"Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and challenger
Phil Angelides chased votes Sunday in the city's historically black heartland, each seeking to galvanize a Democratic-leaning bloc likely to play an important role in the Nov. 7 election," reports Michael Blood for the AP.
"Angelides appeared at the Ward A.M.E. Church in South Los Angeles, where he told parishioners: 'We live in the richest state in the wealthiest nation in human history. But we have enormous challenges.' The Republican governor and his wife, Maria Shriver, visited a social-services program run by community activist
'Sweet Alice' Harris."
The Bee's Peter Hecht
reports: "Joining Sweet Alice in Watts, Schwarzenegger -- with wife
Maria Shriver -- appeared to be spending a pleasant afternoon in a mostly African American neighborhood that traditionally has been the bluest of Democratic blue."
"Alice Harris was a delegate for Angelides' rival,
Steve Westly, at the state Democratic convention in Sacramento. Although she didn't publicly endorse Schwarzenegger on Sunday, she hailed him for pledging to save Watts' beleaguered Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center and coming to her street to witness efforts to uplift the community."
"Our biggest problem is we can't get anybody to come out and talk to us," Harris said. '
Not only did he (Schwarzenegger) come out and talk to us, but he brought his wife. ... Be nice to this man because he is here to help us and we are grateful for that.'"
"Angelides appeared at a spirited campaign rally in West Los Angeles and in the warm political embrace of U.S. Sens.
Dianne Feinstein and
Barbara Boxer."
"A month from the election, with a sound system blaring the Black Eyed Peas' 'Let's Get It Started!' he took to the podium boasting that he'll make a comeback thanks to Saturday's debate and a statewide bus trip that began Sunday."
"He was sent off on the tour with a fiery speech by Boxer assailing Schwarzenegger for waging a war on working Californians and embracing a president, George W. Bush, who is embroiled in an unpopular war in Iraq."
"On Angelides' behalf, Boxer pleaded for wayward Democrats to come home."
"'
We say to all Californians: You're a blue state! Come home to blue! Come home to us,' she said."
While Boxer was pleading to the base voters, other Democrats on the ticket are considering
were distancing themselves from Angelides.
"Worried Democrats said Sunday that Phil Angelides failed to achieve the breakthrough he needed in the sole gubernatorial debate and expressed fear that his campaign's trajectory threatened others on the statewide ticket," report Michael Finnegan and Mark Barabak in the Times.
"Fellow Democrat
John Garamendi, in a tight race for lieutenant governor against Republican state Sen.
Tom McClintock, has started to distance himself from Angelides. He said in a television interview aired Sunday that he disagreed with an Angelides plan to raise taxes on corporations and the well-to-do."
"On Sunday, the example cited repeatedly by Angelides' disappointed party brethren was the 1994 election, when then-Treasurer
Kathleen Brown lost in a landslide and dragged several fellow Democrats down with her.
"'
When you have a situation like we had in 1994, when the top of the ticket collapses, it clearly has a downdraft effect,' said Democratic strategist
Garry South."
Of course, Garry won his race that year...
After a day of playing to the base, Angelides also
made a stop in the Central Valley Sunday night. "During a campaign stop Sunday night in Merced, gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides said he is deeply committed to accelerating development of UC Merced and has a three-pronged plan to boost the San Joaquin Valley," reports Doane Yawger in the Merced Sun-Star.
"Speaking to nearly 100 people at a Democratic party rally in a downtown Merced restaurant, Angelides said he has a plan to balance the state's budget and provide the funding to advance Merced and the Valley's unrealized future."
"'Sacramento has ignored the Central Valley for far too long. The Valley has enormous potential. We need a smart growth plan for the Central Valley; it ought to be a place to attract quality industries,' Angelides said."
"Accompanying Angelides on Sunday's tour were two of his three daughters,
Christina, 22, and
Megan, 28. Christina Angelides said her parents have always been involved in politics and she is extremely proud of her father."
"'We know our dad; he's had the same passion and principles all the time,' she said."
George Skelton
reviews Saturday night's debate: "TV viewers saw Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Treasurer
Phil Angelides at their political best Saturday night. So they also saw why the governor is running far ahead in the polls."
Ouch.
"Anybody tuning in to the only debate of the gubernatorial campaign got a close-up glimpse of how these two pretty much conduct themselves in small groups or even one-on-one."
"Schwarzenegger: relaxed, confident, jovial. A better command of complex issues than one might expect of someone in public office for only three years."
Ah, the soft bigotry of low expectations.
"Angelides: Intense, wound up. A policy wonk seemingly trying to cover every subject in one long sentence."
Steve Geissinger
checks in on the battle for attorney general. "Oakland Democrat
Jerry Brown, who cemented his reputation as California's most enduring political enigma by running for attorney general, and Republican
Chuck Poochigian of Fresno are bashing each other as extreme."
"And both are right, say political experts in moderate Democrat-leaning California."
"In negative TV ads and a debate, state Sen. Poochigian has
criticized Brown as too soft on crime to be the state's top cop, while Brown has attacked Poochigian as too harsh. In particular, they are competing for endorsements by law enforcement, which are split."
"Each is accusing the other of distortions but political experts say the crossfire is largely drawn from public actions and statements by Brown, the liberal, and Poochigian, the conservative."
