If the right one don't get you...The governor
gave his best political consulting advice at this weekend's state GOP meeting in Indian Wells. The Bee's Kevin Yamamura writes: "The Republican governor told the party it must reach out to independent voters to regain power in California. He said those voters like limited government and low taxes, and argued that even large numbers of California Republicans want 'comprehensive' health care and 'to do something more about climate change than simply doubt it.'
"
Schwarzenegger told delegates that the state Republican Party has lost 320,000 registered voters since 2005. As some Republicans pointed out, majority Democrats have lost 489,000 voters over that same period."The number of independent, or 'decline-to-state,' voters also declined slightly, but their percentage of the California electorate has increased slightly since 2005, whereas both major parties lost voter share. Schwarzenegger warned that in 20 years independent voters could outnumber either major political party.
"Schwarzenegger characterized those voters as conservative on fiscal issues and crime, yet moderate on social issues and the environment, a description that closely follows his own positions.
"Over the past year, as much as Schwarzenegger has tried to move his party to the center, Sen.
Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, has insisted that Republicans fight to retain conservative values.
"In a Sunday address to about 250 delegates, McClintock mocked the governor's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 as a 'so-called global warming bill' and
said such reductions would be a tall order because 'carbon dioxide is an integral part of all human activity, starting with exhaling.'"
The Chron's Carla Marinucci
writes: "Conservatives were dismayed, even angered, by what they said was the governor's efforts to abandon party principles.
"
Rick Perry gave the Republican speech at this convention,' said
Mike Spence, a leading voice in the conservative California Republican Assembly. '
What (Schwarzenegger) has been doing is undermining the Republican party his entire governorship ... the way he's run the party, his campaigns and his policies. He came here to attack and to bring up divisive issues.'"
"
Jon Fleischman, a vice chair of the California GOP and influential publisher of the Flashreport, a popular GOP Web site,
said that Schwarzenegger must 'come back to his roots, Ronald Reagan, Milton Friedman.' But 'to come into a Republican convention and talk about how the success plan for Republicans is to be more like Democrats is very unfortunate.'"
George Skelton's take: "It was Schwarzenegger's
most important state party speech since he introduced himself to the GOP at a convention during the 2003 recall campaign. In that address, however, the candidate stressed his conservative values. Both speeches were written by
Landon Parvin, a former Reagan wordsmith."
"Last weekend, the governor easily could have snubbed these hard-right activists. Instead, he chose to climb onto a soapbox with his powerful voice and try to coax some toward the center. It was long overdue.
"He may not have swayed many of the convention crowd. And it's probably too late to move any headstrong legislators this year. But he'll have three more years after this.
"Besides, his message just might reach a budding generation of potential political activists and leaders looking for an inclusive party with new ideas and a hospitable center."
One of the major debates at the convention was
over the party's platform statement on immigration. "During the convention, some members suggested a stronger position against illegal immigration, including a "no amnesty" line, which could define the state party as standing against any future path to legal status for current undocumented immigrants," reports Susan Ferriss in the Bee.
"Some Republicans prefer a federal immigration reform that would include an earned legal status program for undocumented workers, in combination with new enforcement measures and a supply of work visas to fill future labor shortages.
"Currently, the platform says the state GOP is in favor of legal immigration.
"Other platform suggestions that could be discussed before the next convention in February include demands for federal reimbursement of what the state spends on services for illegal immigrants; an end to state-funded non-emergency medical services for undocumented immigrants; and a position favoring deputizing state and county law enforcement to inquire about and identify felons who should be deported under federal law."
"Gay and lesbian couples
could legally marry in California under legislation approved Friday by the state Senate and sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger," reports Aurelio Rojas in the Bee.
"The governor vetoed a nearly identical bill two years ago and has vowed to do so again.
"Twenty-two senators, all Democrats, voted for Assembly Bill 43, while all 15 Republicans in the Senate opposed it.
"The measure by Assemblyman
Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who also presented the 2005 legislation, would amend a section of the Family Code to define marriage as a civil contract between two persons instead of a civil contract between a man and a woman."
"California chiropractors
would salvage some of their historic independence but still come under the control of a state consumer affairs department for the first time, according to amendments to a bill approved by the Assembly on Friday," writes John Hill in the Bee.
"Even with the changes, Senate Bill 801 will force the state board that oversees chiropractors "to comply with open meeting laws and other provisions that apply to similar health-related boards in the state," the author, Sen.
Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles, said in a prepared statement.
"'For too long, the board has not been fulfilling its fundamental mission of protecting the public,' Ridley-Thomas said. "Therefore, reform is the order of the day."
"SB 801 had been widely opposed by chiropractors as an attack on the autonomy of their profession. The main association representing chiropractors said Friday it continues to oppose the bill because of uncertainties over how much the changes would infringe on the profession's independence.
"Nonetheless, the bill scraps one of the provisions the association found most objectionable: giving the Legislature the power to decide what kinds of treatment chiropractors can provide."
The LAT's Patrick McGreevy
looks at the debate over the use of lobbyists by local government. "Taxpayer advocates say local governments should not have to spend millions on lobbyists to get the attention of state lawmakers from those same cities and counties. Los Angeles County, they note, has the biggest and most powerful delegation of state legislators in California and still spends about $1.7 million on lobbying annually, including paying a staff of five lobbyists.
"Since many of the elected representatives in Sacramento come from local government, they are already well represented," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn.
"
Dan Jacobson, legislative lobbyist for the group Environment California, said the county's representatives include 'what some would argue are the most powerful legislators in the state,' Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nuņez (D-Los Angeles) among them.
"'There is no reason to spend all of this money on lobbyists,' Jacobson said.
"
Dan Carrigg, legislative director for the League of California Cities, defended the municipalities' use of lobbyists. Once lawmakers get to Sacramento, Carrigg said, they can be overwhelmed by the many competing interests and the thousands of bills and budget proposals they must consider."
"Philanthropist
Eli Broad is set to
announce a $20-million donation today to UCLA for stem cell research, the latest in a series of large gifts that position California universities at the forefront of the promising scientific field."
Most UCLA alum and students, when asked, said they'd still rather have another win over USC this year...
Why are we not surprised that
a candidate for San Francisco mayor is named Grasshopper? And why are we not surprised that he was arrested this weekend?
"A homeless cab driver who is a candidate for San Francisco mayor was jailed early Sunday for allegedly trespassing and threatening a public official, a Sheriff's Department official said.
The Chron's Tyche Hendricks explains: "
Grasshopper Kaplan was arrested after he camped out in his taxi van in the driveway of the home of San Francisco Supervisor
Ed Jew, according to Kaplan's friend,
Steve Murray.
"Kaplan, who has made his homelessness and a plea for affordable housing part of his campaign, was trying to draw attention to the fact that Jew is not living in his 28th Avenue home, Murray said."
Leave it to the Italians to have
a term limits campaign with style. Popular comic
Beppe Grillo has sent shock waves through the political system with the level of support for his campaign which, if successful, would bar convicted felons from parliament and would limit politicians' careers to two terms in office.
"An estimated 40,000 people attended Grillo's rally in Bologna on Saturday and many more went to hundreds of similar
"Vaffanculo-day" protests around the country. The word is
the Italian equivalent of the "f"-word in English."
Hey US Term Limits. We may have just found your February campaign slogan...
