With all the talk of the folks in Sacramento moving the Presidential Primary from June to February (and for what it’s worth, the idea has moved from thedrawing board to the legislative calendar as odd couple of George Plescia and Ron Calderon have introduced legislation to do just that), it is worthexploring who would be most benefited by such a move.

The polling firm, American Research Group did a statewidepoll of the Presidential wannabes from January 11-17.

Yayaya, they did test Dems and independents, but as this is a Republican blog, I thought I’d point out the results among Republican voters.

Guliani – 33% Gingrich – 22% McCain – 17% Hagel – 4% Romney – 3% Hunter – 1% Undecided – 20%… Read More

I am a fan of C-Span and all it’s sister television and radio off-shoots. There is just something mesmerizing about watching the author of a biography on David Rowland Francis, Secretary of the Interior under President Grove Cleveland (from his second stint in the WH) that I can’t turn off.

So when I saw this job opening I had to share it with all of you in the hopes that someone I know would get the job and give "a shout out’ to me every once in while on the air.

C-SPAN is seeking a full time Announcer/Producer to write and voice transitions between programs. (see the full listing here).

I once met Brian Lamb (president and CEO of C-Span) on tour of the C-Span studio in DC. Women are always impressed when I tell them this.… Read More

As the debate takes place in Sacramento about whether to move the California Presidential primary to the first Tuesday in February, there seems to be widespread consensus amongst the Sacramento-Insider crowd that the legislative primaries should stay in June. As is being reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the cost for holding an additional statewide election is somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million smackers. So why not move the legislative primaries to February as well? I can think of a practical consideration — which is that it would cause folks to have to decide pretty early if they want to run for office. But, heck, everyone seems to decide awfully early right now! But moving off of that logistical challenge for potential candidates, I think that it is obvious that many politicians in Sacramento see a statewide Presidential primary in February of ’08 as one last opportunity to place a measure on the ballot to somehow loosen term limits. What is $90 million bucks compared to the opportunity to keep such amazing legislators in office for a few more years! (Not!) I look at the legislation that passed before we… Read More

As the debate takes place in Sacramento about whether to move the California Presidential primary to the first Tuesday in February, there seems to be widespread consensus amongst the Sacramento-Insider crowd that the legislative primaries should stay in June. As is being reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the cost for holding an additional statewide election is somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million smackers. So why not move the legislative primaries to February as well? I can think of a practical consideration — which is that it would cause folks to have to decide pretty early if they want to run for office. But, heck, everyone seems to decide awfully early right now! But moving off of that logistical challenge for potential candidates, I think that it is obvious that many politicians in Sacramento see a statewide Presidential primary in February of ’08 as one last opportunity to place a measure on the ballot to somehow loosen term limits. What is $90 million bucks compared to the opportunity to keep such amazing legislators in office for a few more years! (Not!) I look at the legislation that passed before we… Read More

If it looks like a tax, and sounds like a tax, well, then it must be a tax, right? Check out this new commercial going up on the airwaves today from our friends at the Consumer Alliance for a Strong Economy: … Read More

On Monday I featured a letter from Assemblyman Chuck DeVore advocating Tom Bordonaro for Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party. Below, Tony Strickland weighs in on behalf of another candidate, Tom Del Becarro…

Dear California Republican Party Member, As you know, CRP elections are approaching. Please join me as well as seven past CRP Chairs, over forty past and present County Chairs and more than 1000 party activists around the State in endorsing Tom Del Beccaro for CRP Vice Chair. … Read More

Almost everyone has heard and commented about Assemblywoman Sally Lieber’s bill to ban spanking – but as a new father I couldn’t resist weighing in. First disclosure: my mother spanked me a few times as a child – and for those who have heard stories of my childhood, it’s good thing she did. Second disclosure: I am a new father of twin girls and I cannot imagine spanking either one of my daughters. But I surely do not need a Legislator to tell me how to raise my children. Let’s be clear: there is no excuse for and no punishment strong enough for abusing a child – but there is a bright line between abuse and a swat on the behind. (Another disclosure: for years I volunteered for FamiliesFirst – a non-profit foster care agency that dealt with severely abused children.) Lieber’s bill does nothing to address the problems of child abuse or child exploitation – it’s more pomp and fluff to make a do-nothing legislature feel like it’s doing something. Perhaps Leiber can explain why she supported legislation that allows landlords to rent apartments… Read More

Assemblywoman Sally Lieber is proposing legislation that would prohibit schools from admitting female students into the 6th grade unless the girl has received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Remember, Lieber is the same legislator who is grabbing headlines these days with her spanking legislation.

This HPV vaccine push is coming from the Planned Parenthood types who believe that most children become sexually active around 11 or 12. Certainly, there are those children who do starting having sex that young–but they are not the mainstream. Moreover, even if they are, we do not need the schools to be requiring this vaccine. This should be between the student, her parent(s) and her physician.

I’m sure that Lieber and others will argue that it is the norm to have schools require students be vaccinated, but these vaccines are generally for highly communicable diseases that have posed major threats to the public health in the past.… Read More