[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.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by gjones [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

Last year the state GOP’s chief operations officer resigned under fire after media reports revealed he had sued federal officials who jailed him in 2004 for alleged visa violations and attempted to deport him.

The SF Chronicle reported this week that Michael Kamburowski, an Australian citizen had “no valid visa or work permit – and no legal right to stay in the United States.” Uh, oh…

Embarassing as that was, Kamburowski is the gift that just keeps on giving to the Republicans. It seems that Kamburowski hired ANOTHER ALIEN, this one a Canadian. GOP staffer Christopher Matthews – on the San Diego Republican Party payroll – also served as deputy political director for the California Republican Party.

In each case, Matthews had a visa. But, “citizens of other countries who work here on nonimmigrant visas can only use one kind at a time and only work for the employer who petitioned them”.

Yet another Republican foreign worker targeted by immigration officials.

The California GOP obviously needs a “guest worker” program.

Or some common sense.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The ever-thoughtful California GOP consultant Dan Schnur, who was communications director for John McCain the last time he tried to be president, wrote in a NY Times piece today that Sen. Clinton would be a tougher opponent than Sen. Obama. (Full disclosure: I used to appear on Sacramento's News 10 with Schnur to do political commentary.)
 
It's an interesting perspective.
 
"So throughout the Democratic primaries, I’ve been rooting for Barack Obama. The nobler side of me admires him, even across party lines, for the tremendous interest and enthusiasm he has engendered among younger Americans. But the larger, less decent part of me believes that Hillary Clinton would be a more formidable general election opponent for the Republican nominee. She’s certainly on the ropes right now: her campaign has been flailing through the last few rounds of primaries in a way that Clintons are usually able to avoid. But we’ve been losing to Clintons for a long time now: I’d still just as soon avoid her in a general election campaign."

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

So, let me get this straight: there are actually people in the California GOP who don't want to self-destruct and are open to—gasp—moving to the center? That's the message from major donor and businessman Lawrence K. Dodge,the Sacramento Bee reports. Naturally, the party insiders are alreadypushing back.

Senator Dianne Feinstein has stepped onto the scene in Sacramento tomeet with lawmakers about a potential deal on a water bond, accordingto the Bee.The question is to what degree she will carry water for the Governor —pun partially intended—in seeking middle ground between his and the Democrats' plans.

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says he's running for another term but didn't ruling out a gubernatorial bid in a interview with Charlie Rose this week, the Los Angeles Timesreports. His numbers have lagged since the affair and divorce—can hebring them back up?

There's more...

Photo courtesy of the Sacramento Bee.

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]