We here at the FlashReport want to extend our best wishes to our friend Clay Russell on the occasion of his birthday!

While we cannot be with Clay today as he celebrates his big day, we know he’ll have a great birthday!!

Here’s a ‘big kiss’ on behalf of all of Clay’s conservative buddies!

Finally a Republican celebrity has decided to start campaigning for a down-ticket candidate, Sen. Chuck Poochigian. However, it is not Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Ben Stein. Attorney general is the most important statewide office next to governor and the choice this year between the two candidates couldn’t be starker. If you haven’t yet, check out the recent debate between Poochigian and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown on www.cbs5.com.

Poochigian has been running an excellent and creative campaign in the face of Jerry Brown’s large lead (due to a huge name identification after years on the public dole). But Poochigian has cut the lead dramatically and the race is getting heated. Enter Ben Stein, the comedian/actor who is unabashedly Republican. Stein is narrating… Read More

Earlier today I posted about Congressman George Radanovich’s re-election efforts — specifically expressing my dismay that the Representative prominently features Dianne Feinstein in it. It chafes me because I believe that this kind of thing cements into the minds of voters the untrue myth that somehow Dianne Feinstein is some sort of centrist/moderate/realistic Democrat. On the contrary, she is a flaming left wing liberal — who happens to have a good bedside manner (unlike the other California Senator, Barbara Boxer, who is better characterized as ‘strident’ or even ‘schrill’).

The piece that has caused the controversy is attached below. Unfortunately, upon seeing it, it actually goes DIRECTLY to my point. This mail piece actually goes out the way to make it appear that Dianne Feinstein is a moderate or even conservative Democrat, one who would work with George Radanovich. Unlike the other Democrats on the piece, who are pretty much just as liberal as Feinstein, but are from the "shrill" camp.

Now, to be fair, this mailer went to a universe that only included… Read More

Judges! Who knows anything about the judges on the ballot? I get asked this more than any other question. So the next few days I will be adding my two cents to some of these. First Los Angeles County has several judges up for election to Superior Court. The Los Angeles County Lincoln Club has a Judicial Improvement Committee headed by the able Richard Reinjohn. They make recommendations to the Governor for appointments. (He should listen more) and they make election recommendations. Their Nov 2006 endorsements are below. Pretty good stuff for people in LA County that need help.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Office 8 – Deborah L. Sanchez Office 18 – Daviann L. Mitchell Office 102 – Hayden Zacky Office 144 – David W. Stuart… Read More

Yesterday was a good day for Steve Poizner.

Just before noon, Chris Reed posted on the San Diego Union-Tribune’s blog about their editorial board meeting with Bill Lockyer where the Democrat Attorney General took out a sharp knife and proceeded to insert it between Democrat Insurance Commish candidate Cruz Bustamante’s shoulder blades, refusing to even say he planned on voting for the current Lt. Governor.

Then, at 2, Steve got to debate Cruz before the San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial board. If you didn’t get a chance to watch it this afternoon, you should take a look. Steve’s drubbing of Cruz was actually quite entertaining.

Just one snippet: One of the Chron’s folks asked Steve why Cruz repeatedly was misquoting how much money Steve had dropped into his campaign coffers. Steve’s dead pan response, “he can’t add right.”

I died laughing.

It’s fun when one of the good guys looks like he’s going to win, and if today was any indication, that’s what now looks to be just a… Read More

After reading my post of yesterday, questioning just how the challenger to Dennis Hollingsworth in a27%Dem district could possibly live up to his fantasy of raising $1.6 million, Assemblyman George Plescia shot me an email.

George says hefinds itmost funnythat Dennis’ opponent wants to raise $1.6 million, yet accepted the voluntaryspendinglimits that dictate he can only spend $1,003,000.

D’oh!

I guess I’ll simply refer back to the Phil LaVelle-penned SDUT article on this for the quote that says it all. Bruce Cain of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies said, “When you’ve got a gap like 50 percent to 27 percent, you’re smoking something if you think you’re going to overcome those odds."… Read More

Conservatives for Correa? Rumor is a group of disenchanted Republican “Conservatives” are joining together in order to form an organization called “Conservatives for Correa”. Note to prospective members of this new and wonderful club: you are now entering the realm of what the Communist Party Bosses used to call “Useful Fools”.

But before I start digging let me make the following disclosure: I worked in and around the Assembly for the whole of the time Lynn Daucher served. She is probably the one Republican member I can state without reservation that I have exchanged almost no social time with. I spent a couple of hours with her on 9-11 (which hardly drew the kind of banter where you get to know someone’s cut) and maybe a few words here or there. To me, for the most part, she is literally just votes on a list.

And so is Correa. I couldn’t (and hopefully won’t have to) pick him out of a line-up. Just votes on a list. And watching those votes over the years I’ll argue without hesitation that while I disagree with Assemblywoman Daucher from time to time, and maybe more often than that, there is in my… Read More

FR friend Joel Fox, the President of the Small Business Action Committee, guest writes today’s FR Commentary, with a critical eye on Phil Angelides tax ‘cut’ plan…

Let’s accept that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides really wants to cut taxes as he recently pronounced; that the proposal is not a cynical attempt to buy votes after years and years of promoting tax increases. The obvious question: Is the tax cut proposal offered by Angelides a plus for the taxpayers and businesses of California? The answer must be viewed from a wide angle considering not only the tax cut proposals but what other policies Angelides offers and supports that will affect the economy and the state budget.

The Democratic nominee’s new tax plan offers tax credits for some individuals and tax exemptions for smaller businesses. At the same time he continues to call for raising taxes on upper income taxpayers, those making $250,000 or… Read More