Thank You: First of all, I would like to offer a very heartfelt thank you from the Captivating Mrs. Campbell (Catherine) and me for all the prayers and good wishes (and medical advice) from the many hundreds of readers of this missive who e-mailed, wrote, and called. It was all much appreciated and we could both feel your prayers every day. The surgery went very well (they took out 18" of my colon) and my recovery is on schedule. Statistics at the Mayo Clinic (where the procedure was done) say that 98% of people who go through this surgery never experience diverticulitis again. I hope I am not in the other 2%. Besides, if I were, Obama would raise my taxes more!

I read every one of your emails after the announcement of my surgery and they all provided much encouragement and comfort. I have to say though; my favorite was from one reader who said: "Get well quickly John, so I can disagree with you again."

I’m Baaack: Although I probably won’t be 100% recovered until sometime in April, I am back to work in Washington. About a month ago, the condition of my health was bad. Doctors did a diagnosis,… Read More

The Republican Party is clearly in a re-building phase and innovation will be a big part of the makeover process. CA State GOP chairman Ron Nehring is known for his use of technology and his willingness to go to far corners to promote the Republican brand. So it’s not surprising that RNC chairman Michael Steele has appointed Ron to lead the committee of state Republican chairmen.

The press release follows…

RNC ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIR OF STATE PARTY CHAIRMEN COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele announced today the appointment of California Republican Party (CRP) Chairman Ron Nehring, to be the chair of the State Party Chairmen Committee.

“Ron’s experience and dedication makes him a valuable member of our team,” Steele said. “I have no doubt that he will help bring the voice of every Republican state party to the national table.”

Nehring is the Chairman of the largest Republican state party in the United States. He was first elected Chairman in 2007 and was recently re-elected on a platform of ensuring that California is a leader in utilizing new and innovative… Read More

Okay, so we weren’t on at the same time, or even the same night… Last Wednesday night, Maldonado came onto San Diego’s Rick Amato show where he made his case for why he had to vote for the largest tax increase in the history of any state. He took some shots at yours truly in that interview as well.

On Monday night, I was Amato’s guest for about an hour, and I gave some critiques of Maldobama (h/t to Barry Jantz on the nick-name).

You can get more information on the Rick Amato show here.

The two segments I reference are available here.… Read More

The eyes of the nation are on California today as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the cases against Proposition 8. The hearing started promptly at 9am this morning. Right now the justices are questioning the petitioners (anti-Prop 8 lawyers). Thus far, the justices have been asking some great questions of the attorneys, pointing out many of the flaws in their arguments. But Kenneth Starr, arguing for Proposition 8, is still to come. Apparently the Cal Channel is inaccessible to many right now because of the overwhelming demand to watch the hearing. Other web sites are streaming the oral arguments, including L.A.’s Channel 7. … Read More

Congressman Tom McClintock gave an outstanding speech in the well of the House of Representatives earlier this week. You can watch him deliver the remarks here, or you can read them below…

M. Speaker:

The Laffer Curve is a simple but elegant method of demonstrating how increasing taxes reduces economic productivity until a point of equilibrium is reached when further tax hikes actually reduce revenue.

If the tax rate is zero, tax revenues are zero. But if the tax rate is 100 percent, tax revenues also reach zero, because there’s no point in working.

… Read More

The Supreme Court just wrapped up the oral arguments in the cases against Proposition 8. During the 3-hour hearing justices put both sides through rigorous rounds of questioning regarding whether Proposition 8 constitutes a revision, rather than an amendment, to the state constitution. Although we won’t know the outcome of this case for weeks (the court has up to 90 days to rule), Prop 8 supporters may have some reason to be optimistic. Two crucial swing votes, Justice Joyce Kennard and Chief Justice Ronald George, were particularly pointed in their questioning about what constitutes a revision to the constitution and the definition of inalienable rights.

Proposition 8 supporters contend that a revision constitutes a fundamental, structural change to our form of government. Placing into the state constitution the traditional definition does not structurally change our form of government. Opponents to Proposition 8 counter that denying homosexuals the “fundamental right” to marriage (created by the court last year in overturning Proposition 22) does alter our form of government by denying them their equal rights. Unfortunately, the core issue in this whole same-sex… Read More

As we mentioned previously, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has filed a lawsuit asking a judge for relief because the state legislature and the governor are in the midst of a deceptive effort to cause Californian’s to consider whether to support or oppose Proposition 1A without having all of the information about the measure readily available to them — there is no mention in the title or summary of this measure that mentions that the passage of it would extend a boatload of taxes for years! Below we have linked the legal documents filed with court for those who would like to read them.

This "keep all of the facts from the voters" campaign extends beyond the omitting of information in the official voter guide pamphlet (though that omission is the most egregious) — it seems that proponents of Proposition 1A literally don’t want to even mention the taxes. Of course, what they should be doing is making the case that they feel the spending cap in 1A is strong enough to justify extending tens of billions in taxes on Californians.

Another example of this "don’t fully disclose and discuss the pros and cons of… Read More

As we mentioned previously, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has filed a lawsuit asking a judge for relief because the state legislature and the governor are in the midst of a deceptive effort to cause Californian’s to consider whether to support or oppose Proposition 1A without having all of the information about the measure readily available to them — there is no mention in the title or summary of this measure that mentions that the passage of it would extend a boatload of taxes for years! Below we have linked the legal documents filed with court for those who would like to read them.

This "keep all of the facts from the voters" campaign extends beyond the omitting of information in the official voter guide pamphlet (though that omission is the most egregious) — it seems that proponents of Proposition 1A literally don’t want to even mention the taxes. Of course, what they should be doing is making the case that they feel the spending cap in 1A is strong enough to justify extending tens of billions in taxes on Californians.

Another example of this "don’t fully disclose and discuss the pros and cons of… Read More