Nah-nah! Obama gives California more flu-fighting bucks than anyone

Kathleen Sebelius -- the Obama administration's secretary of Health and Human Services nominee who did not have big back-tax problems -- announced this afternoon that she's sending $30,516,050 to California immediately to fight flu.

That's nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it's nearly 10% of all the flu money that HHS is distributing nationwide to those other puny states. See, there is a reason for having Nancy Pelosi. And Oprah, though she's only a California part-timer. Payback for those 55 juicy electoral votes last Nov. 4? And keep those Golden Staters healthy and alive.

(Or as loyal Ticket reader Kenneth tweets: "That leaves only 90% for the other 56 states.")

We weren't going to bother writing about such piddling chump change as millions, given the trillions we've moved up to discussing since January.

But that extra 50 bucks at the end pushed it over the top and clearly showed the transparent commitment to public health of both the Democratic president and Sebelius (shown above demonstrating how to spread a flu virus as quickly as possible).

In an additional multimedia sign of Obama's commitment to public health, Sebelius notes she's launched a contest for ordinary germy citizens to make their own anti-flu public service videos. After all these public health grants, however, there's only $2,500 left for a prize; talk about chump change. (And no prize for pro-flu videos.)

We were just enjoying the middle of summer when Sebelius warns, "With flu season around the corner, we must remain vigilant and do all we can to prepare our nation and protect public health. These grants will give states valuable resources to step up their flu-preparedness efforts.”

All right, it is chump change for the most populous state, given California's gabillions of dollars in red budget ink. But you'd think 30 mil would pretty much guarantee good health around California for everyone as long as we seal the border with Oregon. And maybe Arizona.

Perhaps some other less-important states would be willing to forfeit some or all of their federal flu-fighting funds so that Californians could avoid sneezing and continue to enjoy the sunshine that makes its way through the smog.

There's way too many numbers in the announcement to really bother with. Suffice to say, there are grants for public health -- L.A. alone is getting $8,510,041.

But, disturbingly, there are also immense grants for hospital preparedness. This would seem to indicate that the feds are not really counting on total prevention of the various flus that, according to media reports only a couple of months ago, threatened the human race with extinction.

Never mind washing your hands frequently. The only answer is obviously more money.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Associated Press

Henry Waxman says restless legs syndrome doesn't exist, but then...

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), looking hale and hearty after a recent hospitalization, was on C-SPAN this week describing his groggy arrival at the medical institution when someone noticed his leg jerking and asked if he had restless legs syndrome.

The obstreperous Waxman said he knew that such an ailment is yet another example of America's greedy pharmaceutical companies creating a new disease to market new medicines for Americans to buy and swallow and pump into themselves.

The phone-in program then took the next call from the Independent Line and Waxman was surprised to learn something he didn't know. Watch his reaction.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Video courtesy of C-SPAN.

Palin's resignation speech has shades of Nixon's 1962 concession address

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's announcement that she was bowing out of Alaska politics on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday left a lot of viewers scratching their heads. As the Ticket reported Friday, Palin's friends report that she is genuinely sick of the attacks that seem to be part of the fabric of national politics these days.

But Palin's hastily announced press conference also had all the earmarks of Richard Nixon's famous concession speech in 1962, after he lost the campaign for California governor to Democrat Pat Brown. Nixon's rant was also a last-minute affair. Reporters had been told that Nixon -- a former congressman and senator who served as Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice president from 1952 to 1960 and lost the 1960 presidential race to John F. Kennedy -- would not be making a public appearance.

Instead, Nixon surprised even his staff by taking the microphone and, at the end of a long, rambling, 16-minute discourse on national and state politics, he dramatically left the stage.

I leave you gentleman now and you will write it. You will interpret it. That's your right. But as I leave you I want you to know — just think how much you're going to be missing. You won't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference and it will be one in which I have welcomed the opportunity to test wits with you.

Like Nixon, Palin seemed fraught with emotion. Like Nixon, she seemed angry at her critics.

Listen to the audio of Nixon's infamous speech via the History Channel and then watch the Palin speech below. Let us know what you think.

Of course to the surprise of his detractors, Nixon recovered. He spent the next six years stumping the country, piling up chits from grateful politicians who benefited from his endorsements, chits he cashed in during his successful 1968 run for the presidency.

Palin gave no hints of her future, except to say that a person can influence from outside the electoral process as well as inside the governor's office. Maybe Palin, who landed on the national political map in August when Republican John McCain plucked her from Wasilla, Alaska, as his vice presidential running mate, is planning to follow the Nixon playbook on that front too.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Nixon gives his "Checkers" speech on Sept. 23, 1952. Credit: Associated Press

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Budget keeps Schwarzenegger in California--and away from Vegas

Sigh -- another California tourist lost.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggerwas scheduled to appear in Nevada today to celebrate the extension of the California High Speed Rail Corridor to Las Vegas. But there were 29,000 IOUs between him and a Sin City trip.

