After two straight collapses, the San Joaquin GOP is now at a crossroads. After what could be described charitably as civil war over the last two cycles, it is time for the members of the Central Committee to put their animosities aside and realize who they are actually supposed to be fighting. Now, after losing Richard Pombo’s seat in Congress and the Podesto campaign for Senate district 5 in 2004, it is the hope of many that unity of purpose within the local GOP will win out and revitalize a committee into a modern party apparatus modeled after such successful programs as San Diego. With a much stronger base of local elected officials and legislators along with a top tier donor base in the county that begins with GOP heavyweight Alex Spanos, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that the county GOP can once again be a determining force in winning elections (the way it was in 2002) rather quickly if the right decisions are made.

The genesis of this civil war began with a race for Stockton city council that pitted the two rival factions against each other. Almost three years later the committee is a shell, broke and with no hope of funding unless… Read More

For years I’ve believed that the Union-Tribune does itself and its readers a dis-service by publishing two or more editorials a day. The sheer number of editorials – most of which will hardly be remembered by the second strip of bacon – leads readers to start ignoring them. Then, when the editorial board actually has something important to convey, the impact of the editorial is minimized.

Case in point: on Friday I skipped the editorials…. right when the editorial board was actually writing about something important: the reform movement at San Diego City Hall:

UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL Target of scorn Will council perpetuate lack of confidence in city January 5, 2007

Last September Mayor Jerry Sanders asked the City Council to approve a sweeping package of financial reforms designed to restore San Diego’s shattered credibility on Wall Street. Predictably, maverick Councilwoman Donna Frye was the lone vote against the plan, whose key element was the creation of an independent audit committee to oversee the reform process.

Now, just four months later, Frye audaciously proposes that the… Read More

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense!”

I pray this excerpt of an address to the Harrow School is not so well known and worn that it has become tired and I do not do Mr. Churchill much disgrace in utilizing it here upon my farewell. I am giving in … to what I firmly believe to be the latter of the two convictions.

I am pleased to reveal my graduate studies have, so far, proceeded along really well, but only with large commitments of time and mental energy. This past semester was, if I may say so, characteristically fruitful. However, I anticipate things will not get any easier and the strain of commitments will not improve.

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“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense!”

I pray this excerpt of an address to the Harrow School is not so well known and worn that it has become tired and I do not do Mr. Churchill much disgrace in utilizing it here upon my farewell. I am giving in … to what I firmly believe to be the latter of the two convictions.

I am pleased to reveal my graduate studies have, so far, proceeded along really well, but only with large commitments of time and mental energy. This past semester was, if I may say so, characteristically fruitful. However, I anticipate things will not get any easier and the strain of commitments will not improve.

I also feel an unestablished, ambitious young man, like myself, must constantly seek to move and expand the boundaries of professional success. More often than not, I have met suspicion and timidity as a result of my involvements here. It is both disconcerting and understandable given the awesome power the medium of blogging has to disseminate information and… Read More

When I hailed a cab this morning to go to the airport, the cabbie asked me why I was in town. I told him that I had spent the evening in a tux at the Governor’s Inaugural Ball.

His response… “Did any Republicans go?”

I followed up and asked him what he meant. He said that he and some other cabbies saw or heard parts of his speech, and decided that Republicans must be upset that in his speech, the Governor “trashed” his own party. He said , “Isn’t he a Republican himself? I just figured if Republicans worked hard to elect him, they might be mad that he has jettisoned his own party in favor of this…what did he call it? The ‘Post Party Era?”

I asked the cabbie if he was a Republican, and he said that he wasn’t – he was a Democrat. He said, “I just feel sorry for you guys…” Sigh.

My local Assemblyman, Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine), had this to say last night as he reflected on the Governor’s Inaugural Address: “I considered his words and wondered: when a conservative who favors smaller government and lower taxes ‘compromises’… Read More

I was just reading the transcript of the Governor’s inaugural address. After wading through the meaningless "Party of California" sophistry and such bromides as "We don’t need Republican health care or Democratic health care. We need health care," I came upon the passage where the governor outlines his big dream for California’s future. And it occured to me I had yet to encounter the words "liberty" or "freedom."

I did a search of the speech text for "freedom" and "liberty." Nothing. Plenty of references to "health care" and the "environment." Other than a reference to a "free-market" in emissions credits, the Governor made no mention of the idea undergirding the reason for our republic.

Then again, what should I expect from a Governor whose professed mission is to expand the size, scope and cost of government?… Read More

Liberalism as a strategy and philosophy is a failure. Progressivism is meeting a similar fate. To continue to govern as a majority in California, the Democrats have had to again redefine their agenda. The easiest path is to redefine centrism leftward. The Governor is coming right along. He used the word "centrist" several times in his inaugural speech today. Unfortunately, it no longer has the same meaning.

It wasn’t that long ago when Governor Pete Wilson was known as a "moderate" or "centrist" leader. He ran balanced budgets, applied entrepreneurial solutions to the State’s problems, rejected extreme environmentalism, funded education sensibly, avoided excessive borrowing, and demanded accountability in State Government. A similar strategy today would be characterized as "right wing extremism".

Up until November of 2005 one could easily argue that Governor Schwarzenegger was indeed a centrist from the Pete Wilson mold. But in fact, with the defeat of his four reform initiatives, Arnold has nowin fact moved well to the left of Pete Wilson, both in policy and future planning. Even with… Read More

On this bitter and blustery January morning, the faithful queued up for the Governor’s Inauguration. It was a very long line, and having just returned from Disney, I wondered where I could get a FastPass…there were none. Once inside, I found my way to my assigned seat in the Bob Uecker “front row”…the nose bleed section. The preliminary musical entertainment was appropriately diverse – Asian drummers outside; inside the Mariachi Divas; Irish dancers; the Unity Gospel Choir; a Sheryl Crow song that started with “My friend the communist…” coupled with a power point slide show of the Governor in China; finally tap dancing cowboys. I should have taken Dramamine beforehand, but it was still cool.

Out came Willie Brown. He said that years ago when Arnold first came to him and talked about becoming the Governor, Willie said, “Don’t do it! This state cannot be governed. I should know, I contributed to the ungovernability of this state.” Like him or not, he’s hilarious.

Then the stage was filled with mayors, former Governors, legislative leaders, and constitutional officers. There were only four women onstage, and two were wives of former… Read More