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Soon after his Virginia home was raided by the FBI, Rep. John Doolittle held a press conference in which he compared his plight to the unfairly prosecuted Duke lacrosse players and sounded unequivocal about keeping his job: "I would like you to know that I have no intention of
resigning from Congress and I have every intention of running for
re-election again."
But how firm is he? The embattled congressman and his wife, Julie Doolittle, are being scrutinized for their close ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Julie Doolittle's home-based company, Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions, did fund-raising work for Abramoff between 2002 and 2004, earning a total of $67,000. The firm also raised money for Doolittle's PAC, earning a commission for the family.
At about the same time Doolittle (pictured with Laura Bush at a 2006 fundraiser) said he had no intention of quitting, he offered a distinct "however" to Sacramento talk show host Tom Sullivan: "However it's - I really think we're going to have to see what happens
in the remainder of this year. I understand that in order, as a
practical matter, to run again, I'm going to need to have this question
resolved that hangs over my head."
Mainstream Democrats have been fairly quiet about calling for Doolittle to resign - they'd rather have him wounded than dead. Democrat Charlie Brown came within 3 percentage points of beating Doolittle last year, in a Northern California district where Republicans have an 18-point registration advantage. A strong GOP candidate would make it even more difficult to unseat Doolittle.
But what happens if the GOP leadership asks Doolittle to resign, so they don't risk losing a Republican seat? Tom Ross, a political consultant with Meridian Pacific, said the district has a strong bench that includes state Assembly members Ted Gaines, Roger Niello, Rick Keene and Doug LaMalfa, as well as state Sen. Dave Cox. (Cox's office said he's not interested in running for the seat.) Ross also said Sen. Sam Aanestad, termed out in 2010, "represents a big part of the
district and would get a lot of professional support from his friends
in the dental community."
And finally, what about Sen. Tom McClintock? Ross said McClintock (pictured), "is rumored to be considering a run here from his Sacramento home even
though he represents a district that covers Los Angeles, Santa Barbara,
and Ventura Counties. McClintock is probably thinking that if Dan
Lungren can re-invent himself as a Sacramento-area Congressman then he
can too."
(Photos: Steve Yeater/AP; Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
Senate leader Don Perata has canceled his four-day Washington D.C. visit after minor car accident. He was not injured but is feeling a bit sore. More than a dozen other lawmakers are already headed to D.C. without him.
Alicia Trost, his spokeswoman, said Perata's car was rear-ended about 3:45 p.m. Friday on Interstate 880 while stopped in traffic. He was driving alone. "He did joke that the car was doing better than he was," Trost said. The accident also caused Perata to miss a press conference Sunday night at the scene of the collapsed freeway in Oakland, inside his district. Today is Perata's birthday.
Think that an exploding gasoline tanker caused the collapse of the Oakland freeway yesterday?
Think again. Maybe it was the terrorists. Or the oil companies. Or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Find out more from Suitably Flip, where 9-11 conspiracy theorists will find comfort if they still believe exploding fuel can't possibly melt steel and rebar.
Here are some of the "facts:"
- The collapsed section of the interchange connects Interstate 80 to Interstate 580.
- It's Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution requires candidates for president to be natural born citizens, rendering Schwarzenegger ineligible.
- 8+0 = 8; 5+8+0 = 13; 8+13 = 21
- 580-80=500; 5+0+0 = 5
- 21 and 5
- Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 ...
Coincidence? Numbers don't lie.
Note to the clueless: this is satire.
(Photo: Noah Berger/The Oakland Tribune via AP)
While California has been focused on what comes out of a car's tailpipe, much less attention has been paid to what comes out of a cow's rear end. California is one of the largest dairy producers in the U.S., and the "happy cows" that allegedly live on green-green hillsides flirting with each other also produce a lot of manure.
The efforts to control emissions from cows will offer an insight into how California regulators finally implement global warming regulations signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year, and how much influence the agriculture industry has on public policy.
Cows contribute to global warming through the creation of nitrous oxide and methane. It's estimated that if all the manure created in California was converted in "methane digesters," it would generate 200 megawatts of electricity a year. That's roughly enough energy to power 200,000 homes - the city of Glendale, for example. It could go into cars as well. Students at Western Washington University have produced the Viking 32, for example, a vehicle powered by electricity and biomethane - cow manure (pictured below.)
But the California Air Resources Board, which must implement the global warming regulations, has put the agriculture's production of methane on a secondary list of priorities.
The influential board has three "early action" items - curbing emissions from tailpipes and the "non-professional" servicing of air conditioners, and increasing the capture of methane from landfills. The get-to-it by 2009 list is much longer and includes regulations on cow methane, cooler roofs, the electrification of ports and a host of other actions. The early action report is here, PDF.
Why the wait on agriculture? Carbon Control News today says officials want to make sure a new cap-and-trade system championed by Schwarzenegger is established before putting mandatory regulations on dairies that could
"crush an emerging GHG credit trading program as well as an alternative
electricity generation and biogas market through the utilization of
methane digester technology. 'We don't want to destroy this emerging technology by mandating it too
soon or setting unrealistic expectations for what it can do,' says a
dairy industry source."
The Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment, meanwhile, wants air regulators to mandate methane digester technology on dairies and require that cows to be housed in enclosed barns to "limit further enteric methane emissions." But, the newsletter says, methane from some California farms already is being credited and sold on the carbon trading market, and PG&E has reached agreements with some farms that supply methane power to the grid.
That's all for now. Amid Schwarzenegger's high-profile chest-beating over the new global warming regulations, California business is closely watching the fine-print regulatory action in Sacramento. In this case, the influence of California's vast agriculture industry will be something to watch during the next two years as the air board gets around to cows.
(Photos:
Alex Wong/Getty Images; Damian Dovarganes/AP)
American Express has announced that its members can get advanced tickets to the Economic Club of Toronto luncheon featuring Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on May 30. The company said the $150 tickets go on sale today - to members only.
"Front Of The Line is an exclusive benefit available to all
American Express Cardmembers, offering them access to tickets to the
hottest events across Canada before they go on sale to the public.
Already in 2007 American Express has provided Cardmembers access to
advance tickets to over 50 theatrical shows, concerts and events,
including The Stratford Festival, Russell Peters, Rush, Keith Urban and
popular children's performers Hi-5."