Instead, Caltrans Director Will Kemptonexplained Schwarzenegger’s absence to a group sweating under a white canopy downtown. "There’s something about a budget crisis in Sacramento. ... Believe me, he’d rather be in Las Vegas," Kempton said.

Wondering what he missed? Here’s a rundown: The corridor extension should help Southern California-to-Vegas rail projects secure government loans. Two have been competing for, in particular, the backing of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nev.): a somewhat troubled project, which would link to Anaheim, and the DesertXpress, a high-speed train to Victorville. (Yes, that’s the housing-crunched Inland Empire city where a developer recently bulldozed homes.)

Today, Reid -- joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood-- reiterated his support for DesertXpress, which is privately financed, closer to breaking ground and backed by Sig Rogich, a Republican heavyweight who’s supporting Reid’s reelection efforts.

California’s Governator also missed the view from downtown Vegas: a concrete truck, homes with barred windows, a rent-by-the-month motel and a bail bonds shop. Almost made Sacramento seem delightful. Almost.

-- Ashley Powers

Henry Waxman to be discharged from the hospital today, aides say

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday after fainting in his Los Angeles office, is being discharged from the hospital today and is expected to be back at work next week, a spokeswoman for the 69-year-old congressman said. She would not say what is ailing Waxman.

The 18-term congressman was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday and was kept there for evaluations and what was called “routine testing." 

Phil Schiliro, Waxman's former chief of staff (and the current White House liaison to Congress), said on Thursday that Waxman is "feeling fine and is in good spirits." Schiliro said he did not know what was wrong with Waxman but noted that "he takes great care of himself."

Waxman wields a great deal of power in Washington these days because he is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees the energy and healthcare legislation crucial to President Obama's agenda. Waxman co-wrote an ambitious energy and climate-change bill that passed the House, 219 to 212, on June 26. And he is expected to help craft the chamber's healthcare legislation. 

We will keep you informed of updates on Waxman's health, when we hear them. In the meantime, check out the L.A. Times review of the congressman's recent book, "The Waxman Report: How Congress Really Works." The very complimentary review is written by the always erudite Times critic Tim Rutten (who rarely lavishes praise so freely).

-- Kate Linthicum

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Photo: Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) with members of his House Energy and Commerce Committee in May. Credit: Matthew Cavanaugh / European Pressphoto Agency

Meg Whitman's $6.5 million fundraising, plus $4 million of her own money, puts her atop California gov race

Former eBay CEO and current GOP candidate for California governor Meg Whitman will announce shortly that she's already raised more than $6.5 million for her campaign. More, her campaign claims, than any other Republican candidates in the race longer.

Not bad considering she's a political newcomer and been an announced candidate for only five months.

And 85% of that dough came from Californians, the campaign says. Whitman has also chipped in $4 million of her own for a total of about $10.5 million.

In the news release Whitman's campaign chair, former mayor, former senator, former gov Pete Wilson, says:

There is no more certain measure of enthusiasm for a candidate than heavy early campaign contributions. This unprecedented outpouring of support for Meg confirms the demand for a new style of leadership that creates jobs, cuts wasteful spending, and effectively manages state government. Meg's appeal reaches far beyond just traditional Republicans. She is attracting new donors and new voters to expand our party at a critical time. They are putting their money where their hearts and minds are.

Whitman knows a little about money, having turned eBay from a company with 30 employees and $4.7 million into one with 15,000 employees and $8 billion in revenues. In the no-longer-very-recent presidential campaign, she was natrional finance chair for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and then raised millions for Sen. John McCain. Both have since endorsed her; probably a coincidence.

The gubernatorial field is vying for the unlikely honor in this fiscally-pressurized deficit days of replacing Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose term limits run out in January 2011.

Whitman's primary primary opponent, Steve Poizner, the state insurance commissioner, reports raising north of $1.2 million with $250,000 coming the last two days of the quarterly reporting period. He's also given himself $4.2 million and reports $3.5 million still in hand.

"The Poizner campaign will be fully-funded," said spokesman Jarrod Agen, "and we will make Meg Whitman spend it all.'

On the Democrat side, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom reported raising $1.6 million in the last six months, most of it online, which is way less than fellow Democrat, former gov, former mayor and current state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, who reports raising $7.3 million. 

