Free Republic

California Assemblyman Vince Fong appears to have handily won California’s special election yesterday, bringing the Republican Party’s slim majority in the House up to five. With 87 percent of the votes in, The New York Times had Fong up over opponent and fellow Republican Mike Boudreaux 60.2 to 39.8, making it essentially impossible for Boudreaux to win unless something happens to change that math. Fong won the special election to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who resigned at the end of 2023 after being ousted from the speakership and endorsed Fong in the race. ... Fong had also been...

Bill Fong's night of triumph is still told in bowladromes across the country. "Why are people still talking about this? That’s so many years ago. But I guess my story is not a typical story," Fong says. The Night of Nights Except that it was typical … at least at first. It started on a busy Monday night at the Plano Super Bowl: January 18, 2010. It was a league night, and all 48 lanes were in use. Bill Fong’s Crazy Eights team took lanes 27 and 28. Fong racked up his favorite bowling balls he himself had drilled and...

Selecting San Francisco's former police chief to head the U.S. Border Patrol would encourage more illegal border crossings because she has a record of not enforcing federal immigration laws, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., argues. Heather Fong advocated San Francisco's "sanctuary city" policy of non-cooperation with federal immigration officials, Johnson said in a letter Monday to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. "The selection of such a candidate would send a strong message-both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.-that enforcing our immigration laws is not a priority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection," Johnson wrote.

A former San Francisco police chief and vocal supporter of a sanctuary cities policy is on a short list of candidates to become the new chief of the Border Patrol, according to sources. As police chief, Heather Fong shielded illegal immigrants, including aliens who committed crimes, from deportation. In contrast, it is the job of the U.S. Border Patrol to catch and deport all illegal immigrants, including those with a criminal history.

Former state treasurer Matt Fong has died. Fong was 57 years old. His wife Paula told the Associated Press that he died in their Pasadena home Wednesday morning after losing a battle with skin cancer. Fong, a Republican, held the state office from 1995 to 1998. He also served as Vice Chairman of the California State Board of Equalization and was a 1998 Republican nominee for the United States Senate. Fong was born in Alameda. He was the son of former Democratic California Secretary of State March Fong Eu. March Fong Eu held that officer for 20 years and was...

Cedar Rapids businessman and flood recovery leader Christian Fong has entered the race for governor, calling for new leadership to restore the Iowa dream. “Sadly, today I see the dream being ripped away from future generations,” Fong said. He’s seeking the Republican nomination to challenge first-term Democratic Gov. Chet Culver. “The dream has to be restored.”

Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Mountain View, wants us to remember that when the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York Harbor in 1886, welcoming immigrants from around the world to America, there should have been a sign posted in front that said: "Everyone except Chinese."

San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong, who rose through the ranks to become the city's first female chief nearly five years ago, will announce her retirement today on a radio program hosted by Mayor Gavin Newsom.She plans to step down in April, once she reaches her fifth anniversary as San Francisco's top cop and after she helps with the search for her successor, she said. Fong has served in the police department for more than 30 years.The announcement ends speculation about her long-rumored departure and comes as the city approaches its 100th homicide of the year.Fong told The Chronicle that...

After being assailed by the police officer whose satiric videos earned him and nearly two dozen others suspensions in 2005, San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong acknowledged that she has gone years without taking the target practice required for officers who carry guns. Department rules require all police officers who carry guns to pass shooting range tests every six months... The issue of Fong's proficiency with a gun was raised last week by Officer Andrew Cohen. He wrote to Police Commission President Theresa Sparks that the chief had gone five years without being certified, which he called "an egregious matter...

A funny thing happened over the weekend to the big "Cops Gone Wild" video scandal in San Francisco -- it started getting very quiet. Apparently, Mayor Gavin Newsom and his handlers realized that while the videos were bad, they didn't quite prove -- at least in the public's mind -- Newsom's charge that they were evidence of a "deep-seated" culture of sexism, racism and homophobia running through the department. By Sunday, the message was going out that Newsom -- having made his point and formed a "blue-ribbon" commission to look into the department's culture -- was now ready to get...

SAN FRANCISCO - Two officers under investigation for allegedly participating in video parodies of police life that were branded as racist, sexist and homophobic struck back at city officials Friday, saying the mayor and police chief have mishandled the controversy. Capt. Rick Bruce, who appeared in one of the video clips, criticized Mayor Gavin Newsom and Police Chief Heather Fong's decision to publicly air the video this week. Bruce, who denied any involvement with the making of the video, said the move has unfairly damaged his reputation. "As a result of the past two days, members of the public now...

In his former career as a successful car alarm manufacturer, Rep. Darrell Issa pressured his employees to develop "new product, new product." Issa wanted the newest gadgets, technology and features in a fraction of the standard two-year development cycle. Now Issa brings the same shortened time frame and 'why not?' spirit to a late-blooming political career. Since 1998, he has lost a Republican Senate primary race and won two House races in California. Of late, he has become the driving force behind the effort to recall Gray Davis, California's embattled Democratic governor, and has openly declared his interest in succeeding...