Uh, now we're selling access to the governor for a $3.50 service charge? Schwarzenegger is scheduled to receive the 2007 "newsmaker of the year" award at the Economic Club of Toronto luncheon, part of a planned a three-day trip to Canada that is expected to focus on agreements between California and other states on global warming regulations.
Hillary Clinton's boo birds at the California Democratic convention: "Mrs. Clinton isn't the first female politician to get booed onstage at
the California Democratic Convention. In 1994 Dianne Feinstein, running
for U.S. Senate against Republican Michael Huffington (Remember him?
No, I didn’t think so), was widely booed on stage by the delegation for her support of the death penalty.
She then turned around and used the footage in a campaign ad to promote
her tough-on-crime position." Karen Hanretty, The Hill.
(*The booing actually occurred during the 1990 Democratic primary for governor, not 1994 campaign for U.S. Senate.)
The California Democratic Party convention this weekend left some progressive activists with a sour taste, after a procedural move late Sunday killed all debate on toughening up a resolution on the Iraq war. They left vowing to uncover who was responsible ... and study up on Roberts Rules of Order.
For insider-insiders, this is what the convention is all about. Activists said they put a lot of energy into a compromise resolution on impeaching President George W. Bush, which passed, while other issues fell by the wayside. dday writes: "All of the energy put into the impeachment
resolution took away from many of the other priorities of the
Progressive Slate, priorities on which I ran - single-payer health
care, clean money, election protection, net neutrality. None of these
made it out of committee."
But on the floor Sunday, another resolution urged "President Bush to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and immediately begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of all United States combat forces." Amendments were offered that would "cut off funding totally for the occupation of Iraq, and another
to de-authorize the legislation that took the country to war," dday says.
Then, someone called for a quorum. Since it was the end of the convention, many people predictably had already left the convention hall. No quorum, no vote. Calitics writes that "a lot of people are upset about this - there are people who are saying
they expect parliamentary crap like this to be pulled by the Republican
party, not by Democrats. A quorum is 1155, and there are only 623 delegates. No more business can be conducted. The convention is over."
Sunday also featured speeches by John Edwards, who entered the hall to a pounding hip-hop rhythm and took
more than five minutes to work his way from a side entrance to the
stage, the L.A. Times reports. "He received one of the strongest receptions of the weekend after
delivering perhaps the widest-ranging speech. Bill Richardson delivered a looser, joke-filled address, lamenting at one
point his low standing in opinion polls by referring to a conversation
with his 92-year-old mother. When he told her he was running for
president, he said, she responded, 'President of what?' "
Meanwhile, Barack Obama was at South-Central's First AME Church to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots yesterday. "There wasn't anything going on in Los Angeles that was unique to Los
Angeles," Obama told the crowd, which featured singer Stevie Wonder. "If you traveled to Chicago, you would see the
same young men on street corners without hope, without prospects, and
without a sense of any destiny other than ending up in prison or in a
casket."
(Photos:
Lenny Ignelzi/AP; Denis Poroy/AP; Stefano Paltera/AP)
 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a late-night visit Sunday to the site of a freeway collapse in Oakland, where a gasoline tanker truck crashed and exploded. The resulting fire and intense heat caused a 170-foot stretch of freeway interchange to warp and collapse on the freeway below.
The governor declared a state of emergency and said local public transportation agencies would be reimbursed $2.5 million to give free rides today.
The governor toured the site along with Mayor Ron Dellums, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, and the secretary of Business, Housing and
Transportation agency, Dale Bonner (pictured below).
Sunday's collapse is expected not only to snarl commuter traffic but
also the flow of trucks to the busy Port of Oakland, one of the
nation's largest ports along with Los Angeles and Long Beach, Tim Reiterman reports.
The
mayors of San Francisco and Oakland said rebuilding
could take months — and they braced for severe vehicle congestion
Monday and for the coming weeks. "This will be one of the most
problematic commutes in recent memory," Newsom told reporters at the Democratic Party convention in
San Diego, before heading to Oakland.
(Photos:
Paul Sakuma/AP; David Paul Morris/S.F. Chronicle via AP)
 "Lou Papan, a one-man powerhouse in state and local politics, passed away
Saturday night of an apparent heart attack. Mr. Papan, 78, of Millbrae died sometime between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m, said
Margie O'Clair, a spokeswoman for the Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame. ... Louis J. Papan, who had a portion of Highway 1 from Daly City to Pacifica
named after him, served in the state Assembly for 20 years. He was chairman of the powerful state Assembly Rules Committee and the
right-hand man of then-Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. Mr. Papan had a hardball approach to politics that earned him the nickname 'The Enforcer.' " S.F. Chronicle.
Blackwater USA, the private military firm with operations in Iraq, has proposed building an 824-acre training facility near San Diego. Lately, the company has been on a campaign to convince skeptical residents that Blackwater should be allowed to expand in California. That means the normally secretive former Navy SEALS and military men who created the company are emerging to talk about what they do.
R.J. Hillhouse, who operates a website about military outsourcing, scored an interview with Gary Jackson, president of Blackwater USA. Hillhouse has her own rather shadowy background, describing herself as a former Cuban rum runner who also "smuggled
jewels from the Soviet Union and slipped through some of the world’s
tightest borders. From Uzbekistan to Romania, she's been followed, held
at gunpoint and interrogated. Foreign governments and others have
pitched her for recruitment as a spy. (They failed.)"
Her interview with Jackson offers some insights for elected officials and the public in San Diego County who are considering Blackwater's expansion. She asks about Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater USA, described by journalist Jeremy Scahill as a "Christian supremacist" who wanted to create an army to defend Christendom. Jackson answers: 
"First, we have no private army. What we do have
is a team of military and law enforcement veterans and other motivated, capable
Americans who protect diplomats, provide training, and offer logistic services,
and we do those things in support of friendly nation peace operations around the
world, including support of some of our Muslim allies. While I hesitate to
discuss his personal life, Mr. Prince is a practicing Roman Catholic and I
assure you is no radical. His views, which others have inflated to serve their
own agendas, are his own and he makes no effort to force them on anyone at
Blackwater."
