From yesterday’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…

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UPDATE: GOP candidate Matt Kokkonen has now signed the ATR pledge and faxed it in. His campaign consultant assures me that when Kokkonen ran for Asembly a few years back he signed the pledge at that time as well. We are hopeful that "Katcho" Achadjian will also sign and fax in the pledge as well. This will allow Republicans to unifty againt the Democrats this fall on the tax issue. ORIGINAL POST : 7:18AMA few weeks ago, FlashReport contributor Matt Rexroad brought to our attention an editorial… Read More

To the average voter, it sounds so innocent.

Levy on tax on lobbyists to finance a “pilot project” that would pay the campaign expenses of candidates in the next two elections for Secretary of State.

But like many ballot initiatives that promise one thing and deliver something quite different, Prop 15 is not what its backers say it is.

Prop 15 doesn’t stop with two elections. It would repeal the ban on tax-supported campaigns statewide. With a simple majority vote, legislators could finance their own campaigns with taxpayer dollars. The same is true for city councils and boards of supervisors.

And it doesn’t stop with the lobbyist tax. Prop 15 invites legislators to use the General Fund or “other sources” to pay for campaign expenses. Those “other sources” include new taxes and fees – not to pay the salaries of police officers and teachers, but to pay for negative ads and junk mail.

Four years ago, 74 percent of voters said NO to Prop 89, a plan to tax businesses to finance political campaigns. In 2000, two-thirds of voters rejected another public campaign financing scheme, Proposition… Read More

WHITMAN FOR GOVERNOR “Republican Leaders”, “Republican Voter Alert”, “Meet the Real Poizner” (TODAY’S WINNER), “Comparison” and “Liberal Poizner Behind the Wheel” (note: friends and clients have already gotten most of these some time ago so I figure there was some sort of postal screw up that led these to all come at once today. My various ‘mail reporters’ report having gotten one piece from Whitman today), YES ON 16 “Right to Vote” and “Politicians”, COOPER FOR SACRAMENTO SHERIFF “Toughest Beat”, and I got something from the CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT VOTER NETWORK “Primary Election” that could not have been more confusing (TODAY’S LOSER).… Read More

This election season, we’ve seen some pretty interesting campaign ads, including the Fiorina campaign’s viral “demon sheep” ad. But perhaps the most popular ad this year comes courtesy of Dale Peterson, the Republican running for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner. With almost 1.4 million views, it’s definitely a viral hit. The ad is so popular, that Peterson’s campaign web site has a page dedicated to its creator, Ladd Ehlinger Jr. If you’re one of the few whohaven’t seen the ad yet, check it out:

Influential blogger Erick Erickson at Redstate.com has endorsed Jim Patterson in Congressional District 19. You can read his post by clicking here.… Read More

I have been out of the office all day, and so this isn’t news to some — but I want to congratulate my good friend and FlashReport contributor Dan Schnur on his appointment by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as Chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission. Schnur will fill out the term of former State Senator Ross Johnson, who retired for health reasons.

I would write something lengthy and flowery, but since Torey Van Oot and Anthony York have done a swell job at the Sacramento Bee and LA Times political blogs, respectively.

Congratulations, Dan!

Oh yeah, no pressure – but Dan, this is your chance to show that all of that work you did for John McCain’s Presidential bid back in 2000 was because… Read More

Aquick rundown of the 59th Assembly District GOP Candidates fundraising

In first is former City Councilman Chris Lancaster. Lancaster who has run before has raised and contributed himself over 160K. He is clearly the money leader. He is also the leader in endorsements having secured Dick Mountjoy, and Bob Huff. He also has endorsements from both parts of this vast district Lancaster is also the candidate that seems to have broken through in Sacramento. He also has support of most the public safety unions that have endorsed. Lancaster has bought more slates than anyone else and mailed more as well, but has only 6K on hand. Consultant is Chris Jones.

In Second is Claremont Mayor and former legislative staffer Corey Calaycay. His totals are 93K raised and he has the most COH of 42K. Calaycay has some slates and has done some mail He has a lot of endorsements from the LA County side of the district and the endorsements of the San Bernardino Sun and Inland Valley Bulletin.

In third is Hesperia School Board member Anthony Riley. Riley raised over 67K and has almost 17K on hand. Riley has done mail with consultant Steve Presson. Riley endorsements are mostly… Read More