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

In today’s news links on the main page, there is an article (in red ink) from The Hill which talks about U.S. Representate Darrell Issa endorsing moderate GOP businessman Ulan Uke in the race to succeed neighboring Rep. Duke Cunningham.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE. ISSA HAS NOT ENDORSED UKE says Dale Neugebauer, Issa’s Chief of Staff.

We will attept to bring you more information on the developing controversy…… Read More

Pretty funny that when I arrived at LAX United gate 85 to hot on a 20 passenger puddle jumper plane to Monterey (where I am participating in a state Boating and Waterways Commission meeting), one of the other passengers is none other than fellow Orange Countian and Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher.

She immediately asked me how I enjoyed the Maona Kea Hotel on Hawai’i, bolstering my confidence that those thousands of website hits aren’t all Adam Probolsky hitting "refresh" all day long on his computer. (Actually, ‘hits’ are measured in unique visitors anyways).

Lynn and I had a brief chat about the specializations of attorneys, leading to her telling me about her legislation to create a "water court" (at no additional taxpayer expense) where around the state, the various districts would have a judge who specializes in water policy. Right now, these cases end up in front of well-meaning, smart judges who just are not water-policy experts. So, these judges have to retain court "experts" who in turn hire others.

The idea sounds like a good one. Alas, the likely resting spot for a good idea from a Republican… 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