I’ll haveacolumn later this week about why the GOP is losing voters, but I can guarantee this, it isn’t because Republicans in the Assembly are hanging tough in the latest State budget fight. In fact, if they keep it up, they’ll likely wind up gaining back some of the respect that our GOP officeholders have lost over the years. With the Governor spewing more nonsense yesterday, questioning the "courage" of the State legislature, it is instructive to look at Assembly Leader Mike Villines response:

Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines of Clovis questioned the governor’s own gutsiness.

"I don’t believe it shows strong backbone to have said (no tax increases) publicly for years and years and years – and then to change your position overnight," Villines said.

Now, even though Villines is my friend, I am more than objective about our elected leadership. I happen to think Mike Villines is one of the more under appreciated elected officials in California. He speaks and reacts from his gut – and he’s a conservative before he’s a… Read More

Now that Democrats have conceded that the world is a scary place, and Obama can’t handle it alone, they have named Senator Biden as the VP/Man-Behind-the-Curtain for their ticket. And the Democrats are exactly right…the world is a scary place. Iran continues to be the biggest threat to peace in the Middle East, and while we’ve got them pinned down in an unwinnable two front war scenario with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia is taking full advantage of our situation by making a rush to control natural gas pipelines to Europe before winter sets in so they can hold the EU hostage in choice between freezing to death or capitulating to Russia’s geopolitical demands. Come January 2009, the White House is no place for amateurs or understudies.

This is why I’m keeping my fingers crossed that native Californian Condoleezza Rice will be… Read More

Obama picks Sen. Joe Biden for VP — the announcement apparently going out over email to Obama supporters.

The Senator from Delaware was a front runner in the Democrat VP sweepstakes, but you have to wonder how a 65-year old New Englander who spent almost half his life as a DC insider fits with the "change" theme of the freshman Senator from Illinois.

For me, Biden highlights the uncertainty of Obama. It’s kind of like putting a vintage Shelby Cobra shifter on a Mazda Miaita…it only serves as a reminder you’re still driving an under-powered roadster that’s more about flash than substance.

Biden does bring some foreign policy expertise to the ticket — and perhaps some maturity and comfort to older voters, but I see more desperation than inspiration in this selection.

Pundits will have a field day analyzing the impact of the Obama-Biden ticket, but I can’t help but think that this selection more about appeasement rather than a inspired running-mate.… Read More

Ever heard of Californians Sharing In The Solution?

This morning Shane Goldmacher over at the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert has posted up a letter signed by 48 Californians who invite a state tax increase, and point out that they feel they each make enough money that they would be impacted by such an increase (according to Goldmacher, each makes over $164,500 a year — see Goldmacher’s post here, see a .pdf of the letter here).

To these folks, I would say that if they want to "chip in" more money from their disposable income to contribute to the state’s general fund — let’s get contribution envelopes out to these folks.

But it is a bit pretentious, and in fact outrageous for these folks to presume that because they can afford to pay more money to the government (to offset overspending) that it means that others can afford and should be willing to do so as well.

Ahhh, what could be more welcoming to legislature than a letter from people… Read More

FR Blogger Adam Probolsky recently traveled to El Salvador. Typical of Adam, while the rest of us would be lounging about, Adam can be seen in the clip below, in a suit, being interviewed on local El Salvador television. Since I don’t know Spanish, I can’t tell you what Adam is saying as he has been translated into El Salvador’s national language — but clearly he is labeled as being a "Republican Senator" — which is great. Maybe at least in El Salvador, we’ll have someone to offset the liberalism of Feinstein and Boxer. If only we could get Adam a vote in D.C… … Read More

Courtesy of the pent-up angst of some of Senator Bob Dutton’s interns. Too bad this isn’t a game. The efforts to raise your taxes are very, very real. Thank goodness for the resolve of our legislative Republicans!… Read More

Yesterday I blogged on rumored circumstances surrounding the very real mid-day locking up of Senator Carol Migden’s Capitol Office.

Well, ace-Capitol reporter Shane Goldmacher turned his talents on finding out what actually took place. You can read the fruits of his labor here (free registration required).

The nickel tour — Migden was apparently yelling at her staff so loudly (who does that?) that Senate officials came over, informed employees of their rights, and sent everyone home. Today a bunch of temp workers are in the office.

I’m no fan of Mark Leno — I think he (and Migden) are whacked out liberals who think socialism is the wave of the future. That said, Leno may be a liberal, but he is not emotionally unstable, which may very well be the case with Migden. So in the context of this whole incident, I guess it’s best that he "took her out" — I don’t think California taxpayers can afford to… Read More

[PUBLISHER’S NOTE ADDED TO BARRY’S POST: I am aware of errors in the scoring of Senator Tom Harmon, and of Assemblyman Bob Huff as well in CW’s ratings. Once we know all of the errors, we’ll get something comprehensive up on the site – Flash]

Assemblyman George Plescia just contacted me about yesterday’s Cap Weekly rankings, which were linked from the FR main page. He is rightfully irked by the scoring, since it incorrectly shows he voted FOR the 2008-09 budget. Per George:

Let’s make it clear there was a HUGE mistake. It says I voted for the 2008/09 budget with a tax increase. I obviously voted AGAINST the tax increase budget. Therefore my score is more conservative than printed. We have made Capitol Weekly aware of the mistake.

Good. And, let’s further make it clear that he voted… Read More