• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 9th on 11:53

    These are my links for March 9th from 11:53 to 12:44:

    • Todd Spitzer Set to Announce Run for Supervisor Seat – Will Chuck DeVore Run – Todd Spitzer, a former OC prosecutor, state assemblyman and county supervisor, will announce later today his intention to run for his former seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
      That seat, now held by County Supervisor Bill Campbell, opens up next year.
      Spitzer has told supporters that he's running for the seat because he has the experience to hit the ground running and help the county manage it's way through one of the toughest economic conditions in history.
      Spitzer's run will be well-funded — he has more than $1 million in his state assembly campaign accounts that can be transferred for use in a local race.
      Spitzer made news last year when he was fired by as assistant district attorney by District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. The episode became a political firestorm after it was revealed that Spitzer was fired for looking into a case being handled by Orange County Public Administrator/Public Guardian John Williams.
      The Board of Supervisors has since hired an executive to take Williams' responsibilities as public administrator and stripped him of his public guardian job. Supervisors are currently in negotiations with Williams regarding his resignation.
      Spitzer's early endorsements include: Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche (who had been rumored as a front runner for the Third District seat), Sheriff Sandra Hutchens supervisors Pate Bates and Janet Nguyen and Orange County Business Council President and CEO Lucy Dunn.

      =======

      Todd Spitzer has some endorsements and $1 million in the bank. will DeVore want to buck Spitzer in a bruising campaign?

    • MO-Sen: Claire McCaskill spent $76K in Public Funds on private plane flights – Sen. Claire McCaskill has been aggressive in promoting oversight and transparency for congressional travel, introducing a reform bill that cracks down on overseas travel for lawmakers.

      But when it comes to her own domestic flights, the Missouri Democrat has enjoyed friendly skies: She’s spent nearly $76,000 in public funds since 2007 to fly on a charter plane she co-owns with her husband and other investors, a POLITICO analysis of public records show.

      As a senator, McCaskill has flown at least 89 flights chartered by Sunset Cove Associates LLC — a company incorporated in 2002 by her husband, St. Louis businessman Joe Shepard, according to records kept by the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. All of those flights were paid for from McCaskill’s Senate office budget, raising questions about whether the first-term senator and her husband are using public dollars to partially subsidize their aircraft.

      ===============

      Probably no Ethics hearings here and she reimbursed the funds, but there will be political blowback.

    • President 2012: Newt Gingrich planning May presidential announcement – In a conference call Wednesday with former staffers and supporters former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said "we are leaning toward a yes" on a presidential run, CNN has learned.
      Leaning heavily.

      He revealed he hopes to announce a presidential bid in late May at noon in front of Philadelphia's Independence Hall. He asked the group for help building a national audience for that event on the internet and through local media.
      In response to a question, Gingrich told the group "corporate PACs can give $5,000 and obviously we'd be thrilled to have as many of them sign up as early as possible."
      In an apparent reference to the Contract with America that helped make him speaker in the 1990s he told the group "the campaign I want to build would have a contract in late September of 12" and help "build the party across the board."
      Several times Gingrich pointed out that "for legal reasons" he can't say too much – "we are still in the exploratory phase," but he has lined up the beginning of a campaign rollout. He expects former Georgia Senator Zell Miller to be a co-chair "once we put the campaign together." He says his campaign would be headquartered in Atlanta.
      He also said he is talking to and trying to recruit supporters in key states, such as he did in Iowa earlier this week. A Gingrich aide said he's planning direct mail solicitations starting next week and telemarketing efforts beginning this week.
      In addition to doing well in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, Gingrich said he hopes to "seal off Georgia as a favorite son." He added that given the way primary timing may shake out "Florida may suddenly loom very, very large.

      ===============

      No big surprise but an announcement after the May 2nd Presidential debate which may as well be postponed since there will be nobody participating.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 8th from 10:21 to 10:46

    These are my links for March 8th from 10:21 to 10:46:

    • Is Chuck DeVore Making A Comeback in OC 3rd Supervisoral District? – The FlashReport.org today released an intriguing poll of the 3rd Supervisor District that revealed some surprising results.

