Not much to report by way of an update, other than to say that if the bond package as it sits now comes out to vote tonight, it would be a high-drama affair because there are a lot of GOP legislators who are not going to vote for a package tonight, and probably not THIS package at all.

That said, there are lots of meetings going on and somebody somewhere is trying to convince your legislator to borrow your money to pay someone else’s rent or help them buy a house.

Nice.

[Imagine THIS nightmare – a plan that gets just enough GOP votes to get onto the ballot — then the Governor campaigns FOR the bonds, while a great many of his supporters (myself among them) spend the fall campaigning FOR the Governor and AGAINST the bonds. The Democrats must be salivating, indeed.]… Read More

In the mad rush to push through Bond measures to meet the imaginary deadline, Democrats didn’t make the text of the proposals available until around 5 p.m. Since then, staffers all around the capitol and in the legislative office building have been scouring them.

The word is that upon examination, the final language isn’t quite what as agreed upon in the “Secret Squirrel” Big 4 meeting – that now they are having to figure out exactly what was changed.

This is illustrative of the kinds of things that happeb when you try to rush through things.

Time to put on the brakes.

[Update: Assembly Floor session has now been delayed until 8 p.m. Delays will start to play into a new drama. This weekend is supposed to be a big GOP Legislative ‘cashectomy’ on donors in Wine Country. Wouldn’t it be just like the Dems to keep everyone in session…?]… Read More

I have never met Eric Roach. People tell me he is a great guy. He just lost an election to Brian Bilbray (pictured below, to the right) in the 50th CD. I hope he does not run another campaign June 6th.

Given all the residue from Duke Cunningham’s crimes, It is not going to be easy to hold on to this normally safe Republican seat on this confusing ballot where the general election for the special and the primary for 2006 are on the same ballot. Roach can only win the primary by bringing Bilbray down which will only help the Democrat in the race. The most likely scenario for a successful Roach is to win the primary and allow a Democrat to win the general thereby having to face an incumbent in November. That gives us a very high probability of losing the seat completely. This year will be close enough without losing what should be safe Republican seats over internal squabbles.

Politics is a team sport and the Republican… Read More

For those of you up late, there is still no update out of the legislature. There is a lot of discontent among GOP legislators over the SUBSTANCE and the PROCESS tonight. I’ve spoken personally with five members tonight who were quite frustrated at the ‘expectation that they would feel comfortable voting on something with which they are unfamiliar, and which they have not had an opportunity to adequately review.’

PROP 42 "FIX" PROBLEMS – NOT TIED TO BOND PASSAGE – AND OPPOSED BY CTA Problems with the package abound — from the ten-ton gorilla, this multi-billion dollar ‘housing’ bond (this is code for government redistribution of wealth — borrowing from all of the taxpayers to subsidize one segment of the population), to factors such as the fact that the Prop. 42 fix is not in any of the bond packages, but, rather is introduced as a separate ballot measure. There is no language stating that the 42 fix must pass for the bond measures to go into effect. This becomes important because the… Read More

As I write this, the California State Senate is voting on the various components of the BIG BOND$ deal. First to pass was this Prop. 42 ‘fix’ that would go on the ballot, though there is nothing in the other bonds requiring the Prop. 42 fix to actually pass for the bonds to also be authorized. This is key since the CTA opposes the fix. Also voted out was the Levee Repair Bond, as well as a one-time emergency appropriation of $500,000. They started a vote on the Housing Bond, but apparently Republican Leader Ackerman was not there, so that has been held open. Votes underway for the Transportation and the Education Bond measures.

And the State Assembly has just called their members into session… [UPDATE (Midnight): The Senate passed, with TWO Republican votes (the minimum # of GOP votes to give Democrats a 2/3 vote) the Housing Bond measure. The two GOPers that sold-out on that vote: Senators Dick Ackerman and Bob Dutton. Very disappointing.]

[UPDATE II (12:10am): Just got off of the phone with Dick Ackerman, who… Read More

I am very, very pleased to announce a great new addition to our FlashReport team — United States Congressman John Campbell! When I approached the Congressman with the idea of becoming our new Washington D.C. "Beltway" Correspondent, he was quite interested! He is going to be a great participant, bringing FR readers a steady stream of great information from our nation’s capitol. There are several reasons why I reached out to Congressman Campbell, specifically, for this site (and no, one of them is not because he represents me):

A rock-solid conservative who joined the Republican Study Committee as soon as he won election. A grounded person, strong in his faith, with a great family, and a perspective of someone who owned a business. An acumen for understanding that place on the road where policy and politics meet. A great writer — I’ve come to know him as someone quite gifted in the art of communicating via … Read More

I am very, very pleased to announce a great new addition to our FlashReport team — United States Congressman John Campbell! When I approached the Congressman with the idea of becoming our new Washington D.C. "Beltway" Correspondent, he was quite interested! He is going to be a great participant, bringing FR readers a steady stream of great information from our nation’s capitol. There are several reasons why I reached out to Congressman Campbell, specifically, for this site (and no, one of them is not because he represents me):

A rock-solid conservative who joined the Republican Study Committee as soon as he won election. A grounded person, strong in his faith, with a great family, and a perspective of someone who owned a business. An acumen for understanding that place on the road where policy and politics meet. A great writer — I’ve come to know him as someone quite gifted in the art of communicating via … Read More

[Funny, Joe Justin and I both posted on the same topic – if this isn’t a clarion call for action – making a donation to Matt – what is?]

Matt Rexroad is a good buddy of mine. For years he has toiled on behalf of conservative candidates and causes. He has served his country honorably in the military, and served many years working in the State Capitol. Right now, Matt is the Mayor of the city of Woodland, which is in Yolo County, right near the Sacramento Airport. Matt is making a run for Yolo County Supervisor, and with a lot of hard work, he is well on his way to retiring an ineffective incumbent.

I was quite pleased to read this morning that the Sacramento Bee has endorsed Matt’s candidacy for Supervisor, and so I will share with you what they said. No matter where you live in California, or nationally — if you believe that the people who make sacrifices on behalf of conservative values should be rewarded, take a… Read More