SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Chamber of Commerce’s annual advocacy conference here last week discussed a possible tradeoff: weakening the state’s rigid term limits in exchange for legislative redistricting that would benefit Republicans. For that arrangement to be born, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must be the midwife. But he does not seem prepared to play the role.

Politicians — especially when they choose to duck a race for that next high office they have lusted after for years because they don’t believe they can win it — regularly tell us that they “want to spend more time with (their) family.” 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware is one politician who means it.

What if Iowa and New Hampshire both had parties, and nobody came?

With no offense to my friends in those two states, I’m compelled to report that some Republican presidential candidates are toying with the idea of skipping the historic first two contests in the race for the GOP nomination.

As Michael Moore runs around the country telling everyone that America is horrible because it does not provide free health care, intelligent people understand that there are limits to what a free, capitalistic society can do.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was never really a Republican; neither was he really a Democrat, the political party he previously left. From DINO (Democrat in name only), he became a RINO (Republican in name only) and now I guess one might call him, what, an UNO (unaffiliated in name only)?

The genius of David Chase, the originator of “The Sopranos,” was never more evident than in the last episode of the series. I viewed it with an earnest and cosmopolitan young man and his lady, and we wondered, as we waited for the show to start, what would the final act do to Tony Soprano.

There is nothing so dangerous as a Southern liberal hoping to be invited to a Graydon Carter party.

As is now well-known, Durham prosecutor Mike Nifong falsely accused three white Duke lacrosse players of gang-raping a stripper, even as evidence piled up proving it never happened.

Don’t like the drought-related watering restrictions in your community? Outraged enough to rat out neighbors who violate watering rules? The state’s water “wars” could get worse: Watch out for the initial draft of the Statewide Water Management Plan, scheduled to be unveiled June 28.

Why take a small child to France when his main interest is French fries?

The Wall Street Journal’s Saturday section, called Pursuits, instructs business readers on what to do with money made Monday through Friday. One section this spring, typical in its ads for very expensive houses and cars, led off with a lengthy article on “Power Trips for Tots” that showed how “extreme family vacations are becoming a status symbol for parents seeking an edge for their kids.”

“There ought to be limits to freedom.” — George W. Bush

The fabric of our nation is unraveling, and our freedoms are hanging by a thread.

No one has the least idea how much money a corporate chief executive deserves to earn — is that the word, “earn”? — but if you don’t hear a campaign issue starting to crackle and sizzle, you just aren’t listening.

Most Americans are now aware of the plight of Genarlow Wilson. Three years ago, the now 21-year-old African-American was sentenced to 10 years in prison under a Georgia law that turned his act of consensual oral sex into “aggravated child molestation” and subjected him to a harsh mandatory jail sentence.

We in America have some of the most magnificent national parks in the world — Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and many others.

The law versus orders

Suppose a person is raped and we arrest the rapist. Should his status, whether he’s a senator, professor or an ordinary man, play a role in the adjudication of the crime and subsequent punishment?

WASHINGTON — On May 31, President Bush met for 35 minutes in the private living quarters of the White House with Cardinal Joseph Zen, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hong Kong, in an event that was not announced and did not appear on his official schedule.

Did former Secretary of State Colin Powell really “blast” President Bush about the war?

“Today” show co-host Meredith Vieira says he did. Vieira, who once attended an anti-war rally, described Powell’s interview with “Meet The Press’s” Tim Russert this way: “[Powell’s] former boss cannot be happy about what he is saying.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves two cheers for his comments to Hispanic journalists last week that Hispanics should “turn off the Spanish television set. It’s that simple. You’ve got to learn English.” But I’m holding back on the third cheer, in part because the governor hasn’t always followed his own advice.

Jihadi’s Guide to Etiquette Rule 11: Never leave home without your matches, effigy-hanging sticks and death threat placards. You never know when they’ll come in handy.

The disbarment of Durham District Attorney Michael Nifong should be just the first step in remedying the gross and cynical fraud of last year’s “rape” case against Duke University lacrosse players.

Over the years, I have had people come to me and suggest that the reason that someone is going through a difficulty or a tragedy is due to (a) God’s punishment; (b) God’s displeasure; or (c) God removing His protection.

Let’s get one thing out in the open. I’m a hugger — have been all my life. I’m proud to say I come from a long line of huggers. My dad is 80, and he still hugs. Grandpa Jed died at age 92; the last thing he did was give Grandma a hug.

I was mildly surprised that this family, which had lots of children and married into many of the well-known families in Coweta and Meriwether, was not well represented in either the local history books or online. These Kempsons were the descendants of Harmon Kempson, a German immigrant who made his way from Hanover, Germany to South Carolina, and later to Meriwether County, Georgia and left many to carry on his name. His children were Henry, Elizabeth, Peter John Michael, Frederick Harmon, Benjamin and Susannah.

Seems like I wrote this column once before, but I promise you, this one is different. This one’s about Farmer Pope and why he’s shutting down his farm stand.

The Bush administration’s announced goal for Israel and the “Palestinian people” has been two states, living side by side in peace. The administration is two-thirds there. There are now two states — one in Gaza, headed by the militant Hamas organization, which shot its way to power; and another in the West Bank headed by accused Holocaust denier Mahmoud Abbas. Unfortunately for Israel, there is no peace, which should not surprise those who have been predicting exactly what is now coming to pass.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Addressing a Republican fund-raising dinner at the Washington Convention Center last Wednesday night, President Bush declared: “If the Democrats want to test us, that’s why they give the president the veto. I’m looking forward to vetoing excessive spending, and I’m looking forward to having the United States Congress support my veto.”

Digging through my purse for a receipt, I discovered another piece of paper with numbers scrawled across it. I pulled it out, read the numbers and smiled.

President Bush was so buoyed by the warm reception he was given in Albania that he immediately gave all 3 million Albanians American citizenship, provided they learn Spanish. The offer was withdrawn when Bush found out most Albanians haven’t broken any U.S. laws.

On Monday, June 7, 1982, President Ronald Reagan arrived in Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, a little over a year since both men survived near-fatal assassination attempts. The two shared not only a commonality of personal experiences but also of political interests — interests that each felt could change the boundaries of the world and the course of history.

Today, the bald eagle is a symbol of America, representing the pride, courage and strength of its people. For a long time, however, the symbolism and its symbol were separated and the eagle remained down, unappreciated and endangered.