Any experienced participants or observers of politics know that watching the last-minute mail pieces that come out in the final days of a campaign is kinda like watching the commercials during the Superbowl – they are the most amazing and outrageous pieces of all. Especially right towards the end when candidates who are attacked don’t have time to respond.

The attached mail piece is a stinking attack on conservative businessman Eric Roach who is one of the leading candidates in the GOP donnybrook to replace the disgraced and imprisoned Duke Cunningham. Roach is making a big splash, spending millons of dollars to run a targeted campaign in a crowded field. You can read my take on Roach here.

That said, the mail piece that is attached below is a great reminder to anyone thinking about running for office – don’t forget to vote! You never know when it will come back at you — in this case, in full color!

Bilbray roasts Roach on missing a couple of elections, as well as trying to make him out to be a carpetbagger from San Francisco and more.… Read More

Alameda County Supervisors are planning on banning the sale of marijuana-flavored candy. I had no idea that there was pot-flavored candy on the market, but after a little research, I discovered that you can not only buy candy with the taste of ganja, but also weed-scented perfume and lip balm! Of course, Chronic Candy which sells the stuff has a big notice on their web site that their product is only for those who are 18 years old or older, but the local politicians are worried that kids are buying the stuff .

The website is hysterical. They are giving away a free trip to Amsterdam, their clothing shop offers women’s thongs (not flip-flops) and tube tops with their logo, and they sell Bruce Margolin’s Guide to California’s marijuana laws (… Read More

On April 17th, Assemblyman George Plescia will assume the leadership of a unified Assembly Republican Caucus. Since his unanimous selection by his colleagues over a month ago, there has been a lot of ‘inside the building’ wondering about his leadership team. With Kevin McCarthy stepping down as leader to focus his attention on his race for Congress, also stepping aside is his Lieutenant, Assemblyman Russ Bogh, who has served as Chairman of the Assembly Republican Caucus.

In just a little while, the office of Assembly Republican Leader-elect George Plescia will name conservative San Juaquin Valley Republican Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian to to key post of Caucus Chairman. In this role, Aghazarian will become Plescia’s #1 "go to" guy for all matters dealing with his fellow GOP Assemblymembers.

Aghazarian, who is well liked among his colleagues, was early-on looked at as a possible candidate for Assembly Leader himself. Aghazarian was first election in 2002, and has long been a… Read More

The LA Times is reporting today that Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu is considering a run against first-term mayor Curt Pringle. While I am happy to have been quoted in the article, I think the reporter had very little to go on and it should have been more about an internal policy disagreement rather and a potential political battle.

The fact is you can’t find anyone besides Harry Sidhu himself who thinks he should run or has even heard he is interested in running. The quote of mine they didn’t print was, "No one past, present or future could beat Pringle in November."

I really believe Sidhu (to who’s campaign I am a donor) made a big error in mixing policy with politics here. His disagreement with his colleagues (Anaheim has a five member council including a directly elected mayor) over stadium deals and land sales and whatever else on the council agenda is fair game. Those battles are won and lost in a game we call: can you count to three?

Clearly Harry cannot.

Don’t get me wrong, using the… Read More

It is clear that the debate that is taking place in Washington D.C. on the illegal immigration issue is going to be a major issue for the 2006 elections at every level. This means that every candidate for office, whether running for U.S. Senate or Congress, Governor or State Schools Superintendent, Supervisor or Sheriff, state legislature or school board is going to have to figure out how to address this issue.

The biggest challenge, of course, is on federal officeholders and candidates for U.S. Senate and Congress, as this is primarily seen as a national issue that should be dealt with by the federal government. To a certain extent, that is right. But the ‘trickle-down’ effect to every level of government of the impact of the United States’ failure to protect/control its borders, and the physical presence of well over ten-million people that have come into this country without permission has an impact for everyone, and for every political jurisdiction.

The lead story in today’s FlashReport is a piece penned by Timm Herdt in today’s Ventura County Star that really starts to look at the impact of this issue on California races.… Read More

It is clear that the debate that is taking place in Washington D.C. on the illegal immigration issue is going to be a major issue for the 2006 elections at every level. This means that every candidate for office, whether running for U.S. Senate or Congress, Governor or State Schools Superintendent, Supervisor or Sheriff, state legislature or school board is going to have to figure out how to address this issue.

The biggest challenge, of course, is on federal officeholders and candidates for U.S. Senate and Congress, as this is primarily seen as a national issue that should be dealt with by the federal government. To a certain extent, that is right. But the ‘trickle-down’ effect to every level of government of the impact of the United States’ failure to protect/control its borders, and the physical presence of well over ten-million people that have come into this country without permission has an impact for everyone, and for every political jurisdiction.

The lead story in today’s FlashReport is a piece penned by Timm Herdt in today’s Ventura County Star that really starts to look at the impact of this issue on California races.… Read More

Pardon me for lagging behind, but on Wednesday, the Governor announced another batch of appointments — 16 of them to be exact. (I actually created this post last night, but I often create this stuff ahead of time when I can, and then toggle it up from the blackberry when the site needs some extra content). The Governor batted .500 on appointing folks who voluntary associate with his own political party. Here is the partisan breakdown:

THE REPUBLICANS

Jim Bourgart, 61, of San Francisco, has been appointed deputy secretary for transportation at the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. He has served as vice president for government relations and business development with Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas since 1990. William Keese, 67, of Palm Desert, has been appointed to the Public Goods Independent Review Panel. Currently, he serves as chair of the Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory Committee for the Western Governors’ Association and is … Read More

Yesterday, writing from rainy Sacramento, I commented that San Diego County School Boardmember Sue Hartley, a liberal Republican who spends much of every month poking a stick in the collective eyes of her largely Republican and conservative constituents, was under siege from everyone right of say Congressman Ted Kennedy. I posted that Hartley was desperately trying to lock down some support right of center in a district with a voting base considerably right of center. And I posted that I thought the Lincoln Club endorsement was a major part of any strategy ending in her survival. The rumor train today, confirmed from 3 sources, says the Lincoln Club PAC Committee voted to endorse Hartley’s Republican conservative opponent Gary Felien.

Stop the bus folks, we got ourselves a race.

I also hear Felien has hired John Hoy, former executive director of the California Republican Party and current political consultant, to run his race. Good pick.

One better, folks in attendance confirm that Sue Hartley repeated that she would be seeking the Republican Party endorsement. I’d be willing to take odds tonight that she does no such thing. And I’ll… Read More