Yesterday there was an interesting story published in the New York Sun (of all places) about Senator Hillary Clinton (D – NY) recording an automated phone message in opposition to Proposition 85, the statewide parental notification measure on the ballot in November. A quarter of a million people received the "it takes a village" woman’s phone call.

According to the article (I didn’t receive a recorded message so I can’t corroborate), Clinton said, "We are opposed because 85 will put our most vulnerable teens at risk — teens who may already be endangered by negligent or even abusive homes. We can do better. Let’s work together to protect all our children."

But abusive homes have nothing to do with the measure Mrs. Clinton and you know that.

Notification is notification. Notification isn’t a veto. Common sense dictates that parents should be notified if their daughter is… Read More

MEMBERS OF THE CALFORNIA REPUBLICAN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION FILE SUIT AGAINST BROWN CALLING HIM UNQUALIFIED TO BE CALIFORNIA’S TOP COP (CRLA urges Brown to do the honorable thing and withdraw from AG’s race.) Yesterday members of the California Republican Lawyers Association (CRLA) filed a lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court requesting the court to enforce California Government Code section 12503 and established Supreme Court precedents to declare Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. ineligible to be California Attorney General. “Jerry Brown should do the honorable thing and withdraw from the race for Attorney General,” said Steve Baric CRLA Chairman. Baric added “Government Code section 12503 is clear no person shall be eligible for the office of the Attorney General unless he has been admitted to the California State Bar for the five years immediately prior his election.” All California attorneys must continue to fulfill their obligations to retain their admittance to practice law in California. An… Read More

Two big issues – and bad voter perceptions. First, the Iraq war. Let’s face something head on here. The public doesn’t know anything about what is happening in Iraq. 100% of their information comes from the media. 75% of the stories are negative. Therefore, voters are against the war. By almost every historical objective measurement, this war is going well. Casualties and setbacks are a part of war. Civil War is something we are not used to facing in countries have invaded. There is not much unusual about civil war in a new democracy. We had one, remember?

Second, the economy. Unbelievably, the Bush economy has been in every respect better than the Clinton economy – and still is. The American public don’t have a clue about the national economy, only their own. Most people are doing well. 85% of the stories on the national economy are negative. Therefore, voters don’t sense the economic well being of the country as a whole.

Two big issues. Two issues where voter perceptions are entirely media driven. And two issues working against Republicans in the this election. A country full of… Read More

3pm Update: I have now attached Dec Relief and P&A’s (for you lawyer types) 2pm Update: I have now attached the filing.

Today a group of attorneys has filed suit to try and have Jerry Brown disqualified as a candidate for State Attorney General. Apparently, according to Adam Abrahms, a state board member of the California Republican Lawyers Association and a plaintiff in this action along with fellow GOP attorneys Tom Del Becarro, Mark Pruner, David Prince and Carl Burton, the law requires that you may not qualify as a candidate for the office, “unless he shall have been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state for a period of at least five years immediately preceding his election or appointment to such office.”

FR friend Tom Del Becarro, who is Chairman of the Contra Costa County Republican Party and also was elected by California’s 58 GOP County Chairmen to serve as President of the State Association of County Chairmen, is also a plaintiff in the case and has been doing heavy lifting to get the case together and filed today.

Tom has his own… Read More

Yesterday, I spoke to a GOP Women’s club about initiatives on the November ballot. This cycle, I usually say there is total agreement from GOP organizations against all the tax increases and voting yes on1A, 83, 85 and 90. Then there is disagreement about the bonds with most groups opposing all five, While the CRP and CCR support a couple of them, someare neutral etc…. (BTWvote against all the bonds)

Yesterday, I also found out that wasn’t so. The Log Cabin Republican Club, a group that attempts to promote"gay-friendly" policies among Republican office holders,while opposing the tax increases is opposing Prop. 90- the eminent domain initiative, neutral on Prop. 85- Parental Notification and most odd "neutral" on Prop- 83-Jessica’s law a crack down on sex offenses, pedophiles etc…

I get a lot of grief about not towing the Governor’s line on a host of isues. I’d be curuious to know how much grief this club has gotten for not being on board Arnold’s first signature campaignissue.

I know members of this club. In fact I… Read More

For those of you who have not been following it, there has been a controversy brewing in Central Orange County where a letter had apparently been sent out to around 14,000 hispanic voters geared towards suppressing hispanic turnout.

The letter, written in Spanish, apprently say in it, "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time…"

The letter has set off a formal investigation by the Attorney General’s office, and it is looking very much like the responsible party looks to be Tan Nguyen (to right). Nguyen is the long-shot Republican challenger to Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez in the 46th Congressional District.

I will draw the attention of FR readers to three blog posts on the Red County/OC Blog website (the definitive source for political news in "The OC") — the… Read More

by FR State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. So if you’re a California Democrat contemplating electoral apocalypse and you’ve already reconciled yourself to the idea that Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to be re-elected next month, you’re probably just beginning to confront a downticket dilemma that’s almost as frustrating:

McClintock or Strickland.

If you’re a California Democrat and you’re still mad about the special election, but you’ve come to term with the idea that another four years of Arnold won’t be that bad as long as he continues to compromise with the legislature on everything but taxes and illegal immigration, and you were never that wild about Phil Angelides anyway so it’s time to start thinking about Villaraigosa or Newsom or O’Connell (or Obama or Gore or Hillary), you’ve still got an unpleasant decision to face in the meantime:

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

Thanks to a heads-up with some stats courtesy of the Office of the Governor, we can compare some judicial appointment statistics based on party registration of the appointees:

Here are numbers on appointments for the past three years — of course the Governor served only part of 2004 and 2006 is not yet over. While there is still a long way to go for our Republican Governor, his 2006 GOP % of 61 beats 2005’s dismal 52% We’ll be hoping for even more GOP judges for 2007, but even under the watchful eye of Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy (former Executive Director of the California Democratic Party, Naral, Feinstein, blah blah) we are seeing an improvement!

2004 Republican – 2 (33.3%) Democrat – 2 (33.3%) DTS – 2… Read More