I thought I’d update FR readers on the Janet-owes-Jimmy situation down here in OC that I posted about on Wednesday.

Late yesterday morning, I spoke with Jimmy, who had earlier been in conversations with Team Janet.

According to Jimmy, the matter has been resolved and Janet’s campaign will pay Jimmy the final $2,500 of his win bonus.

Janet consultant Dave Gilliard said, "It was a misunderstanding among friends that was easily worked out once we all compared notes."

Kudos to Janet for making this right and lancing an unnecessary boil.… Read More

[Cross-posted from OC Blog]

After the virtual media blackout on the US Fish & Wildlife’s announcement last week that completing the 241 won’t threaten endangered species, I wonder if they’ll be any media coverage as a similar announcement from the California Department of Fish & Game:

State Fish & Game Provides Permit for 241 Toll Road

On the heels of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announcement that completing the 241 would not harm any endangered or threatended animals, the California Department of Fish & Game today issued its state permit to allow the traffic relief project to proceed. This is the third and final wildlife approval the project needs.

Last year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its determination that the project would not adversely affect the steelhead

Ron Paul has pulled his endorsement of L.A. Superior Court Candidate Bill Johnson. Johnson under another name advocated limiting U.S. citizenship to: “non-Hispanic white [persons] of the European race, in whom there is no ascertainable trace of Negro blood, nor more than one-eighth Mongolian, Asian, Asia Minor, Middle Eastern, Semitic, Near Eastern, American Indian, Malay or other non-European or non-white blood, provided that Hispanic whites, defined as anyone with an Hispanic ancestor, may be citizens if, in addition to meeting the aforesaid ascertainable trace and percentage tests, they are in appearance indistinguishable from Americans whose ancestral home is in the British Isles or Northwestern Europe.” Apparently, the endorsement process was flawed. You think!… Read More

My good friend Fresno Mayor Alan Autry takes me to task nearby for having the audacity of asking and answering the question: Is Arnold Schwarzenegger a worse Governor than Gray Davis. Alan goes as far as accusing me of drinking the "kool – aid".

In politics, being a "kool aid" drinker is defined simply as this: defending the indefensible for the sake of Party affiliation. Of course, anyone that knows me knows that I am a leading critic of my own Party, and in fact it is Mayor Autry drinking the Arnold "kool – aid". Arnold’s record since 2005 is indefensible.

So you know, Autry accuses me of voting for tax increases such as Measure Z and C. I did not vote for Measure Z, a new local tax to fund our Zoo. In fact, our Lincoln Club opposed that tax. I dd support Measure C, an EXTENSION of a sales tax passed two decades ago to fund local transportation projects. The extension of that tax made sense, as the half completed highways all over our local area bear out.

Autry really doesn’t respond to my opinion piece. He cites Arnold’s accomplishments of cutting the car tax and reforming WC,… Read More

I’m aboard yet another Southwest Airlines flight to Sacramento, to make a presentation for a client for my consulting practice, and again my rule of always knowing someone on a flight to or from the Capitol City!

I’m sitting with Orange County GOP activist leader Jim Righeimer, and his business associate (and also loyal GOPer) Steve Menzinger. Also, somewhere on the flight is that cool guy I always run into who works in the County Registrar’s office, but whose name escapes me right now…

Maybe when I get to the Capitol I will stop by Don Perata’s office. I’m curious if he has a plan to reimburse the public for the costs associated with his now-aborted recall effort against Senator Jeff Denham.… Read More

OK – sometimes no matter what you could possibly come up with and write – youjust can’t top reality.

Now, I know I’m known for using this space every now and again for being sarcastic or for my feeble attempts at being witty (hey, at least I try!). But every now again you run across a news item that no matter what you could possible write just can’t be topped in it’s sheer wackiness.

I give you this masterpiece by Fox News:

Thursday, May 08, 2008

What a day–a late night for east coast return-watchers!

Drudge leads this morning with links to several really useful political news sources that deserve repeated mention here. Politico, MSNBC, Time and ABC all publish "first read" items that are very similar to the Flash Report version 1.0 — an email or basic web posting chronicling the days news, spin and political happenings.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) makes news by telling it like it is to members of the House GOP prompting one to call the speaker a less-than-nice name. Also telling it like it is, the Club for Growth shares some differences of opinion with the NRCC, from today’s Roll Call (unfortunately, subscription required). The Gingrich-Politico piece is here.

Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-San Diego) is… Read More

[Cross-posted from OC Blog]

The long, strange political saga of Janet Nguyen has taken another curious turn.

She is being sued in small claims court by the man who quarterbacked her recount effort in the wake of the Feb. 2007 special election: veteran GOP operative Jimmy Camp.

The reason: Janet’s refusal to pay Jimmy the final $2,500 of the $10,000 win bonus he was promised if she won the recount.

Jimmy has been working in OC and California GOP politics for close to twenty years. he has worked with a laundry-list of candidates, elected officials and movers-and-shakers. He is roundly liked, admired and respected.

Why stiff him?

Leaving aside the wrongness of refusing to pay someone what you owe them…but forcing Jimmy Camp to go to court to in order to get paid? Why confirm the persistent criticism that Janet isn’t ready for prime time with this display of political pettiness and immaturity?

Obviously, Janet can bank on this… Read More