My loyalty to the Republican Party began in 1979-1981 because, in that time period like most of my classmates, I both hated and was terrified of "The Communists". I don’t know that I understood much more than they had nuclear weapons, they were evil, and they wanted to kill me and my family. At 9,10, and 11 I can’t write that I was some sort of young political genius or that I gave a goose about politics or that I read the paper or watched the news, but I figured for right or wrong was we were going to have a war with the Communists – maybe a nuclear war. And that scared me.

The events of 1979-1980 and the Presidential election certainly helped shape some of these opinions. My notions of the political parties and of the Presidential candidates at that time in my life were vague at best, really only the impressions of a child.

From what I recall, my impression of Carter and the Democrats is that they were scared of the Communists. My impression was that they were weak, or they would get the hostages back. My impression was that they were the ones who thought our relatives, friends, and neighbors who had fought in ‘the war’… Read More

The California Club For Growth has included liberal Democrat Margaret Mims on their paid slate mailer just two weeks before the November election. The liberal Mims, a candidate for Fresno County Sheriff, is opposed by Lincoln Club and Republican Central Committee endorsed Cal Minor in the upcoming election.

Mims also has the dubious distinction of opposing Proposition 85, and scored 100% on the Planned Parenthood voter guide. Although the California Club for Growth, like the Lincoln Club, is primarily an economic based political action committee, the conservatives on its board should be embarrased to be associated with Mims in any way.

10 minutes of vetting would have avoided this embarrassing miscue, and CCG should take their vendor to task for selling the slateto the highest bidder rather than checking the facts first. A visit to Mims website shows her endorsements, among them:

National Women’s Political Caucus Clovis Democratic Club Clovis Unaffiliated Employees Association Fresno Democratic Women’s Club Central Valley Progressive PAC San Joaquin Valley… Read More

Thirteen-term conservative Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter of San Diego County (pictured to the left), with the backdrop of the U.S.S Midway aircraft carrier behind him, is expected tomorrow at 11 a.m. to announce an exploratory effort at a potential bid for the 2008 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. Hunter is currently serving as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the United States House of Representatives.

Hunter told FoxNews today that tomorrow he will, “make an announcement about a national campaign in 2008."

We will look forward to tomorrow. Duncan Hunter is a stand-up guy, and brings a lot to the table. [Note: Our… Read More

By FR San Diego Correspondent Barry Jantz

Interestingly enough, the adjective "redux," meaning "brought back," comes from the Latin word "dux," meaning "leader" or "duke".

Duke. Well, at least we can be comforted in knowing that the current political contest in California’s 50th Congressional District will not result in a Duke Cunningham redux.

Bilbray-Busby IIis but a sad sequel to all its former glory. Also less confusing, considering the former ballot included both a special run-off to fill the remainder of Cunningham’s term as well as the respective party nominations for the next. By any reasonable watcher’s account, the June run-off was Francine Busby’s only chance, if there ever really was one.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More

By FR San Diego Correspondent Barry Jantz

Interestingly enough, the adjective "redux," meaning "brought back," comes from the Latin word "dux," meaning "leader" or "duke".

Duke. Well, at least we can be comforted in knowing that the current political contest in California’s 50th Congressional District will not result in a Duke Cunningham redux.

Bilbray-Busby IIis but a sad sequel to all its former glory. Also less confusing, considering the former ballot included both a special run-off to fill the remainder of Cunningham’s term as well as the respective party nominations for the next. By any reasonable watcher’s account, the June run-off was Francine Busby’s only chance, if there ever really was one.

Without as much fanfare as that which seemed to garner rapt attention in June, here are five reasons Brian Bilbray wins it like oiled silk a week from Tuesday:

Our Nation’s Founders would recoil at the reasoning that is being used against Proposition 90. I’m really disappointed by some of these people that we as Republicans have worked with to make things right in their relationship with state government. I’ve been a long time advocate of returning power to the most local level, to work to relieve mandates, especially unfunded ones. To keep the state from ripping off local dollars from cities, counties and special districts, because I firmly believe that locals have a better idea what local needs are than Sacramento or Washington DC. I was a strong supporter of the "previous" Prop 1A that made a giant move towards doing that, protecting local dollars fromthe state, and devolving power back to the local level. Cities and counties don’t like it when the state sticks it to them.

But now the shoe is on the other foot. Local government wants to keep the power to stick it toan even more local government: you, your family, your home, your farm, your business, the individual.It’s more convenient to use the power of eminent domain to wipe… Read More

Check out this great television spot now running statewide for Tony Strickland, courtesy of a large independent expenditure from "Team 2006" (Indian Tribes and some Silicon Valley interests).

"Vault" (link below).

h/t to Shawn for sending this along… Read More

As I wait for graphics I have time to skim through the various national columnists to see what the big brains are thinking (actually, that’s not altogether true. First I looked up the 1974 Rankin-Bass stop-motion holiday cartoon The Year Without a Santa Claus and found the fan websites for both Heatmiser and Snowmiser and played both their songs loud until everyone else in the office told me to put a cork in it).

Then I went over to Peggy Noonan who had the following gem in her Wall Street Journal opinion piece entitled Is there Progress Through Loss?

… Read More