House Republicans have some big decisions to make this week with Dan Lungren’s decision to challenge John Boehner for leader of the embattled minority. And amongst the incoming freshman class making such important directional decisions will be California’s Tom McClintock. The United States House of Representatives has recognized the inevitable fact that Tom McClintock won the 4th CD seat. It’s just a matter of days before McClintock will be declared the next representative for Congressman John Doolittle’s district. McClintock will arrive in Washington, D.C., tomorrow to begin freshman orientation and participate in House Republican strategizing.

After losing Congress and the White House, Republicans nationwide are considering the party’s future. This is a time of rebuilding the Republican brand by embracing conservative principles, not denouncing them. Congressman Tom McClintock will certainly be one of the most important leaders for the conservative movement on the national scene. Conservatives need his vision and voice not just in deciding new House leadership, but to re-earn voters’ trust. Look out, Washington Establishment!… Read More

Today Congressman Dan Lungren of California entered the race for House GOP Leader, the first to openly challenge the re-election of incumbent Leader John Boehner. Here on this site, we have devoted a lot of column "ink" to the idea that Boehner, while a nice guy, is not made of the kind of stern stuff that is needed to lead the GOP out of the wilderness. When Boehner became leader, the same "team" that overspent us into the minority under former Speaker Dennis Hastert stayed put — included infamous porkers like Jerry Lewis and Dan Young.

Lungren’s entrance into the race is a welcome change from what seemed to be like a coronation (you had a vision of everyone drinking at the bar voting for the guy who tells the best stories to be "King of the bar" — so to speak).

It will be interesting to see if Lungren’s just into the fray causes others to get into the race. Either way, his entry will cause people to have to stop, and think about the job… Read More

[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

Same-sex advocates, sore over their failure to defeat Proposition 8, are waging a campaign of intimidation against supporters of the winning initiative.

The latest target is Scott Anderson, business owner and a board member of the Lincoln Club of Orange County.

Scott was on Dennis Prager this morning talking about a threatening voice mail from "Kevin" Andrews received yesterday.

Click here to listen to the voice mail.

Two days ago, the artistic director of the California Musical Theatre lost his job for donating to Prop. 8. Now we have this "Kevin" threatening someone’s business for exercising his political speech.

Kevin’s boycott threat may just be empty, angry bluster, but should… Read More

The latest from the Tony Strickland Campaign (as of last night):

Tony Strickland is leading Hanna Beth Jackson by 1,560 votes.

There are still over 42,000 absentee ballots to be counted…

1) As far as we can tell Santa Barbara County is done with absentee ballots (favors HBJ) 2) 40,000 in Ventura County (favors Strickland) 3) 2,775 in Los Angeles County (favors Strickland)

There are also over 18,000 provisional ballots to be counted (normally 30-50% of these are disqualified due to voter error).

1) 6,800 in Santa Barbara County (favors HBJ) 2) 10,000 in Ventura County (favors Strickland) 3) 2,000 in Los Angeles County (favors Strickland)… Read More

From today’s Sacto Bee:

"Scott Eckern, artistic director for the California Musical Theatre, resigned Wednesday as a growing number of artists threatened to boycott the organization because of his $1,000 donation to the campaign to ban gay marriage in California."

What is they call it when someone is punished professionally due to their political beliefs — especially in the arts?

I remember now: McCarthyism!

I expect we’ll see prominent liberal defenders of free speech and artistic freedom leaping to Mr. Eckern’s defense any moment now,angrily denouncing the intolerance of those who cannot abide contrary opinions.

And if there is silence, that will speak loudly, too.… Read More

Tom McClintock’s lead over Charlie Brown is now 1,248. Even though this is 35 fewer votes than yesterday, McClintock’s lead really hasn’t diminshed despite Nevada County votes reported today. Nevada County is one of the few remaining counties still tabulating votes and it’s supposed to be a strong county for Charlie Brown. But McClintock’s Election Day GOTV was so strong that he’s maintaining his overall lead. McClintock’s campaign is to be congratulated for their Election Day work, which is now paying off.… Read More

They are calling it "Obama 2.0." It is an"ambitious effort to transform the president elect’s vast Web operation and database into a modern tool to accomplish his goals in the White House."

Are you listening?

Obama claims 3.1 million contributors and over 10 million supporters, most of whose email addresses are captured on his fundraising list.

"He can do a half-hour YouTube address every Saturday, addressing millions " said Joe Trippi recently, a Democrat consultant knowledgable about the Web.

Should we be surprised that Obama’s largest single sources of financial support from a single company for his presidential campaign was tied between Google and Microsoft? ($727,000 and $729,00 respectively, Los Angeles Times, 11/4/08, p. B6.)

Our work is cut-out for us.

… Read More

I have penned the following commentary, which appears today in the print and online version of Capitol Weekly newspaper. Its intended reading audience is our State Supreme Court Justices…

When considering Proposition 8, remember Rose Bird Jon Fleischman

On May 15 of this year, four Supreme Court Justices – Chief Justice Ron George and Associate Justices Joyce Kennard, Carlos Moreno, and Kathryn Werdegar– put on their “judicial activist” hats and tossed out Proposition 22, which had been passed by California voters by a healthy majority, placing into California law that marriage shall only be between… Read More