• Barbara Boxer,  California Republican Party

    Poll Watch: Senator Barbara Boxer Continues Unpopular

    California U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer answering a question during election 2010

    The latest PPP Poll is quite revealing.

    There’s no such post election bounce for Barbara Boxer. She continues to have more voters (47%) disapproving of her than approve (45%). That was the case throughout her entire 2010 campaign and she got reelected by double digits anyway. You can take that as a sign that the entire GOP is hopeless in California or simply that the party needs to start nominating much stronger candidates but at any rate what they’re doing now is not good enough to even hold an unpopular Senator to a single digit win.

    Obviously, the California GOP needs to rebrand itself and recruit new and younger candidates for the future. It may take quite a while though – if ever.

  • California

    California Iconic Bear Flag Celebrates 100th Anniversary

    Historic Bear Flag raised at Sonoma on June 14, 1846, by a group of American settlers in revolt against Mexican rule. The flag was designed by William Todd on a piece of new unbleached cotton. The star imitated the lone star of Texas. A grizzly bear represented the many bears seen in the state. The word, “California Republic” was placed beneath the star and bear. It was adopted by the 1911 State Legislature as the State Flag

    Governor Hiram Johnson signed the legislation making the Bear Flag above the designated flag of the Golden State 100 years ago today.
  • California Republican Party

    GOP Brand Dead in Deep-Blue California?

    Yeah, probably so – at least for now in state-wide offices.

    The Republican Party, as a brand, is dead in California.

    That’s the eye-opening consensus of a crowd of political observers, lawmakers and strategists – Democrats and Republicans – gathered at a UC Berkeley symposium this weekend to mull over California’s defiantly blue status in the wake of a conservative tide that swept the nation in November.

    Many of the 200 attendees at the two-day Institute of Governmental Studies conference appeared surprisingly unified on one issue: that, barring dramatic upheaval, the GOP’s prospects may be doomed in the voter-rich Golden State.

    “Republicans, as a brand, are dead,” Duf Sundheim, the former state GOP chair, told the gathering Saturday.

    Exhibit A: Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley, who had racked up a string of election victories in nonpartisan offices. But Cooley lost the 2010 state attorney general’s race to San Francisco Democrat Kamala Harris. Why? “He had an ‘R’ after his name,” Sundheim said.

    “There’s a brand problem,” agreed Republican Jim Brulte, former state Senate minority leader.

    Here is what I wrote after the November election.

    California with its ethnic and geographic segmentation has been a super Democratic state. But, on the other hand, it appears to be the only state so predisposed, along with New York. The Democratic Party has become a regional, ethnic, and two state party.

    So, what will be the policy implications of these findings?

    • I don’t think the national Republican Party will put too much money into California for statewide races any longer – at least for the foreseeable future.
    • There will be a hardening of national GOP positions on illegal immigration, border security, and illegal alien amnesty.
    • California will not be the recipient of much Congressionally generated pork or bailout monies.
    • The California Republican Party will hunker down into a permanent minority roll and concentrate on winning Congressional and Legislative seats in “RED” districts while waiting for opportunities.
    • California already known as business-unfriendly will be a jobs donor to other states who recruit California businesses.

    California is in a deep blue hole and it may take decades to change – if ever.

    But, the Democrats will have to govern and there will be no excuses – sink or swim. After redistricting and a few election cycles if California does not thrive, the California GOP will re-emerge like a phoenix from the ashes.

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Arnold Schwarzenegger: I Was Addicted to Being Governator

    It is all all about Arnold.

    Arnold Schwarzenegger is pulling no punches in his first formal interview since leaving office, claiming that the highest office in the state left him “addicted” to its power.

    In a recent sit-down the former governor granted to the Austrian newspaper Krone, Schwarzenegger estimates that his seven years as governor cost him about $200 million – $70 million of that in lost movie roles.

    Schwarzenegger also laments the fact that Hollywood salaries have dropped since he left the business.

    He said his abysmal popularity rankings were “just a snapshot” and that “they would have rocketed to the top” had he not been forced out of office by term limits.

    Arnold Schwarzenegger was inexperienced and did not grow in the office. He should have done Californians a favor and retired after his first term.

    He was a very poor leader (finger in the wind) and an even worse Republican. He drove the California GOP into the ground.

    California would have been better served by Democrat Governor Gray Davis who Schwarzenegger replaced in a recall election. At least, Gray Davis would have been termed out and an open election may have brought some worthwhile and experienced GOP candidates to the forefront.

    Good bye Arnold. You won’t be missed.

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Arnold Schwarzenegger Says California Governorship Cost Him $200 Million

    California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2010

    And, he did a lousy job too.

    Serving as California governor cost Arnold Schwarzenegger at least $200 million, the bodybuilding star turned actor and politician told a newspaper in his native Austria, insisting ‘it was more than worth it.”

    Counting expenses and lost income from acting in Hollywood films, “in all it is probably more than $200 million,” he told Krone when asked how much his two terms in Sacramento had cost.

    “But I’m not sorry. It was more than worth it,” he said.

    “What was much worse was the damage my time as governor did to the family. There is a lot there that needs to be repaired,” he said, recalling the many Sunday evenings when his wife, Maria, and children broke out in tears at his heavy work schedule.

    His Governorship made me cry as well.

    He ruined the California Republican Party Brand for at least a decade and California business for longer with his “green global warming” agenda.

  • California

    Reapportionment Preview: Mapping Out States “On the Bubble”

    • "On Tuesday, the Census Bureau will fulfill its constitutional mandate and release its highly anticipated official state population totals and the resulting allotment of House seats and Electoral College votes for the next decade.

