Free Republic

The bipartisan glow that swathed the Capitol this year may give way to partisan rancor, as combative conservative Michael Villines prepares to lead Assembly Republicans in the next legislative session, political observers say. Villines, a Clovis Republican who was raised in San Jose, seized power by riding the support of conservative lawmakers, who rejected the more accommodating leadership of former minority leader, San Diego Assemblyman George Plescia. But the move may end up marginalizing the Republican caucus.Jim Brulte, a former Assembly Republican Leader and a key architect of the Poizner campaign, said Republican anger simply ignores the reality that California...

As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut deal after deal with the Democrats this year, Republicans in the state Assembly watched with frustration. The tension grew when the governor's chief of staff compared their leader, George Plescia, to a startled deer. "It upset a lot of people," said Assemblyman Michael Villines, R-Clovis. Susan Kennedy's comments were made in private last spring but later leaked to the press. The administration, Villines said, "basically viewed us as being irrelevant." The fallout continued last week when Assembly Republicans ousted Plescia, of La Jolla, as their leader, replacing him with Villines. His charge now is to...

SACRAMENTO — As Gov. Schwarzenegger cut deal after deal with the Democrats this year, Republicans in the state Assembly watched with frustration. The tension grew when the governor's chief of staff compared their leader, George Plescia, to a startled deer."It upset a lot of people," said Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis. The administration, Villines said, "basically viewed us as being irrelevant. The fallout continued last week when Assembly Republicans ousted Plescia as their leader, replacing him with Villines. Villines, 39, is an unabashed fiscal and social conservative who represents a heavily Republican district. "I don't think it's so much a...

Assembly Republicans on Thursday ousted their party leader, selecting a more conservative lawmaker who has repeatedly clashed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the chamber's Democrats. The post-election move signals a more partisan shift by the minority party and comes the same day the Republican governor trumpeted his bipartisan dealmaking while on a trade trip to Mexico. Assembly minority leader George Plescia, R-La Jolla, had been in his post only since March before he was replaced by Assemblyman Mike Villines of Clovis. Villines is a former aide to Gov. Pete Wilson and Sen. Chuck Poochigian of Fresno, who lost a bid...

Those in support of Proposition 1B would have us believe that bonding is the only way our state can raise the money we need to achieve our desired transportation goals. They would say this because lawmakers don't have the spine for hiking taxes to pay for these projects. Let's set the record straight. The majority party in Sacramento rarely meets a tax increase it can't support. The fiscally responsible members of the Legislature understand that higher taxes and bonding are not the only way to fund transportation projects. The belief that bonding is needed completely ignores the fact that during...