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Barry Jantz

50th Candidates Debate at Adam Smith Breakfast

Adam Smith of California hosted a 50th C.D. forum this morning at the Mission Valley Hilton. Thirty or sowere onhand to hear the views of six of the leading GOP candidates, makingthe gathering intimate enough for some fun … although it would have been even better to see Francine Busby squirm in this group. Apparently, she was too busy movin’ on or something, although she was invited.

As the six candidates tried to squeeze length-wise down an eight foot table made for four, I quipped that it looked like the last supper. Richard Earnest, not considered a contender at this point by many, proved his mettle in the humor department by quickly shooting back, "It is for some."

Adam Smith moderator Rick Otis’ first question was about the declining moral values of the nation, which Brian Bilbray handled as if a newborn fundamentalist. Alan Uke quickly referred to a Brian vote in support of gay adoption, with Bilbray shooting back that the vote was about single parent… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Weintraub on the Gov’s Bizarre appointment of Joe Nunez

If you read my Commentary today, you’d know that I am wondering aloud at the appointment by Arnold Schwarzenegger of the California Teachers Association’s chief political strategist Joe Nunez to the State Board of Education. Nunez was appointed previously by the now-disgraced and recalled Governor Gray Davis but his term is expiring. Nunez is also the Chairman of the Alliance for a Better California (ABC) , the umbrulla group formed by all people anti-Schwarzenegger. If you don’t believe me, check out their website.

FR friend Dan Weintraub, a great columnist at the Sacramento Bee, penned an entry on this in his weblog today. Most of his piece is actually about the fact that the ABC has filed an FPPC complaint against Schwarzenegger after an appeals court ruling came down that notifications were not made in a timely fashion by the Governor’s committees formed to advocate the passage of Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77 last year. Here is an excerpt from the end of his post (… Read More

Mike Spence

LA Schools Show Their “anti-bias”

It may not be a shock to find out that there is bias in the school system on the issue of immigration. Onthis hallowed Cesar Chavez Day it may be worthy to look beyond stupid school tricks like sending buses to pick up protesting students.

Lets look at the curriculum being advocated here in Los Angeles by LA County School Superintendent Darlene Robles. Robles is co-chair of the Villagarosia Education Committee and of course has a Doctorate from USC.

Her office has put together a 90 page help for teachers. The intro claims that they are to “seek to understand and listen to all sides equally.” Page 10 then calls for teaching that is "culturally sensitive" and "anit-bias and pro-justice". However the next page starts the material from the Cesar E Chavez Foundation. Which includes giving time for students to plan protests or action plans. Page 19 has a comparison sheet for "support and resistance" to immigration reform with Government, Business, churches and workers on one side and no one listed on the other.

The other material all discuss social justice from a liberal or leftist perspective. Material from the ACLU is there.… Read More

Dan Schnur

The Political Cross-Pressures of Illegal Immigration

So Fabian Nunez thinks the illegal immigration issue is dangerous for Republicans. How thoughtful it is for him to want to help us avoid the electoral pitfalls of border enforcement (read it here.)

Nunez joins the ranks of media-appointed experts from across the political spectrum who warn that Republican officeholders who dare to support enhanced border security measures will be punished by a loss of support from Hispanic-American voters. But this isn’t such an easy issue for Democrats either.

Perhaps Speaker Nunez should ask Phil Angelides and Steve Westly why they weren’t giving speeches at last weekend’s protest rally in Los Angeles to half a million potential primary voters. Maybe he should ask them to explain the political calculations behind their decisions to not even attend. And he should definitely ask them when they will run television ads bragging about their support for drivers licenses for… Read More

Jennifer Nelson

The Al & Phil Show

Click here to read John Wildermuth’s (SF Chronicle reporter) blog entry on Phil Angelides’ appearance on Al Franken radio show this morning at the Crest Theater in Sacramento. Liberal voters will be thrilled to learn that Anglelides plans to "make California home to a new progressive movement." If Angelides bests Westly in the Democratic primary, hopefully Republicans who are now planning to sit on their hands in November will rethink the power of their vote. While I’m not thrilled with everything that Schwarzenegger is doing (I share Matt Cunningham’s feeling of "It’s getting to the point where I’ll be surprised if I’m not disappointed by the Governor’s actions."), my vote will be cast as a "anybody but Phil vote." I can see it now–the Big Five under Governor Angelides will be Angelides, Al Franken, Michael Moore, Cindy Sheehan and Susan Sarandon.… Read More

Jennifer Nelson

Strike Zone

Teachers unions on both sides of the Bay Bridge are threatening to strike. Yesterday, an Oakland Teachers Association representative said the union shortly would be announcing their “scheduled work action” plans while San Francisco teachers gave a big thumbs up to the union’s plans to strike if the district does not go along with their pay demands. The SF union representatives said that a strike could happen by mid-April if negotiations don’t go their way. Rumors in Oakland have been flying about a possible strike as early as next week, although parents and teachers have been working on plans to run “strike schools” for quite some time.

The big disagreement in Read More

Barry Jantz

Too Hard to Resist the Humor…

The rush to judgment on the Kaloogian photo is so absurd, it’s laughable. So, let’s laugh. Forwarded by Jack Orr, on the supposed Howard "controversy"….

"I received the following forwarded message today from Tom Hanscom,obviously a person of wit and good humor. Finally, a truly funnymoment in an otherwise deadly serious campaign":

I’m assuming (since you’re giving the 50th race so much attention)that you’ll probably address the Kaloogian-photo-of-Baghdad"controversy."

Before you give Howard too hard a time, please consider that he hascorrected the mistake, replacing the photo from Istanbul with a realone from the Iraqi capitol. As you’ll note in the verified photo, the streets are packed with unworried, unhurriedIraqis. The sidewalks are lined with flowers (probably sprouted fromthe bouquets thrown at our soldiers three years ago); Americanpresence is strong (note the U.S.-held building at left); andbuildings are hardly the bombed-out shells we see exclusively on TVnews reports (note one of Saddam’s palaces, intact, inRead More

Jon Fleischman

Today’s Commentary: McPherson’s First Year – Reiner Quits – Arnold’s Up – Much more…

Naturally when I am out of the country on vacation, we have one of the busiest days in California political news in a long, long time. It took me a long time to put together the main page this morning, which means less time to write up a commentary on the news. We’ll try it in bullet-point format today:

The lead column today is by California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson. Today marks the one-year anniversary of his appointment to this post by Governor Schwarzenegger, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of Democrat Kevin Shelley. Shelley had been elected to the post in 2002, but was forced out of office due to scandals. McPherson has really been doing a great job with the office – and has thoroughly ‘cleaned house’ from the previous administration. The culture of corruption has been replaced with a culture of hard work, and desire to bring the principles of representative government to every Californian. Please take a few minutes to read his column! Yesterday Rob Reiner finally called it quits from the Prop. 10 commission. In doing so, he may be attempted to shift the limelight away from the boatload of … Read More