Yesterday the Assembly passed out some legislation that in some technical manner facilities all of the big-spending in Barack Obama’s infamous "porkulus" package here in California. It’s not entirely clear to me exactly what the legislation said, and what it did, but my brief summary probably suffices. That said, I was a bit — underwhelmed — with the statement that the good guys (Republicans) put out in the matter. I say that because, being in the minority party in Sacramento, rhetoric is our most effective weapon (other than wielding a strong sword on issues requiring a two-thirds vote, something that has been challenging for our party as of late).

Here is the statement that was put out by Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines after the passage of the legislation.

This is closer to what I wish we had put out today… I especially like "my" version because of the unified message that it carries, in terms of U.S. House Republicans… Read More

Quote of the day:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does not good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

– Adrian Rogers – American pastor (1931-2005)

Budget: President Obama’s Budget passed through the House Committee on the Budget, of which I am a member, late Wednesday night on a party line vote. It will come to the House floor late next week, and I expect it to pass. Like the ‘non-stimulus package,’ I expect… Read More

Yesterday I blogged that I heard Lee Lowery, who is a Co-Chairman of the Committee to Recall Adams, on the John and Ken Show on KFI Radio. I reached out to Lee, whom I have known for a very long time — he is a prominent businessman, and hardly a "radical" — to ask him to make his case for a recall to our readers. He penned this piece last night, and sent it over early this morning…

Why Recall Anthony Adams? By Lee Lowery

As our legal team finishes the final paperwork to initiate the formal recall campaign of Assemblyman Anthony Adams, many Republican friends and elected officials up and down the state are asking me why would I begin an earnest recall campaign against a fellow Republican? There are many good answers to this question, but my answer is simply enough is enough. No longer am I going to stand by and watch our Party give up one of the last winning issues we have in advocating lower taxes for the people of California. As Republicans, we can disagree on many… Read More

Yesterday I blogged that I heard Lee Lowery, who is a Co-Chairman of the Committee to Recall Adams, on the John and Ken Show on KFI Radio. I reached out to Lee, whom I have known for a very long time — he is a prominent businessman, and hardly a "radical" — to ask him to make his case for a recall to our readers. He penned this piece last night, and sent it over early this morning…

Why Recall Anthony Adams? By Lee Lowery

As our legal team finishes the final paperwork to initiate the formal recall campaign of Assemblyman Anthony Adams, many Republican friends and elected officials up and down the state are asking me why would I begin an earnest recall campaign against a fellow Republican? There are many good answers to this question, but my answer is simply enough is enough. No longer am I going to stand by and watch our Party give up one of the last winning issues we have in advocating lower taxes for the people of California. As Republicans, we can disagree on many issues. Not every Republican sees eye to eye on abortion, gay marriage, and certain environmental issues. But as… Read More

By June California’s Supreme Court will render a decision on the constitutional nature of Proposition 8. Was it a revision or was it an amendment? The ruling will establish a legal precedent impacting all future initiatives. But regardless of whether the court finds Proposition 8 a legal amendment or an improperly approved revision, some state legislators want to ensure the people never have the ability to approve another Proposition 8. This legislative session there are no less than thirteen bills that seek to alter the initiative process. The Republican-sponsored bills mostly deal with the attorney general’s ability to tinker with ballot and title summaries—probably in response to Attorney General Brown’s blatantly biased rewriting of the Proposition 8 title and summary just months before it appeared on the ballot. But the other, Democrat-sponsored bills are shameless attempts to wrest control of the initiative process away from voters. Assemblywoman Lori Saldana alone has … Read More

These days, it’s a good idea for an officer of the California Republican Party to be "listening in" to the John and Ken Show on KFI Radio in Southern California. John and Ken have been spending a LOT of time talking about the role of Republicans in the passage of the largest tax increase in California history, passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor in late February (the cost for a few years to the average California family… $1100).

Today when I tuned in, Lee Lowry, Chairman of the Atlas PAC was talking about the kickoff of the recall campaign against Assemblyman Anthony Adams (one of the six who voted for the largest tax increase in the history of any state in the country). He announced that the recall effort was engaging in a fundraising drive in advance of serving the Assemblyman with an official recall petition.

So now John and Ken are, over and over, giving out the URL for the recall campaign,… Read More

In case you hadn’t heard, California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring yesterday called an Executive Committee meeting for April 18, when the party will consider weighing in on the May 19 ballot measures. Here’s Ron’s post on the CRP blog.

Encouragement (to say it nicely) for the GOP to quickly take a position on the election issues — including the controversial "tax extension in exchange for a questionable spending limit" Prop 1A — has come from several quarters, including the blogs, talk radio, and Facebook groups.

The need for quick action on the part of the CRP comes in the middle of the need to first seat dozens of new Exec. Committee members and their ratification by the party’s board of directors, as well as the logistics of holding board meetings to do so and scheduling an Exec. meeting while giving ample notice to new members to ensure a quorum.

All that said, the fact that the GOP’s position will be determined just about the time millions of vote-by-mail ballots will be on their way to Californians, means… Read More

Quote for the week: "…the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets." – Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, after being asked what he thought of not being picked by President Obama to be in his "Final Four" bracket.

President Obama likes to speak. He likes to speak a lot. At one point while I was recovering from my surgery, I remember seeing him give 3 separate televised speeches on the same day! Whether it’s Leno or a prime time press conference, he’s on TV saying something pretty much every day.

But is he doing what he is saying? A couple of weeks ago an editorial appeared in none other than the Washington Post (not exactly a conservative publication) suggesting that he is saying one thing and doing another. I agree. Here are some specific examples:

"…I’ve pledged to slash earmarks by more than half when I am President" Candidate Obama – 11/22/08:

But one of his very first acts was to sign a massive spending bill with nearly 9,000 earmarks… Read More