If you don’t subscribe to Rich Galen’s "Mullings" newsletter, you should — its free and comes twice a week. He’s savvy and witty and does an excellent job digesting major national issues into a common sense 2 minute read. I’ve never met Rich, but was referred to his newsletter almost 5 years ago by a close friend and I read it religiously every time it pops into my in box.

I’ve always remembered reading his "Back-to-School" essay in 2001 — it’s a slight divergence from his normal commentary on politics (but ties in with current events). It’s an emotional piece that those of us with kids can relate to easily.

After dropping my oldest daughter off for her first day of kindergarten, I came back to the office and re-read his essay (lets just say, today I UNDERSTAND).… Read More

POOCHIGIAN UNVEILS NEW MOVE ON, JERRY WEBSITE This morning, Attorney General candidate Chuck Poochigian, the Republican, has unveiled a catchy new website entitled, Move On – Jerry! It is Jerry Brown, 3-time unsuccessful presidential candidate, failed worth checking out. What is MoveonJerry.org all about? This is what they say on the site:

But Jerry Brown’s soft on crime record, his history of extreme and… Read More

POOCHIGIAN UNVEILS NEW MOVE ON, JERRY WEBSITE This morning, Attorney General candidate Chuck Poochigian, the Republican, has unveiled a catchy new website entitled, Move On – Jerry! It is Jerry Brown, 3-time unsuccessful presidential candidate, failed worth checking out. What is MoveonJerry.org all about? This is what they say on the site:

Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu is a smart man. He does not gamble and he is not an advocate of having a casino in Anahiem (something I would very much appreciate).

But Sidhu is realistic enough to know that someday it might be the right public policy to let one open up that is why he opposes efforts in his city to hamstring future councils from considering gambling establishments as an option…… Read More

This is a tale of two families who’s air conditioner broke during the dead heat of this summer.

One family was mine, my mother and father who live in Aliso Viejo here in Orange County. They are an active couple dad in his late 70s and mom, well lets just say somewhat younger.

The other family, the Frank Mickadeit’s of Codo de Caza the ritzy gated community in south Orange County.

The… Read More

In my continuing series on ballot designations, today I bring you the best one of all time. I will defend this one against anything you can put up against it…

SHAMAN!

Yes Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas a perennial candidate for mayor or Orange uses Shaman as his ballot designation.

According to dictionary.com a Shaman is: a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.

I am solidly in the camp of Carolyn Cavecche (current council member in Orange who is running for mayor) but the good people of Orange might want to hedge their bets a bit and throw a bone to Mr. Serrrano-Nieblas. After all, do you really think he would run if he didn’t already use his magical powers to to fortell the future and see that he was goiong to win?… Read More

I don’t recall evenr being in a situation where the closer Election Day gets, the less likely I am to vote for the GOP nominee.

Yet, that is where I find myself vis-a-vis Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I’m one of many conservatives who voted for Arnold in the recall despite my preference for Tom McClintock. I found the prospect of Cruz Bustamante in the governor’s office horrifying and wasn’t convinced McClintock could win. The stakes so too high I though it prudent to back the Republican with the best chance of winning, and so I cast my vote for Arnold. Like other conservatives, I comforted myself with the rumor we’d heard for years that Arnold was really a libertarian. So, although he was squishy on the social issues, at least he’d be hard core on taxes, spending and freedom issues. After all, he was a Milton Friedman fan!

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

I don’t recall even being in a situation where the closer Election Day gets, the less likely I am to vote for the GOP nominee.

Yet, that is where I find myself vis-a-vis Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I’m one of many conservatives who voted for Arnold in the recall, despite my preference for Tom McClintock. I found the prospect of Cruz Bustamante in the governor’s office horrifying and wasn’t convinced McClintock could win. The stakes so too high I though it prudent to back the Republican with the best chance of winning, and so I cast my vote for Arnold. Like other conservatives, I comforted myself with the rumor we’d heard for years that Arnold was really a libertarian. So, although he was squishy on the social issues, at least he’d be hard core on taxes, spending and freedom issues. After all, he was a Milton Friedman fan!

But ever since the Governor’s nauseating policy of apologizing for the special election of 2005, it’s been steadily more difficult to assembly a conservative Republican rationale for supporting his re-election.

He’s signed a non-aggression pact with the government employee… Read More