Here’s something a little different…as we countdown to the ‘next’ budget deadline.

Since I was a kid I’ve been a big fan of racing andsports cars and of driving them. Stock Car racing has been my favorite. The roots going back to these guys in the South ‘runnin shine’ has grown into the biggestone day event in sports wherever it’s held. Its fan base is huge across the country and the loyalty is fierce, just witness the #3 and #8 stickers amongthe many "W" stickersyou see on the backs of cars, pickups and trucks as you travel the highways. The loyalty to the sponsor products is very high as well. Coke drinkers don’t drinkPepsi, Pepsi drinkers don’t drinkCoke. Even men will buy Tide detergent fortheir home use if they like that driver they sponsor.

If you’re around the Capitol on Thursday, tomorrow, we have a NASCAR Festival lined up for the general public. This is to highlight stock car racing in California… Read More

Last week I began a discussion of whether or not the GOP Base is ready to be energized. It appears that after several dreadful months the Republicans in Washington have stopped the bleeding (maybe its because they are out of town), and there is a presumption now that Governor Arnold is the favorite for re-election due to his drawing a poor opponent in Phil Angelides. I disagree with any premise that Republicans have momentum presently. The absence of additional blood on the ground does not spell momentum in politics. All that has happened in the past couple of weeks is that the bleeding has stopped for a time being. There is nothing to celebrate. So, is the GOP base ready to be energized? The answer is – YES. And our needs are so simple, its embarrassing, but here they are:

Balance the State Budget Protect us from crazy liberals Be not afraid to define the unions before they define you Appoint pro death penalty, pro property rights judges Respond to attacks laid out by Democrats Pledge to veto specific forms of legislation you know you will see in a… Read More

This Governor cares about education…

"Governor Schwarzenegger has long been an advocate of charter schools because of their ability to reach students and achieve results in unique and effective ways," said Dennis "Coach" Snyder, founder of the Escondido Charter School District*. "He has worked to support charter schools across the state as Governor. His plan to build for the future of California includes half a billion dollars to build more charter schools. I applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for his dedication to ensuring … Read More

The recall of the Pomona Unified School District Board in up and running. See article here.The article doesn’t mention that the committee is holding training workshops for volunteer signaturegatherers. Great move. That should help at verification time. You can read the article if you want to know about the scandals that brought this about.

One interesting thing is the Board President and long time boardmember is a Republican. Until this last election she was a local central committee member. She is the type of Republican that enjoys a long and dedicated support of the union. The one trustee no being recalled is newcomer Andrew Wong, a education reformer. He was elected over opposition from Nancy and the old guard. This is playing out in th erecall as well.

Pomona Unified has heavily Dem Pomona and the heavily GOP Diamond Bar in the district. Look for these fault line to shake if the recall qualifies.… Read More

Today is my first turn at sharing the Daily Commentary chores in our publisher’s absence. Since Jon is thousands of miles away in Great Britain, I’m going to step outside of my usual Orange County bailiwick and comment about the senatorship of Barbara Boxer – the nightmare from which we cannot awaken. Like many California conservatives, Election Night in November 1992 is probably the darkest night of my political night. That was the night Bruce Herschensohn narrowly lost the U.S. Senate contest to that screech owl of the Left, Barbara Boxer.

Sen. Boxer provides us with regular reminders of how much California and the nation lost when she, and not Bruce Herschensohn, was elected to the world greatest deliberative body. The most recent example was Boxer’s vote to require a pull-out of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end-of-this year (this defeatist resolution allowed "only forces that are critical to… Read More

Today is my first turn at sharing the Daily Commentary chores in our publisher’s absence. Since Jon is thousands of miles away in Great Britain, I’m going to step outside of my usual Orange County bailiwick and comment about the senatorship of Barbara Boxer – the nightmare from which we cannot awaken. Like many California conservatives, Election Night in November 1992 is probably the darkest night of my political night. That was the night Bruce Herschensohn narrowly lost the U.S. Senate contest to that screech owl of the Left, Barbara Boxer.

Sen. Boxer provides us with regular reminders of how much California and the nation lost when she, and not Bruce Herschensohn, was elected to the world greatest deliberative body. The most recent example was Boxer’s vote to require a pull-out of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end-of-this year (this defeatist resolution allowed "only forces that are critical to… Read More

Now that the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has actually placed what many saw as the inevitable on the November ballot (see June 5 news release), meaning joint use with the military of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar for SD’s future airport, the real fun begins.

The Authority spared nothing in "spending" (I’m being nice there) millions of dollars to get to a ballot question that the Marines have opposed all along, and now no expense will be spared by various interests to get the thing passed….or defeated.

If folks in SD thought Bilbray-Busby was bad from an inundation in advertising standpoint, hang on to your seats for this one. Folks are starting to line-up.

Matt Potter in the San Diego Reader on Thursday mentioned the first horses out of the gate, a group… Read More

Recently, some Republicanleaders werenoted in the press as having the goalof transformingCalifornia into a ‘purple’ (or ‘swing’ state) rather than intoa red (safe Republican)state. The presumption behind this thought is that given the raw registration numbers, the ideological numbers, and the current gerrymandered districts, it’s a more attainable goal to move the state into the push column rather than establish political hegemony.

I agree, at least for the foreseeable future. While total victory is an admirable goal under most circumstances, there are circumstances where one’s strategic interests and the actual situation on the ground dictates a less comprehensive short or medium term solution. For the California Republican Party simply being in the game to run the government would be an enormous victory. And for our national party, forcing the Democrats to view California as a swing state and spend tens of millions of dollars to defend it in Presidential, Senate, and Congressional elections, would be a blessing.

I’ve had brief discussions on this issue with a few more or less brainy campaign… Read More