Note to the Governor: The Flash Report Officially Demands You Do Something

Hillary Clinton called it a “vast right-wing conspiracy.” Conservatives call it “message discipline.” Others call it the “right-wing noise machine.” Here at TheLiberalOC.com we call it “crap.” And from time to time, we will bring their swill to you in our forum called…

 

I read the Flash Report so you don’t have to.  Today’s commentary (another Carona-free commentary day and a Carona-less month of November) from Jon Fleischman calls on the Governor to declare a state of fiscal emergency. 

Unlike the Republicans in the State Senate, the Governor doesn’t take policy advice from a blog especially from a blog that continues to ignore the two big elephants in the room (Carona and the rosy financial picture of the California GOP).  While its very convenient for conservatives like Jon to blame the state’s financial woes on Democrats, I wonder what the excuse is about the massive shortfall in his own party’s bank account?

If the Governor actually cared about what the Flash Report demands, he might actually follow the advice offered.  Since he doesn’t, I think its safe to say he won’t be calling Jon any longer.

DON’T FORGET TO FLUSH![audio:flush.mp3]

21 Comments

  1. Dan, but do you agree or disagree with Jon calling on the Governor to declare a state of Fiscal Emergency? Amidst the snideness, snarkiness and non sequiturs, you managed to avoid responding to Jon’s point.

  2. Matt — I believe the last time the state found itself is such a financial straights, Jon’s response was “recall the Governor.” The only real difference today is that the Governor is a Republican. So we spent all those millions on a recall election and special elections that did not push forth the conservative agenda and where did we really go? Back to square one.

  3. You neglect to mention that Gray Davis admitted to hiding to size of the deficit until after he was safely and narrowly re-elected. It was that deliberately deceiving the voters thing that broke the camels back and helped spark the recall.

    And you still haven’t responded to what Jon actually said.

  4. Given the fact the governor could care less what Fleischman writes this is a non-starter issue.

    I agree with Dan. I’ll believe conservatives are serious when they start a recall issue.

    Matt. I disagree with the reasons Davis was recalled. The proverbial straw was the reinstatement of the VLF. Davis learned the hard way that once you give a tax back to the voters, it’s no longer available as a revenue source in the future.

    Especially with all the right wing whack jobs who claim to disdain government and taxes (like Jon) but have no problem collecting a government paycheck.

  5. Given the fact the governor could care less what Fleischman writes this is a non-starter issue.

    Do you know the Governor could care less about when Jon writes? Maybe he doesn’t. maybe he does. Neither of us know, RHackett, so that’s not a reason for ignoring what Jon is calling for.

    I agree with Dan. I’ll believe conservatives are serious when they start a recall issue.

    Another bogus standard that just enables the user of it to avoid discussing the issue Jon raised.

    Matt. I disagree with the reasons Davis was recalled.

    We can disagree about what the straw was, but I think we can agree the recall was an accumulation of issues and frustration with Davis that cut across the political spectrum. There is simply no way the recall could have succeed if it were simply a Republican effort. It wasn’t just Republican signing the recall petition or voting to recall Gov. Davis.

    Especially with all the right wing whack jobs who claim to disdain government and taxes (like Jon) but have no problem collecting a government paycheck.

    Another bogus standard. By your logic, government service should be limited only to liberals.

  6. Matt —
    The folks running the show in Sacramento already know they have a fiscal crisis on their hands. And I’m sure they are working on the best available option; I hope that addresses the issue Jon brought up. If its not good enough for you, it’s the best I’m going to offer.

    The notion that a blog should direct public policy and that Jon knows best what the Governor should do are both simply delusions of grandeur/ Flash Report has lost considerable steam due to Jon’s refusal to comment on the Carona case. Given how much Jon promotes his “insider” status, the Governor isn’t going to check in with him on a public policy issue. That one phone call, made long ago, isn’t happening again.

    That all said — conservatives couldn’t beat Gray Davis at the Ballot and a recall with a celebrity candidate was the only way back to the state house. I’d go so far to say voters didn’t vote for a Republican for governor; they voted instead for the movie star. The Terminator……

  7. If its not good enough for you, it’s the best I’m going to offer.

    Not if you’re going post a nasty little attack on Jon for making a suggestion about what the Governor should do.