      There are, as yet, no definitively declared candidates. The closest is former 3rd District Supervisor Todd Spitzer. Couple of weeks ago, I saw an e-mail from a wealthy donor soliciting support for Spitzer and stating he would be announcing about now, but no word as yet.

      Former Assemblyman and U.S. Senate candidate Chuck DeVore is actively looking at the race, as well.

      But let’s get to the poll, conducted for FR by SmithJohnson Research. The survey was conducted March 1-2 of 300 registered voters in the 3rd District. The margin of error is 5.6%.

      The poll tests a five-candidate field of Spitzer, DeVore, Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche, Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang and Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu but the most interesting stuff comes from the one-on-one poll testing of a Spitzer-DeVore contest.

      +++++++

      This will be a race to watch.

    • Sen. John McCain back fundraising in California this week – Former 2008 presidential candidate John McCain, a strong supporter of gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman, is back fundraising in the Bay Area this month — this time at a pricey benefit to fund campaigns to win a 2012 Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.

      The Arizona U.S. Senator stars at a what's being touted as "an intimate roundtable breakfast" on March 22 for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the venture capital enclave of Menlo Park.

      The invites specifically say the purpose of the McCain fundraising is "to gain a majority in the Senate in 2012!"

      McCain's CA visit comes the weekend after the state GOP's big convention in Sacramento, where Mississipi Gov. Haley Barbour will deliver the Saturday night keynote address; but so far, McCain has no announced plans to visit the 3-day statewdie party gathering starting March 18.

      +++++++

      The California ATM foe the GOP has already started a new cycle

    • California Tax and Budget Debate – Fact, Fancy and Fudges – As the rhetoric heats up, it may be useful to explore some of the main talking points.

      Anti-tax groups contend that voting to place taxes before voters would violate GOP legislators' no-new-taxes pledges. There is, however, an obvious difference between enacting taxes directly and placing them on the ballot. And since anti-tax groups routinely insist that taxes should require voter approval, chalk up one for hypocrisy.

      Likewise, the anti-tax groups also insist that voters have already spoken when they rejected a 2009 budget package that would have kept the temporary taxes in place for a longer period.

      Wrong. The length of the income, sales and car tax increases was not directly before voters in 2009; the election hinged largely on other issues.

      Brown and supporters of the taxes stress that they are temporary – an additional five years – and that the proceeds would go to local governments and schools.

      In fact, however, they would go to local agencies only because those agencies would be taking on functions that are being shifted from the state, so the net effect of the added revenues would be to take pressure off the state budget.

      The argument that the taxes would be temporary is also suspect, since under Brown's plan the state would be constitutionally obligated to pay for the programmatic shifts to local governments even after the tax extensions expired.

      A permanent obligation financed by a temporary revenue stream is folly; it's a better than 50-50 bet that were Brown's plan adopted, five years later he or his successor would be seeking to extend the taxes again or make them permanent.

      Brown also contends that the tax extensions would fill only half the budget hole, with sharp spending cuts, especially in health and welfare, filling the rest.

      But many of the cuts are actually funding shifts; Democrats are scaling back the real cuts and many of them would either require federal waivers, be subject to litigation, or both.

      +++++++++

      The GOP doesn't want to raise taxes and wants cuts in California's State Budget.

      Jerry Brown and the Democrats don't want to cut spending and wish to shift responsibilities and funding tothe cities and counties who have no easy way to pay for them.

      Looks like a stalemate to me.

  • Chuck DeVore,  Dianne Feinstein

    Chuck DeVore to Challenge Senator Dianne Feinstein in 2012?

    chuckdevoretweets CA Sen: Chuck DeVore Preparing to Run for Irvine City Council?

    Termed out California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore

    Yes, and I received an e-mail from Chuckles last week saying he will be running for something in 2012 and asking for money to get his California state campaign account out of debt.

    If he thinks he can beat long time Senator Dianne Feinstein who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, he is suffering from delusions of grandeur. Even the LEFT is skeptical and they are not greats fans of DiFi.

