When the Fresno County GOP was fined $29,000 for taking contributions from a San Diego family and donating them to a State Assemblyman, I said at the time that the primary function of political parties today is to "launder money". You would have thought I revealed a deep secret of politics, and of course, I was right, as today’s California Watch documents, there is significant money laundering on both sides of the aisle.

I was particularly amused by being taken to task for my statements by one Steve Maviglio, who is mostly famous for defending the records of such "effective" poltiical leaders as Gray Davis and Karen Bass. In his "California Majority Report" (why would they even be proud of being the majority when they’ve bankrupted the State?) he refers to money laundering as a felony, which is true.

I guess the entire political system is full of felons… Read More

The Federal court trial on the constitutionality of Proposition 8’s ban on same-sex marriage will begin in San Francisco on January 11. But the parties to the suit are busy as bees with preliminary motions. One of those motions would have required the Prop. 8 political consultants to turn over all their internal strategy memos and emails to their pro-gay marriage opponents to examine them for evidence of anti-homosexual animus. The idea being that if these private documents and correspondences revealed any antipathy to gays and lesbians, as such, the entire intiative would be tainted as an unconstitutional conspiracy and quickly overturned. A Federal judge agreed to force disclosure of the documents late last year, but an appeal to the 9th Circuit leavened the hysterics of opponents and the political consultants can now keep their memos in their vaults. This trial will contrast the drama of a Perry Mason closing argument to the thrill of a visit to Fleischacker Zoo.… Read More

Once again government is picking winners and losers. In this case, I get to look no further than the Orange County Children and Families Commission (the local "First Five" Commission, which is financed through a mandated tobacco tax — there is a statewide commission, and then 58 county commissions, all happily redistributing wealth).

In yesterday’s Orange County Register there was a story that the OC First Five Commission is going to be dropping $125k in medical school loan forgiveness for six lucky government-chosen doctors. Specifically, for six pediatric specialists who meet the following criteria: The doctors must practice in Orange County and accept patients enrolled in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, the state’s low-cost insurance program.

It has been well documented that California has a tough time attracting new doctors because of the high cost of living here, combined with the high costs of malpractice insurance (this is one… Read More

From 1995 to 2000 Brian Bilbray (pictured, right) served in Congress representing what was then California’s 49th Congressional District in San Diego County. The seat was a competitive one, and in 2000 Bilbray ended up losing his re-election to now Democrat Congresswoman Susan Davis. Fast forward to 2006 — and the high profile disgraced Duke Cunningham is forced from the House of Representatives for, in essence, selling America for personal gain, leaving a vacancy in the more Republican 50th District. Bilbray jumped into the race to succeed Cunningham, and was successful. Bilbray one the special election in 2006, and then handily won re-election in 2008.

Is there a potential parallel between Bilbray’s return to Congress, and potential aspirations for conservative Richard… Read More

A rare story about a prison assualt – as reported on Sacramento’s KXTV News 10’s website yesterday:

Guard Stabbed in New Folsom Prison Attack

FOLSOM, CA – A correctional officer employed at California State Prison-Sacramento (new Folsom Prison) is recovering after being slashed in the neck Sunday night by an inmate, according to a prison spokeswoman.

The 33-year-old officer was cut on his neck, jaw and ear and required 68 stitches, said Rhonda Carter. He was taken by ambulance for treatment at an area hospital and released later Sunday night.

Carter said Jonathan McClaurin, 39, is accused of using a homemade weapon in the attack. McClaurin, behind bars since 1997, is serving 135 years to life for three counts of first-degree robbery, vehicle theft and disregard for safety.

Carter said the prison is investigating the stabbing, which took place in a maximum security unit at about 7 p.m. Sunday, as attempted murder.

The guard has been employed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 3 1/2 years, Carter… Read More

Candidates are already jockeying for position to run to replace George Radanovich in the 19th Congressional District. As currently constituted, the 19th is a safe GOP seat, so all the action is in the primary this June. Rumored candidates are State Senator Jeff Denham, Former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson, and current Fresno City Council Member Larry Westerlund.

The Lincoln Club of Fresno County is presently considering opening a federal committee in order to participate in Congressional races in 2010. If we do, I can assure you, those that we interview for Congressional District 19 will come out of a meeting with us bleeding. There will be demands placed on whoever the candidates are that they legislate with conservative credentials – period.… Read More

FlashReport Exclusive…

Here are some excerpts from the statement that Congressman Radanovich is making to his friends, supporters and to the public… Read more details about the Congressman’s retirement and his choice for a successor in the blog post below this one… "During the past 15 years that I have been a Member of Congress representing my friends, family and neighbors from our Central Valley, not a day goes by that I don’t feel a sense of pride and honor in being their voice in our nation’s capital…" "Every… Read More

This morning the Sacramento Bee and Calbuzz carry obituaries of Bill Cavala. Bill was a legendary Democrat professional and activist who, among other things, worked for decades at the side of former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Jr, helping him to secure innumerable political victories.

Needless to say, Bill and I had little in common in terms of ideology or issues. Despite this, over the past decade, and especially since I launched this website in 2005, Bill and I became friends. We have a string of emails going back and forth that must number in the hundreds. We joked, shared analysis — and regularly called each other out if our rhetoric overshot reality (ok, that was mainly him schooling me).

Bill and I both began our road down the path to politics in high school as members of the Junior Statesmen of America (where I now serve… Read More