"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
distanced himself from his fellow Republicans on Thursday on one of the main issues holding up the state budget: whether the state should provide health care for all children, including those who are undocumented immigrants," writes Clea Benson in the Bee.
"Republicans in the Legislature say they won't vote for a spending plan if it includes about $22 million the governor is proposing for county health insurance programs that cover all children, including those who are undocumented. Republicans also oppose another $1.8 million Democrats added as a first step toward allowing all children to qualify for state health care programs that serve low- and moderate-income families."
"At a news conference Thursday, Schwarzenegger agreed with Democrats that the state should provide coverage to children regardless of their immigration status."
"'For me, we should not politicize the children and drag them into this,' Schwarzenegger said. '
Children need to get all the attention if they are here legally or illegally. Every child should have the right to some health care and the schooling and so on.'"
This is the guy who voted for Proposition 187, right?
"But the governor also said he opposes Democrats' plans to expand the number of children who are eligible for health programs, saying the state cannot afford it right now."
"'Everyone has different ideas on this,' said [Senate Republican leader
Dick] Ackerman, of Irvine. '
Republicans have generally not supported the grant of various benefits packages to illegals.'"
Dan Walters writes "[i]t's entirely possible that Democrats inserted the controversial health language into the budget not only as a matter of ideology, but to
drive a wedge between Schwarzenegger and conservative Republican legislators, thereby undercutting the party unity that the governor wants in his battle with Angelides, while portraying Republicans as obstructionists on the budget."
So, so cynical and yet so, so obviously true.
The guv called a press conference yesterday to
remind people to forget that the Legislature had
once again missed its constitutional deadline to pass a budget. "Pay no attention that they haven't met their deadline. I think within the next few days we will see a budget," Schwarzenegger said. "We can do a historical thing here."
In an interview with the Press-Enterprise, the guv "predicted lawmakers will be able to resolve their differences over key issues such as health care for undocumented immigrant children, although he didn't outline what that compromise might be," reports the P-E's Michelle DeArmond.
Steven Harmon and Edwin Garcia look at the
campaign teams assembled by Angelides and Schwarzenegger.
"Angelides has put his campaign in the hands of California Democratic warhorses: campaign manager
Cathy Calfo, the Santa Cruz liberal who cut her teeth in local races; chief strategist
Bob Mulholland, a Vietnam War veteran known for playing hardball; and media consultant
Bill Carrick, who gives the campaign a bit of national heft."
"Schwarzenegger, for all his efforts to distance himself from the Bush White House, has tapped three men who have played central roles in President Bush's victories: campaign manager
Steve Schmidt, whose reputation for rapid responses on the campaign trail is legendary;
Matthew Dowd, the pollster and strategist known for his famously droll and realistic takes on Bush's races; and
Alex Castellanos, the media consultant who has been called one of the fathers of the modern-day attack ad."
"'The clash of the candidates is going to be fascinating,' said
Bob Shrum, considered a dean among Democratic consultants and a friend of Schwarzenegger's. 'And it will be interesting to see how it unfolds between the consultants.'"
The governor told state regulators to
speed up their query into spikes in state gas prices, reports the LAT's Marc Lifsher.
"'The California market saw a unique spike,' Schwarzenegger said. 'We will get to the bottom of it and will take appropriate corrective action.' He directed the commission to pick up the pace of its investigation and give him a final report Aug. 15, six weeks earlier than previously scheduled.
Schwarzenegger cautioned that 'it's not that clear yet' whether the investigation would uncover any instances of illegal price gouging by oil refiners, which have been enjoying whopping profits. The oil industry called the Energy Commission report old news and said it had nothing to hide."
"Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa's attempt to take over the Los Angeles public schools is in
serious jeopardy in the Legislature, according to one leading Democrat who urged the mayor Thursday to intervene in hopes of salvaging his plan," reports Duke Helfand in the Times.
"Assemblywoman
Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee and a former teacher, said she doubted that Villaraigosa's proposal would receive more than three votes in her committee. It needs at least six to pass."
"'I do not like the vote coming from Sacramento instead of from the people who live in the district,' Goldberg said, referring to the fact that the mayor's plan would not require a local referendum. 'I like Antonio and trust him, but I don't know who the next mayor's going to be.'"
"Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuņez (D-Los Angeles) telephoned Villaraigosa on Thursday to warn that fellow lawmakers were increasingly wary of his takeover plan."
Then he telephoned Goldberg to tell her
he was going to be the next mayor...
Well, this can't be good for the campaign. "
Ignacio De La Fuente Jr. will be tried on five felony counts of allegedly
raping and sexually assaulting four Oakland prostitutes in an 18-month period, a judge ruled Thursday. The suspect, son of Oakland City Council president and mayoral candidate Ignacio De La Fuente, could face life in prison if convicted.
And as the mercury approaches triple digits today in Sacramento, remember, it could be worse. You could be in Phoenix. Phoenix was named
the sweatiest city in America by people who should know -- the makers of Old Spice deodorant.
"he average Phoenix resident produced 26 ounces of sweat per hour during a typical summer day in 2005. In less than three hours, residents of Phoenix collectively produce enough sweat to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool! The city's average high temperature last year was 93.3 degrees -- compared to a cool 63.2 degrees for San Francisco, the nation's least sweaty city."
Fresno was the highest-ranking California city on the list at No. 25. Congratulations, Fresno!