    As for the Governor and FR, you’re about the only one brining up that phone call. Yet you harp on it like Jon mentions it in every other post.

    Next time you or any other LiberalOC blogger makes a suggestion for an elected official, would you like a pile-on of “delusions of grandeur” accusations?

  8. Dude, we don’t “officially” call on politicians to do anything. We provide commentary. I’m not elected. You’re not elected. Jon sure as hell isn’t elected. And you’re right; he doesn’t reference the phone call every other ppost but does reference “My governor” as though Schwartzenegger owes him something and Jon does refer to liberals and Democrats as “the forces of evil.”

    If you want to pile it on, go ahead. All I have to do is keep asking why Jon, Adam P, Chuck et al doesn’t say a peep about Mike Carona.

  9. Jubal,

    If you want to pile it on, go ahead. All I have to do is keep asking why Jon, Adam P, Chuck et al doesn’t say a peep about Mike Carona.

    From this list isn’t Jon the only one that was a paid spokesperson for Sheriff Mike Carona? Would the fact that we the taxpayers paid him to speak for the Sheriff be a reason enough that his comments on his former employer and political ally are important.

    Does a spokespersons ethics stop when they are employed? I don’t know Jon other than from his writings. He seems like a man of conviction (note – I didn’t say convicted!). Why would his sense of right and wrong stop at the doorstep of Sheriff Carona?

  10. Jon used to be one of the sheriff’s spokesmen; he is a private consultant now and recently did media relations for Carona post-indictment on a pro-bono basis. I’m sure all the reporters that didn’t write exactly what Jon wanted displayed a liberal media bias.

  11. Do you know the Governor could care less about when Jon writes? Maybe he doesn’t. maybe he does. Neither of us know, RHackett, so that’s not a reason for ignoring what Jon is calling for.

    Yes I do. Adam P reported on an incident where the Governor was at an event with Nehring and said, “watch out, you’ll get mentioned in the FlashReport.” Or words to that effect. Adam tried to imply the Governor was giving Jon some type of credibility, while those I know who were at the event tell me the Governor and everyone else were laughing in a “who cares” manner. As Dan pointed out, Jon has lost significant credibility in his refusal to ignore the Carona indictment. Other than folks Like Gary South who read the FR for opposition research, I doubt anyone is getting any policy direction via Jon’s discourse. During the budget standoff last summer the Dems spoke to the citizens of CA, the GOP spoke to each other via the FR. Given the GOP finally agreed to a budget that was offered at the beginning, you tell me which strategy worked better.

    Another bogus standard. By your logic, government service should be limited only to liberals.

    Didn’t say that at all. You did. Jon and other conservative whack jobs like to talk about how government is force because of the way taxes are collected. The implication being that taxation is immoral. Never mind that duty and power is granted to our elected leaders via the Constitution. My point is that if taxation is as evil as the whack jobs claim there would be a moral imperative against taking dollars taken by force.

    Jon and others like him have no problem doing that.

  12. Jon and other conservative whack jobs like to talk about how government is force because of the way taxes are collected. The implication being that taxation is immoral.

    Hold on. You are making that implication.

    And what is taxation if not force? What does the IRS do if you don’t pay your taxes?

    I can’t think of a single conservative who thinks taxes are immoral. That’s a pure red herring.

  13. Dude, we don’t “officially” call on politicians to do anything. We provide commentary. I’m not elected. You’re not elected. Jon sure as hell isn’t elected.

    Dan, what does that even mean?

    Jon wrote a post calling on the Governor to take a certain action — not exactly a rare thing in the blogosphere.

    You create a “FlushReport” post about it that ‘s dripping with sarcasm and unrelated arguments, but in terms of the “debunking” the FlushReport is supposed to do, there is zilch.

    And now your response is that you don’t have to actually respond to the substance of Jon’s post until he, Chuck DeVore, Probolsky and others say something about the totally unrelated topic of Carona?

  14. Then the dialogue about taking taxes by force is okay to those who put forth that idea? Are you saying the context in which the statment is made that taxes aren’t immoral?

