FlashReport heard today from longtime FR friend, Orange County attorney and veteran presidential adviser, Ken Khachigian, confirming that he had signed aboard the Fred Thompson campaign as a national adviser.

Since I had a chance to ask a couple of question, I started with the obvious one, why Thompson?

I asked if his decision to back Thompson was a reflection on the other GOP candidates. Ken wouldn’t bite… … Read More

Since Fleischman linked to a story on the main FR page in this regard, that gives me the ok to blog about Paris.

What is everyone in a tizzy about? Twenty-three days of peace and quiet to catch up on my sleep and reading, and three regular meals a day? What I would give to have that luxury!… Read More

See Doug LaMalfa’s post immediately below. Here’s the Anderson release:

California Assembly Passes Historic Iran Divestment Bill Anderson’s legislation has strong bi-partisan support Anderson: “Money is the Mother’s Milk of Terrorism.” Sacramento, CA – Today, the California State Assembly overwhelmingly passed Assemblyman Joel Anderson’s (R-El Cajon) Assembly Bill 221 to divest California’s public retirement funds from key foreign businesses that invest in Iran.

“I am gratified by my colleagues’ strong bi-partisan support for this legislation, which will end California taxpayers’ investment in key foreign companies that invest in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Anderson.

Democrat Majority Whip Fiona Ma, a primary co-author of AB 221, said, “When CalPERS and CalSTRS invest State retirement funds in Iran, they put these investments at risk.”

“California’s taxpayers should not be investing in a country which funds terrorism,” said Anderson. “Money is the mother’s milk of terrorism.”

The California State Senate will be reviewing… Read More

Assemblyman Joel Anderson successfully moved his bill, AB 221,today to get CalPers and CalStrs investments out of companies invested in Iran. After some incredible testimony in Appropriations Committee byCalPers representativesjustifying investing in Iran for these retirement programs, a bi-partisan vote, even including very stern comments by Dem members against these investments, it came to our floor and succeeded today, by atally of 69-0. Congrats to Joel on an exceptional effort to support our nation’s policy on terror purveyors and send the right message.… Read More

Assemblyman Mark Leno’s bill, AB 43 was just debated on our floor, passing by a vote of 42-34. It is the latest incarnation of the effort to legalize marriage of same gender couples. The debate was a very calm one, over an hour, with many "mike’s up" as several members of both partiesspoke toboth sides of the highly controversial bill. Wetook uptheissue late in the day, perhaps to miss out on the press cycle today? I think everyone knew it would pass out of this chamber again, I was guessing 43 aye votes this time around.

It still astounds me that the vote of Californians in 2000, by a nearly 2-1 margin, for Prop. 22,is defied this way.Also, the contortions that proponents go through to find a legal argument, or a moral "civil rights" one is fascinating. Civil rights of voters and families seem to come in last a lot these days.… Read More

It was a slow news day on cablechannels today during my lunch break. My choices were Wolf Blitzer, or 3 other channels of what Savage calls "leg crossers." So, just to see what was new on the floor of the Assembly, I tuned into the California channel 75, and watched a litany of gasbags try to defend another attempt on the part of the State to trample local government. The bill being "discussed" would block a new dairy that the local government worked on for 8 years to ensure its environmental impact to the community was as minimal as possible with current technology, and that the community had more than ample time for input. And just when the community was in agreement, Democrats in the Assembly decided they knew better. Nicole Parra, the Assemblywoman representing the area in question, had 8 years to interject herself in the public process of the dairy’s placement, but waited until the 11th hour to circumvent local government with the help of her Orwellian buddies in Sacramento.

Democrats came at the issue in a two prong attack: first, that the dairy was bad for the environment (which Assemblyman LaMalfa debunked when he spoke knowledgeably… Read More

For the second time in two weeks, venerable Capitol insider and political columnist Bob Novak has penned something in his column about rumors that Congressman Jerry Lewis ("R"-California) is going to be retiring at the end of this term. We can only hope that the "King of Pork" will sail off into the sunset. That said, it is a source of supreme disappointment that he still continues to serve as the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, given that he used the Chairmanship of that Committee to lord (or is that "lard") over the doling out of so many thousands of horrible earmarks, including for the now-infamous multi-million dollar swimming pool in his own district. Minority Leader John Boehner needs to ask himself whether the GOP can really be expected to perform differently in the majority if even the more outstrageous Republican ‘spendaholics’ can’t be demoted after a loss like we suffered last year…

Need some reminders on Lewis? Check… Read More

For the second time in two weeks, venerable Capitol insider and political columnist Bob Novak has penned something in his column about rumors that Congressman Jerry Lewis ("R"-California) is going to be retiring at the end of this term. We can only hope that the "King of Pork" will sail off into the sunset. That said, it is a source of supreme disappointment that he still continues to serve as the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, given that he used the Chairmanship of that Committee to lord (or is that "lard") over the doling out of so many thousands of horrible earmarks, including for the now-infamous multi-million dollar swimming pool in his own district. Minority Leader John Boehner needs to ask himself whether the GOP can really be expected to perform differently in the majority if even the more outstrageous Republican ‘spendaholics’ can’t be demoted after a loss like we suffered last year…

Need some reminders on Lewis? Check… Read More