Josh Richman
profiles the leading candidates for lite guv for the Fremont Argus. "State Insurance Commissioner
John Garamendi is a liberal Democratic former Clinton administration official and state Senate Majority Leader from Walnut Grove who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1982 and 1994 and briefly entered 2003's gubernatorial recall election race."
"He says his top priorities are improving the state's education system to produce a more skilled work force, protecting the environment and ensuring every Californian has access to affordable health care."
"Sen.
Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, is a conservative who was the GOP nominee for state Controller in 1994 and 2002, losing the latter race by a hair; he also finished third in 2003's recall vote, behind Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat
Cruz Bustamante."
"He says his top priorities are protecting private property rights from eminent domain seizures and other threats, and battling government waste and fraud in order to rein in state spending."
Meanwhile, Proposition 90 is
dividing proponents of eminent domain reform, write Martin Wisckol and Peggy Lowe in the Register. "Proponents emphasize that the statewide initiative would stop cities from using eminent domain powers to take private land when they plan to turn it over to private developers for redevelopment and tax dollars."
Seal Beach Mayor
Charles "Antos likes that eminent-domain part of the Prop. 90. So does Newport Beach Mayor
Don Webb, who is backing a city measure that does the same thing. Both believe a city should forcibly take land only if needed for a public purpose like a street or a school."
"But
Prop. 90 goes beyond the issue of eminent domain, and that has turned Antos and Webb against it. The initiative says that whenever a city "downzones" – adds restrictions to the intensity of land use like new height limits –
the city is liable for compensating property owners for any loss in property values."
"Because of the vast potential cost of such compensation, Antos and other opponents say the measure would effectively block cities from making land-use changes."
"Assemblywoman
Mimi Walters, R-Laguna Niguel, is among the ardent backers of Prop. 90, and argues that portion of the initiative is a good thing. She uses the example of San Clemente, where the city is trying to restrict heights in the Shorecliffs neighborhood."
"'They were already allowing people to build second stories, and now they're telling people they can't build second stories anymore,' said Walters, honorary chairwoman of the Prop. 90 campaign. 'That's not fair.'"
The Register's Martin Wisckol
looks at the finances of candidates for SD34, perhaps the one and only competitive Senate race this fall. "From July through September, Daucher raised $837,000. Correa raised $275,000."
"That gives Daucher $1.8 million for the election, if you include the primary, and Correa, $632,000."
"But Correa didn't do the heaviest lifting in his primary win over
Tom Umberg– a rash of
late independent expenditures totaling $808,000 helped carry the day. Those "IEs" represent money spent on his behalf by political action committees and are not supposed to be coordinated with his campaign."
"'The money will be there' for Correa, acknowledged Senate GOP Leader
Dick Ackerman, R-Irvine, who is one of Daucher's chief allies."
Meanwhile, The Stockton Record's Alex Breitler
looks at AD15. "The rookie: 38-year-old
Terry Coleman, a consumer attorney who has never before run for public office.
Didn't he run for governor during the recall? Oh, wait, that was
Gary Coleman.
"The veteran: 45-year-old
Guy Houston, seeking his final two-year Assembly term."
"The winner will represent a district that spans parts of four counties, including French Camp and a slice of Stockton in San Joaquin County and Galt in south Sacramento County."
"When it comes to campaign dollars, this race is a runaway. Houston, a broker and real estate agent, raised $304,600 from the start of the year through June 30, according to the California secretary of state; Coleman collected about $80,400."
"But, Coleman said, 'I'm pleased with what we've been able to do. I think we will be in a position where we will have enough (money) to communicate our message in an effective way.'"
From our
Art Imitates Life Files, the Chron's Celia Vega reports
Gavin Newsom may have a
blast from the past challenge him for reelection. "The list of potential challengers:
Matt Gonzalez, the Green Party candidate who narrowly lost to Newsom in 2003; Supervisor
Ross Mirkarimi, who represents the Western Addition and Haight Ashbury neighborhoods; Public Defender
Jeff Adachi and former Supervisor
Tony Hall."
"Publicly, many potential candidates use carefully selected words about their plans."
"
Even Art Agnos, who was mayor from 1988 to 1992, is rumored to be among the contenders."
"'Right now, people are being speculative,' Agnos said. 'What happens next February or May if a citizens committee came and said, "You're the only guy who can do this." Would I listen? Yes. Am I planning on it? No. Am I trying to make it happen? No.'"
Meanwhile,
Antonio Villaraigosa is in China, reports
LA Observed. "City Hall beat reporter Duke Helfand is on the mayor's trade trip to China and blogging about it for the Times website. In the first post we learn that
Villaraigosa flew in business class, is staying at the St. Regis in Beijing and that he barked at aides when the luggage didn't arrive on time at the hotel."
You can take the boy out of LA...
Finally, from our
Land Down Under Files, A 22-year-old man
attempted to drive 310 miles in reverse on a remote Outback highway after his transmission failed, blocking his forward gears, police said Friday. The man was stopped by Western Australia state police on Thursday afternoon after they spotted his car roaring in reverse down the highway at about 40 mph, according to a statement."
Apparently, he was auditioning with the Schwarzenegger campaign for the latest anti-Phil Angelides ad.
