I will be hosting for Fresno based Ray Appleton today from 12:00 – 2:00 pm on Newstalk 580. Topics will include the Governor’s race, Political Misery and more. Tune in.

Also, I had the following letter published in the Wall Street Journal today:

LETTERS The Lamont Wing Is a Threat to Security

Gen. Wesley Clark could not be more mistaken in his argument that "The truth is that Democrats are as patriotic as Republicans, want a strong and secure America, and like every other American, want to trust the president and his team on national security issues" ("A Judgment on Iraq," editorial page, Aug. 10). The result wasn’t a judgment on Iraq. I have seen absolutely no evidence that the left wing of the Democratic Party remotely approaches anything patriotic, or that it wants a secure America, or that it will trust the president on national security issues. The left, seething with hatred, is breathtakingly weak on national security matters and hides behind feckless organizations like the U.N. at every turn. Leftists openly root for our defeat in international affairs and mockingly criticize our… Read More

The California Republican Party Chairman, Duf Sundheim, has his own blog, and here is his official post-convention ‘pep-talk’ to the troops: Shortly after the Recall, I was asked whether the Recall marked a turning point in California politics. I said it was either a turning point or an aberration, depending upon where we went from here. By reelecting Governor Schwarzenegger and winning down ballot races in 2006, we will demonstrate that the Recall election of 2003 was The turning point. That is why… Read More

Vacationing in Newport Beach this week (where else would a Republican stuck living in Ron Dellums-Barbara Lee’s backyard go on vacation?), we had dinner last night with some SoCal friends when one of them asked what we thought of the governor. This friend was no fan of the governator when I was cheering on Schwarzenegger’s candidacy in the recall election. To my "I’m in the anyone-but-Phil-so-I’m-going-to-hold-my-nose-and-vote camp," I got a big (and deserved) "I told you so." I said that while I knew that the governor was no Ronald Reagan, I thought he was more of a Chamber-of-Commerce Republican. And he was–the first two years in office. But this morning’s news on the minimum wage rate increase convinces me that the California Republicans are going to help re-elect Schwarzenegger to office and spend the next four years wondering what we did to ourselves.

I don’t really blame the governor. He is a product of Hollywood and, it seems to me, values making a deal and keeping the press and Maria happy over sticking to GOP values. But since this is his first elected office, we had no idea how… Read More

Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. I came home on Sunday from the State GOP Convention all pumped up for the Fall elections. The Governor’s speech was great, and really fired me up. The Governor asked the audience, "What do we say to more government control?" The audience answered with a resounding "NO!" Well, by agreeing to hike the mandated wage that California businesses, large and small, must pay employees, the Governor has said a resounding "YES" to more government control. And that is exactly what has happenned – as Arnold Scharzenegger, without the support of our GOP legislative caucuses, has cut a deal with legislative Democrats to impose more government control on all California employers. His support for hiking the minimum wage (to the highest in the nation) strikes right at the heart of those who believe that the size and scope and regulatory authority of government is too vast, and that at risk is the liberty of all Californians. This… Read More

Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. I came home on Sunday from the State GOP Convention all pumped up for the Fall elections. The Governor’s speech was great, and really fired me up. The Governor asked the audience, "What do we say to more government control?" The audience answered with a resounding "NO!" Well, by agreeing to hike the mandated wage that California businesses, large and small, must pay employees, the Governor has said a resounding "YES" to more government control. And that is exactly what has happenned – as Arnold Scharzenegger, without the support of our GOP legislative caucuses, has cut a deal with legislative Democrats to impose more government control on all California employers. His support for hiking the minimum wage (to the highest in the nation) strikes right at the heart of those who believe that the size and scope and regulatory authority of government is too vast, and that at risk is the liberty of all Californians. This… Read More

Adding to Mike Spence’s and Doug LaMalfa’s posts below — as well as rightfully noting the leadership on the issue displayed by LaMalfa — Capitol Resource Institute’s take on today’s proceedings is of interest….

During a heated half-hour debate, several pro-family legislators affirmed their opposition to SB 1437.

Assemblyman Doug La Malfa introduced amendments that would have protected parents’ rights in public schools, especially relating to homosexual teaching. As soon as the amendments were voted down, debate on the actual bill began.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, the Assembly Floor Manager for SB 1437, argued that “the best way to correct a social wrong” is to outlaw it. Citing “daily” anti-gay harassment in public schools, Nunez maintained that SB 1437 would protect homosexual students.

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore responded with a poignant question: “What problem would this bill solve?” DeVore then asserted that SB 1437 is “a bill in search of a problem.”

Assemblyman Jay La Suer defended the children caught in the middle of this debate by asserting… Read More

No big surprise, the Sen. Kuehl bill on discrimination in curriculum and behavior towards homosexual individuals or ideology passed off of our floor today on a 47-31 vote today. It was pointed out that it is redundant to current law that protects all students. The Governor had promised a veto of the bill. Theoriginal language, which had the requirement of curriculum reflecting historical contributions by homosexual individuals, was amended out last week to what we had today. We received an enormous amount of mail from constituents on this bill, the most of any, perhaps a tie with illegal immigration, as a topic.

On a ‘higher’ note, the legalizing-of-hemp bill passed out as well, 44-27. The unlikely duo of my desk-mateChuck Devore and Mark Leno"joint" [update: quotes added]authored this bill to the Governors desk as well…I don’t think it received more than 1 Assembly Republican vote last I checked. Chuck makes a very principled argumentbut we couldn’t get there.

"ALL I NEED ARE SOME TASTY WAVES, A COOL BUZZAND I’M FINE!" … Read More

SB 1437, one of three bills trageted for defeat by pro-family groups passed the Assembly a couple hours ago and is on the wayback to the Assembly for almost certain approval and then willland on the Governors desk.

According to the Capitol Resource Institute, prohibits textbooks, teaching materials, instruction and “school sponsored” activities from “reflecting adversely” upon others based on actual or perceived gender and sexual orientation. and would result in removal of terms such as “mother and father” and “husband and wife” or any reference to traditional family because that would “reflect adversely” upon homosexuals.

This is the homosexual thought police telling everyone to condone and approve of their lifestyle. So much for tolerance.

This proposed law and two other bills have become a test of the Governor’ efforts to reach out to pro-family voters. At the CRP Convention a rally was held by about 150 people calling on the Governor to veto these bills. The governor had previously promised to veto the bill, but it was ammended before the vote today and rumors are flying he… Read More