Democrats wrapped up their confab in Los Angeles this weekend with as much uncertainty as they entered with. Democrats in the large convention hall did not have the enthusiasm to fill the room, as party leaders and statewide office holders addressed the crowd. Conventioneers were treated to a candid, if a bit rambling, display from their gubernatorial standard bearer, that has left more than one Democrat concerned about their party's fate in November.
Afterwards, Brown met with reporters and gave us all a glimpse of what the next four years might be like if the election goes his way.
"Brown turned an obscure question about an electricity project in San Diego into a five-minute filibuster that covered the history of the California Environmental Quality Act, “regulatory underbrush” and the Political Reform Act.
"Brown was confrontational but jocular as he challenged assumptions of reporters’ questions. When a reporter said Brown was avoiding specific policy statements, he cut the question off and said pointedly, “I don’t agree with that at all.” That turned into a soliloquy about Richard Lugar, farm workers, the Federal Reserve and the California Conservation Corps.
"Another reporter’s question became “a very illegitimate fear that is shared by very few people,” in Brown’s estimation.
"A question about local government evoked mention of the “papal principal of subsidiarity” and a claim that the issue does not belong to the GOP.
“Some Republicans say that’s theirs,” Brown said. “I say that’s my tradition of Christian humanism.”
But Brown himself doesn't appear worried, the Chron's political team reports. "We have a long way to November," Brown said. "We have many months to go. I think to the extent that energizing is in order, many people are excited - as excited as one gets in April, also given the rather depressing state of the economy and the lack of exciting options that government has at the city level, the school level, the state level or the federal."
Cathleen Decker goes to church with Jerry.
"As he has been for all of his decades in public life,
Jerry Brown
remains singular in this, his latest turn onstage.
He is a man whose
pronouncements require Latin-to-English subtitles and a Jesuit education
-- spiritus mundi and supererogation were dropped into his
remarks this weekend, along with "the papal principle
of subsidiarity."
He is a candidate who still brushes past the niceties
of campaigning,
such as actually asking people for their votes.
"His quests for governor and president have become
so intertwined over
the years that, as he makes his newest pitch, he sometimes
sounds as
though he was still mounting his last big campaign,
when he ran for
president in 1992. Then he blasted the political system as corrupt; now
he reserves his umbrage for Wall Street.
"At 72, the attorney general is twice the age he was when
he sought the
office the first time; a convention video featuring news clips of a
dashing, dark-haired Brown contrasted starkly with the balding older
man
who followed it to the podium. Ahead of him as the
putative Democratic
nominee is a battle against a wealthy Republican -- he clearly believes
it will be billionaire Meg Whitman, judging from the
gibes he sent her
way in recent days.
"But he is also running against himself, and is six
months from finding
out whether, once again, he is what people want."
Amen, sister.
We can't imagine anyone who was interested in the miunutae of the weekend wasn't among the few hundred in attendance, but just in case, Seema Mehta reports, "in official party news, Democrats announced the results of endorsement elections in two contested primaries, giving the nod to Assemblyman Dave Jones over Assemblyman Hector De La Torre in the state insurance commissioner race. But in the race for lieutenant governor, despite heavy politicking, neither San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom nor Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn garnered enough votes to reach the 60% threshold required for endorsement.
"The party also voted to support Prop. 13, which would not add seismic retrofitting to a property’s taxed value, and Prop. 15, a public campaign-finance effort. They are opposing Prop. 14, an open-primary effort; Prop. 16, which would require a two-thirds vote to allow a public agency to enter the energy business; and Prop. 17, which would allow car insurance companies to penalize drivers who have a lapse in coverage."
President Obama missed the party this weekend, but he is in Los Angeles today and will headline a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer.
The Wall St. Journal looks at the Goldman Sachs factor in this year's governor's
race.
"Both leading candidates for the governor's office have ties of sorts to the Wall Street firm, and are already pointing fingers at their chief opponent."
We'd give you more, but we don't have a subscription...
Margot Roosevelt looks at the campaign to repeal AB 32.
"Oil companies and conservative activists poured nearly
$1 million last
week into their campaign to place an initiative on
the November ballot
that would delay enforcement of California's global warming law.
"The effort, which also sought to enlist “tea party”
activists, came as organizers failed to meet their original
goal of
gathering the 433,000 necessary signatures by Friday.
"But with the infusion of $930,000 to pay signature gatherers, bringing
the total
to $1.9 million, "We will all do what it takes to win," said
Assemblyman Dan Logue (R-Marysville), an initiative backer. "This will be an epic battle
like no other between environmental
extremism and job growth."
Hmm, which side is Will Smith on?
George Skelton takes a look at the public power measure on the June ballot. "The most important thing to know about Proposition
16 on California's
June ballot is that it was written and bankrolled by
Pacific Gas &
Electric Co. for the benefit of PG&E.
There'd be nothing wrong with that, necessarily, if
its customers also
benefited. But Prop. 16 seeks to lock them into the private utility's
grasp without any realistic opportunity of ever escaping
to an
electricity provider with cheaper rates."
And in case you're keeping score at home, PG&E just shelled out another $6 million for the campaign, reports John Howard.
What are you doing to celebrate the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride? What's that, you say? No plans?
Well, if you're in the Bay Area, you can head to San Francisco to join George Pataki, Steve Poizner and others at a rally to try to "repeal, reform and replace" the new national health care bill.
Period costume not required.
And finally, before we delve into our Take Me Out to the Ball Game Files, a quick Roundup warning. Those of you still eating your Corn Flakes might want to stop eating while you read this.
"A New Jersey man was jailed after he intentionally vomited on an off-duty police captain and his 11-year-old daughter in the stands during a Phillies game, police said.
"Matthew Clemmens, 21, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was charged with assault, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and related offenses for the incident at Wednesday night's Phillies-Nationals game. He was being held Friday on $36,000 bail.
"Clemmens made himself vomit on an off-duty police captain and his daughter after a companion of Clemmens' was kicked out for unruly behavior, police said."
Typical Philadelphia sports fan....