With affiliated "intelligence services," Greystone and Total Intelligence Solutions, Blackwater represents an "unprecedented concentration of military expertise and force in the hands of a private corporation," Hillhouse writes. He replies: "We evaluate clients through research and due diligence, we ensure
they are legitimate actors who support freedom and security, and we only take on
work that is sanctioned by the U.S. government."
The interview ends with Hillhouse asking if Blackwater is sort of like having a wolf as a housepet. Jackson replies by extending her metaphor. "A sheepdog is a more appropriate description. Indeed,
there are wolves in the world and they plot every day to do harm to the peaceful
sheep. The sheep want peaceful and productive lives and to live freely and
safely with other sheep. Unguarded, however, the sheep, who are tolerant, are
easy prey for the wolf. The sheepdog wants the same thing. He wants to freely
and peacefully coexist with the sheep, but he has a developed capacity to
protect against the wolf when necessary."
 (Photos: Joon Powell/AP; John R. McCutchen/San Diego Union-Tribune via AP; )
A few things on the Web today:
Convention roundup: Drawn by California's new prominence in the nominating
process, a parade of Democratic White House hopefuls took turns
Saturday skewering President Bush and vowing to end the war in Iraq, as
they auditioned before hundreds of the party's most ardent activists. ... Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut (pictured below) said the U.S. should not fund
any further escalation, or "try to police a civil war" — a sentiment
echoed by Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio (pictured with wife, Elizabeth, left.) LA Times.
Ted Costa on redistricting: "The double standards of politicians are sometimes wondrous. Take for
example Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez's redistricting proposal. He is
scrambling to find a way to sabotage redistricting while appearing to 'do something.' His passion right now is to get himself relieved of
term limits so he can remain speaker for another six years. Sacramento Bee.
Poker political power: With numbers like that, the San Francisco-based Poker Players Alliance
is becoming a political player, and it's acting like one. It
commissioned a poll showing that angry poker players helped defeat one
of the law's chief sponsors, Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa), who narrowly lost
in the November elections in what the alliance called a "green-felt
revolution." Now, Bolcerek is aiming for a membership of 1 million as the group
tries to persuade Congress to exempt poker from the online gambling law. LA Times.
Rail slowed, stopped: For more than a decade, policymakers have debated, studied and scoped
out a high-speed rail line that would whisk travelers between downtown
Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2 1/2 hours. But, this year, the $40-billion dream of building a Japanese- or
European-style bullet train through the Central Valley may find itself
stopped in its tracks. LA Times.
Health care progress: As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats begin negotiating a plan
to revamp the state's health care system, an unlikely band of interests
is forming to demand change, raising the hopes of reform advocates that
Schwarzenegger will deliver on his promise of universal health care
this year. Mercury News.
Casino cash: There's so much money in Indian gaming in California that it's
difficult to figure out just how lucrative the industry really is. But
here's a hint: One Southern California tribe is spending $20 million to
persuade the state Assembly to approve expanded casino operations. If
the Morongo Band of Mission Indians is willing to put that much money
into a public relations campaign, how much do you think the gambling
tribes stand to gain if the latest gambling compacts are approved by
the state?I'm just guessing here, but it has to be several billion dollars. Jim Boren, Fresno Bee.
Millender-McDonald: Funeral services will be held Monday for Rep. Juanita Millender-
McDonald, D-Carson/Long Beach, who died of cancer April 21 at the age
of 68. The services will be held at noon at Second Baptist Church, 2412 Griffith Ave., Los Angeles. Millender-McDonald was a longtime member of the church. Press-Telegram.
(Photos: Denis Poroy/AP)
(Photos: Denis Poroy/AP)
"It's time for us to show the world that we are not a country that ships
prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far off countries. That we are not a country that runs prisons which lock people away
without ever telling them why they are there or what they are charged
with. We are not a country which preaches compassion to others while
we allow bodies to float down the streets of a major American city."
- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, in prepared remarks for the Democratic Party convention this afternoon. Full text of Obama's speech to the California convention after the jump.
Democrats at the convention with early reaction to Obama's speech and California visit on their blogs:
- "Unfortunately, the speech is all we get from Obama this weekend. Political hacks speculate that the Senator didn’t want the 3
legislative endorsements he announced to be compared to the more
robust "Hillary caucus" showcased earlier in the day. While Hillary won
the key endorsements, and probably displayed a more disciplined
campaign operation, from where I was sitting, it was Obama that
generated the most enthusiasm." Dave Rand.
- "I strongly disagree with the 'let's not blame anyone and let's come together' generalizations. There is fault to be assigned here. This isn't about the 'same old politics.' We can change the way Washington works, but for hell's sake, this isn't just about how Washington works. It's about reversing evil ideologies. Just my opinion. Still -- excellent section on Iraq. And overall, he crushed Hillary. Absolutely." Calitics.
- "This is what genuine enthusiasm looks and sounds like." Lucas O'Connor.
(Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters)
Continue reading "Obama: Turn the page" »
"Somebody said to me that he
wished we could just rewind the 21st century and just eliminate the
Bush-Cheney administration, with all their mistakes and misjudgments. People are ready for leaders who understand it is
our votes who put them in power, our tax dollars that pay the bills." - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaking at the California Democratic Party convention today, from the AP story.
Here are the early reviews from Democrats who listened to Clinton's speech today in San Diego:
"So far I am not wowed by Hillary's speech, and I would say the reaction
of the crowd is tepid at best. The highlight: she talked about
immigration reform and wanting to 'bring people from the shadows.' The
lowlight: The whole 'you are invisible" refrain is really not working
for me.' [Snip] "Ouch. Senator Hillary devoted barely any time to Iraq in her CDP
Convention speech. She didn't admit she made a mistake, even though she
had the perfect opportunity. Really, I'm shocked by what she didn't say."
"She had a nice laundry list, but how can she avoid the biggest issue in
the race? When she finally mentioned Iraq, she lost the crowd. I really
don't see how she can campaign in this environment without admitting
her mistake." Calitics. - Clinton gets a smattering of boos, but passes Democratic convention test. Jason Kinney.