    Despite getting only a small vote share in the GOP Senate primary this year (as conservatives decided to go with the slightly-more-electable Carly Fiorina), Chuck DeVore is talking Senate again, for 2012, when Dianne Feinstein will presumably run for re-election. Or is he? All he’s saying is that he’s likely to run in 2012, but hasn’t decided what office. Senate is the only thing that’s available, though, which makes his statement seem kind of strange (unless he’s talking about trying to rejoin the state Assembly). If Barbara Boxer could still win by 10 points in a terrible year, the more-popular Feinstein in a presidential year is an even more daunting target, meaning that DeVore may be the only prominent GOPer crazy enough to take on the task.

  • Carly Fiorina,  Chuck DeVore,  Tom Campbell

    CA-Sen Poll Watch: Carly Fiorina Up Big With 54%, Tom Campbell 19%, Chuck DeVore 16%

    Carly Fiorina, a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, speaks to reporters in front of the county building Monday, June 7, 2010 in San Diego. At left, San Diego city council member Carl DeMaio looks on, with Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler, right. Fiorina is battling former Congressman Tom Campbell and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for the opportunity to challenge incumbent, Democrat Barbara Boxer. AP Photo

    The latest and final Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies poll has Carly Fiorina up big.

    Looking at the changes in the US Senate contest, Carly Fiorina’s campaign has increased her support by 10 points, up from 44%, Tom Campbell has dropped 2 points from 21% to 19% and Chuck Devore has increased by 2 points, up from 14%. Other candidate support has decreased 2 points to 5%, and undecided voters has decreased 8 points from 14%.

    Here is the composite Pollster graph:

    This race is over.

    Put a fork in Chuck DeVore and Tom Campbell – they are done.

    Tom Campbell can make plans to go back to Chapman Law School and Chuck DeVore (the termed out California Assemblyman) can run for the City of Irvine Mayor or City Council.

    Bring on Barbara Boxer………

  • Carly Fiorina,  Chuck DeVore,  Tom Campbell

    CA-Sen: Carly Fiorina Takes Big Lead Over Tom Campbell and Chuck DeVore is Toast

    senaterepublicans CA-Sen Poll Watch: Campbell 32.6% Fiorina 28.2%   DeVore 15.3%

    California U.S. Senate candidates Tom Campbell, Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore

    Graphic courtesy of Calbuzz

    Yes, a fairly substantial lead that has been sustained now in three recent surveys.

    A new Magellan Strategies poll in California confirms other recent surveys which show Carly Fiorina (R) has surged into the lead for the Republican Senate nomination.

    Fiorina leads with 44%, while Tom Campbell (R) is at 21% and Chuck DeVore is at 14%.

    The poll:

    Obviously, Carly Fiorina has SURGED into a convincing lead as California voters participate in early and absentee ballot voting.

    Survey results from the US Senate ballot test show Carly Fiorina with a 23 point lead over former Congressman Tom Campbell 44% to 21% and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore with 14%. Seven percent support another candidate, and 14% of voters are undecided. Support for Carly Fiorina has surged 24 points since our last survey on February 25th from 20% to 44%, and Tom Campbell’s support has declined 12 points from 33% to 21%. Chuck DeVore has made a small gain among men, increasing his support by 3 points from 11% to 14%.

    Looks like Tom Campbell is collapsing as Independent Expenditure Committees run ads against him and Chuck Devore is a NEVER-WAS. With DeVore at only 7 points above another candidate and 30 points behind Fiorina, his candidacy is TOAST.

    But, the race is fluid – so stay tuned……


  • Carly Fiorina,  Chuck DeVore,  Tom Campbell

    CA-Sen Poll Watch: Carly Fiorina SURGES Into the Lead and Chuck DeVore Becomes An “Other”



    From the latest Survey USA Poll

    This is hilarious. LOST ended last night but “The Others” are still around. Namely IT is California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore who is polling so low that ABC News Los Angeles does not name him anymore.

    In the meantime, Carly Fiorina has SURGED to a commanding lead in this race.

    CA Republicans Whitman & Fiorina Surge; Air Goes Out of Poizner Statehouse Balloon; Campbell’s Train to DC Stalls: California’s Republican primary contests for Governor and US Senator have sea-sawed, according to new SurveyUSA polling conducted for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno.

