OK, I put in two back-to-back 6pm – 2am shifts as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff at the Orange County Fair this weekend. Be happy I motived to update the main page!

Coming tomorrow — Congressman Dana Rohrabacher shares with us his perspective from the recently held Congressional hearing in San Diego County on the subject of Illegal Immigration.

Take care,

Jon

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More

Political campaigns are a game of chess, and Phil Angelides, the Democrat nominee for Governor, has just moved himself into "check" – a move not allowed during a real chess game but certainly allowed in a political campaign. By promising to support gay marriage, Angelides puts himself in a position at odds with most of California. And he gives Arnold some room to run here, if Arnold is willing to exploit this gaffe.

I hereby advise Arnold to kill the Queen (pun intended) with a pawn, and keep on the offensive on this and other issues.… Read More

Yesterday I asked for input from FlashReport readers on the issue of term limits and potentially revising our state’s legislative term limits laws (right now there is a limit of two four-year terms in the Senate, and three two-year terms in the Assembly). As of this morning, I have had 194 FR readers write to me with their opinions on whether term limits is working or not and whether they would advocate changes. Overwhelmingly FlashReport readers do NOT want to see a change in term limits, and believe that they have been a good thing for California. Which is interesting because the common-speak among Capitol insiders is that they feel that term limits has turned out to be horrible public policy – leading to legislators perpetually focused on their next elective office and to a loss of experience in the legislature. A great many respondents also viewed the rhetoric around the need for extending terms or ending term limits as being self-serving proposals for members of the legislature who simply do not want to return to the private sector. These responses underscores a huge challenge ahead for those who want to… Read More

Yesterday I asked for input from FlashReport readers on the issue of term limits and potentially revising our state’s legislative term limits laws (right now there is a limit of two four-year terms in the Senate, and three two-year terms in the Assembly). As of this morning, I have had 194 FR readers write to me with their opinions on whether term limits is working or not and whether they would advocate changes. Overwhelmingly FlashReport readers do NOT want to see a change in term limits, and believe that they have been a good thing for California. Which is interesting because the common-speak among Capitol insiders is that they feel that term limits has turned out to be horrible public policy – leading to legislators perpetually focused on their next elective office and to a loss of experience in the legislature. A great many respondents also viewed the rhetoric around the need for extending terms or ending term limits as being self-serving proposals for members of the legislature who simply do not want to return to the private sector. These responses underscores a huge challenge ahead for those who want to… Read More

Request for your thoughts: TERM LIMITS CHANGES/REPEAL I am penning a column on the issue of term limits, looking specifically at whether a measure penned by the state legislature and placed on the ballot would even have a chance of passing? Are term limits working? Have they failed? Please drop me a note here, or feel free to comment below. TOP STORY: Phil Angelides wants to raise your taxes, my taxes — everyone’s taxes. Just click here if you need a reminder of exactly how bad an Angelides Governship would be for the economic freedom of all Californians. The top story in the FR today comes out of the Sacramento Bee. Governor Schwarzenegger… Read More

Today, the Phil Angelides campaign crossed a line and compared Governor Schwarzenegger to Kim Jong-il, the North Korean dictator infamous for starving his own people and currently destabilizing Asia with missile tests. The Drudge Report has it here. This was quickly reported by FR State Capitol Correspondent Karen Hanretty in the post below this one (h/t Karen!).

This is just the start of what’s in store from the Angelides’ campaign. He has a history of rough, over-the-line politics. During the primary, Steve Westly liked to point to a Washington Post piece characterizing Angelides as a "champion smear artist."

For those of you unfamiliar with Angelides’ tactics, here’s a refresher on his attack television ad linking state Sen. David Roberti to a "murdered" abortion doctor. The ad was called "sleazy and… Read More

Its a simple fact, Phil Angelides presents in an awkward way at best.

I have never met the man, but his latest TV commercial airing here on Southern California (which I cannont find on his web page) shows him walking and talking and in a crowd of people and its not a pretty sight. He looks uncomfortable and shaky and far from gubernatorial.

I am not a bully for saying these things, I am simply observing that his body language does not transmit: strong leader. And when you put him in the same room with Governor Schwarzenegger, the voters who watch the interaction will see a governor debating their accountant.… Read More

Request for your thoughts: TERM LIMITS CHANGES/REPEAL I am penning a column on the issue of term limits, looking specifically at whether a measure penned by the state legislature and placed on the ballot would even have a chance of passing? Are term limits working? Have they failed? Please drop me a note here, or feel free to comment below. TOP STORY: Phil Angelides wants to raise your taxes, my taxes — everyone’s taxes. Just click here if you need a reminder of exactly how bad an Angelides Governship would be for the economic freedom of all Californians. The top story in the FR today comes out of the Sacramento Bee. Governor Schwarzenegger… Read More