- UPDATE: "Hillary's speech was going fine, IMO, until she got to Iraq. Then she
lost the crowd (and she had them earlier). It was interesting to see
Art Torres and Fabian Nunez shooting daggers with their eyes from the
podium at those delegates hissing and shouting about Hillary's Iraq
policy, particularly when Nunez motioned to have people ejected from
the hall (nobody was AFAIK). Still, I do believe that Hillary was
fairly wide support. I can't tell you how many delegates I saw yelling 'Impeach Bush! Impeach Cheney!' and then holding up their Hillary
signs. I don't think her support is as soft as the netroots think." dday on Calitics.
- UPDATE 2: L.A. Times: Blistering critique on Bush.
(Photo: Lenny Ignelzi/AP)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have pushed impeaching President George W. Bush
off the Democrats' national agenda, but momentum is growing at the
California Democratic Party Convention in San Diego to put it back on. The Democrats' resolution committee is likely to approve a (non-binding) impeachment resolution for a convention vote tomorrow. San Diego Union Tribune.
Also: another resolution would
block private military companies from building in California.
The resolution, which is largely symbolic, targets a 824-acre Blackwater USA training facility being proposed near San Diego. Blackwater is a private army and security force that has been used in Iraq and after Hurricane Katrina.
Guess who's being a complete killjoy about the Democratic convention in San Diego? California Republican Party chairman and San Diego native Ron Nehring, in a letter to the delegates:
"It's the first time in more than a decade that the state Democrats are
coming to San Diego - I suppose they finally found enough rooms among
the small number of unionized hotels that labor officials allowed the
party to come back to our fair city. Good for them.
"San Diego is not the same city it was ten years ago, however. Organized labor took control of the city council in 2000, which
immediately ran the city into the financial ditch through massive
payoff to the public employee unions who elected them, in the form of a
colossal pension benefits increase that has forced the city to the
brink of bankruptcy. Several former union officials and allies are now
under indictment or investigation for their role in the scheme."
I don't think he means it when he says "good for them." Nehring continues the letter by rubbing it in about eight high-profile Democratic losses in San Diego County races, including Republican Brian Bilbray over Democrat Francine Busby.
Anyway, I'm sure Democrats won't be so rude as to bring up the Iraq War, Jack Abramoff, Democratic control of Congress, the ideological capture of Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Doolittle, or Duke Cunningham's jail cell when Republican candidates debate Thursday in Simi Valley at the Reagan Library. Full text of Nehring's letter after the jump.
(Photo: Denis Poroy/AP)
Continue reading "Welcome to my city, now ..." »
Family business has kept me from the Democratic convention this weekend, but Calitics has insider stuff for hardcore Democrats, along with the California Majority Report and the California Progress Report. The S.F. Chronicle should have some good stuff through the weekend on their blog, and of course the L.A. Times will have comprehensive coverage from our fine staff.
Speaking of bloggers, Carla Marinucci of the Chronicle says "a record 50 Internet-publication bloggers will join the
estimated 400 credentialed 'mainstream' media in the press room to track the
doings of seven Democratic presidential candidates and 2,100 California party
delegates this weekend" in San Diego.
Brian Leubitz, a UC Berkeley master's candidate in public policy, for example, is attending the convention with nine Calitics staffers - a larger team that many major newspapers, Marinucci reports. Leubitz's site has 5,000 readers daily. She continues:
"But one key state Democratic strategist, speaking on the condition of
anonymity because of concern for riling the netroots crowd, warns that such
efforts are potentially positive and negative.
"Netroots commentary can frequently be intensely personal, even "totally
mean and irrational," the strategist said, with some bloggers finding power in
their ability "to assassinate political characters online."
"It's amplified by the anonymity, and it can be scary that it's so
irresponsible," the insider said. "And it's pulling the mainstream media in
that direction."
Even a night auditor at a San Diego hotel is blogging about this weekend's convention. As they used to say on the Internets: LOL.
(Photos: Denis Poroy/AP)
State treasurer Bill Lockyer, former Gov. Gray Davis, music mogul Quincy Jones, and Motown founder Berry Gordy are endorsing U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton for president, her campaign announced today on the eve of the California Democratic Party convention. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, who is joining Clinton at a press conference tomorrow in San Diego, received his own special endorsement announcement and conference call with reporters earlier in the week. Full list after the jump.
Continue reading "Clinton's California endorsements" »
A few things on the Web this afternoon:
Ego boost: "Clint Reilly, one-time S.F. mayoral candidate, has settled an antitrust suit against some of the nation's largest
media companies claiming a Bay Area media swap would create a veritable monopoly. So what's in the deal Reilly worked out for newspaper readers?
"Evidently,
we all get to read whatever’s on Reilly's mind. Seriously. Reilly
reportedly negotiated a quarter-page of space in the local sections of
each MediaNews paper. And a seat on the editorial board of the newspaper of his choice. ... Lawyers and political observers will recognize the settlement as an ego
stroke in the proud tradition of former Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante."
Legal Pad. (Reilly, left, is pictured with his wife, Janet, and
his attorney Joseph Alioto.)
* * *
Asian GOP: Ronald
Reagan’s fusion of social and fiscal conservatives revolutionized
Republican politics. Similarly, Asian American Republicans are changing
the face, foundation and future of that same party. Michelle Park Steel, commentary in AsianWeek.
Progressive push at convention: A small band of the group's organizers has been rallying the faithful
up and down the state as they head to a convention at which they hope
to send as many as 150 delegates determined to bolster the party's
liberal flank. That would likely amount to less than 10 percent of the
delegates but officials with the organization predict there will be
hundreds of other like-minded delegates. Copley News Service.
(Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP)
Someone has created a website suggesting that former California controller and failed gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly should be tapped as U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate. Westly, you may remember, couldn't get past Democrat Phil Angelides in the primary last year.
The site links to what appears to be a legitimate Westly political site, but the language on ObamaWestly.com doesn't look like anything Westly would approve. Unless he's completely insane. (Checking on that.) A link to the website was sent to me anonymously by the "Info Team."
Here is the information on the site, which was registered Tuesday through a service called Domain Discreet.
