The late Lee Atwater used to say that a candidate must be the Ulysses of his own campaign. “Tie me to my mast,” Lee imagined the politician saying to his crew. “Help me avoid those sirens.”

Lee’s point wasn’t that candidates aren’t smart and/or politically savvy. Rather, he believed that no matter how talented many candidates might be, they lack the perspective to effectively oversee their own campaign. It’s too easy to get too emotionally involved when it’s your own name on the bumper sticker, so having a person or persons around with slightly more emotional distance is almost always a good idea. But the key is picking the right people.

Which brings us to Steve Poizner. Steve is a smart, talented individual with a genuine commitment to public service. He is also worth about five zillion dollars and has demonstrated a willingness to spend his money on behalf of political causes that are important to him. He may be more centrist than many of the readers of this website (then again, so am I). But he’s definitely the type of person who we need more of in politics.

Poizner’s first… Read More

FlashReport Weblog’s Bay Area Correspondent has a great column in today’s Weekly Standard. It begins:

IF THERE IS A CONSTANT in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s overlapping careers as film and political star, it would be his ability to choose the right foil to play the bad guy.

On the big screen, Schwarzenegger… Read More

The Big Winner Is… As is my tradition, in the weeks after a State Republican Party Convention, I publish a column on who I think "won" and who "lost" at the convention. There is no doubt who the BIG WINNER was at this year’s convention. Come on… You can guess…. Alright, tired of guessing? Read it here: Winners & Losers.

Whalen in the Standard FR Bay Area Blogger Bill Whalen has penned an excellent column in the Weekly Standard today, called "The Governator V" — you should definately check it out here if you haven’t read it already. Easy Call For Local Government – YES on 76 The Governor made his pitch to the California League of Cities yesterday, as to why they… Read More

I find it hard to muster up sympathy for the big wigs in the entertainment business when the are hit with ‘labor actions’ by their unions. After all, how many millions upon millions have been donated by the Hollywood ‘elite’ towards the liberal candidates and causes that have empowered these unions? Somehow there is some sort of justice in the Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 16, being the subject of a complaint by San Francisco’s LucasFilm. While you are busy crying for poor George Lucas, you can read about it here.… Read More

Orange County is in the midst of a Special Election frenzy that started with this Tuesday’s 48th CD ‘primary’.

On Nov. 8th we will vote on the statewide initiatives with the rest of you, as well as a slew of local county initiatives that mostly are about funding for the sheriff, DA and firefighters.

On Dec. 6th the run-off for the 48th CD will pit State Senator John Campbell against Minute Man Founder Jim Gilchrist and some Democrat that doesn’t really matter.

Then sometime early next year we can expect ANOTHER Special Election for state senate to replace then Congressman John Campbell.

I am not sure if this is any kind of record but it certainly creates opportunity for political consultants and observers.… Read More

The Governor was in Fresno yesterday, and for the 43rd straight time, members of our Lincoln Club were not summoned to go out into the masses and defend his agenda. That aside, it was good to see him out with the people again at the Fresno County Fair. There were a “few enemies of reform” ** following him with “For Sale” signs but they were generally pretty orderly. The Governor, as reported in the Fresno Bee, was in Fresno to receive the California State Farm Bureau’s endorsement of his upcoming special election issues. Responding to the Governor’s visit, “enemy of reform” spokesperson Steve Maviglio (of Gray Davis fame) said that “Clearly, he’s on the side of corporate interests in just about every field…”. Of course Steve, corporate interests are EMPLOYING your union members and providing the tax base for your monstrous spending schemes every year. The Governor did a great job yesterday and if he continues to go out into the masses of people, flanked by supporters who will defend his agenda ***, and define his opponents as “enemies of reform” he will win in November, even being outspent… Read More

CALIFORNIA YAF LETTER I have no idea whether this fellow, Pierre Richard Prosper, is even really looking at running for State Attorney General. It was reported yesterday in the San Francisco Chronicle that he is considering a run. But that hasn’t stopped Chairman of the state’s preeminent conservative youth organization, Young Americans for Freedom, from sending out an e-mail firing a ‘warning shot’ across the bow — conservatives are pleased with Poochigian as a candidate. You can read Powers’ letter below. 200 AT $100,000+ That’s how many staff members of the California legislature are making six digit salaries according to today’s issue of Capitol Weekly magazine. CW publishes on Thursday’s, and they make a lot of their content available online. You should check them out – I link to many of their news stories and columns each week (check out the news links today). I will disclose… Read More

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has been in the headlines this week for embracing the idea of providing free wire Internet access for his city’s residents. He ballparks the cost at $8-20 million (by comparison, Philadelphia, which is three times the size of SF, just inked a deal with Earthlink to do citywide wireless at a cost of $10-15 million).

This raises two questions:

1) Will whatever system SF ends up with be on the cutting edge by the time it’s operational (imagine the stupidity of having done citywide DSL system five years ago)?

2) What does this say about the Mayor’s priorities?

While Newsom wants to boldly venture into cyberspace — exploring strange new worlds, seeking new life and new civilization, and bolding spending money where few mayors have spent before — he’s playing hardball with the San Francisco Fire Department, which wants to refit the city’s hydrants to accept standard 2-1/2-inch fire hoses. Newsom’s leery of the $800,000 price tag. He’s right to be cautious, but I’d like to see him likewise holding Google’s and oth er wannabe… Read More