The last weekend is here before the special election in the 37th CD. LBReport has audio from the last debate. Race is a big issue in this race on the Deomcratic side between blacks and latinos playing that card. The only GOP candidate campaign representedat the forum was Police officer John Kanaly. Get the low down here. See previous post here.… Read More

Over at the Contra Costa Times politics blog, Lisa Vorderbrueggen is reporting that Democrat Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier has introduced a resolution in the Assembly to name the newly reconstructed Benicia-Martinez Bridge in the East Bay after a politician. But not Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, or some other long-lost but nationally venerable leaders — he wants to name the bridge for the local, incumbent Congressman George Miller… Nice. I guess we are starting a new tradition now — if you bring back the pork, you get your name on the project. This is a terrible idea. Look, I don’t know George Miller, and this has nothing to do with him being a liberal Democrat. Republicans who famously procure pork for their districts shouldn’t be glorified either. For example, Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands)… Read More

Recently, I saw “Jersey Boys” at the Curran Theater in San Francisco. It was fantastic! (I think I was born too late, because somehow I knew every word to every song, many of which were released when I was just a gleam in my mother’s eye.) The production was excellent, though they dropped the F bomb a bit too much, and the re-enactment of the inspiration of “Oh, What a Night” was a bit shocking. Still, I highly recommend it for those over 18.

Now, before “Flash” bursts a vein in his neck, there is a connection to California state politics. (:

A few weeks ago, many of us at the Flash Report and in leadership positions in the CRP received an email from a man who gave us a glimpse into the mind of our most important Party asset…no, not our donors…our voters. Here is what he had to say:

I’m a lifelong resident of the state of California. I’ve actually been here long enough to have witnessed some good policies and politicians on both sides. In my 40’s I… Read More

Late last evening, San Bernardino County Republicans elected a new chair of the county’s party. CountySupervisor Gary Ovitt has been elected by the party’s membership and will succeed my boss Bill Postmus at the helm of the party that has seen tremendous successin recent years.

In addition to Ovitt’s election as chair, a new executive board was chosen as well. This important panel will see new faces. Those who will be continuing leading San Bernardino County Republicans include the following:

Chair: Gary Ovitt

Vice chairs: San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane and Fontana City Councilmember Acquanetta Warren Treasurer: Biane Chief of Staff Matt Brown

Secretary: Assemblymember Bill Emmerson District Director Nan Rider

First Supervisorial District’s representative: Ovitt Chief of Staff Mark Kirk

Second District’s representative: businessman Dan Richards

Third District’s representative: Party activist James Tate

Fourth District’s representative: Chino Hills Mayor Pro Tem Curt Hagman

Fifth District’s representative:Immigration reform advocate… Read More

California government is big, and it buys a lot of things. Actually, in government-lingo it is called ‘procurement’ and I wonder if many FR readers know that there is an entire department (the Department of General Services) that is responsible for spending vast amounts of taxpayer dollars on items ranging from batteries to tires, from signs to floor tiles, from fencing to fertilizer. If you think about it, every computer used by a state employee and every car owned by the state had to be purchased. (You can see a big list of the kinds of things purchased by your state government here). To be honest with you, I had never heard of the Department of General Services until I was recently talking to an FR friend who told me about an interesting situation… Just think, for your home you might spend a few hundred dollars for bedding. Now, pretend you are the State of California, where you have to buy bedding for tens of thousands of beds (just thing of all of the inmates in our state prisons). When you start to multiply that out — it is big business, and big bucks.… Read More

I have a lot of very close friends who are supporting Rudy Giuliani for President. As an officer of the California Republican Party, I am refraining from making any pre-primary endorsements myself.

That said, one of Rudy Giuliani’s most passionate public supporters is California Congressman David Dreier, who heads up our state’s Congressional Republican Caucus.

I noted that on Tuesday, Congressman Dreier was on MSNBC where is claimed that Rudy Giuliani does NOT support taxpayer-funded abortions. Here is the clip: Back on March 12, Dreier was on the Fox News Channel making the same claim: … Read More

As Jim Nielson points out his column in today, two years after the Kelo decision California has not made any serious change in its statewide eminent domain policy. However, there is a bright light in our state’s political leadership when it comes to eminent domain. This month, the Institute for Justice, a national leader in the effort to fight government’s abuse of this takings law, published a paper, "Development without Eminent Domain: Foundation of Freedom Inspires Urban Growth," written by Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle. In this paper, Pringle documents how his city has accomplished urban redevelopment without resorting to using eminent domain. In fact,… Read More

H/t to LAObservedfor this article by MSBNC about journalists and their political donations. Do you think they gave more to Democrats or Republicans? No surprise there.The article talks about the different newspaper and TV News policies in place about donations. Some good stuff. The Pentagon reporter that gave John Kerry money WHILE in Iraq with U.S. troops and the reporter that compared giving money against Bush to a reporter trying to kill Hitler. You can see the whole thing here.

I do hope FR has policy against giving $$.… Read More