There has been much angst within the GOP over the fact that Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein is positioned so well in her re-election bid. She has benefited from her party’s voter registration advantage in this state, the power of incumbency, and the fact that there is not a well-financed Republican candidate looking at the race. While my good friend, retired State Senator Dick Mountjoy is revving up the motor for what will be a very grass-roots intensive challenge as a Republican, it will be a tall challenge for him to take out DiFi. Of course, the liberal Feinstein has managed to create a image of moderation, aided by the stridency of her colleague Barbara Boxer. That said, yesterday renowned peace/capitulation activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, issued a statement (from Caracas, Venezuela no less) saying that she is seriously looking at a challenge to Feinstein.… Read More

Tonight, New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is appearing at a fundraising event for the Bar Association of San Francisco at the Nob Hill Masonic Center. Anywhere else than San Francisco or Berkeley, any protesters to a Clinton appearance would be made up of conservatives — Young Americans for Freedom, maybe some pro-life activists, or maybe a taxpayers rights group.

When the assumed candidate for the 2008 Democrat nomination for President speaks in The City, the protests are actually coming from the left. The anti-war/peacenik group Code Pink is staging a demonstration against Clinton.

It really stretches the imagination to try to think of what major political figure could come into San Francisco and… Read More

I don’t like Dan Lungren and he doesn’t like me. When Lungren ran for governor in 1998, he ran a self-centered, indulgent campaign in which he chose to talk about the issues that were important to him rather than those that mattered most to the voters. He doesn’t like me, I’m guessing, because of statements like the one in the previous sentence.

The relationship took a turn for the worse when he ran for Congress two years ago. On Election Night, the Associated Press incorrectly reported that one of his opponents had won the Republican primary. Based on that incorrect information, I provided analysis for a local television station on why Lungren’s comeback had been unsuccessful. Despite heroic efforts by his brother Brian to bridge this gap over the years, my friendly advice would be to avoid inviting us to the same picnic anytime soon.

But on an issue of critical importance to the Republican Party, Dan Lungren is exactly correct. By advocating for the entire GOP leadership to step down and face new elections, Lungren clearly understands the scope of the problem the GOP faces in dealing with the lobbying scandals that have… Read More

SEXUAL PREDATOR UNION? I have been scouring the Secretary of State’s website this morning for the CAPS – California Association of Sexual Predators. You see, the State Assembly Public Safety Committee Democrat majority is showing the kind of lock-step solidarity to opposing Jessica’s Law (GPS tracking of sex offenders, as was as other needed reforms) that is typically shown on bread-and-butter labor issues. Since everyone knows it is the labor unions that keep the Democrats in line, well, doesn’t it make sense that there must be a union for sexual predators? There are several articles on the main page — and a ‘must read’ column from Karen Hanretty on the Democrat Chairman of the Public Safety Committee – San Francisco’s Mark Leno. BILL THOMAS: KING OF PORK MAKES..SAUSAGE Representative Bill Thomas of Bakersfield, otherwise known as the "King of Pork" as he lords over a massive increase in… Read More

I awoke this morning, having spent an enjoyable evening at the Senate and Assembly Republican Chief of Staff Association January social last night, to find that my planned submission on The Center for Policy Initiatives own Lee Cokorinos’ "Target San Diego: The Right Wing Assault on Urban Democracy and Smart Government" had been stolen by Jon Fleischman. This is my limited, edited version:

Let’s start with this: if the "report" in question was to be sold at the local bookstore, it would probably be found in the Fantasy section. It sounds like Lee googled the names of various center-right organizations then drank a few beers and started drawing lines. He has no basic understanding of how San Diego’s center-right coalition came into being, operates, or finances itself. Hey, Lee, I’m not a prized researcher from the world-class Center for Policy Initiatives, but even I would probably spend at least five or ten minutes going through financial records or interviewing relevant persons. I mean I hate to repeat last weeks critique of another lefty who played free and loose with the facts, but c’mon Lee you could have gotten more… Read More

SEXUAL PREDATOR UNION? I have been scouring the Secretary of State’s website this morning for the CAPS – California Association of Sexual Predators. You see, the State Assembly Public Safety Committee Democrat majority is showing the kind of lock-step solidarity to opposing Jessica’s Law (GPS tracking of sex offenders, as was as other needed reforms) that is typically shown on bread-and-butter labor issues. Since everyone knows it is the labor unions that keep the Democrats in line, well, doesn’t it make sense that there must be a union for sexual predators? There are several articles on the main page — and a ‘must read’ column from Karen Hanretty on the Democrat Chairman of the Public Safety Committee – San Francisco’s Mark Leno. BILL THOMAS: KING OF PORK MAKES..SAUSAGE Representative Bill Thomas of Bakersfield, otherwise known as the "King of Pork" as he lords over a massive increase in… Read More

The word is that today there will be some kind of major announcement in a local SD assembly race. Trying to pin it down, I’ve been asking around,"This isn’t the stale Packard thing, is it?" If it turns out to be a cataclysmic story, I’ll post it later.

In the meantime, speaking of Scott Packard, former Vista councilmember and son of the former congressman, apparently he has jumped in the 74th, no surprise there, although the late entry will cause fodder. The North County Times has the story this morning.

But, I simply can’t resist the mention on the SD Politics blog, posted in the wee hours:

Getting To The Party Late

Scott Packard, son offormer Congressman Ron Packard, announced this week that he is joining the race for the 74th Assembly District.

So it’s official. Well, well, well, welcome to the party! Packard has some serious ground to make up. He’ll have few… Read More

It was mention elsewhere in the blogosphere already, but this morning I was able to confirm that the arrival of Pat Clarey and Rob Stutzman to the payroll of the California Republican Party is a done deal.

Republican Clarey, who had been serving as Governor Schwarzenegger’s Chief of Staff until the end of last year, was replaced in that position by Democrat Public Utilities Commissioner Susan Kennedy. Stutzman had been serving as Arnold’s Communications Director, and he has been replaced inside of the administration by another stalwart GOPer, Adam Mendelsohn.

It is not unusual for these kinds of staff hires to take place at the GOP. I know from my perspective as having served as Executive Director that having folks who are working on… Read More