It isn’t really news to long-term FlashReport readers that the record of "Republican" Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in terms of appointing fellow Republicans to be judges is… well… deplorable.

Yesterday, in the midst of a lot of political goings-on, the Governor’s office issued forth a small stream of press releases announcing more appointments to the bench. As always, whenever the Governor is announcing appointments, I cringed instinctively because to say that Schwarzenegger appoints a lot of people that are members of the party of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would be an understatement.

Just to see if MAYBE there had been a change in his thinking on the appointment of Democrats as judges, I opened the first release — an announcement of SEVEN new judges being appointed in populous Los Angeles County. If EVER there was a place that needs to have people of a more conservative bent on the court, LA’s the place.

Well, guess what? There were SIX Democrats appointed in Los Angeles County, and ONE lone Republican. This has been a consistent pattern with the Governor’s appointments in Los Angeles… Read More

"DUNCAN’S ELECTION would send a bizarre message of continuity and status quo to a party that has suffered TWO CONSECUTIVE ELECTION CYCLES OF STINGING DEFEATS. – Real Clear Politics, January 23, 2009

Private jets transporting candidates, elaborate slick mailers, letters from famous political leaders, robo calls, anonymous hit pieces and more, all to reach 168 voters. With the last contested election for RNC Chairman back in 1997 -when Colorado Committeeman Jim Nicholson was elected as the "surprise" choice, it’s easy to ask whether this is all necessary.

Yes, especially if your voter profile contains an electorate of seasoned politicos. At stake is whether Americans… Read More

Conservative radio talk show hosts John and Ken on KFI radio in Los Angeles blast away at public employee union tool Controller John Chiang (John and Ken use much stronger language). It’s worth about two minutes of your time to listen to this… … Read More

First off, I want to thank everyone for their comments, texts, emails, facebook posts, phone calls, and faxes concerning taxes and the need to reject them in Sacramento. I won’t pretend it’s been easy to have many of the discussions but I’m truly grateful that we, as a community and as Californians are having a discussion that is long overdue.

How do we begin to solve a problem that has been in the making for decades in Sacramento? As we face a looming $41,000,000,000 (that’s BILLION to you and me) shortfall over two years the problem seems dire enough. When coupled with the fact that the way in which the state collects and spends money is reliant on the ability to borrow. the disastrous credit markets and our own terrible credit rating, the problem becomes almost unmanageable

I do not believe that taxes are the answer to budget problems. What I do believe is the answer is major cuts to our bloated spending and hardcore real reforms like a spending cap and rainy day fund that put us in line with almost every other state in the nation and which ensures that California can’t get itself into this mess again.

I also believe… Read More

We’re pleased to share this guest commentary from FR Friend Kevin Roberts, the Deputy Communications Director of the California Republican Party:

As paralysis sets in on the state of California and its projected $40 billion budget deficit, Democrats are now pushing for tax increases and cuts to state services for thousands of California families.

Gas prices are back on the rise. Our neighbors and friends continue to lose their homes, jobs, and savings. An end does not seem to be in sight. All the same, though. That seems to be the sentiment from the court-appointed… Read More

We’re pleased to share this guest commentary from FR Friend Kevin Roberts, the Deputy Communications Director of the California Republican Party:

As paralysis sets in on the state of California and its projected $40 billion budget deficit, Democrats are now pushing for tax increases and cuts to state services for thousands of California families.

Gas prices are back on the rise. Our neighbors and friends continue to lose their homes, jobs, and savings. An end does not seem to be in sight. All the same, though. That seems to be the sentiment from the court-appointed prison receiver, Clark J.… Read More

It annoys me to no end when I see governmental bodies take up issues that have nothing to do with local government. They make resolutions for pickle week, tuna day, hard boiled egg month and a host of other silly efforts.

When I first heard about an effort in Congress to force a playoff system in college football I dismissed the effort as another example of something that does not belong in a governmental body.

However, after looking at the data about the billions of dollars spent on college football I started to re-consider. I love college football — but this is really big business.

Congressman Gary Miller has introduced a bill to deal with this issue. You can find out more about that here. We do need a playoff system to determine the National Champion so the title can be earned on the field not on a computer. I actually like this idea.… Read More

John "Union Tool" Chiang, the State’s Controller, on video.

The first video is some leftist group interviewing Chang last year when he was in Denver for the DNC Convention during the budget crisis. Nice priorities. (If you get bored watching this first video, I don’t blame you. I started to yawn. It’s really not what he is saying that is notable, but rather than he is partying at the DNC Convention DURING a state budget crisis.) The second video is short and sweet — Chiang wants to be Governor. I guess that will depend 100% on the public employee unions that make his decisions — on what to run for, and what to do in office.

This guy is an embarrassment to all of us. … Read More