Finding the ideal follow-up to his call from healthier school food on Monday, Governor Schwarzenegger
signed compromise legislation that strengthens consumer protections for car buyers.
"'The Car Buyer's Bill of Rights is going to keep one of California's leading retail industries booming and
strengthen the consumer faith and trust that is so essential to our vibrant economy,' Schwarzenegger said in a statement after a private bill signing, which representatives of car dealers attended."
California's own Peter Schrag
doesn't have anything nice to sayabout the governor's woes. "The governor's approval ratings are down, public support for his agenda is in the tank, and the big money deals with the muscle magazines and with the Arnold Classic bodybuilding event have been canceled."
"Meanwhile, the reform agenda has shrunk to a shadow of its original self, and the embarrassment of the man who declared he didn't need money even as he benefited handsomely from the diet supplement industry has ballooned. One Sacramento political operative said it had changed her mind about former Gov.
Gray Davis: '
At least he didn't put a piece of everything he got in his own pocket.'"
National Review Online columnist Jonah Goldberg
"blames the governor's woes on ... Californians!. "It’s not nice to kick a guy when he’s down, but I’m thinking he can handle it," he writes of the governor. "Arnold Schwarzenegger is
falling apart like a Terminator made from Tinkertoys. About a year ago, flibbertigibbets and voluptuaries in Washington and California were convinced that Arnold could somehow intimidate the entire political process into revoking that pesky amendment that bars the foreign born from running for president (though I suppose it doesn’t bar them from running, just serving). Now Schwarzenegger is doing worse in the polls than that
vaguely remembered political skid mark of the Schwarzenegger juggernaut, Gray Davis, was when he was ousted from office in a recall."
Goldberg then retreats into that familiar DC pose of
blaming the "flaky Californians" for their woes. "Ultimately,
the real culprits are Californians themselves. They don’t want responsible leaders so they don’t get them.
Golden Staters would do well to remember their Shakespeare. The fault lies not in the movie star, dear Californians, but in yourselves."
Thanks for the lecture, Jonah! Some day we hope to be just as smart and civic minded as everyone in Washington!
Hopefully, California's
David Drucker will help teach those D.C. boys a thing or two about California, when he starts his new gig as the new political reporter for
Roll Call next month.
The Oakland Tribune's Steve Geissenger reports the
state lottery director is on his way out. Chon Gutierrez came under fire after involving California in the controversial mega millions multi-state lottery game. "'I think Gutierrez's performance came up short on all counts and I appreciate the governor holding him responsible,' said Sen.
Dean Florez, D-Bakersfield, whose committee oversees the lottery."
San Diego Mayor's RaceIn the continuing effort to find someone capable of running "America's Finest City," councilwoman
Donna Frye and former police chief
Jerry Sanders emerged from yesterday's San Diego mayoral election and will face each other in a runoff on November 8.
Here's a little something for all you legislative staffers to do while your bosses are on recess:
Find out your WWE wrestling name! The link comes to us courtesy of one such aforementioned staffer, who we'll just call "Momma Spike Glove." Through the translator, the governor becomes
Atomic Wedgie the speaker is transformed into
Spoon Man. Enjoy!
In
Roundup by Moonlight news, congressional negotiators
reached an agreement on an energy bill last night that will extend daylight savings time for an extra two months beginning in 2007. This will result in an extra hour of darkness in the mornings of March and November.
From our
"All Depends on your Definition of High Profile" Files comes this release from the
Steve Poizner campaignfor
insurance commissioner: "Poizner Campaign Picks Up High Profile Assembly GOP Support." The suspense must be killing you. The endorsements are from
Rick Keene,
Guy Houston and
Van Tran -- we'd bet five of Steve Poizner's dollars that nobody working outside the Capitol zip code could pick all three out of a line up.
In
Jumping the Gun News, we've been put in our place from the good folks at the "Bachelor." (Who knew the Roundup's reach was so far and wide?) Apparently, we got a bit ahead of ourselves in proclaiming Assemblyman
Lloyd Levine a "finalist" on the show. In an email yesterday,
Michelle Castillo, she of the "he's the total package" quote, wrote in to clarify that "
Lloyd Levine is not a finalist for the Bachelor. We aren't at the stage of having finalists." Our apologies for the error. He just looks
so convincing with that rose!In
Rally for Art News, Move America Forward is staging an "I love America" art exhibit outside the attorney general's office. Sacramento's liberal Air America radio affiliate is staging a counter-rally. And the Roundup will be providing free popcorn to interested theater watchers who just want to see liberal and conservative whack jobs scream at each other about art. Hope to see you all there!
We may even give you a wrestling name.