    In the Republican primary for US Senator, support for former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is up sharply in the past 2 weeks, from 24% on 05/10/10 to 46% today 05/24/10. Fiorina’s support has more than doubled among women, seniors, Hispanics, the less educated, and in the Inland Empire. During these 2 weeks, Former Congressman Tom Campbell’s support dropped 12 points, from 35% on 05/10/10 to 23% today 05/24/10.

    Looks like DeVore’s electoral support will end up less than 20 per cent (14 % in this poll). Tom Campbell has collapsed into the 20th percentile while Carly Fiorina gathers up the rest.

    Plus, Carly is continuing her heavy advertising media blitz, including television.

    Looks like a strong finish for the former Hewlett-Packard CEO.


  • Chuck DeVore

    CA-Sen: Chuck DeVore Having a Republican Richard Blumenthal Moment?

    The uniform California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore was NOT wearing when he WASN’T shot at in Lebanon

    Looks like California U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Devore is having a Richard Blumenthal type moment: the candidate’s words on military service differ from history.

    Read it all over at the Los Angeles Times.

    Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chuck DeVore made sure that the June 8 ballot described him as “Assemblyman/Military Reservist” because, the Irvine lawmaker said, he didn’t want to be mistaken for just another politician.

    The remark reflected his effort to portray himself as an outsider in California politics — albeit one in sync with both the Republican faithful and the “tea party” protesters who have fanned voter disdain for officials in Washington and Sacramento.

    “What I have is a solid public record of conservative credentials, whether in office, in the community, or in the uniform of the United States Army,” DeVore, 48, said during a recent debate with his opponents or the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer in the fall.

    But, I thought California ballot designations were to be of current occupations and Chuck DeVore is retired military reservist, no?

    Throughout the campaign, DeVore has emphasized his service as a military officer and a young Reagan White House appointee at the Pentagon as experiences that helped make him the most qualified candidate. But at times he appears to have overstated those accomplishments, particularly his experience under fire and his role in the development of a U.S.-Israeli anti-ballistic-missile defense program.

    And, what about the BS of him being shot at in Lebanon, when he wasn’t even in the U.S. Army but a college student.

    He spoke during the debate of being “shot at in Lebanon” but did not make clear that the shooting occurred in the 1980s while DeVore was a college student studying Arabic and other subjects in the Middle East. Nor did he note that while the shooting was in his vicinity, there was no indication he was a target or was in actual danger.

    DeVore said in a later interview that he was a credentialed reporter for the Orange County Register when the shooting occurred. He said he had called the Israeli military requesting to see the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon — identifying himself as an American student studying in Egypt, a reporter and member of the U.S. Army Reserve — and was included in a media tour.

    “The Syrians shot at us and kind of drove us off the hill, because they didn’t want press over there. It was like warning shots,” said DeVore, adding that he and the Israeli soldiers immediately took cover.

    DeVore mentioned that former ABC News correspondent Bob Zelnick was among the journalists on the tour. Zelnick said the group climbed an observation tower in Israeli-occupied Lebanese territory, from which the Bekaa Valley could be seen. He recalls the Israeli troops taunting the Syrians, who fired shots in response. But Zelnick said they were out of range and that Israeli journalists present had publicly teased him for reacting to the gunshots. “Nothing I saw or experienced could reasonably be interpreted as our having been driven off the hill by Syrian fire,” he said.

    Frank Dowse, a Fiorina supporter and a retired 20-year Marine veteran from San Diego who served as a top advisor to NATO, said any attempt by DeVore — subtle or not — to imply that the Lebanon incident was related to his military service “is a bad move.”

    Then, there is DeVore’s claim that he was instrumental in the successful funding of the Israeli Arrow anti-ballistic missile system in a Reagan Administration job his mother and father helped him obtain.

    “So in his office, I dictated to him a “Dear Colleague” letter that he personally typed up on his Selectric typewriter,” DeVore said. “Within a week, Duncan Hunter had 40-plus signatures — House and Senate, Republican and Democrats, that went to Reagan and [then-Defense Secretary Caspar] Weinberger … the idea was born.”

