As FR readers know, we are going through an ‘augmentation’ of the FlashReport Blog as we go into the new election season. Most of our regular staple of contributors will be staying on, continuing to offer you their great insights on California politics. But, we have decided to expand the talent pool, bringing you more contributors with even more to offer.

So far this week we have announced the ‘arrivals’ of Ray Haynes, Tab Berg, and Jim Lacy.

Today, I am pleased to introduce FR readers to longtime friend Shawn Steel. Many of you may know Shawn already as he has been featured on this site many times. Shawn is currently the Chairman of California Club for Growth, and is the Immediate Past Chairman of the California Republican Party.

Shawn is an accomplished attorney, and has been an activist in pro-liberty and freedom causes going back longer than he would care to admit. He has been a friend and a mentor to me since the late 1980’s, and it is great to welcome him to… Read More

Since clearly everyone else who writes about California politics has taken today off, I will as well. We’ve cobbled together some interesting reading on the main page – which wasn’t easy. I hope you havea great Friday of this great four-day weekend. Over the weekend we’ll be introducing two more new contributors to the FlashReport weblog, so you’ll want to check back for that!

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More

According to disclosure reports filed as of 10/18/06, financial guru George Soros dumped $2,150,000 in “soft money” into the recent Congressional elections, to an outfit called “America Votes 2006,” to help register voters and get them to the polls. “Soft money” are funds that are illegal to be used in influencing a Congressional election, but can be used for voter registration and get-out-the-vote purposes. Here is a list of America Votes 2006 “coalition partners” in this effort, obtained from their website:

21st Century Democrats, ACORN, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Alliance for Retired Americans, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March, Campaign for America’s Future, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Democracy for America, EMILY’s List, Human Rights Campaign, League of Conservation Voters, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), MoveOn.org Political Action, Music for America, NAACP National Voter Fund, NARAL… Read More

We live in the best country in the world which has the "worst form of government…except all the others." The unpleasantness of Nov 7 for many of the things we hoped for is still tempered by the fact that at the Congressional level, many new winning Dems ran on a lot of Republican principles. We did hold some of the tight races at the last and there is at least 5 strong Rep seats that were lost "just because" of the indictments, scandals or last minute retirements, etc. These seats should flip back our way next time on the natural. So our side needs to focus on how to convince Americans that this "course correction" needs to only last 2 years. Maybe 24 months of Speaker Pelosi will do it, but if we count on that, our side could be outside the frosty windows looking in for a long time.[Ray Haynes posted on this topic yesterday, wewould do well to heed that advice]

In California, we re-elected a Republican governor by one of the biggest blowouts for a statewideRep. in a long time. No, Rep. legislators aren’t in lock-step with the Guv all the time, but the difference it has made inside the Capitol and… Read More

Courtesy of our friends at the Foundation for Economic Education, we are pleased to share with you the Story of Thanksgiving:

In the middle of December 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, leaving behind the sinfulness of the “old world” to make a “new Jerusalem” in America. Three years later, in November 1623, they had a great feast thanking God for getting them through an earlier famine, and now for a bountiful crop.

What had created the earlier famine and then the bountiful crops? The story is told in the diary of Governor Bradford, who was one of the elders of that early Puritan colony.

Courtesy of our friends at the Foundation for Economic Education, we are pleased to share with you the Story of Thanksgiving:

In the middle of December 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, leaving behind the sinfulness of the “old world” to make a “new Jerusalem” in America. Three years later, in November 1623, they had a great feast thanking God for getting them through an earlier famine, and now for a bountiful crop. What had created the earlier famine and then the bountiful crops? The story is told in the diary of Governor Bradford, who was one of the elders of that early Puritan colony. At first, they decided to turn their back on… Read More

Former State Senator Dick Monteith was named the winner for Ray Simon’s seat on the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in his race against Modesto City Councilwoman Janice Keating. This race was as tight as it gets with Monteith declared the winner by 16 votes. Monteith (full disclosure, he’s a client) was vastly outspent in a race with most of the establishment lined up against him and knocked on doors every day until he broke his ankle a few weeks before the election. Keating was the leading vote-getter in the May primary and considered the odds-on favorite but was weakened by Monteith’s attacks on her for receiving large amounts of campaign funds from developers.

No word on if Keating will seek a recount.… Read More

With the final count on the Garcia/Clute election, I expect to see and hear the same laments that I have heard from the media (and a lot of my Republican friends) about how the redistricting of 2001 froze the outcomes of California’s elections.

Of course, that is not true (just ask Richard Pombo). There is no question that the redistricting was a status quo effort (the Dems were supposed to end up with 50 Assemblymembers, 26 Senators, and 33 Members of Congress, with the Reps getting the rest), it didn’t end up that way. Reps have picked up 2 Assembly seats, one Senate seat (with a very close election for a second), and the Dems have picked up one Congressional seat, and gave the Reps a run for their money on two others. Nothing is written in stone in politics, and there is no excuse for not fighting to pick up seats in any election.

Too often, the redistricting plan is used as an excuse for laziness in politics. "We can’t pick up seats," we are told by the political operatives, "so don’t blame us if we don’t." The fact is four state legislatures in the 1990’s went Republican after a Democrat… Read More