"Hoping to prop up state treasurer and Democratic gubernatorial nominee
Phil Angelides, public employee unions
plan to launch statewide television ads today that resemble the spots they used to inflict major political damage on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year," report Michael Finnegan and Dan Morain in the Times.
"The spots renew labor's attack on Schwarzenegger's character, with a nurse, firefighter, police officer and several teachers portraying him as untrustworthy."
"Like the ads that helped kill Schwarzenegger's initiatives in the special election last November, the new commercials accuse him of breaking promises to stand up to special interests. They also suggest he is not a champion of public schools."
"The coalition paying for the ads is the Alliance for a Better California, a version of the group that ran labor's campaign against Schwarzenegger's initiatives last year. Members include the California Teachers Assn., Service Employees International Union, California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. and California Professional Firefighters, said
Gale Kaufman, a Democratic campaign strategist for the unions."
"She declined to say how much the group would spend on the ads, saying only that the amount was significant. She would not say how long the spots would stay on the air."
Meanwhile, the "California Republican Party
accused the state Democratic Party on Monday of illegally financing the TV 'issue' ads -- running in the final 45 days of the gubernatorial campaign -- that seek to link Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with the policies of President Bush."
"But the Democrats -- backed up by two independent campaign experts -- say they haven't violated any laws. To make their point, they announced they are launching a new Schwarzenegger-Bush piece that is scheduled to begin running today."
"In a complaint filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission, Republicans say the ads are now illegal because they were made "at the behest of" Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides and financed by funds that are subject to campaign finance limits."
"Democratic Party spokesman
Roger Salazar said the ads were not made at the behest of any "clearly identified candidate."
"'In terms of the law, they're just plain wrong,' Salazar said of the Republicans. '(The advertisements) don't identify Angelides. They are not at the behest of the candidate identified in the ads.'"
Dan Morain
takes a look at Prop. 89 for the Times. "If voters approve Proposition 89 and it withstands court challenges, California will become the first state to restrict spending on ballot measures,
though the limits would not apply to two of the biggest players in state politics: trial lawyers and Indian tribes that own casinos."
"The initiative's restrictions apply to corporations. Many trial lawyer firms are limited liability partnerships; Indian tribes are governments."
"An unlikely coalition has formed to beat the measure. Led by the California Chamber of Commerce, the foes include the California Republican Party, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and groups that in other instances are their fierce rivals: some of the state's most influential unions, including the 300,000-member California Teachers Assn."
"The initiative's sponsor is itself a union, albeit a maverick, the California Nurses Assn. The measure's backers include Treasurer
Phil Angelides, Schwarzenegger's Democratic challenger; Sen.
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); and California Common Cause. Out of deference to Angelides, the Democratic Party is neutral, though Chairman
Art Torres said the party might challenge one or more aspects of the initiative if it wins."
Speaking of campaign dough, the Chron's John Wildermuth
looks at where all that cash is coming from. "Out-of-state interests have poured more than $280 million into California political campaigns since 2001, and the November election will send that figure soaring."
"While that number is dwarfed by the $1.4 billion California residents, unions and businesses have spent on candidates and ballot measures, it shows just how much state politicians depend on big contributions from beyond the borders, said
Michael Lighty, a spokesman for the Proposition 89 campaign financing initiative."
"'The contributions from Middlesex County, New Jersey, are larger than those from Kern County,' Lighty said. '
You have national and international interests funding California Assembly races.'"
"Despite their outspoken support for landmark legislation to fight global warming, Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
some of the leading Democratic lawmakers who voted for the measure still use gas-guzzling vehicles for official state business," write Matthew Yi and Greg Lucas in the Chron.
Your honor, we would like to introduce this as exhibit A in Lockyer vs. the Auto Industry.
"Schwarzenegger, who is expected to sign the legislation on Wednesday at a ceremony in San Francisco, typically is escorted by the California Highway Patrol's security detail in a massive 2005 Ford Excursion that gets less than 11 miles per gallon, according to an evaluation by Consumerguide.com."
"The global warming bill's co-author, Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, travels in a state-leased 2003 Ford Explorer that gets about 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Two other lawmakers who voted for the legislation, Assemblyman
Dario Frommer, D-Glendale, and Assemblywoman
Rebecca Cohn, D-Saratoga, drive Jeep Grand Cherokees, which the U.S. Department of Energy has noted is the least fuel-efficient SUV in its class at 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway."
"In the Senate,
Dean Florez, D-Shafter (Kern County), whose district has some of the worst air quality in the country, drives a GMC Yukon Denali, which gets 12 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. Florez, who has authored several measures aimed at reducing pollution in the Central Valley, also voted for the global warming bill."
Speaking of greenhouse gasses, "Automakers can proceed with
a lawsuit seeking to block strict vehicle emission standards that California regulators adopted two years ago, a federal judge said Monday.
U.S. District Judge
Anthony Ishii sided preliminarily with
a coalition of automakers challenging the law, and said the lawsuit can go to trial Jan. 30."
"Students reveled Monday in a major victory for their divestment movement as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed two bills requiring California's public pension funds to shed Sudan-related holdings," reports Gilbert Chan in the Bee.
"The bills, seen as inspiration for a burgeoning national divestment campaign, will also trigger a University of California plan to start divesting in nine multinational energy and engineering companies doing business in the war-torn African country."
And, the guv was flanked by
George Clooney and
Don Cheadle for
the signing ceremony.
OK, how long before the Clooney for Governor movement starts? Hey, look!
it's already starting...
"The Port of Oakland asked for $6 million this year to help guard against terrorist attacks, but on Monday the federal Department of Homeland Security
said the nation's fourth-largest container port will get nothing."
We're sure that
Barbara Lee's lobbying the White House didn't help the matter.
"While the Bay Area's various transit agencies received $11.2 million from a $400 million transportation grant program, the ports of San Francisco and Oakland were left out in the cold."
"'We are a little bit puzzled about how the decisions were made," said
Marilyn Sandifur, spokeswoman for the Port of Oakland. 'We're very disappointed.'"
"Monday's announcement added to a string of woes for Bay Area agencies over homeland security funding. In June, the federal agency awarded the region $28.3 million under an urban security grant — $5 million less than the prior year and far short of the $333 million that Bay Area cities sought under a joint application."
"Security officials figured on more, not less, funding after Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff pledged a new formula based on a complex calculation of threats rather than population or politics."
From our
Coyote Ugly Gone Uglier Files: "Bacardi says its rum had nothing to do
with the way three women were burned in a Miami adult club."
"The trio is suing Bacardi, alleging its 151-proof rum turned into a "flame thrower" because it has vapors that are prone to ignite. But the spirits maker said that's not so."
"In a motion to dismiss the case, Bacardi said the real cause of the flames was a bartender who poured rubbing alcohol on the bar and lit it, as a way of promoting flaming drinks."
"Bacardi cites police and fire reports as saying a drunken customer put a paper menu in the fire, then pulled it up in the air -- spreading the flames and injuring the women."