Veteran Capitol columnist Dan Walters was pretty accurate yesterday in the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert Blog (free registration required and encouraged) when he referred to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) as, "…a Naderite, Santa Monica-based thorn in the side of California business for the past two decades…"

Apparently the group has decided to change its name to "Consumer Watchdog" — what a farce.

The only thing that this group cares about is creating more and more ways and opportunities to file more and more lawsuits. The FTCR is a vibrant and active front-group for the trial lawyer community.

While they wave a rhetorical banner of trying to "help consumers" — it’s just not true. It hardly helps consumers to see all… Read More

While I think it is a positive thing that NO DEMOCRAT FILED AGAINST REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR ABEL MALDONADO, it is rather curious given that this seat should be "in play" and a top target for Senate Democrats.

I just read a well-though-out piece musing about this by Robert Cruickshank over on the left-wing-haven-of-socialist-ideas The California Progress Report, a Democrat activist who lives in that district.

He muses that the fix might just be in..… Read More

2 minutes of television news coverage that Assemblymen Joe Nation and Mark Leno will be trying to make sure that every one of Senator Carol Migden’s constituents watch, as they are both trying to "retire her" in this June’s primary… (h/t to CalClip TV for making the video footage available)… … Read More

[Publisher’s Note: With yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn an Appellate Court decision, and re-instate a draconian open primary scheme passed by Washington State voters a few years back, we turned to California Republican Lawyers Association President Steve Baric, a rising star among respected attorneys who have an expertise in political and elections law, to give us his analysis of the decision. Baric not only makes the case for why this was a poor decision by the Court, but undoubtedly is accurate in his concern that those who brought us Prop. 198 will be back again to attack the fundamental rights of political parties to the Constitutional right to freedom of association… – Flash] REFERENCES: SCOTUS OPINION, SCALIA DISSENT … Read More

[Publisher’s Note: With yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn an Appellate Court decision, and re-instate a draconian open primary scheme passed by Washington State voters a few years back, we turned to California Republican Lawyers Association President Steve Baric, a rising star among respected attorneys who have an expertise in political and elections law, to give us his analysis of the decision. Baric not only makes the case for why this was a poor decision by the Court, but undoubtedly is accurate in his concern that those who brought us Prop. 198 will be back again to attack the fundamental rights of political parties to the Constitutional right to freedom of association… – Flash]

REFERENCES: SCOTUS OPINION, SCALIA DISSENT… Read More

Apparently (h/t to the SacBee) the recall of Republican State Senator Jeff Denham has qualified, and the Governor must now call a special election in the Central Valley State Senate District for 60 – 80 days from now (one would presume that he will consolidate this matter with the June primary, which falls within that window).

FR readers will "recall" that this is a partisan game by Senate President Don Perata who has sour grapes because Senator Denham had the nerve to oppose a budget plan that, frankly… sucked. In retrospect, every State Legislator who voted for that budget last year has to be embarrassed — it committed California to another year of massive overspending that has now come home to roost, with California looking at a budget deficit that is quickly approaching $20 billion!

Well, "game on" to Perata and his flying monkeys as they try to make the case to voters in this Senate seat that their prescient Senator, who did the right thing, should be recalled.… Read More

Dealing what may be a fatal blow to her re-election this year, the Fair Political Practices Commission has levied at whopping $350,000 fine on Senator Migden for 89 campaign finance violations from 2003 – 2007. Migden, in the re-election fight of her life, needed this like a hole in the head. Never mind the loud sucking sound of precious remaining campaign funds being diverted to pay these fines, the fodder that this ruling will give to her opponents will be devistating. Bu-bye.… Read More

(Note: the Washington Post and Roll Call may require subscription registration to access some content).

The Supremes take up the delightfully named "fleeting expletive" rule this week along with the District of Columbia handgun ban. Some interesting inside-baseball coverage of one side from the Post, today.

The NRCC can’t catch a break in coverage of the ongoing financial mess at the House campaign committee. While the props are due to Texas Congressman Mike Conaway (an accountant by trade), I’ve heard from one or two people that the bigger problem is that audits were faked and when Conaway asked not just to see audit files but to speak with auditors themselves, the gig was up. It appears the mess is on the mend. From today’s Politico, a look at next steps and work with the Federal Election Commission. Here is the Washington Post’s… Read More