The crisis related to the mortgage industry or more importantly related to so many home owners is going to impact politics more than we might think.

We have yet to see the real impacts of a serious tightening in credit and a significant down-turn in housing prices. Until now, many sellers and home builders have held somewhat steady on price, preferring to hold on for a better deal rather than sell at a significant discount. That is changing. And as the months go by and what seems like a whole generation of first-time home buyers realizes that they have lost 10%, 20% of their home values, they are going to get angry.

People usually look for someone to blame when they get angry. President Bush is a likely target, the Congress is another. ‘Someone should have done something.’ ‘Someone should have saved the family of four who bought a house with zero down with a mortgage that offered zero interest for 3 years and then adjusted upwards swiftly, from themselves.’ …they will say.

Beyond the blame game, the issue of home mortgages and a credit crunch will most certainly, in a bigger way than it already has, become part of… Read More

Yesterday’s announcement that thirty-year incumbent Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis will, in fact, run for a 16th term in the House of Representatives caught relatively few observers by surprise. Easily re-elected by voters for 15 terms, Congressman Lewis remains phenomenally popular with his constituents, and many prominent district residents were in attendance when the veteran congressman announced he would be standing to serve the 41st Congressional District yet again. Among those on-hand to cheer Congressman Lewis as he formally announced his re-election plans was the mayor of the city of San Bernardino – noteworthy because the mayor is a proud and active Democrat!

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – the political wing of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic US House majority – reportedly had been looking at the 41st Congressional in the event of a Lewis retirement, but now that the widely-respected Jerry Lewis (2006 re-elect percentage: 67) is running for another term, it is likely that Washington Democrats will take a pass on this safe GOP US House seat. The only Democratic candidate running is downtown San Bernardino lawyer… Read More

Yesterday’s announcement that thirty-year incumbent Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis will, in fact, run for a 16th term in the House of Representatives caught relatively few observers by surprise. Easily re-elected by voters for 15 terms, Congressman Lewis remains phenomenally popular with his constituents, and many prominent district residents were in attendance when the veteran congressman announced he would be standing to serve the 41st Congressional District yet again. Among those on-hand to cheer Congressman Lewis as he formally announced his re-election plans was the mayor of the city of San Bernardino – noteworthy because the mayor is a proud and active Democrat!

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – the political wing of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic US House majority – reportedly had been looking at the 41st Congressional in the event of a Lewis retirement, but now that the widely-respected Jerry Lewis (2006 re-elect percentage: 67) is running for another term, it is likely that Washington Democrats will take a pass on this safe GOP US House seat. The only Democratic candidate running is downtown San Bernardino lawyer… Read More

Here what Mr. York, of Capitol Weekly, shares:

Not to be cynical, but I am sure that the games are now beginning. Wouldn’t it be funny if some of the bigger more liberal counties suddenly "found" more qualified signatures?

Anthony York’s latest:

All 58 counties have reported their raw count for a total of 1,105,511 signatures. 55 counties have reported their random sample numbers for a total of 757,626 projected valid signatures. Needs 763,790 projected valid signatures to qualify by random sample. 4 counties that had previously reported their random sample numbers submitted amended reports today. So,… Read More

It’s time for a new contest. Guess how much a pay raise Governor Schwarzenegger has given to his Chief of Staff, Democrat Susan Kennedy?

We’ve heard that Kennedy and a few other senior staffers have had Christmas come a little early.

UPDATE: Ace Governor’s Press Secretary Aaron McLear responded with a phone call within like two minutes of my email asking for specifics. He sent over the list. He wanted to stress to me (so I will share with you) that the total expenditures for staff salaries in the Governor’s office has not increased, apparently they are making due with less people, but paying them more. These ‘adjustments’ follow some increases received by Cabinet Secretaries in the Spring…. So, without any further suspence… The winners are…… Read More

One thing that amazes me about opponents of completing the 241 Toll Road in Orange County is how they lie, and the boldness with which they do it.

Take this press release from "Save San Onofre" containing a statement from Elizabeth Goldstein, the president of the California State Parks Foundation. It was given to me by an anti-241 activist at yesterday’s pro-241 press conference by Rep. Ken Calvert and Assemblyman Van Tran.

In it, Goldstein claims:

That is an untrue statement. Just a flat-out lie. Yet it slips so effortlessly from Ms. Goldstein’s tongue.

Context is needed here and in anyone interested in more background can read my 241 toll road posts on FR Blog and on… Read More

This may be my favorite update yet from Anthony York over at Capitol Weekly… He has put his hands on a copy of an e-mail sent out by the Los Angeles County Registrar. The last paragraph is my favorite. As a hack for the unions, I am sure that Labor Day weekend is supposed to be like Christmas for Fabian Nunez. Yeah, not so much this weekend. He may have to spend it working on his resume…

From York: