I attended an event for 5th District Board of Equalization candidate Michelle Steel this evening at Fats in the Little Italy district of downtown San Diego (that’s right, its down here too). The room was packed, and it looked like paying customers who were doubling down. Frankly, I thought that a BOE finance event would be a little more like a morgue, filled with staff looking for free shrimp, than what I found. It also sounded like she had a very aggressive finance schedule, which would not surprise me given the energy level and total commitment of her husband Shawn. I had never heard Michelle speak before, and I was impressed with her humor, poise, and grasp of political realities.

Perhaps more important – and this may have already been noted in the blog – I learned that Supervisor and San Bernardino County GOP Chairman Bill Postmus had endorsed Steel a couple weeks ago. Meaning: Postmus delivers, in spades, votes and campaign contributions. He’s on the short list of Southern California endorsements that actually matter.… Read More

Earache. Earlier today, the Labor-HHS Appropriations Act, the spending bill that funds the Labor Department and Health & Human Services Department went down in a stunning defeat 224-209. The reason, Republican leaders stripped all "earmarks." Every Democrat and 22 Republicans voted NO…cause they want their pork. See the Roll Call and find out how your member of Congress voted.

Morrow. Senator Bill Morrow continues to staff up in preparation for his run for the 50th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Cynthia Determan, a native of Oceanside, has joined Morrow’s office to handle press and coalitions. Determan comes most immediately from Red Gate Communications, a Studio City-based public affairs firm founded by Fionna Hutton. Determan isa graduate of UCLA and handled press… Read More

Pat Bates (candidate for OC Supervisor v. Cassie DeYoung) is showing real leadership on the issue that matters most to 5th District voters–traffic. She doesn’t out-of-hand reject any alternative proposal. She is a real problem solver and not at all reactionary.

Click HERE to see Pat’s Perspectives on traffic.

I have still not seen any endorsements out of the DeYoung campaign…

Bates has a long list.… Read More

Here is a brief roundup of some top stories featured in the FlashReport worthy of a read:

BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN Kudos to the Californian for firing a reporter who falsified an amazing amount of material. Today, the Californian published a front-page story revealing the results of an in-depthy investigation that went back over all of the nearly 100 stories writen by their former employee. Unbelievable, but true. PETER SCHRAG IN THE SACRAMENTO BEE I often disagree with Schrag – many of his columns end with a call for higher taxes. Hey, this one does, too. But it is worthy of a read. Like me, Schrag ponders how California can afford to pay for an additional $50,000,000,000.00 (that is 50 BILLION) in bonds (let alone the rumored $100 BIL amount). According to Schrag, the payments on the notes alone would more than double California’s current structural deficit.… Read More

The saga of All Saints Church in Pasadena continues. Jon Fleischman comments briefly on the item in his commentary. You can find it here. You can read the AP story on Congressman Schiff’s letter to the IRS demanding an answer to the investigation here.

To get a taste of the flavor of All Saints Church. Think of a place where homosexual marriage and abortion on demand areawaiting everyone in heavenand anything done with the militray is evil, unless it recruits gays.

According to one former member who wrote a letter to a local paper. Mommy and me classes were used to promote anti-war causes. See the letter here.It is an icon in Pasadena liberal circles. The Pasadena Weekly did a story on the church. You can see it here.

The bottom line is All Saints Church is reaping the seedsthey’ve sown. The leftist… Read More

Congressman Dreier has many talents. As Chair of the powerful Rules committee and frequent TV and radio guest, heis well known in political circles. Some don’t know that he frequently has courted Hollywood. There was a rumor a couple years ago thathe was a candidate to become head of theMPAA. It went to former Congressman Glickman instead.

Roll Call has a fascinating look at the night two years ago, whenRepublicans in DCsold out taxpayers by passing a Medicare Prescription drug bill that will cost us billions upon billions of dollars. You can read it here. It is a good read by the way.

One tidbit focuses on Dreier’s attempts toget Rep. Nick Smith to vote "yes".

"A Republican staffer told the ethics panel that Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) offered to find Smith’s daughter a job as an actress in Hollywood. Dreier denied making such a promise."

Nothing came from the accusation. Dreier denied it and Smith later wouldn’t talk about… Read More

The Fresno Zoo, once a treasure in the community, is now leading the news on a daily basis around here. Talk shows are overheated with opinions, local TV news is leading with the story, and tempers are flaring. You see, for years and years and years the Fresno Zoo (known as the Chafee Zoo locally), has been run by the City of Fresno. As such, and in common with most enterprises run by government, this has resulted in millions of dollars in deferred maintenance, an institutional culture of mediocrity, financial problems and finally, a very poor Zoo.

In 2004 a local measure was qualified for the ballot, Measure Z, which would increase sales taxes in the County and direct the money to the Zoo, under a new organizational structure. Expected to provide over $100 million in funding over eight years, the Zoo would presumably be upgraded and operated more efficiently, thus becoming a centerpiece of learning and entertainment in the region. Measure Z passed overwhelmingly, facing no real opposition (the Lincoln Club quietly recommended a "No"… Read More

The Campbell campaign (Gilliard Blanning Wysocki & Assoc.) created a very impactful mail piece that hit mail boxes today.

It simply highlighs American Independent candidate Jim Gilchrist’s own words. Generally when you see a consultant use the words of an opponent against them it can be assumed that they are taking them out of context or that the opponent said these things a long time ago. That is not the case here. Gilchrist is so over his head in this campaign for U. S. Congress, that he sticks his foot in his mouth every time he goes on record.

EXAMPLE OF GILCHRIST QUOTES:

"I don’t like these capitalist pigs." According to the mailer this is quote he gave to the OC Weekly, in Feb. 2005. I don’t care what the context is on this one. The 48th CD has more ‘capitalist pigs’ than just about any Congressional District in the country. Not a smart think to say.

"I’m for taxing the ultra-rich more" "Estate tax? Bring that thing… Read More