Barbara Boxer’s opponents may be exulting in her “vulnerability” as the 2010 election approaches, but they shouldn’t be tempted to underestimate California’s junior senator.  With practically zero effort, Boxer remains tied with or slightly behind two potential opponents – Tom Campbell and Carly Fiorina – according to a recent Field Poll.  

What would you do if you were asked to cut more than $18 billion out of the California budget? Many of our state legislators hem and haw at such a prospect, but you, the citizen at home, can make your views heard. 

At the least, you can see where your views on spending and the budget align with your fellow citizen, by checking out the newest think tank tool to assess spending and taxing in California.

Iraqi election (March 7th) results are still uncertain.  Prime Minister incumbent, Nouri al-Maliki, is challenging American favorite Ayad Allawi, who is said to have won the election.  As they battle for the most powerful position in Iraq, the fact remains that Maliki is currently commander-in-chief of Iraqi armed forces. 

A new California law which allows nonviolent prisoners to be released from county jails and state prisons without police supervision is drawing sharp criticism from law enforcement and crime victims groups. Opponents of the legislation are worried that unsupervised criminals will be more likely to re-offend, and that the measure might end up adding to the state's budget crisis.

The kerfuffle last week over the California Chamber of Commerce attack ad on Jerry Brown was not only an opening salvo in the expected race for governor between Attorney General Brown and eBay founder Meg Whitman, it also underscores concerns over campaign funding and financing in general.

While the Tea Party has planned nationwide rallies on April 15, the Coffee Party will be quietly discussing partisan warfare in Washington DC.  At Busboys and Poets, a panel of political thinkers will be exploring the topic "Ending the Partisan Warfare in America" and how to overcome this increasingly poisonous rift in order to effect genuine political change.

California’s political climate is enigmatic.   It is a roller coaster, topsy-turvy kind of state, or so says an op-ed in the Long Beach Press Telegram by Dan Walters.

ABC News reports that the upcoming November ballot initiative to legalize the cultivation, possession, and recreational use of marijuana (the Tax Cannabis Act) is getting support from some unexpected allies.

Imagine if, in your personal life, you ran a budget deficit for 18 consecutive months.  Or, imagine if you owned a business, and you ran a budget deficit for 18 straight months. 

In either scenario, you wouldn't survive.  Your family would suffer, your employees would suffer, and you'd be caught in the grip of punishing financial hardship. 

The tea party movement expects to make another big splash on April 15.  With turnout anticipated to be in the millions, tea party supporters will take to the streets in an effort to revive the long-forgotten concept of fiscal conservatism.