Six feet under

The campaign to replace Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald has attracted more than a dozen candidates, including the late congresswoman's daughter.

Valerie McDonald's insistence on entering the race has split the African American community in Long Beach, where some black leaders believe Assemblywoman Laura Richardson may have a better chance of taking the Democratic seat against Sen. Jenny Oropeza, a Latina. Now, the African American vote is split.

But McDonald is pressing on. In an e-mail to potential supporters this morning, she pleads for campaign donations and blames the late start on making funeral arrangements for her mother. At least I think that's what she's saying. McDonald wants to collect $600,00 (sic), and includes a cheerful campaign flier complete with creative clip-art balloons.

From: Valerie McDonald
Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 07:55:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Fwd: Campaign Kick-Off Flyer Final

Good morning,

I am running for the seat left vacant by the passing of my mother, Congresswoman Millender McDonald. I need funding (raising $600,00) and volunteers as the competition organized before I could organize the services for my mother. Please do what you can and remit any donations to: McDonald for Congress, 4450 California Place, PMB 331, Long Beach, CA 90807 and volunteer any day Monday-Friday 5.-8:00 pm, Saturday 10 a.m. - 8pm and Sunday noon to 8:00 p.m.

Thank you for your assistance.

I'm not sure "please do what you can and remit any donations" is exactly what they had in mind with McCain-Feingold.

Perata 'living large'

The East Bay Express pored over hundreds of pages of expense reports for Senate leader Don Perata, and discovered the Oakland Democrat's campaigns have spent more than $1 million on parties and "high-end lifestyle expenditures."

The spending includes frequent visits to posh restaurants - at least $119,000 over ten years on meals - and stays at luxury hotels worth $68,503.

His campaign hosted a December 2000 fundraising party in a luxury box at the Oakland Coliseum that cost $43,600 and featured a Dungeness crab feast, the newspaper said. He has used his campaign money to "shower gifts on his donor friends, colleagues, lobbyists, and staffers. He shops at Macy's and Nordstrom or buys expensive luggage, monogrammed pens, and upscale office supplies," writer Robert Gammon reported.

Perata's spokesman, Jason Kinney, told the newspaper that the expenses were "entirely legal," "legitimate," and "run-of-the-mill and commonplace." Story is here, and the Express blog has a spreadsheet of all the expenses.

Fuentes headed to the Assembly

Felipe Fuentes is the newest state Assembly member, winning with a depressingly low 5,432 votes (so far), in a district where 112,656 people are registered. He nevertheless received more than 50% of the vote, so the deed is done.

Turnout in the Los Angeles special election was 9.5%.

Fuentes, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, served as chief of staff to former City Councilman Alex Padilla and more than two years as deputy mayor for the San Fernando Valley during the Hahn administration. Fuentes told supporters he "plans to spend a little time with my family this weekend, and then get to Sacramento as soon as possible so I can weigh in on the budget process," the Times reports.

According to his campaign website, Fuentes is a hero: "As a junior at San Fernando High School, Felipe witnessed a small child being struck by a delivery truck. Felipe was understandably frightened, but he did not panic. He used his first-aid training, learned as an Explorer Scout, to apply a tourniquet to the boy’s leg, effectively saving his life."

Fuentes replaces Richard Alarcon, who left the Assembly in March to return to the Los Angeles City Council. The district includes the city of San Fernando as well as parts or all of Panorama City, North Hills, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Mission Hills, Arleta, Lakeview Terrace and Sylmar.

UPDATE: He's controversial even before he arrives with the big boys.

Clinton campaign contest includes Dixie Chicks

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton needs your help.

The presidential candidate has sent out an e-mail to supporters in California and elsewhere with this urgent plea: "We've been working on an important issue--the kind that can make or break a campaign. And your input is absolutely critical to ensuring that we make the right decision. That's right--we're picking our campaign song."

Clinton is asking people to vote on the theme song through her website, here. For political reporters, including a few friends of mine, this choice is CRITICAL. They will have to hear it four to five times a day for the next eight to 18 months. Remember "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow?" Thanks to Bill Clinton, a lot of people now hate that song.

The potential Hillary Clinton songs include "City of Blinding Lights" by U2 and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers. She also threw in "Ready to Run" by the Bush-bashing Dixie Chicks, pictured with their recent Grammy haul. Please please please don't make it "I'm A Believer" by Smash Mouth.

