herself in a statesmanlike manner. As a result, the GOP was always far more interested in giving Boxer a spirited challenge while recognizing that Feinstein, while not ideologically dissimilar to Boxer, was at least perceived as an adult.

No longer.

Today the senior Senator was in the Central Valley touting freeze relief for citrus farmers. Surrounded by all the usual suspects – Republicans sucking up to the power, Feinstein lamented the plight of the poor farmer. After all, the freeze relief is attached to the Iraq war funding bill, which the President has promised to veto due to its unique "planned surrender" feature.

Feinstein actually defended the relief funds being placed in the middle of a war supplemental bill. With her comments, she moves into the phony leftist shill column with her sister Boxer and others of their ilk, such as Ted Kennedy. It was hard to decide who looked more foolish. Feinstein or the Republican farmers standing behind her as she… Read More

Paul Hegyi, who’s worn many hats over the past few years – Campaign Manager to Tony Strickland, Chief of Staff (and before that, Campaign Manager) to Van Tran, Campaign Manager to Shirley Horton, before that, time with Mark Wyland, etc – is tossing his hat in the ring to run for Assemblyman Nakanishi’s termed out seat next year.

Paul, who grew up in the district – going to high school and college in the area – and who now owns a home there, has been putting the pieces together to mount a strong campaign. No stranger to the campaign world, Paul assuredly will have a first-rate grassroots effort behind him. He’s been a part of some of the toughest races in California over the past few years, notably as Campaign Manager to Shirley Horton.

In addition, having been a part of campaigns in so many regions of the state, Paul is unique among would-be campaign/legislative staff-turned-politicians. Unlike some who’ve spent their whole careers pigeonholed in one spot, Paul has worked with the donor communities in San Diego, in Orange… Read More

Ed Reyes represents the First LA Council District which encompasses the north and west of City Hall. It’s a major gang infested region, with legions of illegal immigrants, dilapidated housing and the birthplace of the unusually savage Mara SalvatruchaSalvadorian gangfrom the Pico Union neighborhood.

First elected in April 2001, Mr. Reyes has witnessed increased gang control, failing schools with the ‘misery index’ increasing for its residents.

So it should have come as miracle news that the Rotem Co, a subsidiary of Hyundai Automotive Group, wants to least he Union pacific owned facility in Taylor Yard to assembly high-tech rail cars under a $305 million Metrolink contract. Rotem officials claim over 200 jobs with annual salaries of $40,000 to $ 80,000 each would be created for as long as five years.

The Daily Breeze in a remarkable piece of journalism, written by Beth Barrett, exposed Mr. Reyes interference with this job creating prospect. The Breezereported that when Reyes was approachedby project leaders he informed them " they don’t need jobs in the area and they want to see a park developed and nothing… Read More

If only it were a reality…you could get on a train high-speed train in Los Angeles and be at Disneyland in less than 30 minutes.

Well the California High-Speed Rail Authority is working on such things and apparently todos beneficiamos (they sent a brochure about some upcoming scoping sessions that are printed in English and Spanish).

If you want to weigh in on the project there are several public meetings in April in LA, Anaheim and Norwalk.

Apparently the the SoCal route could also extend down to Irvine.

If the thing operates over existing rail right-of-ways and doesn’t eliminate any current roads I am all for it assuming I don’t have to pay for it. I probably won’t ever take it but according to their studies they project 100 million passengers a year by 2030.

How will it be financed? Who pays for it? The slick… Read More