It is said that power corrupts, but I’m inclined to think being in power too long also corrupts the capacity to think.

At least, that’s what the attached letter to Governor Schwarzenegger leads me to conclude.

It’s signed by five of the state Senate’s most powerful Democrats: Senate President pro Tempore Don Perata; Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Dunn; Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Sheila Kuehl; Trasnsportation Committee Chairman Alan Lownethal; and Environmental Quality Committee Chairman Joe Simitain.

It also looks like it was written by NRDC senior attorney Joel Reynolds, employing the same hackneyed combination of apocalyptic rhetoric and divorcement from reality that Reynolds’ infused into his Feb. 18 op-ed in the LA Times.

It amazes me these Senators contend that the long-planned completed of this toll road, fully vetted by a six-year, $17 million EIR, actually… Read More

The fact the State of California has postponed indefinitely the execution Michael Morales, who beat a teenage girls face beyond recognition and then raped her, two decades ago, is disgusting. Even though it was a ludicrous Federal Judge that put this latest circus in motion, I hope the Governor’s folks are asking this question when they appoint Democrats to judgeships; Do you support the death penalty and will you pledge not to interfere with its application?… Read More

Great news from Jessica’s Law co-sponsors Senator George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (both pictured center right), who have announcedthat 713,787 signatures were submitted today to election officials throughout the state. Thisvirtually assuresthe ballot-initiative version of Jessica’s Law will go before the state’s voters in November. The campaign needed to collect 373,816 valid signatures to qualify the statutory measure. "This is a historic step in our efforts to protect Californians and especially our children and grandchildren, from sexual predators," said George Runner.

This morning, local Jessica’s Law supporters gathered at the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters’ Office to turn in 63,000 signatures. Below is the text of a release from the Jessica’s Law campaign regarding the San Bernardino signature turn-in.

SAN BERNARDINO — Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt (Jessica’s Law Statewide Co-Chair), Assemblyman… Read More

A laugh for the day….read the San Francisco Chronicle’s story on the Richmond music teacher who is so upset that the kids in his community are gang-bangers with asthma that he felt compelled to chain himself to a park bench in Oakland for the week to protest the war. He’ll be getting up for bathroom breaks at the nearby Grand Lake Theater, which regularly posts diatribes on the marquee which alternate between calling for President Bush’s impeachment and deploring the use of Diebold voting machines. The protester was going to chain himself to a federal building, but decided he didn’t want to get charged under the Patriot Act. Like most of us, he couldn’t get a phone call returned from the Oakland police (after calling to see how much trouble he’d get into chaining himself to a city bench, so he just went ahead and did it).… Read More

Based on a ton of emails that I have received since my post yesterday afternoon on the California Republican Party hiring Patrick Dorenson to be its new Communications Director, I felt like I needed to follow up with a note.

You see, I thought it was incredibly newsworthy that the CRP has hired a prominent former Democrat political operative to head up their Communications effort. I first heard about this hire from reading about it in Capitol Weekly, who also thought that Dorenson’s past work for the campaigns of Al Gore and Bill Clinton were worthy of note, leading with that in their story.

The reason for this note is that many are assuming that because I pointed out this ‘unique’ (to say the least) background for Dorenson, that this means that I am unhappy or displeased with his being hired. That is not the case at all. As a matter… Read More

Dr. Phil Kurzner has decided to end his quest to become California’s next Insurance Commissioner. During my opportunities to talk with Phil, I found him to be an intelligent, engaging and savvy candidate. While I understand the politics of his departure, I do lament a process that causes some of our better candidates to decide not to run.

Phil’s departure, combined with the very low-key candidacy of Gary Mendoza appears to leave the doors wide open for businessman Steve Poizner from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Here is a statement released today from Dr. Phil Kurzner on his departure from the race:

"If the United States didn’t have a military, all in all we would be in a much better place." – San Francisco Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval on Hannity and Colmes.

Former State GOP Communications Director Karen Hanretty appeared last night on Hannity and Colmes to talk about this startling statement from a prominent Bay Area Supervisor. You can click here to see Sandoval’s outrageous comments and hear Karen talk with Hannity and Colmes. (Once you click through, then you need to select the program, "Fighting for the U.S.S. Iowa.")

This Democrat Supervisor was such a nut that on this program, even Susan Estrich, who appears with Hanretty doesn’t want anything to do with him.

This is Sandoval’s… Read More

THREE AND A HALF CONTENDERS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL I am a huge fan of contested primaries. I think that the whole argument that a candidate is better off because they have "cleared the field" is a misnomer and misplaced. Of course the challenge of winning a party primary means that resources will need to be raised and spent in order to do so. But it is this process that makes a candidate the best they can be for the general election. A primary hones a candidates speaking skills and fundraising skills. A primary allows a candidate to understand who really supports them. A primary also causes candidates to have to make some very real decisions and choices that allow party members to appreciate the candidate who becomes their nominee. I think the same holds true whether we are talking about candidate for the Democrat or Republican nomination. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a stronger candidate for re-election this… Read More