All great news for the state's TV stations next year.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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In death, Michael Jackson gets politicians' (cautious) admiration

The sudden, so far unexplained death of pop singer Michael Jackson at age 50 this week prompted an immense outpouring of grief and curiosity and, among politicians at least, caution.

While expressing admiration for his musical and dancing skills, these elected officials were careful to distance themselves from the pop icon's troubled personal life. President Obama did it only secondhand through a spokesman.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, while praising Jackson as "one of the most influential and iconic figures in the music industry," was also careful to mention "serious questions about his personal life."

Obama, a noted music fan who's had entertainers such as Stevie Wonder perform at the White House, was noticeably absent from any public statement. Knowing questions would come up at the daily news  briefing, it was left to spokesman Robert Gibbs to provide a low-key, arms-distance description of the president's feelings.

We'll publish the entire White House exchange concerning Jackson below. What Gibbs basically said was the president saw Jackson as "a spectacular performer" but there were aspects of his life that were "sad and tragic."

Friday the House of Representatives paused briefly for a tribute moment of silence.

There also reemerged, thanks to the Associated Press, a 1980s memo written during the presidency of Ronald Reagan by a then-young White House attorney named John G. Roberts Jr., now chief justice of the Supreme Court. The issue was . . .

Gov. Schwarzenegger: Michael Jackson "great entertainer" despite...

Following is a statement issued minutes ago by the office of California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger regarding the death of pop star Michael Jackson:

“Today, the world has lost one of the most influential and iconic figures in the music industry. From his performances with the Jackson 5, to the premiere of the ‘moonwalk’ and ‘Thriller,’ Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity.

"Though there were serious questions about his personal life, Michael was undoubtedly a great entertainer and his popularity spanned generations and the globe. Maria and I join all Californians in expressing our shock and sadness over his death and our hearts go out the Jackson family, Michael’s children and to his fans worldwide.”

-- Andrew Malcolm

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L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa opts out of California governor race

Antonio Villaraigosaof Los Angeles, mayor of the United States' second-most-populous city, has decided not to seek the Democratic Party nomination for governor of California in next year's election.

Villaraigosa's local popularity has slipped to 55% in recent months, following his divorce and revelations of his romantic affair with a second female television reporter. That's about the same tepid percentage as he got in the mayoral election against political nobodies. A recent Times poll indicated 47% did not want the mayor to run for governor.

The Democrat's decision would have added to a competitive, crowded field containing San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and expected to include state Atty Gen. Jerry Brown, seeking a replay of his Moonbeam gubernatorial days from a generation ago, as the former Oakland mayor continues his effort to be elected to evbery office in California. .

In a somewhat awkward and goofy setting this afternoon, CNN's Wolf Blitzer, while describing stories such as Iran's ongoing protests, kept teasing to the mayor's upcoming announcement on "The Situation Room" and flashing to the mayor sitting alone in front of an L.A. camera with one of this year's most forced grins.

The Democratic primary winner will likely face one of two Republicans. Businesswoman Meg Whitman, who lead EBay to such success, is already lining up numerous GOP endorsements across the state and from such national party luminaries as John McCain and Mitt Romney.

The other prominent GOP candidate is Steve Poizner, the state insurance commissioner and also wealthy, as is required in the Golden State. His supporters point out that he's collected endorsements from 70% of the state's minority Republican legislators, as well as numerous state chairs and local officials.

The winner will succeed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who ousted Democrat Gray Davis in a recall effort.

Villaraigosa, the former speaker of the California Assembly, said he felt compelled to stay and didn't want to walk away from the city's pressing issues. He was not asked about his romantic affairs but did cite his desire to spend time with his teenage daughter as she completes high school. We have the interview's full transcript below.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Under Obama, Democrats plan a summer Western offensive

Back in early 2005 — when President Bush had a pile of political capital and Barack Obama was a rookie senator learning his way around the Hart Office Building — a group of forward-looking Democrats set their sights on the West.

John Kerry’s loss in 2004 was a disappointment, of course. But there were bright spots for them, as Democrats made significant inroads in the land of Reagan and Goldwater, gaining House and Senate seats and electing nearly three dozen state lawmakers across the region.

With an eye on 2008, party strategists set to work building on that progress, mindful of two trends running their way: the region’s growing suburbanization and the rising influence of Latino voters. Democrats placed their national convention in Denver (although that was largely symbolic) and, more significantly, granted Nevada one of the coveted early spots on its presidential calendar.

The moves, along with the dispatch of a ton of money and organizing talent, clearly paid off.

Once Obama cinched the nomination — after battling then Sen. Hillary Clinton to a draw in Nevada — he campaigned harder in the Rocky Mountain region than any Democrat in memory. His reward was....