While absentee voters are starting to cast ballots today, the race to replace termed-out Assemblyman Russ Bogh in the 65th Assembly District GOP Primary is turning out to be one of the hottest in the state.

As of Friday, Hemet Mayor Robin Lowe had raked in the most in late contributions with $66,000. However, Lowe was lagging as of the March 17th 460 Form filing with $96,000 cash-on-hand, behind San Jacinto Councilman Jim Ayers with $346,000 and Banning Councilwoman Brenda Salas with $180,000. Salas is currently in second place in the late contributions race with $46,000, while Yucca Valley Mayor Paul Cook has taken in $36,000, adding to his $78,000 C-O-H from the last 460 filing. Ayers shows only $25,000 in late contributions, but probably isn’t losing sleep because of his superior war chest. Since the March 17 filing, each candidate also has added whatever contributions under $1,000 may have come in minus whatever they’ve spent since then. The next reports come out May 25th.

Here’s someperspective oneach majorcandidate in this race:

Jim Ayers, notwithstanding a lot of steady… Read More

Two of my favorite words. A couple days ago it was revealed that four city council members, the city manager and the attorney from my city of West Covina had an after meeting-eating excursion in Pico Rivera. See the my first review here. They met at a popluar politico steak house in Pico Rivera, the Dal Rae. You can see a story about the place here.

If anyone wished to buy me lunch there, please let me know. I won’t eat that much honest, but I need to send a press release out.… Read More

It was good to see Governor Arnold get it right in today’s LA times, on the subject of immigration. Congress has had five years since 911 to build an administrative infrastructure to support a guest worker program with a realistic deportation feature, and has done nothing.

We cannot deport illegals until wehave a rational system of entering the country. The technology exists to cut the wait time from years to weeks, yet the federal government doesn’t have it. If we don’t build the required technological infrastructure to accomodate a guest worker program, nothing the Congress might pass in the way of legislation will work. Nothing. And deportation is only a good tactic if wait times to enter legally are dramatically reduced.

Maybe the Governor’s people are paying attention to my blogs finally. OK, I don’t have anywhere near the ego to believe that. But make no mistake of this: assigning blame… Read More

On this very quiet Sunday, Jon is taking the day off (after setting up the main page for Sunday news-junkies).

I always recommend a glance at the FR Weblog, and at the Featured Columns Library, or the Jon’s Commentary Library.

We were pleased to announce last week the additions of State Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa as our ‘North California’ correspondent, who will be bringing you tidbits from the other side of Sacramento (there is something north of the Sacramento airport), and Congressman John Campbell, who is our new D.C. "Inside the Beltway" correspondent, bringing us the latest out of our nation’s capitol!

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

On this very quiet Sunday, Jon is taking the day off (after setting up the main page for Sunday news-junkies).

I always recommend a glance at the FR Weblog, and at the Featured Columns Library, or the Jon’s Commentary Library.

We were pleased to announce last week the additions of State Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa as our ‘North California’ correspondent, who will be bringing you tidbits from the other side of Sacramento (there is something north of the Sacramento airport), and Congressman John Campbell, who is our new D.C. "Inside the Beltway" correspondent, bringing us the latest out of our nation’s capitol! COMING YOUR WAY… Tomorrow, look for a great column from State Senator Jeff Denham, and also the announcement of yet another new member of the FR Weblog team — an old friend of the FR joins Dan Schnur as an official "State… Read More

USA Today Covers La Suer Bill Targeting Convicted Athletes… I’m posting this a little late, perhaps, but what political junkie reads USA today? Glad I came across it now. La Suer’s AB 2165 would ban college students from team sports or collegiate sporting events if the athlete is convicted of a violent felony, until after paying their debt to society. This after last year’s state community college football champs (Grossmont College) apparently fielded some thugs…meaning thugs off the field…thuggery on the field is still ok, it is football.

Even the ACLU couldn’t have a problem with this bill, could they…or should I ask?

See the story here.

Those Damn Water Boards Will Get You Every Time… A press release from the campaign of 77th AD Candidate Joel Anderson referred tohis service as president of the Padre Damn Water Board. A prime example of just why you can’t rely on spell check. Other… Read More

This post was first attempted yesterday from an airport and didn’t quite work.

As I sit here at LAX reading the news of a new GOP poll showing Brian Bilbray losing to his liberal challenger I can only think one thing – good.

I’ve been warning of a GOP calamity since December, 2004, and its real simple: spending, immigration, lack of leadership on reforming entitlements, and a reactive rather than proactive approach to everything. This is the work product produced by "safe" seats where no one has to compete. Its called CRAP.

If Bilbray loses the only additional thing we need to create wholesale change in the GOP is a few bruising primary challenges to our own members. Then maybe we can dust off the pictures of Reagan, pull out the playbook from 1994 and start winning again on principle

… Read More

GOP Assemblyman Keith Richman wants to take on Democrat Attorney General Bill Lockyer for State Treasurer. Interesting, then, that on all of the bonds, he cast the same ‘aye’ votes that Lockyer would have cast. I thought I knew a lot of jargon, but Katie Levinson at the Schwarzenegger Campaign office has me beat. Do you know what it means to ‘run traps’? Now I do. Maybe we’ll need to ask her for a ‘jargon of the week’ column. Last week, I stood with Eric Roach outside of the big fancy doors to the now-vacant 50th Congressional District office on Capitol Hill. Eric didn’t walk into it on that trip. But I hope he walks into it in January. Speaking of Washington, D.C., Republican Congressman Richard Pombo gets a big TY for lining up White House Tour tix for my Aunt and Uncle. Their lame Democratic Congressman totally let them down. Pombo has a GOP challenger in June — who supporter Kerry for President. LOL. John Howard, the managing editor over … Read More