The Sunday news update, courtesy of Fox News Channel.

I have a difficult time taking seriously a RINO (Republican In Name Only) when they endorse a political candidate.  Yet here was John McCain in Tustin, CA, endorsing one.  And not just any candidate, mind you.  Who might that candidate be?  One Meg Whitman, former CEO of EBay.

McCain, in front of a crowd of 500 or so supporters at the Tustin Auto Museum last Friday - and the statement of how out of touch McCain is – said:

“The woman standing beside me represents all of the qualities that will attract people to our party. We will not only tolerate, but accept people whose views are different than our own.”

I think it is statements such as that which explain why McCain didn’t win the presidential election in 2008.  That aside, Whitman’s campaign is focusing on job creation, state spending cuts and education reform.  All of those are well and good.  But she also not in favor of some things that I and other conservatives – here in California and elsewhere – believe in.  They are:

• Whitman is not in favor of drilling for oil offshore.
• Whitman is also “pro-choice” – with her definition being “It’s not that I want more abortions. But I don’t want to take that choice away from women and their doctors.”

She had some specific proposals as well.  She wants to:

• Cut billions in spending identified by current Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Performance Review – cuts that can be made without Legislative endorsement.
• Make a 10% reduction in the state’s 345,000 employees.
• Eliminate paper checks and paper food stamps in favor of electronic exchanges.
• Change the frequency of vehicle registration from an annual to biennial  (every two years) renewal.

Those proposals seem reasonable enough.  however, I take issue with Whitman and her stance on off-shore oil drilling and abortion.  Those of you who read The Republican Temple and/or listen to The Republican Temple broadcast already know I am for off-shore drilling and against abortion.  Her stances overall are very RINO-esque, so there’s no endorsement coming from me.

By the way, she has valid competition for the Republican nomination for the California governorship, coming in the form of current state Insurance Commisioner Steve Poizner and former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell.  Whitman has the early lead in the race, but I expect that to change.

One thing that is for certain: despite the fast-track that President Obama is attempting in order to push his Socialist health care plan into action, he has some credible opposition, besides ourselves.  Remember Rick Scott, backer of the “Swift Boat” ad campaign?

It looks like Scott, once again, is putting his money where his mouth is.  Actually what he plans to do is put millions of his own dollars into a major ad campaign; this week (if it hasn’t commenced already), Conservatives for Patients Rights – founded by Scott – will televise a 30-minute infomercial on some cable networks warning Americans of a health care takeover.

As one would suspect, this ad campaign is in response to the U.S. Senate rushes to put together legislation that could pass this year, guaranteeing what we conservatives have been against from Day 1 – universal health care.  According to Scott:

“This documentary will educate people on what ‘government-run health care’ really means: stalling, waiting lists and rationing and withholding care because of red tape, politics, and bureaucratic foot-dragging. We’ll continue sounding the alarm bell and won’t rest until we’re sure the freedoms and rights of patients’ are protected.”

And naturally, there are protest from the usual suspects, including the SEIU; they claim that they have 68,000 signatures, requesting that NBC pull the ad, scheduled to air in the Washington, D.C. area on Sunday (today) after “Meet the Depressed Press”.

As of this posting, the cable channels who will air the infomercial are not known (although I am pretty certain that Fox Network will sign on), but when that information becomes available, I will pass it on to you.  And for those of you who are not able to view the infomercial, you can do the next best thing: contact your lawmaker(s) and demand that they vote “NO” on Obama’s health care reform bill.  There is a reason why Canadians and even the English are coming to the United States for their health care needs: universal health care does not work.

And taking a smaller jet is supposed to make this all better? Too good for D.C. all of a sudden?

You just knew that it was a matter of time before something like this would happen in Israel.  And you can thank Iran for its occurrence.  What am I referring to here, you ask?

Actually, what happened is that on Sunday, Israel had another of its civil defense drills – utilizing soldiers, emergency crews and Israeli civilians through a dress rehearsal for the possibility – and in my estimation a probability – of a military conflict with Iraq.

The 5-day drill will include simulated rocket and missile attacks on Israeli cities, which include preparations for an non-conventional strike.  Sirens will blare nationwide on Tuesday and for the very first time, all civilians will be required to practice taking cover in shelters when the sirens go off.

This would be the third time that these drills took place, courtesy of their terrorist neighbors to their east, Lebanon – specifically Hezbollah.  For those of you who have forgotten, Hezbollah fired around 4,000 rockets into Israel; unfortunately for the Jewish state, they were unprepared for that attack.

According to Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the drill was routine and had no connection to any specific event or intelligence warning, adding:

“We are required to defend Israel, its cities, various installations, from the possibility of attacks by missiles, rockets or other weapons. I think the fact that Israel is preparing more from exercise to exercise and is capable of better protecting its citizens decreases the chance that we’ll have to use these tools.”

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai added on to what Netanyahu said, stating:

“We are holding exercises to meet the threats as we have experienced them in the past few years and as we may face them in the future. It’s the third time we’ve carried out this drill and I imagine that next year at this time there will be Turning Point IV.”

No one of importance within the Israeli government would admit or deny whether this drill is related with current tensions with Iraq.  But I am willing to bet you that it has everything to do with the very possibility – more like probability – of the Iranians sending missiles Israel’s general direction.  All you have to do is think back many decades ago, when the United States had national civil defense drills of their own, dating back to World War I.

Despite everything that Netanyahu and his Deputy Defense Minister is saying right now – and until someone can convince me otherwise – the Israelis are preparing for the eventuality of a major conflict between Israel and Iran.  Only this time, there will be a difference – Israel will go it alone and they will succeed.  I do not look for the United States to assist Israel on this one.  I  hope I am wrong about the U.S. not getting involved, as President Obama would rather engage into dialogue with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But the U.S. role in the Israel-Iran situation will be something I will delve into at another time.

It is bad enough that we, the taxpayers of the United States, are getting taxed to the teeth. But President Obama, while fundraising on behalf of other people, is doing so – with our money.

Even a teleprompter has a life of its own. So much for anonymity.