I won’t shoot the messenger because John Fund is a great conservative journalist, and a friend. But talk being the bearer of ill tidings, the United States of America needs this news like it needs and outbreak of the measles.

In an entry by Fund today in the Wall Street Journal’s Political Diary, he reports that Congress Bill Thomas ("R" – Bakersfield) is looking at entering the competition to replace Tom DeLay as House Majority Leader.

You have heard me talk a lot about the challenge of the Republican Party – that there are GOP majorities in both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and there is a Republican in the White House. And still we continue to preside over the largest expansion of the federal government in the history of America.

Well, let me tell you, Bill Thomas is a BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM. I know that he tries to maintain some sort of ‘policy-wonkish’ center-right image inside of the Beltway. Don’t believe it — actions speak louder than words. Thomas has a decades long track record of supporting for office the kind of politicians… Read More

Diamond Bar Congressman Gary Miller has had an impressive track since his election to Congress. He has ranked as the most conservative member of California’s delegation. In fact, CRA gave him an award recognizing that fact at last year’s state convention.

Before becoming a Congressman Gary wastheRepublican elected in the 1994 recall of party switching Paul Horcher. That turned out to be the first step in electing Curt Pringle as Speaker of the Assembly. There is a blog set up toremember those years. See it here.

At that time I actually considered running for that seat. I even took out papers. I was on the State Board of the CRP at the time and a local officeholder etc.. I met with Gary Miller. He was right on about issues that mattered and it was clear he was an honorable guy. I didn’t run and I endorsed Gary. I never regretted that decision. I should also say thatI serve on a Meals on Wheels Board with Gary’s wife Cathy as well.

With all the scandals and said to be scandals happening with GOP Congressman, every act is under a microscope. The… Read More

The ranks of Inland Empirerepresentation in the Assembly’s Republican leadership grew considerably today. Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy announced the appointment of three new Republican Whips, including Inland Empire legislators Bill Emmersonof Redlands (pictured right) and Bob Huff of Diamond Bar (who represents the City of Chino Hills in San Bernardino County). They join Roger Niello of Fair Oaks as the newest members of McCarthy’s leadership team.

Emmersonand Huff (picturedright) have quickly risen through the ranks of their freshman class, which is important in the era of term limits. They have both proven to be team players who have the ability… Read More

Pomona is one of the largest cities in Los Angeles County. It seems to always be in the Democratic column come election time. However, the Mayor’s office has been held by Republicans most recently Eddie Cortez. He passed away last year and a special election was held to replace him.Three Republican council members jumped in.

All of them were beat by the heavily union backed Norma Torres.We are talking more mail and IE’s for Norma than the other candidates combined. One Rep councilman, George Hunter who came in second was supported by the Pomonapolice unions.

She won by about250 votes, according to the City Clerk employee I just talked to. Results MAY be posted on the web by now at the city web site.Memo to city officials—get your act together and post election results on the web!

On interesting thing is that former Pomona City Councilwoman and State Senator publicly supported Republican Dan Rodriguez. Norma Torres was going to run againstSoto for the Assembly seat she now seeks. See the rest of… Read More

Carl Burton of the California Congress of Republicans recently sent out a letter supporting the bond busting proposals of the Governor. In order to do so he invoked conservative activist Steve Frank and his position of a former CRA President to do it.Here is the lead.

"I believe Steve Frank (past-President, CRA) was right on target when he wrote that Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech "… was an A+ speech …" Steve also wrote that the governor "… had passion, energy, structure, focus, it was delivered with humility in parts and sincerity throughout. He gave the audience confidence that he knew the subject and had a full grasp of the issues being raised. And the construction of the speech–masterful. Coming back several times with the line, ‘I say build it’ was forceful and positive."

You can see the whole CCR letter below.

While it is true Steve wrote this about the style of the speech, hewas against the policy.

"The policy of this speech did not work, because it did not give answers, nor did it address the major… Read More

Update: The link to both the Democrat and Republican surveys in the 50th is here.

Leave it to team Furlong/Babcock at Datamar to be running numbers at this point:

Republican Voters Not Wild Yet About Any One Republican Candidate

For Every Republican Candidate in the Candidates-crowded April 11th 50th Congressional Special "Mixed" Primary Election the Combined "Neither favorable or unfavorable" (neutral) and "Unfamiliar with the name" responses Far Exceed the Combined "Favorable" and "Unfavorable" responses San Diego – In the poll released today by Datamar Inc. regarding Republican candidates in the mixed-parties 50th Congressional Special Election to be held April 11th, the combined "Unfamiliar with the name" and "Neither favorable or unfavorable" (neutral) responses exceed the combined "Favorable"… Read More

The knock on Bill Morrow going into the special election to replace the Duke of Wiretapping has been the perception that he won’t be able to raise the money to be competitive. Morrow shattered that perception with his announcement earlier today that he raised over $200,000 in the 4th quarter – an impressive number for anyone given the challenges of raising that money in the current environment and the holiday season.

Also, conservative Congressman Gary Miller joins a majority of the elected California Senate and Assembly members in endorsing Morrow.

Those that counted Morrow out early, should take notice. With more candidates to come, this race will be a free-for-all.… Read More

The word tonight is that after only one term National City Mayor Nick Inzunza will not seek re-election in November, likely ending the career of the guy considered only a few weeks ago as the front runner to succeed Juan Vargas in the state assembly.

To partially recap, the Union-Tribune in mid-December published the results of a months-long investigation into Inzunza’s several slum-like properties. I conjectured in a prior post that the U-T’s surprising but rightful use of resources to pursue such a story was the result of Nick being the brother of convicted former San Diego Councilman Ralph Inzunza of stripper-gate fame.

Within days of the U-T revelations about Nickthe slum lord, the paper also caught him in a bald-faced lie about the ownership of the properties. In the last several… Read More