The governor's campaign team
launched a series of ads yesterday, hoping it leads to the biggest comeback since UC Davis's return from a 17-0 deficit at Stanford. Gary Delsohn writes in the Bee, "With just 48 days before voters are asked to wade through a ballot jammed with initiatives they still don't know much about, TV advertising is crucial to the outcome, and the new spots mark the Republican governor's first advertising counterpunch of the fall campaign."
"Coming the same week that Schwarzenegger is doing rare face-to-face interviews with reporters - a few days after announcing he'll run again next year -
the ads are part of a media blitz aimed almost as much at supporters and donors as it is at voters."
"The two 30-second spots, one featuring Schwarzenegger talking directly into the camera and the other showing actors briefly pitching his four initiatives, were scheduled to start airing in the state's major television markets Wednesday night, Schwarzenegger spokesman
Todd Harris said."
Harris told
Capitol Weekly that the ad buy was "statewide and significant." And though he did not say how much the campaign was spending on TV this go-round, he did say it was
a seven-figure media buy.The governor finished up his interviews yesterday, talking to TV and radio reporters the same way he spoke to print reporters Tuesday. John Myers has
the run-down of the radio interview.
The Capitol Weekly has a preview of the
governor's trip to Mexico, and a look at
Schwarzenegger's effort to remake the STRS board in the run-up to next year's pension fight.
Jon Fleischman weighs in with a look at
the silent opposition to Prop. 77. "The first [argument against Prop. 77] is that this measure is actually
part of a Democrat plot (yes, you read that correctly) to have this measure pass in California, and start a trend that will encourage the passage of similar initiatives in Ohio, Michigan and Florida, where the gerrymanders heavily favor the GOP. Doolittle fears that a redraw could cost 'three or four' GOP Congressional members their districts in California. Doolittle has also argued that
new districts that are more competitive would promote more centrist, moderate nominees – causing a moderation of the GOP."
The Times' Robert Salladay writes that the November special election has provided an
early launch to the 2006 race for governor. "The special election has allowed Schwarzenegger and his chief rivals to piggyback on the tens of millions of dollars being collected for the Nov. 8 initiative fight, promoting themselves along the way. It will allow Schwarzenegger to appear in more TV ads than he might otherwise.
"'It allows him to kick-start his reform package but also his gubernatorial campaign — by being very present in the voters' minds and constantly dominating the airwaves,' said
Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause."
The Chron's Carla Marinucci reports that the governor
is not backing down from his support of the Minutemen border patrol group. "'It's no different than if you have a neighborhood watch person there that's watching your children at the playground. I don't see it any different,' he said. 'Or, if I have my personal guards at the house, because I feel like the police (are) not going to be able to take care of the job because they are overwhelmed. It's just that private citizens take on the responsibility.'"
On that thought, we could use more soldiers in Iraq...
Meanwhile,
Ted Lieu was
sworn in yesterday as the assemblymember for the 53rd district, replacing deceased member
Mike Gordon. Michael Gardner writes in the Daily Breeze that Lieu will likely be one o the new members of the mod squad. "South Bay Assemblyman Ted Lieu began his acclimation to the Capitol on Wednesday and immediately set out to define himself as an independent willing to rebel against his own Democratic Party leaders whose money and legions of volunteers helped elect him."
The September oath of office also means that Lieu will be termed out in 2010.
Speaking of the Mod Squad, Capitol Weekly's Shane Goldmacher writes in today's issue that
moderate Democrats helped shelve many high priority environmental bills authored by fellow Democrats. "As session came to a close, five bills that several environment groups identified as top priorities died on the Assembly floor with united Republican opposition and a handful of abstaining or no-voting Democrats. The bills were killed after five Democrats –
Joe Canciamilla of Pittsburg,
Nicole Parra of Hanford,
Gloria Negrete McLeod of Chino,
Ron Calderon of Montebello, and
Barbara Matthews of Tracy – cast "no" votes on each of the bills, angering fellow Democrats in the process."
Hank Shaw reports on efforts from MADD to get the governor to veto a bill that "would codify California's existing practice of
taxing flavored malt beverages such as Zima or Smirnoff Ice as beer. If signed, the bill would drive up the price on aforementioned libations "by about $2.50 [per six pack] and limit their sales to only those stores with a full liquor license."
Also yesterday, we received word that former Orange County Assemblyman
Mickey Conroy passed away. Assemblymember
Chuck DeVore said of Conroy "Assemblyman Conroy always tried to do the right thing, even when it wasn’t fashionable. He spoke from the heart and told it like it was. He believed in America, in the goodness of America, and he was proud of her and what she stood for."
And, of course, paddling.
Speaking of paddling, the AP reports that the governor
no longer wants your horror stories about your fourth grade teacher. Until yesterday, the gov was soliciting the stories on his
Web site. "Have a story about a teacher who just might not be cut out for the job, yet nothing can be done because of tenure? Please tell us. We'd like to share the stories of Californians like you!"
The governor signed
AB 22, which
prohibits the trafficking in persons, which the governor called "modern day slavery."
Reggiemania: And, Reggie--the 7-foot alligator roaming a Harbor City lake--still has not been caught, and is
now being celebrated by the Los Angeles neighborhood. "Silliness overtook the Harbor City Neighborhood Council meeting Wednesday night when about 200 people turned out for the council's 'Reggie Rally,' a celebration of the wayward alligator that has brought worldwide media attention to the community over the past five weeks."
"There were chants and even a song -- sung to the tune of "Swanee" -- written for Harbor City's favorite alligator and sung by the crowd with gusto:"
"
Reggie, how we love ya, how we love ya,
Our dear old Reggie.
We'd give the world to see, you stay right here in Harbor City not Miami,
Reggie, we're waitin' for you, aching for ya,
Our dear old Reggie. We'll give you pizza, tortillas and more, when you leap on our Harbor City shore!"
Daily Show phone call in 3...2...
Department of Corrections: As our
coffee fund has run a bit low, we erred in stating that many local police groups are supporting Proposition 75. The reason the story is news is that traditionally conservative police groups have aligned themselves against the governor
in opposition to Proposition 75.
And for the record, it was Mercury News writer Laura Kurtzman, not Kate Folmar, who the governor compared to his wife during their interview with Schwarzenegger. We're not sure which one of the two we owe an apology to, but we apologize.
