Senate Democrats, in their finite wisdom today, passed Senate Bill 1437 to mandate that public school textbooks include the contributions of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT).

A recurring argument made in support of the bill is that LGBT students need to learn about other LGBT role models in history textbooks so that they won’t feel isolated. “Knowing that others who are like you have taken a path in which you’re interested is helpful to a young person finding his or her place in the world,” said Sen. Bowen who went on to point out what we all know, which is students can be very cruel.

Indeed, kids torment other kids based on race or gender. Certainly, they can be cruel to lesbian or gay students. And this, Sen. Bowen tells us, explains their high rates of suicide. To stop the cruelty, to stop the suicides, we must teach about the contributions of LGBTs throughout history.

Again, the argument is made in the text of SB 1437, stating that because hate crimes are directed at LGBT students, they are “at greater risk for suicide, skipping school, drug and alcohol abuse and other risk-taking behavior,… Read More

Democratic candidate for Long Beach mayor says he’s an expert on the Roman Empire and Long Beach is having the same problems. See article here.He doesn’t nean the Huns, or the corruption of government and morals. He means the middle class is leaving. Really? What can he really do about, when is supported by the people that call more government programs? At least the Huns won’t come a knocking.… Read More

Well, this shoe took so long to drop I’m not sure anyone will take note. But while Assemblyman Van Tran ‘effectively’ endorsed his colleague Lynn Daucher for State Senate in the 34th District some time ago by dropping out of the race, today the Daucher campaign made it official, sending out a release proclaiming that Tran has officially supporting Daucher’s candidacy.

Tran, who is riding high today because of this favorably press, is a hard-nosed campaigner. So the question was and is not whether he would endorse Daucher, but whether he will ‘turn on’ his considerable campaign operation to support her.

Tran’s number one political operative in Orange County, Barrett Tetlow, is currently heading up the State GOP/Join Arnold Victory 06… Read More

House chairman disputes report of probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top Republican lawmaker disputed a report on Thursday that identified him as the latest target in a series of federal investigations of members of Congress.

The Los Angeles Times quoted sources as saying authorities had begun an investigation of California Rep. Jerry Lewis’ relationship with a lobbyist linked to convicted former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

Lewis said he had no knowledge of an investigation and denied wrongdoing in the awarding of contracts as the powerful chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations… Read More

Since my posting on the Hatch Act and Jim Ayres candidacy, I have received the following from the Ayres campaign. I have no horse in this race. It does strike me funny that the two leading contenders in this race are both County employees who both used to work for the Federal Government. Ayres used to get a paycheck from the Air Force and Salas from Congressman Joe Baca. In full disclosure I too get a paycheck from the Federal Government.

Mariama Liverpool who is an Attorney with the Hatch Act Unit, under the auspices of the OSC in her letter of March 21, 2006 stated:

Therefore, as to your current status under the Hatch Act, we do not believe that you are covered by the Act. Based on the information you and Ms. Lorson provided, you are no longer working on programs or activities that are federally funded and it is our understanding that this change is… Read More

I was recently talking to seasoned Orange County political consultant Matt Holder, and he shared with me a theory concerning the recent, narrow loss of Diane Harkey to Assemblyman Tom Harman in the special election in the 35th State Senate election.

Harkey’s consultant, Scott Hart, had pointed out that Tom Harman had seen an unusually high margin of victory from asian foreign-language voters in the district — primarily Vietnamese voters — by a a very dramatic margin.

Holder’s theory is this — Harkey was depriving of an opportunity to purchase an official ballot statement for the voter guide produced and distributed by the Registrar of Voters because she was spending too much of her personal money (dumb law). Harman did have a statement, however, and it was sent to these households translated into the language of choice preferred by each voter.

Did that make the difference? It was a factor said well-respected pollster Adam Probolsky (who writes for this site). Probolsky suggested as well not to underestimate the impact of Harman’s ballot title — and that his being an elected State Legislature would have had a… Read More

Things are getting ugly in Orange County lately.

In the 5th Supervisor District, former Assemblywoman Pat Bates (full disclosure: I do some consulting work for Pat) and Laguna Niguel Mayor Cassie DeYoung are squaring off for this open seat. DeYoung has access to a ship-load of personal wealth, and has probably spent $1.5 million thus far.

DeYoung has hit Pat with a series of negative mailers focusing on her sponsorship of a matricula consular bill — which Pat wound up being on of only 7 Republicans to vote against due to Democrat machinations. The mailers — here, here and here — depict Pat’s image on a matricula consular card.

Pat responded by taking the DeYoung campaign to court, and yesterday the judge agreed to slap a… Read More

I just received this e-mail to me from Cal-YAF. My question is – Doesn’t Brenda Salas, Ayres primary opponent also get paid by the County of Riverside as an aide to a County Supervisor?

Cal-YAF Files Federal Complaint Against Jim Ayres Calls for prosecution for “egregious” violations of the ‘Hatch Act’

California Young Americans for Freedom last week filed a complaint with the United States Department of Justice – Office of Special Counsel, regarding a potential significant violation of the Federal Hatch Act by 65th Assembly District candidate Jim Ayres.

FACT: The Hatch Act, first passed in 1939 in reaction to political abuses by the Democratic Party, is a safeguard to prevent federal, state and local government employees from exploiting their office for partisan political advantage.

FACT: Specifically, the Act prohibits local government employees “whose principal employment is in connection with an activity which is financed in whole or in… Read More