It’s ‘raining’ ash downtown today. It leaves a disgusting film on you if you are outside for any period of time. Tourists, language students, and the homeless own the streets.

The homeless have actually gotten particularly aggresive… maybe because the ash and heat (it’s like 90 some odd degrees but no real sun) and maybe because the streets are pretty barren and they don’t feel restrained by crowds.… Read More

In a recent court filing that does not bode well for the initiative process and "expressive rights" in California, Target Stores is picking on an individual signature gatherer to obtain a court order against any such activity at Target Stores.

In a Complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in late August, and just recently served, Target Stores, represented by Morrison and Foerster (New York Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed yesterday "Morrison and Foerster" day in New York City), is suing an individual initiative signature gatherer and 100 Does for a permanent injunction and trespass to enforce Target’s blanket policy of "prohibiting all groups and individuals from using its property for expressive activity."

The lawsuit would bar all expressive activities, including signature gathering for initiative campaigns, in front of Target stores, to avoid "potential for congestion in front of entrances to Target stores" and the "potential for interference with business operations." Almost all the allegations in the Complaint are general in nature and no specific allegations or facts… Read More

From today’s WSJ Political Diary E-mail:

Flaming…

Politics famously no longer stops at the water’s edge. It also apparently no longer pauses to let victims cope with the immediate effects of a natural disaster.

Speaking to reporters yesterday about a pending energy bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared: "As you know, one reason that we have the fires burning in Southern California is global warming. One reason the Colorado Basin is going dry is because of global warming," the eminent scientist explained. But Mr. Reid apparently realized he had overstepped and was already revising his theories a few minutes, claiming to a reporter: "I didn’t… Read More

Normally in this space we would have today’s political commentary. And there is plenty going on in the news on which to comment — a new redistricting proposal (that excludes redrawing U.S. House lines), the growing food fight between Speaker Fabian Nunez and the California Nurses Association, or Rep. Pete Starks’ apology after making an ass out of himself — to name a few. That said, these wildfires raging all over Southern California make it very difficult to just ‘dive in’ to political analysis, as if somehow today should be ‘business as usual’ for the FR. Like many, I have spent much time watching television, listening to the radio, and surfing the web, trying to stay up on what is going on, and where. I am overwhelmed with sympathy for people who are losing their homes, and awed by the bigger-than-life task of trying to manage and suppress all of these fires. It is clearly a testament to good firefighting skills that, given that well over 400,000 acres have burned (with over 900,000 people evacuated), that there has been so little loss of life. I know a significant number of people… Read More

Kerwin Swint is a Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University . He wrote a book in 2006 called Mudslingers: The Top 25 Negative Political Campaigns of All Time.

California has two campaigns that make the list but the last one was in 1950.

This is an excellent book for political junkies. Some of these tactics that were used by these candidates even decades ago are pretty outrageous.

In California I actually see more hard hitting races in Democrat primaries. They seem to have no problem going for the jugular early on.

On the Republican side we have a couple races coming up in 2008 that could certainly make the list and at least one in 2010 that has great possibility.

In Mudslingers the races that rose to the top of the list usually involved race and accusations of extra martial affairs.… Read More

Normally in this space we would have today’s political commentary. And there is plenty going on in the news on which to comment — a new redistricting proposal (that excludes redrawing U.S. House lines), the growing food fight between Speaker Fabian Nunez and the California Nurses Association, or Rep. Pete Starks’ apology after making an ass out of himself — to name a few. That said, these wildfires raging all over Southern California make it very difficult to just ‘dive in’ to political analysis, as if somehow today should be ‘business as usual’ for the FR. Like many, I have spent much time watching television, listening to the radio, and surfing the web, trying to stay up on what is going on, and where. I am overwhelmed with sympathy for people who are losing their homes, and awed by the bigger-than-life task of trying to manage and suppress all of these fires. It is clearly a testament to good firefighting skills that, given that well over 400,000 acres have burned (with over 900,000 people evacuated), that there has been so little loss of life. I know a significant number of people… Read More

As Duane Dichiara has noted in his posts below, downtown San Diego has been uniquely quiet the last two days. Although not threatened by fire, many of the folks who would typically drive in from other areas of the county are dealing with more significant issues than work, or their employers are closing operations for the time being. For good reason, as approximately one in six county county residents have been evacuated from their homes. The encouragement is to stay off the highways if possible.

Duane documents the empty nature of downtown withthe followingcouple of photos, taken at high noon, a good time for a ghost town … looking down Broadway, likely the busiest street in the area. And, although he has written for FR for nearly two years, he hasn’t yet learned how to post photos, so he asked me to do so. I am glad he can handle a camera.

… Read More

With all the trauma and loss in southern California because of the wildfires – I thought a little levity might help lighten things up. (no disrespect intended to those that have had their lives impacted by this tragedy) And when you’re looking for a good stand-up comedian in the spirit of Shecky Greene, look no further than our own Jim Brulte……..I know, I know, and you thought he was just a serious policy wonk.

Recently, Jim was invited to roast Governor Schwarzenegger at the governor’s fundraiser in Hollywood. He killed it.

The Master ofCeremonies was actor / comedian Tom Arnold.

Here is Jim’s stand up act – enjoy!

"Thank you, Tom, for that introduction.

And I guess I should introduce myself, since I’m not a nationally known celebrity like most of those on the dais. My name is… Read More