You may wonder why there are two bottles of wine in this post. Well, they both have something in common. Both wines were produced by Republicans in the wine business. Both of these Republicans were formerly members of the State Assembly. But the similarities stop there. One of these former GOP legislators, now a county Supervisor, is extremely moderate, both ideologically and stylistically. The other, so successful that his family-owned business shipped out over 1,000,000 cases of wine last year is very conservative, and quite assertive. Why are they, and what does this all mean? Read my Sunday Commentary and find out more than you wanted to know!!

I’m traveling in the Santa Ynez wine region, and it seemed appropriate to share a… Read More

My brother, Rick, and I are here in the Santa Ynez Valley, enjoying some wine tasting here in God’s Country. Yesterday we stopped into the Firestone Winery for some tasting. I thought it would also be fun to rub his considerably-left-of-center nose in all of Brooks Firestone’s GOP paraphernalia that usually adorns the walls. Alas, due to an imminent remodel on the tasting room, all of the Republican goodies have been put away. Like a good red-meat-eating conservative I ponied up to the tasting bar for some Cabernet Sauvignon. Um…. No. There is NO Cabernet there (Nor any Pinot Noir, for that matter). BROOKS FIRESTONE: MODERATE WINE AND POLITICS I couldn’t help but think to myself — "Of course Brooks doesn’t make Cabernet — a bold, decisive wine — there is nothing bold… Read More

The host committee is an important part of any fund raising event.

There is a big difference between the working host committee member that has agreed to raise a determined dollar amount and the host committee member who simply lends his or her name to an event for the sake of prestige or comfort in numbers as I like to call it.

The invite that prompted this post was received this week from Laguna Niguel City Councilwoman Cassie DeYoung who is running for Orange County Supervisor (5th District, an open seat in ’06 due to term-limits). The Nov. 9 event to be held at Antonello’s Ristorante (the best Italian restaurant in OC and hot spot for old school political fund raisers for offices like Board of Supervisors and Anaheim City Council) is $175 per person.

The only thing missing from the invite though, is a list of host committee members. DeYoung, a seemingly wealthy candidate who has self funded with hundreds of thousands of dollars, is running against popular former… Read More

You don’t want to miss the actual news video coverage of this woman being attacked for her support of the Governor’s reform measures. Read the entire story, and see the VIDEO in today’s FlashReport commentary!

Oh yes, presiding over the whole rowdy rally of crazy union thugs? None other than former union-organizer turned Democrat Assembly Speaker — Fabian Nunez.

Read it all here.… Read More

YESTERDAY MORNING… If you were spending the day yesterday at the famed Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, you might wonder what was creating all of the clamor outside of your hotel window. You part the curtains, and look down into adjacent Pershing Square…

What do you see? There is a fired-up latino yelling to a crowd of seemingly-deranged and maniacal followers. A cult? A demonic ritual? From the window, you can see that many are carrying signs, and you squint to try to read them.

That’s when you notice that many in the crowd have turned on a woman — they surround her, and the chanting turns into yelling. Through the glass of the window, you can’t tell exactly what they are screaming, but the tone would fit screams of "Go to hell, Bitch!"

From your vantage point, high up, it looks like the crowd has descended on this poor woman — are they hitting her?

As you pull away from… Read More

FR Friend John Fund (pictured to the left), a native Californian and an esteemed editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal penned the following tidbit about Former California Congressman Christopher Cox, who was recently confirmed as President Bush’s pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Justice Cox? When the nomination of Harriet Miers was at its most beleaguered, one political commentator suggested the president should appoint Chris Cox, the newly installed chairman of the… Read More

Ray Haynes is running for Board of Equalization in a district that encompassesparts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties to the Mexican Border. The real border, not Temecula or San Clemente.

He is very popular among conservatives and is trying to qualify the California Border Police Initiative.

So I was surprised when I got a press release announcing thatRay Hayneswasendorsing Joel Anderson for Assembly in the 77th District. See it here.I should note the CRA has yet to make an endorsement in that race and that I haven’t endorsed anyone either.

I wasn’t surprised that Haynes would endorse Joel Anderson. Joel is a conservative. He is active in the Party and conservative causes, President of the local Water Board etc… A good, solid conservative candidate.

I was surprised because I had received an invitation to a fundraiser tonight for another conservative… Read More

Yes, there’s a song called "I am an idiot"…by Nine Inch Nails — it’s lame…like me.

You see…I’ve really worked hard at this goofy regional thing…blogs about levees…wineries…and I heardTom Berryhill cried when he read my crap about his candidacy….but you know…it’s gets hard when I see all the blogs on statewide stuff…..sexy stuff….real money at stake with the Conaway Ranch issue to be sure….but not very sexy…

So I call Fleischman..and whined…where he proceeds to admonish me that…Yes Joe…you too can write Big Boy Blogs …writeabout regional stuff…but have at it…

Wow….my first Big Boy Blog….I can’t wait….

But intill then…..I picked up that Congressman Rogan and some friends have gotten behind the following effort.

Stay Tuned…..… Read More