    Hunter was then a Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. In a recent interview, he recalled DeVore as a staunch advocate of the Arrow program on behalf of the Reagan administration — but Hunter said he wrote the letter, and pursued the idea, on his own.

    “I drafted the letter that was signed by members of the Armed Services Committee, recommending that Israel embark on the missile defense program,” said Hunter, whose son now represents that congressional district.

    Hunter said that he and members of the Reagan administration were working on ways to develop defenses to medium-range missiles at that time, so it would be difficult to credit any one person for the successful funding of the Arrow missile.

    “No one in the administration said, ‘It was my idea’ — DeVore included,” Hunter said.

    Good grief what embellishments and half truths. I guess that is something you have to expect from someone who has made a career in running for public office.

    Read the rest here.


  • Carly Fiorina,  Chuck DeVore,  Tom Campbell

    CA-Sen: Should Chuck DeVore or Carly Fiorina Drop Out of the Republican Primary Election?

    Here is a static screen shot:

    I think Erick Erickson over at Red State has gone insane in the membrane over this post. But, then again, I said a few weeks ago that he was NOT serious and was simply covering his ass should Tom Campbell win.

    However, it appears that Tom Campbell has topped out and the latest PPIC poll released last night shows him static or fading with Carly Fiorina besting Chuck DeVore by 9 points.

    So, who should drop out?

    I don’t think either at this point since Fiorina is leading or tied in the polls, has a robust media campaign ongoing and has the most campaign cash. Contrast this with DeVore who has run one television ad once and who has no money for a media campaign the last three weeks. Carly simply does NOT need DeVore to drop out to beat Tom Campbell, who, by the way, has pulled all of his campaign ads off television and radio and is rumored to be out of money.

    If Chuck DeVore wishes to continue an embarrassingly negative, underfunded, futile campaign, then let it fly.

    It is DeVore’s future after he loses.


  • Carly Fiorina,  Chuck DeVore,  Tom Campbell

    CA-Sen Poll Watch: Fiorina 25% Campbell 23% DeVore 16%

    senaterepublicans CA-Sen Poll Watch: Campbell 32.6% Fiorina 28.2%  DeVore 15.3%

    California U.S. Senate candidates Tom Campbell, Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore

    Graphic courtesy of Calbuzz

    The latest PPIC poll has just been released.

    The Republican senate primary race is also close, with Carly Fiorina (25%) and Tom Campbell (23%) deadlocked, as they were in March (24% Fiorina, 23% Campbell), and support doubling for Chuck DeVore (16% today, 8% March) among GOP likely voters. Thirty-six percent are undecided. Fiorina and Campbell have similar levels of support among men (29% Fiorina, 25% Campbell, 17% Devore), with 29 percent undecided. Support for the two candidates is also similar among women (21% Fiorina, 20% Campbell, 14% DeVore), but 44 percent of women are still undecided.

    And, with the Fiorina campaign just starting a television media blitz while Campbell and Devore are “off air” the momentium continues with Fiorina. With three weeks to go before election day, Carly Fiorina is the one to beat.

    With Chuck DeVore mired in third place, yet again in another poll, people are speculating when he will withdraw.

    The Fiorina campaign had this to say about the poll:

    Carly for California Deputy Campaign Manager for Communications Julie Soderlund today issued the following statement in response to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll of California’s U.S. Senate race that was released this evening:

    “Since declaring her candidacy in November, Carly has been laying the groundwork for a campaign that inspires enthusiasm among Republicans and sets the stage for an epic fight to retire a 28-year failed senator. Today’s PPIC poll confirms that hard work produces results. Carly has traveled across California talking to voters, inspiring volunteers to join the campaign and raising funds for a robust voter contact program. These are the necessary ingredients of a winning campaign, and we fully expect the momentum to continue building as we march toward victory on June 8.

    “This poll also demonstrates that former Congressman Campbell’s high watermark of support for his candidacy has come and gone as Republican voters learn he is not a fiscal conservative and has not been honest with the people of California about his 20-year record of support for tax increases and more government spending. Generally speaking, once a candidate falls behind, he never retakes the lead. Tom Campbell’s standing with voters is declining and Carly’s is growing. It smells like a trend that is moving in Carly’s favor.”