My California: The Alpha State newspaper column this week is about the dangers of unquestioned beliefs, in science, religion or the Constitution. If early responses are an indicator, this column will generate quite a few questions and a few heated options.

I also encourage you to listen to this week’s California: The Alpha State radio interview. My guest this weekend is Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican political consultant and publisher of the California Target Book, a publication that analyzes state and federal political races. Allan and I discuss the 2008 presidential election, the future of politics in California and the growing influence of independents and the impact of Latinos on California politics.

Each week I do a second column, column, This Week in Politics and Policy , with a quick overview of what’s happened in the state in the past week. I also do a radio version of the column, which you might enjoy.