    • For some states, there isn’t much suspense. Georgia, Nevada, and Utah are all but certain to gain an additional seat in the House, while Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are all but certain to lose a seat and Ohio is all but certain to lose two seats.

    • However, much like NCAA basketball teams anticipate Selection Sunday, some states are “on the bubble” and won’t know how many seats they will have until Tuesday. According to population estimates released by Election Data Services’ Kimball Brace, the ten states in contention for the “last five” seats in the House (in order of likelihood to make the cut) are South Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, Washington, Texas, New York, California, Arizona, North Carolina, and Illinois.

    • While South Carolina, Washington, California, and North Carolina are all in the running for one additional seat, Minnesota and Illinois are fighting just to preserve their current totals. The big winner, Texas, will gain either three or four new seats. Florida and Arizona will either gain one or two new seats. And New York will lose either one or two of its current seats. What’s at stake in the reapportionment release for these “bubble” states in 2012 and beyond?"

      tags: California Reapportionment

    Read the rest.

    This reapportionment undoubtedly help the GOP in its Presidential ambitions for 2012 as most gains are in already predominate "Red States."

    Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Arnold Schwarzenegger: Hasta La Vista, FAILURE

    Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses the fiscal emergency he declared during a Capitol news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 6, 2010. Schwarzenegger asked lawmakers to meet in a special session to close an immediate $6 billion deficit

    After the disastrous California Governor Gray Davis and his recall some seven years ago, how could anything else go wrong?

    Well, it did and Arnold Schwarzenegger was it – a colossal failure.

    In his headier and hunkier days, Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke boldly about how “failure is not an option.” This kind of bravado worked well in the gym–and in a remarkable career that saw an inarticulate Austrian body-builder rise to the apex of Hollywood and California politics.

    But Schwarzenegger’s soon-to-be-ended seven-year reign as California’s governor can be best described in just that one simple world: failure.

    Read all of the piece.

    Arnold never was able to shake off the Hollywood persona and make believe. He has damaged California and the California Republican Party beyond belief.

    Good bye Arnold and don’t let the door hit you in the ass as you leave – Hasta La Vista, Baby.

    Good riddance.

  • Barack Obama,  Democrats,  GOP,  Taxes

    House Democrats Reject Obama-GOP Tax Cut Deal in Current Form

    Yes, the Democratic Party has suddenly become the “Party of No.”

    The House Democratic Caucus has voted to reject President Barack Obama’s tax deal with Republicans in its current form.

    By voice vote, the rank and file Democrats passed a resolution Thursday that said the tax package should not come to the floor of the House for consideration. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced the resolution.

    Said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas: “If it’s take it or leave it, we’ll leave it.”

    Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said “it’s a pretty clear message. We don’t like the bill.”

    So, what happens if President Obama’s own party does not affirmatively act on the Obama-GOP compromise tax rate/cut bill by the end of the lameduck session next week?

    Taxes will go up on January 1 for everyone.

    Of course, the GOP which in January will control the majority in the House will quickly vote to change the tax rates as soon as the new Congress meets, but, this will take time, Senate action (which is always slow) and economic uncertainty will do nothing positive for America.

    Will the far-left House Democrats of Speaker Nancy Pelosi prevail over their own President?

    Stay tuned here and on Twitter ———->

  • California

    UCLA report: California Economic Recovery is Still Far Off

    Just not right away.

    That’s the gist of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, one of the most closely watched economic crystal balls in the state. The latest quarterly edition of the forecast, to be released today, says unemployment in California won’t dip below 10 percent until the fourth quarter of 2012.The statewide unemployment rate as of October was 12.4 percent.

    Among the factors holding back stronger economic growth in the near term: the ongoing slump in housing, weakness among overseas trading partners, and the state’s budget deficit.

    UCLA senior economist Jerry Nickelsburg said in an interview Monday that the recovery in California will be led largely by exporters."

    There will have to be a major realignment of pro-business policies from new Democrat Governor Jerry Brown and the Democrat dominated California Legislature in order for business to either remain or relocate to California.

    Taxes are very high and business regulations burdensome. Most importantly real estate prices continue in a highly inflated state and there is little new business employment who can support the mortgages.

    Look for outmigration of business to Arizona and Texas which have more pro-business recruitment policies and conservative state governments.

    tags: California UCLA

    Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

  • Taxes

    Obama Sells Out the LEFT: A Republican Win on Taxes

    "There really is no other way to say it: the Republicans won, the liberal Democrats lost, and the president sided with the Republicans. The subject, of course, is an agreement to extend all the Bust tax cuts. The president tonight announced a "bipartisan framework" for agreement on, among other things, to extend the Bush tax cuts for two years. A Republican House aide tells me tonight it is "a damn good deal." And so it is, from the perspective of conservatives.

    As they’ve been demanding, all of the Bush tax cuts are extended for two years. The estate tax that was due to pop back up to a rate of 55 percent was retained, but with a $5 million exemption and at a rate of 35 percent (better than Republicans privately expected). For that huge concession, the president extracted… a 13 month extension in unemployment benefits.

    Now it’s true that the deal includes a one-year payroll tax cut of 2 percent. Plus other tax credits — the earned income credit, the child tax credit and the newly-created college credit — all remain in place. And businesses will be allowed to expense 100 percent of their purchases for equipment. Liberals and White House spinners will argue that the White House "wanted" many of those tax credits and breaks, but in point of fact the Republicans didn’t mind giving more tax breaks. It sounds better to slide those items into the White House’s column, but really the only concession by the Republicans was on extension of the unemployment benefits."

    Indeed correct that the Republicans have won with this deal.

    However, the real winners are the American people.

    Let’s see how well the Obama Administration sells this "compromise" to his own Democratic Party and if there is a revolt – enough to deny passage in the House.

    tags: Taxes Barack_Obama GOP

    Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.