Welcome to the second installment of the FlashReport Podcast — this week I am pleased to present a one-on-one interview with California State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. A tad bit over eleven minutes long, this podcast focuses on the role that Poizner is taking in opposing Proposition 93. [Did you miss our inaugural podcast interview with Presidential candidate Fred Thompson? Click here.]

FR readers will recall that Proposition 93 is the self-serving initiative placed on the ballot by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez which, if passed, will allow him to sit in the "big chair" for six more years, remaining Speaker until the end of the next Governor’s first-term. In this interview … Read More

I mentioned earlier tonight in a comment to Adam Probolsky’s post on OC Blog that Rudy Giuliani is kicking butt nationally and in California for the Republican nomination for president despite some of Romney’s endorsements in places like Moreno Valley. Here is the real low-down on delegate count, including in California, and the real truth of the matter. Go Rudy!!! And be sure to read Ken Silverstein’s piece in this month’s Harper’s Magazine "Romney: How to Fabricate a Conservative."

Read this:

Associated Press

November 12, 2007 By Libby Quaid

Early momentum has been the surefire way to win modern presidential primaries …

Most of the Republican candidates are betting on this approach for 2008, but Rudy Giuliani is counting on something simpler: delegate math.

His plan is based on the fact that Florida and several other big states … are voting earlier than usual to compete for influence and attention from the candidates.

The shake-up might help Giuliani capture the nomination, even without the “must-win” early states.

“There’s never been an election like… Read More

An Orange County firm has produced a knock off video of pop-star Fergie’s Glamorous, a version that is really an adveritsement of sorts for Rudy Giuliani for President.. It’s pretty good. It appears below. For comparative purposes, just beneath it is Fergie’s actual video.

(h/t to Politico)… Read More

Political consultants get more clever each and every election cycle. And, of course, what consultants wouldn’t want to latch onto the issue of global warming since based on the latest PPIC poll, most people have been ill-informed and are alarmed at the alleged impact that mankind has on the earth’s temperature.

Anyways, the folks over at non-profit group EdVoice clearly have a favorite choice in the dust-up in the Democrat primary to succeed Sheila Kuehl, and came up with the most outlandish piece of mail I have seen yet to get the face of their candidate, Fran Pavley, in front of likely voters. (See a .pdf of the mail piece … Read More

Political consultants get more clever each and every election cycle. And, of course, what consultants wouldn’t want to latch onto the issue of global warming since based on the latest PPIC poll, most people have been ill-informed and are alarmed at the alleged impact that mankind has on the earth’s temperature.

Anyways, the folks over at non-profit group EdVoice clearly have a favorite choice in the dust-up in the Democrat primary to succeed Sheila Kuehl, and came up with the most outlandish piece of mail I have seen yet to get the face of their candidate, Fran Pavley, in front of likely voters. (See a .pdf of the mail piece … Read More

As readers of FR know, Mitt Romney achieved the two-thirds vote necessary of over 230 delegates to receive the endorsement. Romney beat Thompson with Paul and Hunter in third and fourth. There are three observations that come out of that that seem to be playing out nationally.

Romney wants to win and will organize to do it.

CRA reached out to every campaign. The bigger the fight the bigger and better the convention and the better for CRA.

The campaign for Mitt Romney was the most active in trying to get the endorsement. Their staff brought out State Sen. Mark Wyland, Assemblyman Doug La Malfa, Former Assemblyman Tony Strickland and former State Sen. Bill Campbell to do the nominations on Sunday.

Fred Thompson had only a few volunteers, some of them new to CRA. While Tom McClintock spoke of his support for Fred on Friday, where was the letter from him on Sunday? Where were the legislators that endorsed him just a few days ago? Where was the campaign?

Where was Huckabee? If you are going to be POTUS you might want to try to campaign in every state. The new primary system demands it.

There were Romney delegates that were… Read More

This weekend’s California Republican Assembly convention in Sacramento I found to be quite interesting as well as a bit of fun [especially when your guy wins, as I disclose I am an endorser of Governor Romney’s bid for President]

The other convention stories of the action around the 4th Congressional race/non-race, the push for the SB 777 referendum, [armloads of new petitions fanning out from Sacramento and hitting the streets]the tribal compacts referendum question and other issues kept it lively as if this being a presidential endorsing convention wasn’t enough.

It appeared to be a spirited battle was under way from just walking around the convention, with a strong Romney presence, active Thompson supporters, the Ron Paul army, and a decent turnout for the well-respected Congressman Duncan Hunter. No visibility for Rudy or Sen. McCain.

The Saturday night dinnerfeatured the keynote speech by former US Senator Jim Talent of Missouri[that’s "Muhzurra"] a conservatives conservative, who just lost the Senate seat by 3% in the Nov. ’06 debacle for Republicans nationwide. He is a man of faith, very strongly… Read More

[To mark this observance of Veterans Day, we are featuring a guest commentary by a good friend of the FlashReport, Nathan Fletcher, a Marine Corps veteran himself and candidate for State Assembly from San Diego. Tragedy nearly struck his family over the weekend…]

Saturday was off to a normal start for me—up early, cup of coffee, breakfast and the news. It was peaceful, regular and quiet. I had a busy day scheduled, but was enjoying my early morning routine. Across America I suppose many people were awakening to the start of a three day weekend—maybe even enjoying a lazy Saturday morning. If you were scanning the headlines one of the first stories you might have seen was about a Navy helicopter that had gone down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday night.

No doubt that story brought a moment of pause—hopefully a silent prayer for those on board and for their families. Perhaps it reinforced the significance of the Veterans Day weekend. Hopefully it reminded all who heard that there are hundreds of thousands of brave men and women who… Read More