"Appearing publicly for the first time since his campaign acknowledged leaking a tape of Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's remarks on ethnicity, Democrat
Phil Angelides defended his aides' actions by emphasizing Thursday that they took the digital file from a public Web site," writes the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.
"Campaign manager
Cathy Calfo said Tuesday that Angelides was initially 'surprised' and 'disappointed' to hear of his aides' activities.
But the Democratic candidate did not blame his staff Thursday, instead lashing out at Schwarzenegger for shifting the focus away from his comments."
"'The issue here is what the governor said,' Angelides told supporters at a Los Angeles event made available by teleconference. '
Look, the governor, they're just trying to cover up.'"
Not taking sides here, but the gov's
not exactly a proponent of covering up.
"Angelides returned to California from a three-day fundraising trip to New York, Chicago and Washington, during which he made no public appearances as his campaign was embroiled in the tape controversy."
"He granted one interview Wednesday to ABC News. Of the governor's taped conversation, Angelides said, '
This is like Nixon in the White House."
The Merc's Steven Harmon writes about
the role the bond campaign will play in the governor's race. "The historic $37.3 billion bond package on the November ballot not only would be California's biggest investment in roads, schools and housing in more than 40 years, but it's also at the center of a political drama being played out in the governor's race.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's strong embrace of the investment plan -- which entails four separate bonds -- reflects his move to the political center to rehabilitate his image, badly damaged in 2005 with his ill-conceived special election that ended in political humiliation.
Just as significantly, it has complicated Democratic challenger Phil Angelides' approach to the campaign."
"In an early move, Democrat
Jerry Brown launched a television advertising campaign Thursday in the race for California attorney general, using a trio of commercials to attack Republican foe
Chuck Poochigian as too extreme for the state," writes Eric Bailey in the Times.
"The ads, part of a weeklong $300,000 buy on cable TV systems throughout the state, according to Brown's campaign, comes as the California GOP airs a feisty radio ad that ridicules Brown as "flaky" and too liberal to serve as the state's top law officer."
"Brown, mayor of Oakland and a former California governor, hits Poochigian, a state senator from Fresno, in his 30-second spots for Poochigian's opposition to a ban on 50-caliber sniper rifles, abortion rights, stem cell research and tougher environmental rules. A fourth commercial extols Brown's support from California police chiefs and other law enforcement groups."
Pooch
hits back with a YouTube video questioning Brown's change of heart on campaign finance.
Speaking of the AG's race, Pooch can't be too happy about
Brown digging with Maria at yesterday's "Day of Preparedness" on the Capitol's South Lawn.
The governor took the day's theme as an opportunity to
sign a bill establishing a Public Health Department.
The Bee's Clea Benson writes: "The new department will help local governments respond to medical catastrophes and epidemics. For decades, those functions have been handled by the same department that runs the state's Medi-Cal health system for the poor."
"Californians
are going to have to put down their cell phone and use a hands-free device starting in 2008 if they want to talk and drive at the same time under a bill Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to sign into law today. 'Public safety is the governor's No. 1 priority, and this bill make the streets and highways of California safer by making sure drivers have both hands available for driving,' said
Margita Thompson, a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger," reports the Chron's Lynda Gledhill.
"Sen.
Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said data from the California Highway Patrol showed that not only were cell phones the No. 1 cause of distracted driving accidents, but that hands-free technology substantially reduced the number of crashes."
"'We've got this readily available technology that costs next to nothing and that saves lives. My argument has been, why not use it?' Simitian said."
Now that we've got this technology, can someone find a way to free the hands of the driver next to us who is shaving with one hand and eating an Egg McMuffin with the other?
The recall of more than 23,000 Segway scooters is going to
put a cramp in the style of Riverside cops, according to the Press-Enterprise's David Herman. "Police officers in Redlands and Temecula use the two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered scooters -- which cost between $4995 and $5700 -- to patrol schools, narrow streets and malls, where patrol cars would be impractical. In Riverside, the city's public parking services department just purchased two Segway transporters to be used by a pair of parking-control staff members."
But how can you hold on and talk on your cell phone at the same time?