Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay permanently resigned as Majority Leader in a letter to House Republicans. DeLay’s announcement triggers leadership elections (to be called by the Speaker) that rumors have to be either Jan. 26, bringing Members back prior to President Bush’s Jan. 31 State of the Union speech or on Feb. 2. Either way, the Speaker will want to have this dealt with prior to the Feb. 9-11 GOP Conference retreat.

Ohio Rep. John Boehner, chairman of the Education & the Workforce Committee and Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, Majority Whip and acting-Majority Leader are considered to be definite candidates to succeed DeLay. House Rules would not require Blunt to resign as Whip meaning he could continue in that capacity if he failed to win the Leader’s post.

RSC chairman Mike Pence of Indiana is rumored to be a candidate for… Read More

Lew Uhler carries a lot of credibility as the head of the National Tax Limitation Committee. He has a storied career as a champion of the taxpaxer. I think his first blush assessment of the Governor’s "BIG BONDS" proposal is worthwhile for everyone to consider:

“Devil in the Details” TAXPAYERS SHOULD DEMAND BOND SPENDING SAFEGUARDS FROM THE LEGISLATURE “As always, in a major new spending measure of the kind the Governor is proposing, the ‘devil is in the details.’ Taxpayers would be well advised to await the details and demand accountability and assurances before making a final judgment. The Governor has proposed; let’s see if the … Read More

Regarding the top story in today’s edition of the FlashReport — I think we are going to have to ask San Bernardino County Supervisor (and FlashReport friend) to share more about his plans with the readers of this fine publication. While the level of political sophistication of FR readers varies from the interested reader to experience consultants, the idea of the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of a major county (that has no term limits) running for an obscure office (politically) like County Assessor seems like an odd move. Add to it that Postmus has partisan politics running through his veins (he is also the Chairman of the San Bernardino County Republican Party), and you wonder what he is up to. Bill is a chess player. In political parlance, it means that like a successful chess player, he makes his decisions thinking about the longer-term ramifications. Well, we invite the Supervisor to let us know why he would make this move… Until then… We’ll just be glad… Read More

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus todayannounced his intention to change jobs next year. He will be running for County Assessor in the June 2006 countywide primary. Postmus, who’s also Chairman of the County GOP Central Committee, said he plans to transform the Assessor’s office into a "model operation whose mission will be to protect taxpayers and property owners and help bring better-paying jobs closer to San Bernardino County’s residents.

"I intend to take the experience I’ve gained from reforming county government, improving public services and getting the county’s financial house in order and put that knowledge to work in the Assessor’s Office," Postmus said. The County Assessor’s primary responsibility is to determine the assessed value of the county’s current $130.7 billion worth of real and personal property for tax purposes in the state’s… Read More

Since I have been threatened by our editor to pick up the pace (see earlier yellow journalism)… here we go:

The brawl for control of the San Diego City Council is now in full swing. There are two seats that have been vacated because of the local “stripper-gate” scandal.

One seat, district 8, is fairly safe Democrat/machine. It is drawing fire, but mostly labor is just making sure that the next machine candidate is anointed.

The other seat is a bloodbath. Lorena Gonzalez (Bustamonte aide de camp) vs. Kevin Faulconer (local businessman). Disclaimer: Faulconer is a Coronado Communications client. We are talking something like 1.7 million total expenditures for a seat 1/3 the size of an Assembly District. Now nothing could be more entertaining to the average voter than a mailbox full during the holiday season, but there isn’t much option when the election is January 10th. My guess is between the GOP and labor there are 100 people on the ground every day as well… a real house to house battle.

What’s interesting is labor candidate Lorena Gonzalez is getting pummeled for her relationship with old Cruz Bustamonte.… Read More

An earlier post made two errors in a report about a conversation with Assemblyman Wyland in re this blog –

First, and least important, I’m not actually his Chief of Staff. I don’t work for the government. Since I did serve in that position for many years, this reporting error is somewhat understandable.

Second, I believe what Mr. Wyland may actually have been saying is he has not been reading the blog because he already hears far too many of my thrilling “insights” live.… Read More

For years John Doolittle has been a leader in our party. He is a leader in trying to strengthen our free market economy and to preserve our party’s leadership in reforming government. We need him in Congress to keep up our fight.

I appreciate the sincerity of his position that giving back the Abramoff money would create the appearance of having done something wrong. There is nothing wrong, or unethical,with accepting political contributions. I would argue that regardless of that fact, the appearance of not giving it back indicates to average Joe (read your voters) that you are refusing to distance yourself from Mr. Abramoff’s unethical behavior.

Mr. Doolittle, I don’t know you from Adam, but people I respect who call you a very close friend, assert that you are a fine man. I believe them to the core. However, we as a party are seeking to distance ourselves from the smarm of Mr. Abramoff and the taint he’s put on our image. To that end, the leader of our party,… Read More

This morning, click here to read my co-commentary along with FR Contributor Barry Jantz. But as I compiled stories this morning from papers around the state and country on the Governor’s speech, I started to get frustrated as I read all of praise coming from liberal Democrats. Well, here are a few of the choice quotes, following by analysis from the Wall Street Journal that is worth a read.

Recalled Democrat Governor Gray Davis in the Orange County Register: "He gave the kind of speech I would like to have given." Democrat Speaker Fabian Nunez in the Washington Post: "He’s hitting all the Democratic notes in the song. There’s no question that his tone has changed dramatically."… Read More