    I just take great humor in whack jobs such as yourself who rant and rave about government and make the “force” argument have no problem putting their hands if a couple of those forcibly taken dollars will fall into them. As far as what happens if I don’t pay my taxes. I have several private companies who react the same way. If I don’t pay my electric bill my lights get shut off. It’s not like I have a lot of options. Yet I never hear you criticize that group when they raise rates. So do continue with the govt. is evil diatribe. It’s the govt. protected monopolies or oligopolies (like oil companies) who are really bending you over yet you’re too busy looking the other way at your govt. bogeyman. Now this may come as a real shock. The US Constitution we as citizens agree to abide by allows government to have that power. And they will continue to have that power until we citizens take it from them. The “force” rhetoric is actually your “red herring.” I thought I would put that into a term you would understand.

    I do like your comments. You sound like a HS debate student when you throw out terms like “red herring” and “strawman.” It only reinforces my points on the hypocrisy of those who claim to dislike government but have no problem manipulating the process to their own gain. Like Jon for example.

  15. Threads that involve Matt Cunningham always seem to end with the same terms thrown in “red hering”, “strawman”, or “stoopid liberals”.

    The original point was very simple. Jon should comment on the Sheriff. This is a huge story in the County, State and is receiving national coverage. Second, as a former paid county employee and confidant of Carona come he should come clean with his loyal readers! There are some obvious people we expect to hear from on certain issues.

    Jon, Adam P, Hunt and Moxley —> Sheriff Carona

    Moorloch —> Taxes, Pensions, Chriss Street

    Norby —> Sexual Harassment

    Harkey —> Excessive spending by rich candiates

    Art Pedroza —> All things Santa Ana

    Gustavo —> OC Diocese

    Devore —> Hemp and Nukes

    Mike Schroder —> On how Republicans squash other Republicans

    Trung Nguyen —> Photoshop tips and techniques

    Jubal —> Shakey handheld camera’s, quality blog service, Child molestation (friends of Urell), SunCal, SunCal, SunCal…oh and strawmen and red herrings!

  16. Just…asking:

    The point of this post was the curious logical leap that because Jon has been silent on Carona, then Schwarzenegger should ignore Jon’s request that he declare a state of fiscal emergency.

    Because as we all know, those two issue are closely and inextricably related.

  17. Ok, I agree that the leap between Jon and Schwarzenegger is an odd one, but…

    Don’t you think that since Jon was a public employee paid by our tax dollars (both Democrat and Republican), who was sworn to uphold the constitution should be open and truthful on this subject?

    Lets acknowledge reality, blog managers like Jon and yourself use your positions all the time to express views and comment on topics of interest. Why has Jon and FR chosen to not comment about such a huge topic that he has so much knowledge about? I would think this is a question we could agree on.

    You personally took a lot of heat for the Urell fiasco. After some time you addressed the issue straightforwardly. That is what readers should expect from Jon. Yes Jon has readers that don’t always agree with him or his blogpen’s viewpoints, but they are still loyal readers. Don’t they deserve the same respect, should blog authors not be truthful?

    Party politics have a valid place in these dialouges, and I would expect Jon to put the best R foot forward. But his connection to this story should go beyond politics, he was our employee during the period of many of these allegations for which our sheriff is being indicted.

    If he has been notified not to talk about the case because he is a part of or will be a witness in this case thats ok. Just tell his readers that! Isn’t that what you would do?

  18. Dan:

    Maybe you can explain why you think Jon can’t demand public policy actions? He lives in America, too, doesn’t he?

    Then maybe you can take on the herculean task of taking to task every blogger, right, left or middle, who demands this-or-that policy action.

  19. Jubal. For me the questions about Jon’s comments are his own credibility. Given his blatant hypocrisy why should I care what he demands of the Governor? What makes his demands more important than mine?

    I willing to bet I’m not the only one thinks Jon’s demands are cute and not much else. He’s akin to being invited to Thanksgiving dinner and being directed to sit at the childrens table while the adults are talking.

  20. Jubal.

    You asked earlier how did I know the Governor didn’t care about Jon’s commentary. This just hit me. Jon’s been railing against Susan Kennedy as the Gov’s Chief of Staff since her appointment. Guess what? She’s still there.

Comments are closed.