Former CTA gov't relations boss
John Hein announced yesterday that he's part of a
new committee formed to oppose the governor's reform measures. Contrasting themselves with the gov-friendly
"Citizens to Save California," the new anti-governor group is calling itself -- and this is not bad Roundup humor --
"Seriously, Saving California."The
Committee that claims it is Seriously Not Controlled by Schwarzenegger sued the FPPC yesterday to have the commission's regulations thrown out limiting the guv's involvement with the committee. It seems that those promises of four photos with the gov in consideration for a $100,000 contribution might be a bit too close to the line...
Meanwhile, the governor's lawyers are
demanding that radio stations yank the CTA ad campaign, arguing that
Barbara Kerr's statement that "the Governor proposes a budget that will cut school funding by billions more" is a lie.
To our
Legislative Insult File, the governor has added "poor little guys." Yesterday, in touting his ability to go directly to the people with his proposals, he pointed out that his approval ratings are in the 60s, while speaking of the legislature, he said "The poor little guys there — they're in the 30s."
The
Runners released what we believe to be their first joint press release as husband and wife legislators (and if it's not, we're sure we'll hear about it from their crack communications staff). The release condemns a high school in Victor Valley for hosting a "mock gay marriage ceremony on school campus."
George Runner compared the ceremony to "encouraging students to practice using drugs, similar to handing out fake IDs to students and demonstrating how to illegally purchase alcohol."
Assemblyman
Mark Leno was seen roaming the Capitol halls late Wednesday afternoon, showing the press release to members of the San Francisco media.
Meanwhile, the Runners should have a grand time with
Carole Migden's bill to keep the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy from
applying to the California National Guard.In related news, a German zoo is trying to answer the "nature vs. nurture" question, and has imported four female penguins from Sweden in an effort to
tempt its gay penguins to go straight.They don't want Rudy on Duty Dept of Corrections chief
Jeannie Woodford argues that, since
Rudy Bermudez is on leave from his job as a parole officer, he has a conflict of interest and
can't head the Assembly's budget subcommittee reviewing the prison budget. Finding a way to bump his Senate counterpart
Gloria Romero, a CSU prof, is proving a bit more challenging.
Gray Davis Speaks! The LA Weekly calls up the former guv for their
profile of Bob Hertzberg. "Bob is the guy you went to if you had some big problem you had to get solved," Davis tells the Weekly. “He’s thorough, he’s wise and he stays on top of the bureaucrats. During the energy crisis we worked closely, and he could really be counted on." It's unfortunate that Hertzberg left the legislature in 2002 and thus wasn't around to solve Davis's "big problem."
For all you Reagan philatelists, today's your
lucky day.George Will
compares Schwarzenegger to Trotsky after a visit. "Extending an arm, his palm toward his face and his fingers curved as though holding an invisible orb, he says ingenuously, 'If I can see it' -- any goal -- 'I can achieve it. And I have the ability to see it.'"
Meanwhile, the
Archbishop of Paris compares the guv to the Pope, or vice-versa. Finally, the Sacramento Bee
admonishes the political crowd, arguing that none of us will be saved by the posturing.
"It is all very MAD, this philosophy of Mutually Assured Destruction. Instead of making even the feeblest attempt to negotiate on pension reform, legislative districts and other matters, both sides are launching preemptive strikes and hiding in the bunkers of the initiative process."
(The governor will hit the road today to tout his pension reform plan).