This afternoon I had the chance to call into a "Bloggers Briefing" being hosted by the House Republican Conference on the issue of Illegal Immigration – more specifically on border security.

The main speakers on the call were three leaders in Congress on the Illegal Immigration issue — House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, and two Californians, Dan Lungren and Ed Royce.

Blunt (pictured to the right) opened up the call with an affirmation of the commitment of House Republicans to keep a sharp focus on border security issues. Blunt talked about how last week the House passed a significant measure to build a lengthy stretch of fencing along the border. He also talked about how the House passed legislation to move away from the current "catch and release" border patrol method to a "catch and return" method. He also mentioned legislation to actually make it a federal crime to tunnel beneath our borders, which is not currently… Read More

Right now, there is a discussion taking place in the echelons of the California Republican Party about whether the party’s direct mail and e-mail communications will include the Party’s positions on the various statewide ballot measures. This seems like a common sense thing to do. After all, everyone knows which candidates the party supports since they have their party affiliation next to their names — but the ballot measures are not given a partisan label. To help make it more clear, here is an example of a box that can and should appear on every piece of direct mail from the party, whether the party is mailing on behalf of the Governor and the ticket, legislative races, or any particular measure…

The CRP Board of Directors will meet tomorrow — and I think that they should make the inclusion of this chart a requirement for use of the party for sending out postal mail and e-mail. Understand, I don’t agree with all of the party’s adopted positions — but they are the… Read More

In case you need a reminder that the main stream Democrat establishment is intent on electing Phil Angelides to be Governor of Claifornia, here is your opportunity. A friend of mine (h/t to DS) is actually on the John Kerry e-mail list.

Come November, Phil Angelides can become a member of the John Kerry LOSERS club. LOL.… Read More

Capitol Morning Report, which describes itself as a “daily listing of upcoming events and other news,” reports today that the State Information Officers are holding a conference to discuss their role in the event of a bird flu epidemic in California. The lunch is being catered by….El Pollo Loco – The Crazy Chicken.… Read More

Liberal Democrat Tom Umberg (pictured to the right) is soon to be a retired member of the State Assembly, as his bid to move up to the State Senate was dealt a fatal blow when he did not capture his own Party’s nomination. That said, Tom Umberg is hoping that his legacy as a legislator will be defined by a piece of legislation that he has passed onto the Governor’s desk (with only one GOP vote) that would, if signed, cause California to participate in a scheme to end-run the United States Constitution, and the electoral college that is used to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Right now, on a state by state basis, depending on who wins a state, each state (by and large in proportion to their population) sends Presidential electors to Washington, D.C. to cast votes on behalf of that state in the Electoral College. We see the physical manifestation of this when we are glued to the television or our computers where we see not only which states go red or… Read More

Insurance Commissioner Candidate Steve Poizner is up in the Central Valley with his new ad, "If you Cruz, You Lose". It is one of the best ads running out there right now. You can take a look at it here.

Cruz Bustamante is a nice person, but he has no business running for Insurance Commissioner. This is a race to watch, and I have not a doubt that Poizer will run a competitive race here.… Read More

SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM

I just got off the phone with Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, Honorary co-chair of the Protect Our Homes Initiative, after an email she sent out tonight asking for support in urging the California Republican Party to do the right thing.

Property rights are a fundamental ideal in this nation, a basic right which has historically set the United States apart from many other countries. Or so we thought until the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM

I just got off the phone with Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, Honorary co-chair of the Protect Our Homes Initiative, after an email she sent out tonight asking for support in urging the California Republican Party to do the right thing.

Property rights are a fundamental ideal in this nation, a basic right which has historically set the United States apart from many other countries. Or so we thought until the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision.

That decision is perhaps another glaring example of just how confused we have become asa nation about basic rights and core freedoms. Even so, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Republican Party would not be swayed by such confusion, and that the membership of the California Republican Party, in convention last month, would support Proposition 90, the Protect Our Homes Initiative. In so doing, the CRP resolution made it clear that printed literature the Party disseminates for the November election include the Yes on 90 position.

There was nothing in the resolution to indicate "only if the CRP gets money from the Yes… Read More