The FlashReport is pleased to present this short quiz, submitted to us by FR friend Karen Hanretty, a communications consultant who, until recently, served as Communications Director of the California Republican Party (pictured to the right). Any delegates to the CDP convention who are reading the FR today are encouraged to print out this post and distribute it at your convention!

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(Please note that this test is not part of the unfair, biased, mean-spirited high school exit exam. So pop a Ritalin or a Prozac, relax, and take your time. And please, use a No. 2 pencil.) 1. Who called President George W. Bush’s guest worker program to give illegal immigrants the… Read More

While Democrats are engaged in an 1500 delegate ‘food fight’ in Sacramento, as the forces and minions of Phil Angelides and Steve Westly wrestle over which (if either) Democrat will end up with an official State Democratic endorsement for Governor, California’s Republican ticket for statewide office couldn’t have been more unified.

Last evening, I attended the Orange County Lincoln Club’s annual membership dinner banquet at the gorgeous Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. The guest of honor… EVERY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT! That’s right, while the top-billing for this ‘Lincoln-Club Members Only’ (and invited guests) event of over 400 people were Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his running mate, State Senator Tom McClintock, every other candidate vying for the Republican nomination for a statewide office was at the dinner, working the room, and meeting the influential members of Orange County’s most prestigious Republican… Read More

While Democrats are engaged in an 1500 delegate ‘food fight’ in Sacramento, as the forces and minions of Phil Angelides and Steve Westly wrestle over which (if either) Democrat will end up with an official State Democratic endorsement for Governor, California’s Republican ticket for statewide office couldn’t have been more unified.

Last evening, I attended the Orange County Lincoln Club’s annual membership dinner banquet at the gorgeous Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. The guest of honor… EVERY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT! That’s right, while the top-billing for this ‘Lincoln-Club Members Only’ (and invited guests) event of over 400 people were Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his running mate, State Senator Tom McClintock, every other candidate vying for the Republican nomination for a statewide office was at the dinner, working the room, and meeting the influential members of Orange County’s most prestigious Republican organization.

When I… Read More

A few observations concerning the Democratic State Party Convention — sent into the FlashReport by State GOP Communications Director Patrick Dorinson:

The good thing about the California Democratic Party Convention year after year is that if you miss one it doesn’t really matter. They keep bringing up the same, failed, tired old ideas that they have been preaching for the last 30 years.

A few observations:

Steve Westly’s ads tout him as a “different kind of Governor”, but when you listen to him he sounds like any other Democrat running for office. Lots of old repackaged ideas but no way to pay for it. He may try to fool California voters that he is different with his ads, but at heart he is a just another liberal Democrat. Just listen to his own words from his speech to the convention:

"Like all of you, I’ve been a Democratic activist most of my life. In fact, I got my start when you elected me party treasurer in this very building 25 years ago. And I’ve been working with you ever since to strengthen this party. It’s good to be home."

Here’s another passage I particularly liked:

"I’m proud… Read More

One of the finest men I have ever met in politics is Bill Jones, former Secretary of State and Assembly Minority Leader in the early 1990’s. Aside from being part of one of more prominent westside farming families in the Central San Joaquin Valley for decades, Bill served and was easily the best Secretary of State in the history of California, and left a legacy in the legislature including the 3 Strikes law, among other accomplishments.

On his way out of active politics in 2004 he ran for Senate against Barbara Boxer, a half hearted effort doomed from the start. But he went out a true gentlemen, and his family, including wife Maureen and daughters Andrea and Wendy were simply one of the model political families anyone can remember anywhere. An incredible group. Always friendly, and always the same.

Bill’s current business pursuit is Pacific Ethanol, a relatively new company looking to put ethanol on the map, finally, as an alternative to oil and gasoline. His timing has been spectacular here. As chairman and founder of the company, he has led the effort plan/construct five ethanol producing… Read More

The San Francisco Chronicle ran a story the other day that reported that DJs on Spanish radio stations were counseling immigrants not to miss work, but rather attend marches and rallies after working. Some immigrant activists are worried about a backlash of anger.

They are right to be worried. On Tuesday, President Bush told an audience in Orange County that the debate about immigration needs to be conducted in a "respectful way." That message needs to be sent to parties on both sides of the issue. One gets the feeling that Bush and his soft-on-immigration counterparts think that those who want more border control are the only ones… Read More

Yesterday I wrote about 36th Assembly District GOP challengerJames Ledford’s support for Deomcrats tripling the car tax. See it here.Now a Democratic activist is in trouble for supporting him for Mayor. But, that isn’t all. The article says he supported the Democratic activist for school board. "Corrales and Ledford are known to support each other…" reports the Antelope Valley Press. See the article here. Supporting the car tax AND supporting Democratic Partyactivists for office. Instead of challenging Runner in the GOP Primary, he should have been her Democratic opponent.… Read More

This morning over 100 of Orange County’s Republican local elected officials came together in Anaheim for the first in a what promises to be a series of quarterly events for the OC GOP’s local elected officials committee.

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle spoke to the crowd at the Disney Resort property about innovation in government including some key examples of what he has done in his town.

Pringle along with his coalition majority on the five-member city council has done some great things since they got there a little over three years ago.

The mix of a dynamic real estate market and a city government that virtually got out of the way of developers, has brought what will in the coming years be close to 10,000 new residential high-rise units to the area surrounding Anaheim Stadium that is now largely one and two story industrial.

Other great ideas that Pringle has actually implemented include:

-A tax holiday for businesses. If during a special three month period last year you moved or opened a new business in Anaheim your taxes were waived for a year. And if you were late on paying your taxes, you were able to get caught up without… Read More