Lessons of Pearl Harbor Applied to CRP

In the early 90’s, I was a legal officer in the Navy, stationed at the Fleet Training Center, San Diego. When there was a shortage of criminals, malcontents and sailors who couldn’t keep their noses clean, I had spare time. During that spare time, I qualified as a high risk instructor to teach Shipboard Damage Control – a class that taught sailors how to survive and keep their ship afloat if it got hit, started flooding and caught on fire. During the second day of the class, we took sailors into the “wet trainer”, a 2-story building with four compartments where we could simulate fire, floods, evacuations through flooded compartments, etc. It was a dangerous class. In fact, one day when I was the lead instructor, one of our sailors nearly drowned, but another instructor and I pulled him to safety, and training resumed.

One of the most important lessons of the course had nothing to do with what action to take once the ship is flooding. Instead, it was a lesson… Read More

Chris Cox’s nomination in June, 2005 to head the Security & Exchange Commission, launched the first in a series of special elections here in Orange County that continue to this day. Combined with the regularly scheduled

First, of course, was the special election primary and general elections to fill Cox’s congressional seat, which concluded in December of 2005.

Concurrent with that campaign was an bitter fight over a county initiative on the statewide special election ballot — an expensive battle between the firefighters and deputy sheriffs unions over how to divvy up Prop. 172 revenues (the deputies won).

**There is more – click the link**

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At 7:55 AM, 65 years ago today, America was plunged into the World War with Japan by the aerial sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on a Sunday morning. There are several Pearl Harbor Survivor chapters in California, perhaps one near you. They usually conduct a ceremony commemorating that day at an appropriate place of memorial. If you have the time, seek them out in your area. In California they typically start around 9:55AM PST to coincide with that moment in Hawaii.As our Pearl Harbor heroes are dwindling in number, [it has been 65 years since these young men were there]I would strongly suggest we try to honor them in person…and remember.

Here’s a link to an enlightening story I found in the New York Times yesterday about Kenneth M. Taylor, an Army Air Corps (now the Air Force) pilot who was one of the first to strike back on behalf the country.… Read More

Chris Cox’s nomination in June, 2005 to head the Security & Exchange Commission, launched the first in a series of special elections here in Orange County that continue to this day. Combined with the regularly scheduled

First, of course, was the special election primary and general elections to fill Cox’s congressional seat, which concluded in December of 2005.

Concurrent with that campaign was an bitter fight over a county initiative on the statewide special election ballot — an expensive battle between the firefighters and deputy sheriffs unions over how to divvy up Prop. 172 revenues (the deputies won).

That special was won by state Sen. John Campbell, which led to a special election to fill the 35th Senate District seat he was vacating. This was effectively won in the April 11, 2006 special election primary by then-Assemblyman Tom Harman, who barely edged out Dana Point Councilwoman Diane Harkey.

Shortly afterward, the battle royale had begun between Supervisor Lou Correa and Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher for the 34th Senate District. Correa’s… Read More

Regarding Jill Buck’s and Doug LaMalfa’s earlier posts, here’s what Eddie Money looks like not-circa-1981, since Jill was being nice….

As for "Take Me Home Tonight," all I can say is good luck.

Hey, Jon, I like these newer bloggers digressing from politics a bit. Perhaps Joe Justin will consider returning, now that the site has gone Rock n’ Roll.

Ok, perhaps we should lay off, I feel the Jill-coined e-towel snap coming from Fleischman.

Speaking of politics, although this is quite a stretch, when I was in Sacto on Monday, I stopped into your office, Doug (LaMalfa), to see if I could collect on your July 13 Rock On challenge for a bag of Butte County… Read More

BOE Member Bill Leonard has twice mentioned in his weekly newsletter questions as the effectiveness of the CRP’s 20 million GOTV effort. He calls for a "performance audit". See here.

Coincidentally, the CRP Board of Directors will meet face to face at their Sacramento Headquarters this Friday. Just added to the agenda will be a full and frank discussion of the effectiveness of the GOTV program.

Steve Kinney will present a detailed post election analysis, which would show that our down ticket candidates [Mc Clintock and Strickland] won the absentee votes but lost dramatically with election day voters. [ See Brandon Powers blog Dec 6 here]. More interesting is that the majority of voters were white, older, married and home owners. What gives?

In the meanwhile, who raised the 20 million and how did it get spent?

Board members are promised they will see all direct mail that was issued by the CRP and review all scripts used at the telephone… Read More

I just met Eddie Money!

After a long day of meetings, I heard his song, “Baby Hold On,” on the radio…then the announcer said tickets were still available for his show in Pleasanton tonight. Long story short, swung by the venue for tix, jaw jacked with the owner a bit…yada, yada, yada…I’m standing outside the venue talking to Eddie Money and his roadies. Before I get an e-towel snap from Coach Jon for deviating from California politics, allow me to parlay my latest brush with the fabulously famous into a topic I’ve been meaning to post anyway.

Smoking in public places…or your own home

It was a good thing Eddie wasn’t playing in my neighboring town of Dublin, because if the cigarette he’d been smoking outside Tommy T’s annoyed anyone, he might be in violation of a new city ordinance. Back in the summer at a (what else) political fundraiser, I ran into a Dublin City Council member who had recently received… Read More

The Scales of Justice depicts a figure that, in order to achieve a fair measure and balance, is blindfolded. The method of redrawing legislative district lines every decade that is currently in place is not a fair measure or balanced. The only blindfold involved is the one that those defending this system try to keep pulled over the voters on this issue. Politicians drawing their own district lines is too great a temptation and self-interest to entrust to them as just a cursory look at the map from 2001 would reveal.

A measure back in the 80’s to remove this self-interest from politicians was defeated after heavy runs of TV ads featuring Jack Lemmon and others. Speaker Willie Brown later cackled about how they pulled a fast one on California voters.

The measure last year with similar goals, Prop 77 was defeated with heavy opposition from Democrat leadership as well as a smattering of Republicans. All sorts of reasons were concocted about the makeup of the panel, 3 retired judges, being too out of touch or too white to draw… Read More