From the Associated Press….

Live round on desk blows off part of hand

VENTURA – A teacher who kept a 40mm round on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.

The 5-inch-long round, which Robert Colla had found while hunting years ago, exploded Monday while Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class. Part of Colla’s right hand was severed and he suffered severe burns and minor shrapnel wounds to his forearms and torso, fire Capt. Tom Weinell said. No one else was injured. He was reported in stable condition at a hospital.… Read More

My blogmate Barry Jantz has written a few times about the antics of the ‘Republican’ majority on the San Diego County School Board. There are three Republicans on the County Board – Sue Hartley, John Witt, and Bob Watkins. Two of the three Republican members recently voted to appoint Democrat Sharon Jones to a vacant largely Republican east county based seat. Hartley and Witt joined the sole sitting Democrat member of the board in appointing the Democrat. Hartley was particularly smug about the appointment. Whether or not that Democrat will survive election is anyone’s guess… but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.

But the story isn’t over. Liberal Republican Boardmember Sue Hartley represents a heavily Republican North County San Diego district. Four years ago, Hartley defeated a more conservative candidate in a fairly hot race. Whatever her merits on the policy issues the conservative had a shrill style that alienated much of the Republican and donor community. Time and time again the incumbent ignored issues that would have united her base, and focused on issues which divided them. Many if not most of the partisan officials,… Read More

Tom Delay was a conservative member of Congress. Although he announced his resignation yesterday, he had ceased to be a conservative congressman several years earlier. He became part of the club. He supported other Republicans because they were part of the club, regardless of whether that protected the family or our pocketbook.

This disheartening trend is happening in Orange County in the 35th Senate District. The Choice is clear. An Assemblyman named Tom Harman that has voted for bigger government, was first elected in the open primary with Democratic votes and has the support of labor unions or Diane Harkey, a pro-family, anti-tax conservative.

Look at the list of Harkey endorsements Congressman John Campbell Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Congressman Ed Royce Senator Tom McClintock Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who maxed out at over $3,250 Assemblyman Ray Haynes

Now look at the Harman endorsements. Senator Jim Battin Senator Dave Cox Senator Bob Margett Senator Sam Aanestad Assemblyman Russ Bogh Assemblyman Bill Emmerson… Read More

FOCUS ON DC

DARRELL ISSA TAPPED BY SPEAKER The House Select Committee on Intelligence is a very small, carefully chosen bi-partisan Committe on Capitol Hill. It is the members of this small group that are given exclusive briefings on covert operations, intelligence data and other confidential information and actions of the federal government. It is an important oversight role that is played by the members of this Committee as they literally have access to information that the vast majority of Congress does not. For years, the now-disgraced Duke Cunningham served on this committee. It was recently announced by Speaker Dennis Hastert that California Congressman Darrell Issa will be replacing Cunningham on this important panel. This is a great appointment for the Congressman, and increases his growing clout on Capitol Hill. Congratulations Darrell Issa!… Read More

FOCUS ON DC DARRELL ISSA TAPPED BY SPEAKER The House Select Committee on Intelligence is a very small, carefully chosen bi-partisan Committe on Capitol Hill. It is the members of this small group that are given exclusive briefings on covert operations, intelligence data and other confidential information and actions of the federal government. It is an important oversight role that is played by the members of this Committee as they literally have access to information that the vast majority of Congress does not. For years, the now-disgraced Duke Cunningham served on this committee. It was recently announced by Speaker Dennis Hastert that California Congressman Darrell Issa will be replacing Cunningham on this important panel. This is a great appointment for the Congressman, and increases his growing clout on Capitol Hill. Congratulations Darrell Issa! … Read More

I’m probably too close to this thing for my own good. So be it.

I was on the ground with Steve Baldwin in 1988 in a spirited attempt against Steve Peace (old 80th AD), then when Willie Brown clean-clocked Baldwin in ’92, electing Democrat and future felon Tom Connolly in a four point GOP seat. In 1994, against the best sentiments of Rob Hurtt and others, Baldwin ran again and knocked off Connolly, with a bit of help via Tom’s penchant for 14-year-old prostitutes. We felt vindicated. We were vindicated. Heck, Steve even got to chair Assembly Education for about … what was it, six months?

Six years later Steve and I (and many from the Baldwin team) worked hard for Jay La Suer, a conservative stalwart that I am proud to have served alongside for 10 years as a La Mesa councilman. Although others ran in that 2000 GOP primary, no one could match Jay’s law enforcement and military background. With Joe Justin consulting, and Steve and Duncan Hunter raising money for Jay, the general… Read More

Having just returned from a quick vacation, I want to first thank our Guest Editor Nicholas Romero for his fine work – he put together the FR main page on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and did an outstanding job I must say. Nick will continue to help me out, as needed, going forward. Thanks, Nick! The "must read" today is a piece by LA Times political reporter Peter Nicholas on Governor Schwarzenegger: "The Private Side of his Governance. The piece offers an ‘inside look’ at Arnold Schwarzenegger and how he runs his office and how he approaches his job. I found it to be quite interested and eye-opening. I was fascinated to read a piece in the Contra Costa Times (reprinted from the LA Times, so you may have already read it) that focused on the California GOP delegation and the immigration issue. The piece talked about while all of the Democrats support some degree of guest worker program, the GOPers remain solid in their opposition to any kind of amnesty. However, the exception to the GOP solidarity comes from Central Valley Republican Congressmen George Radanovich, Devin Nunes and Bill Thomas, who… Read More

Last Thursday I posted about the Governor’s latest appointment to The LA County Bench, Richard Goul. You can see it here.I have been a critic of the Governor’s judicial picks, especially in LA County where the ratio runs 2 to 1 in favor of the Democrats. The California Republican Lawyer Association introduced and got passed a resolution calling on the Gov to appoint Republican to judicial slots.

So what’s the big deal about this appointment?The press release noted he was a decline to state. That is sort of an abstention in the way most us of count stuff. It doesn’t count for you and it doesn’t count against you.

Well, guess what asource connected in the LA DA’s office told me that Goulwas a Democrat. The Orange County Registrar of Voters shows that he was registered for about eight years AS A DEMOCRAT in Newport Beach until 2/21 of 2006 when he suddenly registered as a decline to state voter.

Why did Goul change his registration? Did he doit tomislead us judicial… Read More