There is one song from Foreigner her campaign forgot to include.

(Photo: Gabriel Bouys/AFP-Getty Images)

Death, race, politics, and family ties

When we last checked in with the campaign to replace Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, who died last month of cancer, it looked like a two-person clash between Sen. Jenny Oropeza and Assemblywoman Laura Richardson for the Long Beach seat. The race immediately became about ethnicity - the Latina versus the African American in the racially diverse district.

Now, 19 candidates have filed paper to replace Millender-McDonald - including her daughter, Richardson and Oropeza, a city councilman, an Iraq war veteran, the mother of a Marine, "and a man who served eight years in prison for kidnapping and assault," the Press-Telegram reports.

The exception has been Long Beach city councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who withdrew from the special election just three days after entering the race. "It's a full-time circus. You've got too many clowns in this race," candidate Mervin Evans told the Long Beach newspaper, which elaborates:

"The most interesting character in the bunch is (L.J. 'Bishop') Guillory, a black Republican who wants to be elected in order for 'God to have a position of authority in government.' Guillory enjoyed brief prominence in the early 1990s when he organized protests against a judge who had ordered probation for a Korean grocer who shot a black teenager.

"Soon thereafter, Guillory was sentenced to 12 years in prison for kidnapping, burglary and assault with a firearm. On his Web site, Guillory has posted an elaborate defense to the charges, which he said were the result of corruption, false testimony, and the machinations of his ex-wife."

So far, Richardson has been endorsed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Rep. Maxine Waters, and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. But Richardson supporter Mervyn Dymally, a state Assemblyman from the area, said with Millender-McDonald's daughter entering the race, Richardson could be in trouble. The black vote could be divided.

Valerie McDonald has been under pressure, the Times' John L. Mitchell reports, from black elected officials to support Richardson, "a more seasoned candidate considered by many to have a better chance of winning and keeping the seat in African American hands. With Richardson and McDonald in the race, the black vote could be divided." That helps Oropeza.

"Valerie's mother was popular in Carson and Compton," Dymally told the Times. "The name will have appeal. There'll be a sympathy vote." State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas said African Americans should focus their voting strength on one candidate: "I'm holding out hope that someone will get a clue. I wish we could resolve this in such a way to maximize the opportunity to retain the seat. The current path is untenable."

Why focus on the racial overtones of the campaign? It's an obvious dynamic that can't be ignored. The Times' editorial board, however, says alliances between the camps should not be shoved aside for ethnic rivalries: "The racial caucuses on Capitol Hill are looking after their own power, and coalition-building takes a back seat. It would be a shame if black and Latino Democrats — many of whom are lining up behind candidates who would build their own caucus ranks — ended up stoking racial tension rather than building effective coalitions."

(Photos: Lou Dematteis/Reuters; Offices of Richardson and Oropeza)

Netroots cry betrayal

The "netroots" - progressive bloggers - are in an uproar over California Rep. Jerry McNerney's vote on the Iraq war. Democrat McNerney, who defeated Rep. Richard Pombo last year, voted to reject a bill in Congress that would have set a 9-month timetable to end the Iraq war. From Calitics:

"It seems pretty clear that many people in the netroots who worked hard for Jerry, donated time and time again are pretty upset with the new Representative today. Heck, even Ellen Tauscher found a way to vote to get us out of Iraq today.

"No Representative will ever be perfect, especially those in more moderate districts.  But this was a vote of conscious today and McNerney failed that test.  I think all those who walked those precincts, threw Jerry fundraisers and made calls on his behalf deserve an explanation for his vote today."

McNerney issued a statement today saying he voted his conscience. "I want an end to the war in Iraq. But ending the war must be done in the most responsible way. ... I feel strongly that ending the war must be done in a way that respects our soldiers, honors our veterans, provides the best chance to reduce the violence in Iraq, and prevents the violence from spreading to neighboring countries."

Lisa Vorderbrueggen over at the Contra Costa Times says the vote shows McNerney's tough spot: "The exchange illustrates the conundrum that McNerney faces as he heads into his re-election campaign: He's a Democrat in a Republican-leaning district. That means the GOP will hammer him mercilessly on his liberal voting record at the same time that progressives who have supported him demand his fealty on their core issues such as opposition to the Iraq War."