ObamaWestly.com includes a doctored Newsweek cover featuring the two men together, and a few lines about how Westly "is a wealthy policy wonk. He is one of the founders of eBay and made a small to medium sized fortune. He can easily raise the big money for the California primary." Sounds like Fat Cat - the costumed plutocrat who followed Westly around in 2006 - is back in action!
UPDATE: Westly spokesman Jacob Hubert said the controller had nothing to do with the site, which appears to have been started by a "misguided supporter." He confirmed that Westly is not completely insane.
Terry Tamminen, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's former Cal-EPA chief and Cabinet secretary, has left the administration to work on global warming regulations around the world and run for president of the United States. He's still frequently touted as Schwarzenegger's closest environmental advisor, and he just finished a book about the dangers of oil consumption, "Lives Per Gallon," which he is promoting on a book tour.
Tamminen is, er, eclectic to say the least. Amid his environmental efforts, he's found time to update his "Ultimate Guide to Pool Maintenance." The 3rd edition - just released, seven years after the 2nd edition - has "information on the latest technology and equipment, together with Quick Start Guides and difficulty ratings for each procedure," according to Amazon.
Tamminen was the owner and operator of a pool and spa service in Los Angeles, and he founded Santa Monica Bay Keeper and the San Diego Bay Keeper. He also is the author of "The Ultimate Guide to Spas and Hot Tubs," and "The Ultimate Guide to Above-Ground Pools."
As Evan Halper noted recently, the rail-thin New York governor with the perfect LSAT score and the bodybuilder California governor are both taking on issues the federal government has ignored: global warming, universal healthcare, stem cell research.
Now, redistricting - a political overhaul Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he wants finished this year as well.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer has proposed a constitutional amendment to create an 11-member commission to draw congressional and legislative lines in New York, the Times-Union reports. The new commission would have two appointees each from the four legislative leaders, plus three seats chosen by the bipartisan majority of eight members and approved by the governor.
Spitzer is a Democrat, which means intense pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other high-ranking members of his own party who don't want the current redistricting process changed without a "national solution." He also adds another big Democratic state to the redistricting movement - and that has to scare Democrats fearful of losing seats in Congress as well.
His plan is not exactly independent. But as California has shown, finding a truly independent panel to draw legislative districts is problematic. The Little Hoover Commission? The Fair Political Pracitices Commission? A random drawing of tens of thousands of California citizens? Registrars of voters? Each has its own complications - showing how difficult it is to find people who know what they are doing but who aren't somehow connected to an elected official with something at stake.
(Photo: Mike Groll/AP)
The green technology movement has prompted one man to rig
up a lawn mower with propane power and drive it 3,000 miles toward
Sacramento in hopes of meeting with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Matt Land, who is
rambling from Indiana to Los Angeles to Sacramento, has offered to mow the lawn at the
Capitol or Schwarzenegger's house upon arrival. Land said he decided to "Clean Cut Across America" after hearing Schwarzenegger talk about alternative fuels on TV.
Schwarzenegger popularized one gigantic machine - the Hummer - through a years-long love affair. And now he says machines can save the planet - if they are efficient and clean enough.
In several speeches over the past few months, Schwarzenegger has said the environmental movement should sex itself up by embracing new technologies such as the electric Tesla Roadster he recently ordered, or biofuels cars, or more water-efficient washing machines, and cleaner cars. He said we don't have to be Buddhist monks to save the planet.
Not everyone is convinced that global warming can be reversed through cool machines.
Environmentalist James Murray says Schwarzenegger's message comes at exactly the right moment, when being green has a young, ethusiastic demographic, finds itself "centered on new technologies and innovation which is
inherently glamorous," involves ethical behavior currently in vogue, and "has access to the
arguably greatest aphrodisiac of them all – money." But: "While this 'technology will save us' message makes for great political oratory it is a recipe for long term climatic disaster. Schwarzenegger is right that the development of green technologies are likely to deliver more environmental benefits than prohibitionist regulatory measures – but why does it have to be an either or equation? [Snip.]
"There is a danger inherent to this approach of reassuring people and businesses that they do not have to make fundamental changes, because failing to face up to the fact that certain products and behaviours are simply unsustainable will only make it harder for politicians to push through the necessary changes when they realise we are not reducing carbon emissions fast enough to stabilise the climate.
"For example, Schwarzenegger has publicly vowed to support the Hummer and the SUV by claiming that biofuels or hydrogen cells can make them environmentally friendly, but where does he go if, as many scientists believe, biofuels are proved to be more environmentally damaging than conventional fuels or hydrogen cells fail to make the transition from the lab to the production line?"
Many environmentalists believe that a rapid and dramatic drop in consumption is the only way to reduce the high carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Turn off lights, stop driving, use public transportation, build fewer roads. Indeed, the efforts by General Motors to convert one of Schwarzenegger's Hummers into a hybrid proved difficult. The Tesla Roadster the governor touted has a much smaller range - 200 miles, compared to 250 - than originally billed by the company. He wants to spend billions on more roads.
(Photos: GM; Fred Prouser/Reuters)
Brian Joseph over at the Orange County Register filed a public records request to discover where other reporters and public interest groups have been digging around Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. That's right - in most cases the law says even other people's letters requesting public records are ... public records. He writes: "This is a common technique among reporters. Looking at other
people's requests can tell you what documents are out there or,
admittedly, what your competition is doing. I filed the same request
with the Department of Finance and received records 10 days later.
Joseph discovered a conflicting set of rules for state agencies, the governor's office, and the state Legislature. The governor rejected his request outright, citing an exemption for correspondence with the chief executive. So in this case, Joseph was not allowed to snoop around and find out what other reporters are doing. Thanks Arnold!
An election will be held June 26 to replace Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, who died last Saturday night from cancer at age 68. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, then a runoff would be scheduled in a special election for Aug. 21, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced yesterday afternoon.
Millender-McDonald's congressional district is ethnically diverse and heavily Democratic - about 58% to 20% Republican - and includes Signal Hill, Carson and Compton,
Rancho Dominguez, East Compton, West Compton and most of
Willowbrook.
But the biggest swath is Long Beach - which means any candidate with high name recognition in that city would have a better chance. Roll Call has mentioned state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, ex-Assemblyman Jerome Horton, ex-Sen. Kevin Murray, and others known better outside of Long Beach. A Capitol insider also mentioned Isadore Hall on Compton City Council as a possible contender. Assemblywoman Karen Bass of Los Angeles has said she's not interested.
