CMR Exclusive: New Republican Blog Means Flash Report Will Have Mainstream GOP Competition

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

In a direct web challenge to the ultra-right wing Flash Report, a group of establishment Republicans will soon start a new political blog designed to appeal to the more moderate wing of the Golden State GOP.

Pushing the new blog, which has yet to be named, is Joel Fox, a long-time Schwarzenegger backer. Fox heads the Small Business Action Committee, a small, mysterious pro-business group that was active in the workers comp overhaul that reduced worker benefits and in the Governor's 2005 failed special election effort. Fox previously was President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) and served as Director of Policy on the Riordan for Governor campaign. Just goes to show you how far right the California GOP has gone if the director of a moderate group is ex of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association!

Fox is expected to be joined in producing the blog by the leaders of the recently announced CRAFT group, which has splintered from the California Republican Party to recruit "moderate" Republicans. CRAFT also is tied closely to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It should be no surprise that establishment Republicans are seeking a presence on the Internet. While Democrats have at least three statewide blogs (Calitics, California Progress Report, and this one), Republicans have only one, The Flash Report published by Jon Fleischman.

Image courtesy Britannica Online Encyclopedia.