Today marks the official return of the State Legislators to Sacramento, as they prepare to start a new session, and prepare for the inauguration. This seems like a good opportunity for us to encourage unity of purpose within the Republican Caucuses in the Senate and in the Assembly, and our Republican Governor. You are literally all that stands between California taxpayers and massive growth in the size and scope of state government. We urge you to focus on the freedom and liberty of Californians — not on ways to use the government to take from some to give to others. The main stream media, the lobbyists, and Democrat leaders will all be trying hard to convince you to vote for more spending, more regulations, more rules, more mandates and more fees. Be strong, be resolute — and tell them all that enough is enough. California’s annual budget has reached staggering proportions — well over $100 billion annually. And this doesn’t count all of the bond spending on top of it. Enough is enough. We wish you all well in this challenge.

**Don’t miss the columns today… Read More

You gotta love this stuff, especially if you appreciate city council campaign-level gaffes playing out at the national level. (I read it in the NY Daily News, so it must be true.) From the source:

It’s clearly laid out in 140 pages of printed text, handwriting and spreadsheets: The top-secret plan for Rudy Giuliani’s bid for the White House.

The remarkably detailed dossier sets out the budgets, schedules and fund-raising plans that will underpin the former New York mayor’s presidential campaign – as well as his aides’ worries that personal and political baggage could scuttle his run.

One page cites the explicit concern that he might "drop out of [the] race" as a consequence of his potentially "insurmountable" personal and political vulnerabilities. Read the entire article and the… Read More

Discussions between the American Conservative Union and former House Majority Leader Tom De Lay have apparently lead to a decision by De Lay to form his own new lobbying organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(4), to advance conservative causes. De Lay and ACU had previously committed to work together, but that is now apparently off the table, given De Lay’s decision to start a new organization from scratch.… Read More

Thanks to Dana Reed and his team at the political law firm of Reed & DavidsonLLP for the updated info on contribution limits per state law.

For 2007/2008 you can now give:

$24,100 to candidates for Governor $6,000 to other statewide candidates (I assume this includes Board of Equalization) $3,600 to candidates for state legislature $6,000 to PACs that support candidates (I think this is different from a pure independent expenditure committee) $30,200 to political party’s (for the purpose of supporting state candidates) UNLIMITED to state parties (for non-State candidate support) $390 in gift value to any decision making government official or staff member

However, I would encourage anyone who writes more than a couple political checks a year to keep in close touch with their favorite political attorney/treasurer to make sure you are not breaking any rules–putting yourself, your business and the candidates you support in a perilous situation.

Happy giving.… Read More

The first finance reports filed for the special election next February to replace State Senator Lou Correa (D) on the Orange County Board of Supervisors show Carlos Bustamante, Republican Councilman from Santa Ana (pictured to the right), with an early lead of $117,000 raised and $110,000 cash on hand. (I have previously reported that Tom Umberg, former Democrat Assemblyman, would enter the race with a potential financial advantage because of $45,000 in left over funds from his losing State Senate race to Correa, most of which is usable in the Supervisor race.)

But the Bustamante reports reveal a lot more than just his finances: names of Orange County Lincoln Club members dominated the report as giving maximum donations. You can expect that the Lincoln Club will surely endorse Bustamante for the position before the election.

According to the reports, contributors to Bustamante at the maximum amount included Lincoln Club leaders… Read More

Over the holidays, I received a couple calls from reporters about the CRP email dated Dec. 8 (received 12/15) entitled, “CRP Board of Directors Answers Victory 06 Questions”. I have taken the liberty to mesh the questions and answers to make some sense and get my point across. I know it is kind of lengthy, but I did spell check the post.

BTW, You cann see the entire email in Brandon’s post here.

I’ve posted the CRP Answers above each question (in red). CRP: Samples of the phone scripts used were handed out for Board members to review. The scripts showed the Republican ticket was mentioned in all phone scripts, and in certain cases individual candidates were mentioned if the calls were going into their areas. It was also noted there were “Monday Night for Tom” calls, “Tuesday Night for Tony”, etc. None of the scripts were Governor only, as has been erroneously stated by some. Q. Mike what did you… Read More

A couple of interesting stories ran in the SDUT on New Year’s Day….

The paper "analyzes" the influence that the Cox Power Couple may have on SD and South Bay politics, meaning County Supervisor Greg Cox and his wife Cheryl, newly elected mayor of Chula Vista. The paper indicates that very few husband-wife duos have been elected to office at the same time in California, with the notable exception of George and Sharon Runner.

It should be noted that it wasn’t long ago that some thought the dominant rising family force in San Diego-South Bay politics was the Brothers Inzunza, both now gone from their respective roles, by hook or by crook, so to speak.

Further noted is the wrongness in the view that South Bay politics would be dominated by Democrats for years to come. Republican Cheryl Cox knocks off Steve Padilla in Chula Vista. Nick Inzunza, after horror stories of his substandard rental units, doesn’t have the gumption to run for re-election as National City mayor, and GOPer Ron Morrison wins the seat. Jim Janney, another Republican, becomes the mayor in Imperial Beach. Rising stars like Chula Vista… Read More

As I pen this first entry for the New Year, it is a somber occasion. This morning as I compiled all of the stories for the main page, I had the television turned on to watch the ceremonies surrounding the funeral of former President Gerald Ford, from the processional that took his body from where it lay in state underneath the Capitol Rotunda (where is was viewed by tens of thousands of Americans paying tribute) to the National Cathedral. As I write this, President Bush is escorting Ford’s widow, Betty, to her seat between her four children, in the front pew. Over the past few days, much has been written about the life of Gerald Ford. About the years before his Presidency, where the college athlete and veteran became a Congressman from Michigan, ultimately rising to the post of Minority Leader, as the top Republican in the House of Representatives. Also about his time as President, coming in on the heels of President Nixon’s resignation, his controversial pardon of Nixon, and the… Read More