Here is a Long Beach-centric rundown from the Long Beach Press-Telegram:
- Councilwoman Janice Hahn of San Pedro. She can raise money - lots - and is popular in the harbor area for her stands on pollution, congestion and improving goods movement.
- Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton, and Carson Mayor Jim Dear. Both do well at home, but, unlike Hahn, they are unlikely to have much appeal in Long Beach. (Dymally says he's not interested and won't run.)
We would give the edge to someone like state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach (pictured), who has a habit of winning every race he enters.- Speaking of Lowenthals, Alan's former wife, 1st District City Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal, and daughter-in-law, 2nd District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, have been mentioned as possible congressional candidates.
We wouldn't bet against any of the Lowenthals in an election, but Suja said during her campaign that she plans to serve out the remainder of former Councilman Dan Baker's term and then two full terms after that.
- We know at least one council member who is strongly thinking about a run: Val Lerch of the 9th District. He said he was approached by constituents who would like a moderate in the office. He called that "an honor."
Then there's state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach (pictured). The former Long Beach councilwoman and assemblywoman would be a strong candidate in a district that is 43 percent Hispanic. Oropeza has also raised her profile recently by introducing a strong bill that would make witness intimidation an automatic felony.- Assemblywoman Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, can pull in votes. But she left the Long Beach council about five minutes ago for the Sacramento, and we doubt she's ready to run for a different seat.
- There is no reason to rule out Assemblywoman Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach, who easily transitioned from one house in the Legislature to the other.
- But one Democrat can raise more money than any of the others: Mayor Bob Foster.
The time to ask him is right after the Tuesday election. He is backing a slate of ballot initiatives, including one that would give him and future mayors stronger powers.
(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
The California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. has donated $100,000 to an initiative campaign that would alter the state's term limits law--and extend the power of Senate leader Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, both facing retirement from the Legislature.
Yesterday, the same day the $100K donation was publicly reported (PDF) by the union, Nunez and Perata unveiled a plan that would force 8,000 inmates into lockups out of state. The CCPOA, not surprisingly, hates this part of the Nunez-Perata prison overhaul--it takes away their best customers.
"We are going to do everything we can to point out the dangers of this plan," Lance Corcoran with the union told The Times. He said prisoners who don't want to move could create peril for officers: "We're going to have to fight them out of their cells," he said.
The CCPOA contribution to the Committee for Term Limits & Legislative Reform was made April 11, and reported yesterday.
Former Clinton spinner Chris Lehane lays out some nuts and bolts for this weekend's Democratic party convention in San Diego, which will feature Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel. (What, no Joe Biden? Snub!)
 Lehane, writing in the Majority Report, says California's new early primary will have an impact on the presidential race if "the situation is like 1992 where there was a more muddled picture coming out of the early states."
But California is important because campaigning here is the best petri dish to judge how a candidate would perform nationally. This is not Iowa, where retail face-time with voters wins elections. He writes:
 "Rather, a broad based message, the ability to communicate over the tube, capacity to manage a large campaign and being able to raise oodles of money are the keys to success in a modern presidential campaign.
"Outside of a national primary, a California primary where candidates are actually competing to win on the ground in the state comes the closest to replicating a national election and, in doing so, will help the party identify that candidate with the skill set that will best translate into a national campaign."
Then Lehane takes a big jump and says the national stage bodes well for people such as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Mayor Gavin Newsom: "Moving the primary up will greatly increase the chances that after a yet-to-be-determined Democrat leaves the White House in 2016, America’s 45th president will be a California Democrat."
Some people thought Gray Davis could be president, too. Also, Lehane has San Diego steakhouse recommendations.
(Photos: Chris Hondros and Brad Barket/AFP-Getty Images)
 Another California city is setting standards well beyond the voter-approved "Jessica's Law" that bans registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks. The new statewide law cannot be applied to people who lived within the zone before voters approved Proposition 83 last November, but it restricts new residents from moving in and requires lifetime GPS tracking of sex offenders.
The city council in San Marcos has approved a 300-foot "safety net" around public and private schools, parks and school bus stops. The ban would apply regardless of whether children are present, the San Diego Union-Trib reports today. Santee, La Mesa, National City and unincorporated San Diego County also have approved 300-foot bans, while Chula Vista's zone is 500 feet from where children gather.
The city-by-city, county-by-county regulations are another case study in California's weird ballot initiative process. Proposition 83 allowed local communities to set their own standards, but it also made an explicit statement approved overwhelmingly by voters statewide: The zone should be 2,000 feet. The map, for example, shows every county except San Francisco supported Jessica's Law.
But would voters have approved Prop. 83 if the zone had been only 300 feet for the entire state? California now is creating a patchwork of laws for sex offenders--which is likely to push them to rural communities that are doing nothing to tweak Prop. 83.
When he was a bodybuilder and actor in the 1970s, Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger would make low-profile visits to California prisons to talk about lifting weights and other life lessons. This week, Schwarzenegger made a special point of saying he wanted comprehensive reforms to California's prison system that would enhance rehabilitation for inmates. That presumably would include drug treatment, counseling and job training.
 The governor's New Age language (which has not been backed up with concrete proposals) comes in stark contrast to prison guard officials who tend to characterize California inmates as animals. Schwarzenegger said yesterday:
"I think it is wrong to think that when you lock up people, that after 20 years that they have now been healed of the problems that they have, and now they are ready to go out. No, it only means they have served their term, their time. But we have to heal them. We have to get them ready to go out so they can get a job, connect with society, and never commit a crime again. We have to help them. [Snip.]
"We want to make sure that they learn something while they're in prison. We want to make sure that they are capable of connecting and getting a job. By giving them a $200 bus ticket--I should say a bus ticket and $200--and hope for the best, hasn't worked. ... I used to, in the '70s, go around and visit all the prisons in California, and bring weight training into those places, because I got a lot of letters from inmates. You know, 'Can you come in and show us how to train, and inspire us,' and all of those kinds of things. So I visited a lot, so I'm very familiar with this subject.
