So the Contra Costa newspaper hasdone a story on the Flash Report’s Jon Fleischman who often blogs from bed. The story gives undue credit to the Flash Report for trumping up the GOP senators who continue to hold the budget hostage. Flesichman also suggests putting pressure on Sen. Abel Maldonado to change his vote for the budget back to one against it.
But this passage and quote made me laugh:  “I don’t pretend to be objective,” the longtime GOP activist said last week in his modest tract home in Orange County, aka blog headquarters. “I operate under the premise that conservatives are right and liberals are wrong.“
I could go into an entire list of issues Conservatives have been wrong about, but I can’t stop laughing about it.ÂÂ
But let’s get to the point of this post.
The MSM (one newspaper) is citing the “clout” of the Flash Report in holding Republicans together (least they suffer the party’s wrath come re-election time) during this budget squabble. Millions of Californians are being adversely affected by this budget stalemate. And most blame the GOP for the problem. At what point does the affected public turn their scorn and ridicule from the GOP senators to the Flash Report? I mean, if the Flash Report is as influential as the CCTimes says it is, when will people hurt by the lack of a budget start turning up at Jon’s modest tract house and start protesting? ÂÂ
And for the GOP senators subjected to the daily Stuart Smalley treatment by Jon and his blog, a reminder you were elected to serve the people of California and not the blog de Fleischman. And if you truly fear political backlash by defying the Flash Report, then might I suggest you’re not worthy to retain the seat you were elected to anyway.
An Update” Another familiar, “Oh Governor, thous has forsaken us” tale of woe for Arnold over on the Flash Report this afternoon. But a startling misrepresentation by Fleischman:
“Make no bones about it, the legislation that has been proposed is not the state budget. It is a proposed state budget, and it is one that is not acceptable to 2/3rds of the legislators in both houses.”
Actually, the legislation proposed is not acceptable to 14 legislators in one house; the Assembly already passed this bill. And truth be told, the bill is barely acceptable to slightly more than one third of the upper house’s secondary party. Spin it all you want Jon. We just need one more flip.
hmmmm.
Oh it’s not Fleishman who is keeping everyone in line, it’s the fear that the party will run someone against you in the primary. Look at what happened to Tom Harman, who used to be a sensible, moderate Republican. The Republicans came after him with everything they had.
Now he has turned into someone who will never buck the party line, no matter how idiotic it may be.
The irony of the Harman story is that he is now far more vulnerable than he might have been because he will never receive support from the environmental community or RINO’s again. Why bother helping a moderate if he is just another rubber stamp?