(Photo: Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

Schwarzenegger and the 'Third Force'

Howard Fineman at Newsweek saw something in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's body language during the recent GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Library. Although Schwarzenegger cannot run for president, the California governor could be a leading actor in a new "independent for president" movement. Fineman writes:

"As California governor, Schwarzenegger has prospered in the role of centrist, hybrid 'Repubocrat' — an independent force. As he watched the ten GOP presidential candidates take turns bowing to the GOP's conservative base, the Governator bore the fixed smile of a man who had a desire to be elsewhere.

"If I were a GOP strategist — or a Democratic one — I would be worried by Arnold's body language. He and other major independent actors on the political scene — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Vice President Al Gore, chief among them — comprise a Third Force that could upset two-party politics as we know it in the 2008 presidential race."

Fineman says that Schwarzenegger, Bloomberg and Gore "have formed a mutual admiration society that has huge potential implications for 2008. They have come to share similar visions on the urgency of the global warming and health care crises, and a similar impatience with politics as usual."

Schwarzenegger has said repeatedly that he remains a loyal Republican, despite obvious splits with the core of the conservative California Republican Party. I don't see him as the next Ross Perot spoiler - or, rather, as someone who would have to stand on the sidelines supporting an independent for president. It's an intriguing proposition, but MotherJones says the Schwarzenegger-Bloomberg-Gore theory should be taken with a grain of salt.

(Photo:  Mark J. Terrill/AP)

How to say 'thank you'

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians, one of the largest casino operators in the country, is gobbling up political consultants and courting the Black Caucus behind Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's back, while sending potent messages to Assembly members who are considering lucrative tribal gaming compacts already approved by the state Senate.

They have TV ads on the air encouraging people to call their Assembly members, and they have sent out a mailer to their friends in the Senate who voted to approve the compacts.

As Capitol Weekly shows today, approving the compacts over the objections of organized labor could be a factor in the race between Sen. Jenny Oropeza and Assemblywoman Laura Richardson. Just as she is launching her congressional race, Oropeza received a boost from Morongo for her vote--the mailer praising her support for education. Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) also saw the supportive mailer show up in his district.

The mailer, pictured above, doesn't provide voters with much useful information--and nothing about the gaming compacts. The text is rather simple: "All politicians say that improving our schools is a top priority--but State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas takes action. In the State Assembly and now as our State Senator, Mark Ridley-Thomas is a leading advocate for strengthening our schools ..." And so on.

The mailer includes a phone number where people can call Ridley-Thomas and "tell him to keep fighting for our schools." This allegedly makes the mailer "legislative advocacy" and not purely political propaganda.

Oropeza, Richardson set for Congress race

State Sen. Jenny Oropeza has announced she is running to replace U.S. Rep. Juanita Millender- McDonald, who died April 22 from cancer. Oropeza (pictured right) joins Assemblywoman Laura Richardson in what undoubtedly will be a contentious special election this summer.

Richardson said Tuesday she was "groomed to do this" and took a shot at Oropeza: "I believe I have the best experience of what the voters are looking for. Sen. Oropeza has, in her entire life, only worked from a legislative perspective."

The heavily Democratic district includes a wide swath of Long Beach - both Oropeza and Richardson, a former city council member, are well known there. If either is elected, another fight will erupt to fill their legislative seats in Sacramento.

UPDATE: Oropeza, who also served on the Long Beach City Council, said about her campaign: "Since the 1980s, I have worked to serve this community as a locally elected school board member, locally elected City Council member, locally elected state Assembly member and now as a locally elected state Senator. In each of those positions I worked to bring people together to solve common problems." 

Migden: 'Let's be feared'

State Sen. Carole Migden - pictured at a recent press conference about cloned meat - raised the roof a bit at the Democratic convention in San Diego. Capitol Alert reports that the San Francisco Democrat, engaged in a tough re-election fight, appeared at the convention's Women's Caucus and suggested the gender could do more than just burn bras:

"Every darn important issue in the world is our issue," she said. "We're the ones who are going to take over. Maybe we'll pay those men a little bit ...to cart our groceries." She also suggested men "make the stew" and "carry our bags."

"We're not going to care if sometimes you don't look dainty," she told the Democratic women who packed the meeting room. "For God's sake, let's be feared. You don't have to be Miss Congeniality."

Poor Lt. Gov. John Garamendi was in the audience. He said he understood women - he has five daughters and a wife. You can check out the story here, but there is a fee. I wanted to post this item because it allows me to use the picture of Migden with fake cows.

(Photo: Steve Yeater/AP)