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When One Song Title Isn’t Good Enough

Yes…we’re all a twitter with the news about the Gov’s new COS, but my post today started with the emotions I felt about Congressman John Doolittle after reading a piece by the Sacramento Bee reporting on his connection to lobbyists Jack Arbramoff today…..and then combining that anger with the frustration athis efforts to defeat Proposition 77 to protect his super safe place in the world…..ugh.

The refrain of the Clash song "Complete Control " C-O-N-T…. control" echos through my head when I think of all the money he likely shoveld to the pro gerrymander side………a conservative friend of mine once labeld him, The Congressman from Northern Virginia, turned his back on reform to stay in control….and then when I read about more Abramoff smarm….unreported sky box tickets…..Doolittle staff moving to Abramoff’s staff….pleading the 5th…..I’m only left to leave you with the tawdry contentdescribed in the Van Halen song…."EverybodyRead More

Barry Jantz

Duke Cunningham: First…and Last…Surrender

In this, his latest battle, Randy “Duke” Cunningham found himself surrounded by MIGs. They were not piloted by a foreign enemy this time, but by federal prosecutors from the nation he had first sworn to protect in the 1960s, and which in Vietnam he had done so with honor, distinction, and courage. In this battle, the United States Government, if not having superior firepower, certainly had overwhelming evidence against him.Randy Cunningham had no choice but to surrender.

I first met Cunningham in the late 1980s, after his retirement from the Navy and Top Gun.He was being touted as a potential candidate, and clearly had the credentials.He was speaking to some now forgotten group of Republicans, but I remember his story.It was the first of many times I heard it in the subsequent years.How, upon landing on an aircraft carrier after he and Willie Driscoll downed an enemy fighter, one of the deck crew ran up to him and exclaimed , “WeRead More

99% Maria, 1% Desperation

I think most of California’s political community is scratching their heads over the Susan Kennedy COS appointment. Even if you are a liberal, sorry progressive Democrat you have to wonder how it all happened.

We Republicans especially are searching for answers. I have identified a few reasons, thoughts and some options, some rational, some not.

>"It is 99% Maria and 1% desperation," says Probolsky [Note to media, feel free to use this as long as you attribute to me and Flasreport.org]. -Call me vain for quoting myself, but I think this is the best explanation. It is no secret the insider pull the Governor’s wife has. If Maria trusts someone, and I gather there are few people she trusts, they have a pretty good shot at becoming [fill in high level government job here]. > "Some would suggest it… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Breaking the News on Kennedy

Props go to William Bradley for e-mailing out the news a couple of hours before me. Ironically, I didn’t know it because I wasn’t on his email list. I am now. Perhaps, if you want to be in the loop, you should be… To get on it, email Bill. Bill gets all of the credit/blame if you do or don’t like what he says in his columns. But he gets an "A" for aggressive reporting.

NEW WEST NEWS November 29, 2005 SHAKING OUT ARNOLD’S BIG SHAKEUPRead More

Jon Fleischman

It’s Official – Clarey’s Out, Kennedy’s In

Here is the email sent this morning from Pat Clarey, the Governor’s former Chief of Staff, passing the reigns of her office:

From: Pat Clarey Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 9:01 AM To: All Governor’s Staff Subject: Thank you to all Today I am announcing that I am stepping down on January 1 as Chief of Staff to the Governor. This has been a decision that has been a long time coming. EarlierRead More

Jon Fleischman

Arnold’s Democrat – John Campbell’s Clarity – Mundell’s out before he was in.

THE FISCAL FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA This week, the FlashReport has been featuring some great original columns from folks we think are experts on California’s finances, and have very real concerns about where we should go from here. On Monday we featured a great piece from Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, on why the idea of massive infrastructure bonds right now are a poor public policy choice for California. Today, we have a piece from State Senator (and soon to be Congressman) John Campbell, that look as where we should be going, in terms of fiscal policy, after the defeat at the polls of Proposition 76. Campbell, too, opposes a massive bond-obligation scheme without meaningful (and unlikely) fiscal reforms. Tomorrow we will be featured yet another piece from a prominent authority on why the borrowing scheme is a bad one, with some constructive input on handling California’s infrastructure… Read More

Jason Cabel Roe

In The Wake….

Since the Congress went into recess after the November 18 battle royale over Rep. John Murtha’s Iraqi withdrawal resolution, Washington has been very quit. Until Monday of this week when Rep. Duke Cunningham, another Vietnam War veteran, announced his resignation and detailed his astonishing level of corruption.

The already competitive race for the 50th district got more interesting last week when Assemblyman Mark Wyland, who many believed to be an early favorite, dropped out, opting for an easy election to the state senate seat held by Bill Morrow. However, Cunningham’s announcement, which triggers an early spring special election, has given Wyland reason to reconsider. With his personal wealth, a compacted race would give him a significant advantage. Wyland is reconsidering but as of this writing, has yet to make up his mind. His district director, and likely campaign manager, Chip Englander, is leaving for Oklahoma to manage Congressman Ernest Istook’s campaign for governor.

Other competitors for the 50th are Senator Bill Morrow, former Congressman Brian Bilbray, former Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, and… Read More

Alice in Wonderland Time

I want to be very clear that the remarks I am about to write are completely my own and do not reflect the opinion of my boss, Congressman Darrell Issa.

In 2003 I ran the day to day operations of Rescue California, a campaign organization created to gather signatures to recall then Governor Gray Davis. Congressman Darrell Issa and 16,000 other donors gave money to this effort so that we could have professional petition gathers on the streets and petitions in mail boxs throughout California to gather 1.6 million signatures. In the 16 years that I have been involved as a paid professional in the political arena, the day the Recall qualified it was my proudest moment. Dave Gilliard and all involved in Rescue California did an amazing job.

Thus I am at a total loss as to why the Governor would bring back one of the leaders of the Gray Davis Administration to run the show. As a Republican I am beyond words that a former Executive Director of the California Democratic… Read More