"And I think that people make mistakes, people commit crimes. So before we send them back out into society, we need to fix those problems, what caused them to commit the crime in the first place. I think it's very important." [Emphasis added.]
What does the proposal by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Senate leader Don Perata, Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines (pictured above) and Senate GOP leader Dick Ackerman say about rehabilitation?
According to some prison advocates, not much. In addition to $7.4 billion in spending to build new jails and prisons, it would allocate just $50 million in the first year on substance abuse, education and mental health services. The system currently has about 170,000 prisoners, and a recidivism rate close to 70%.
The program does, however, include thousands of beds in new, transitional rehabilitation facilities with job training and counseling. A Schwarzenegger administration official said, "This is a very significant rehabilitation part of the proposal."
Jenifer Warren reports today in The Times that prison officials would have to meet other benchmarks to receive half of the construction funding: the creation of 4,000 drug treatment slots; formation of a California rehabilitation oversight board to monitor the department's progress; individual inmate assessments to ensure that each receives suitable education or mental health treatment; and overall expansion of vocational and academic training behind bars.
(Photos: Rich Pedroncelli/AP; AP)
"Rebel Catholic joins Clinton campaign." That's the take from California Catholic about Speaker Fabian Nunez--who "calls himself a Catholic" but "supports suicide"--and his endorsement of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Today is Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's 21st wedding anniversary. Here is the New York Times wedding announcement about the 1986 ceremony, and two photos from the day:
"Maria Owings Shriver, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Sargent
Shriver of Washington, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, a son of Aurelia
Schwarzenegger of Graz, Austria, and the late Gustav Schwarzenegger,
were married yesterday in Hyannis, Mass. The Rev. John Baptist Riordan
performed the ceremony at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church.
"Caroline
Bouvier Kennedy, a cousin of the bride, was maid of honor. Other
attendants were Alexa Halaby; Charlotte Soames Hambro; Theo Tuomey
Hayes, Roberta Hollander; Sydney Lawford McKelvey, a cousin of the
bride; Linda Potter; Courtney Kennedy Ruhe, also a cousin of the bride;
Renee Meier Schink, and Wanda McDaniel Ruddy, whose 3-year-old son,
John Ruddy, served as ring bearer.
"Dr. Franco Columbu served as
best man. Among the 13 ushers were the bride's four brothers, Robert
Sargent Shriver 3d, Timothy Perry Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver and
Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver, and Karl Schwarzenegger and Patrick
Knapp, the bridegroom's cousin and nephew, respectively.
"The bride, a
reporter for the ''CBS Morning News'' in New York, received a B.A.
degree from Georgetown University. Her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver,
is the executive vice president of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation
and chairman of the Special Olympics. Her father, the first director of
the Peace Corps, is a senior partner in Fried Frank Harris Shriver
& Jacobson, a New York and Washington law firm. He was the
Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate in 1972.
"The bride is a
granddaughter of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy of Hyannis Port, Mass., and
the late Joseph P. Kennedy, who served as Ambassador to Britain. She
also is a granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Shriver of
Baltimore. Mr. Shriver was a banker.
"Mr. Schwarzenegger, the
body builder and author, appeared in ''Pumping Iron,'' ''Conan the
Barbarian'' and other films. The bridegroom, whose father was a
policeman, received a B.A. degree in business and marketing in 1979
from the University of Wisconsin."
(Photos: Mike Kullen/AP; Charles Krupa/AP)
Here's a video of Fabian's pre-taped endorsement of Hillary in English and here one is in Espanol.
In an unforgivable slight to California's Pig Latin community, there is no anslationtray orfay uoyay. Ummerbay.
-- Jordan Rau
Hillary Clinton has snagged one of the bigger endorsements in California: that of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. They are announcing it in Sacramento in about a half hour. Though less well known than LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Fran mayor Gavin Newsom, Nunez is a big get because of his close relationships with the state's unions and Democratic funders. More in a bit...
Update: Nunez will be a co-chairman of her national campaign.
-- Jordan Rau
 The New York Observer on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's new global warming plan for New York:
"The presentation was launched with a taped introduction of the Mayor by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in which he called Mr. Bloomberg an 'environmental warrior' and his 'soul mate.' Mr. Bloomberg then strode down an aisle between the chairs from the back of the room. African drumbeats pounded through the speakers and bright lights illuminated his walk to the podium, which skirted two giant television screens and billboards displaying PlaNYC-inspired art drawn by PS215 students in Brooklyn."
* * *
The donkey race: Heading into the weekend Democratic convention, Steve Maviglio handicaps the speakers. Barack Obama has "the most to lose," Hillary Clinton "is never going to woo the kind of Democrat that has 14 anti-Bush bumper stickers on the back of their Prius," and John Edwards "hasn't done a helluva lot here in comparison to the other two frontrunners. But this is as good a time as ever to make his move." Majority Report.
(Photo: Office of Mayor Bloomberg.)
Negotiations by Gov. Schwarzenegger and lawmakers to create a new
California "security czar" has drawn fire from an unexpected quarter - the
American Civil Liberties Union. Capitol Weekly: "At issue is a provision in draft legislation that civil
libertarians say offers a broad definition of terrorist activity which
could lead to sweeping powers for state officials. As written, the bill
defines terrorist activity as any activity that 'involves an act that
is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical
infrastructure,' violates any criminal law and 'appears intended to
intimidate or coerce the civilian population.' "
A compromise is expected to be reached today on the new Department of Emergency Services and Homeland Security. The new law was prompted by articles in the L.A. Times about the Office of Homeland Security keeping tabs on anti-war protests in Santa Barbara, Walnut Creek and San Francisco.
A California law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004 says plainly: "A person may not force-feed a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size."
Even though California's foie gras makers were given until 2012 to find a way to produce their delicious product without torture - inserting a steel tube down a duck or goose's throat - they are finding the task somewhat difficult. One producer uses a rubber tube - but that won't satisfy animal-rights activists.
The search continues for the best way to fatten the goose and follow the law. The NYT.
The little-discussed problem of Native Americans being thrown out of their tribes - allegedly so rival members can get a bigger piece of the ever-growing gambling pie - could end up a minor dispute at the California Democratic Party convention in San Diego this weekend.
Robert Edwards, who was the vice chairman of the Enterprise Rancheria in Oroville before he was "disenrolled" in 2003, is pushing a resolution sponsored by the Fresno County Democratic committee to demand that ejected tribal members be granted their due "civil rights." Edwards and 70 others were removed from the tribe, he claims, after questioning the tribal government's handling of a fund for low-income members.
"We're all accountable to someone in this country and tribal
officials hiding behind a veil of sovereignty cannot escape
accountability, nor should they be rewarded in any way for victimizing
their members," Edwards told the Oroville Mercury-Register.
But with tremendous wealth at stake, some tribes say people are suddenly showing up and finding their "roots" - demanding to be members of wealthy tribes despite tenuous links. The stakes are high. This week, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians launched a PR campaign with mail, TV ads and automated phone calls to 22 members of the Assembly, which is considering lucrative new contracts for five tribes. The Bee reported the media campaign could top $20 million.
One tribe that would be allowed to operate 7,500 slot machines, Pechanga, has disenrolled more than 100 of its tribal members. State Sen. Sheila Kuehl of Santa Monica, took a veiled swipe at Pechanga last week when she voted against the compacts in the Senate. Kuehl said she also could not support compacts "for tribes
that aren't even sharing with all of their own members."
Given that wealthy gambling tribes are expected to bankroll events at this weekend's Democratic convention, and with all the major presidential candidates speaking, don't expect Roberts' resolution to get much attention.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is continuing his foreign policy campaign, bypassing the federal government to help set international agreements on global warming, while a longtime friend and environmental advisor, Terry Tamminen, is consulting with the Canadian government about their carbon dioxide regulations.
In anticipation of Schwarzenegger's trip to Canada next month, British Columbia announced yesterday it would participate in a five-state Western carbon market where polluters can trade credits with greener companies. The idea is to have four or five Canadian provinces, and perhaps Mexico as well, joining the pact with California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
Schwarzenegger also has signed a nonbinding agreement with Manitoba Premier Gary Doer to coordinate greenhouse gas efforts. The memorandum of understanding - signed like a peace treaty in Schwarzenegger's Santa Monica office - also expresses Manitoba's interest in joining the carbon market. To bolster his case, Schwarzenegger recently wrote Doer reminding him that the National Commission on Energy Policy in Canada has recommended that the U.S. government adopt a "California-like" low-carbon fuel standard.
In addition, Tamminen told a Canadian newspaper, several Australian states are expected to join the carbon-trading arena and that Schwarzenegger is hoping Mexico will enter as well. Tamminen, who left the administration last year to promote his new book on oil
consumption, has advised B.C. Premier
Gordon Campbell on setting up a
climate change action team there.
"By the time the next U.S. president is in power, an international
global trading market in carbon credits will be a reality," Tamminen told the Vancouver Sun. "This is essentially a progressive state and province doing something
about climate change despite having somewhat recalcitrant federal
governments."
When he visits the U.K. in September, expect Schwarzenegger to highlight his agreement with Prime Minister Tony Blair allowing California and the British government to share technology, research and "best practices" on curbing global warming. The governor may also head to John Muir's hometown in Scotland, Dunbar, which is not far from where Schwarzenegger is speaking to a conservative party convention. Schwarzenegger recently put Muir in the California Hall of Fame.
(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
 With his huge 2007 agenda making only incremental progress, or none at all, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he nevertheless believes he is making headway with the Legislature and will end the year with substantial reforms.
The press conference was a sort of pep talk as negotiations with Democrats and Republicans continue - slowly - over the governor's plans for redistricting reform, a complex and expensive prison
overhaul, a wage contract with prison guards, an expansive universal health care plan, and more infrastructure improvements.
"These are big issues, and it just takes time to solve them and bring all of the Legislature together," Schwarzenegger said, acknowledging that he "threw out a lot" in his January state of the state address. "Everything I asked for in January, I think will happen this year," the governor added.
Schwarzenegger said that efforts to build more water storage facilities - dams included - have stalled. But "if you are a person with a vision like I am," he added, the issue will be resolved. And he doubted that an additional 78,000 inmate beds would be made available when his reforms are finally approved, but said he would accept a smaller number, as little as 60,000.
He also said lawmakers and his office are going "to work together to pass a really good budget." He said he wants to make sure the prison reforms include comprehensive rehabilitation programs for inmates. "Before we send them back out into society, we need to fix the problems, what caused them to commit crimes in the first place," he said.
Schwarzenegger has yet to introduce legislation on his health-care
proposal unveiled in January, but he said it didn't matter. The
governor is relying on lawmakers, Democrat and Republican, to write bills from which he will pick
and choose. "I think the action is to have a very clear vision and a
goal," the governor said. "I have made it clear we want everyone to
have insurance ... and that the insurance companies have to cover everyone, that
they could not refuse anyone because of age or medical history."
"Look, post-partisanship means you work together and you represent the people, that your ultimate goal is not ideology," the governor said. "I think that is what is happening. I see tremendous willpower from both parties to come down and talk to us. There will always be a certain kabuki going on. ... Post-partisanship does not mean that goes away. Post-partisanship doesn't mean there won't be disagreements."
(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
A few things this afternoon:
 Retirement ... not: Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly of
Thousand Oaks is on the retirement watch
list heading into the 2008 elections, but it's not for the usual reasons, CQ reports. He
actually "tried to retire in 2006, but ended
| |
Soon after his Virginia home was raided by the FBI, Rep. John Doolittle held a press conference in which he compared his plight to the unfairly prosecuted Duke lacrosse players and sounded unequivocal about keeping his job: "I would like you to know that I have no intention of
resigning from Congress and I have every intention of running for
re-election again."
But what happens if the GOP leadership asks Doolittle to resign, so they don't risk losing a Republican seat? Tom Ross, a political consultant with Meridian Pacific, said the district has a strong bench that includes state Assembly members Ted Gaines, Roger Niello, Rick Keene and Doug LaMalfa, as well as state Sen. Dave Cox. (Cox's office said he's not interested in running for the seat.) Ross also said Sen. Sam Aanestad, termed out in 2010, "represents a big part of the
district and would get a lot of professional support from his friends
in the dental community."
