The California Democratic Party has launched a new
TV ad attacking Meg Whitman's ties to Goldman Sachs. We'd link to the spot, but we can't seem to find it anywhere -- not on YouTube, not on the party's Web site. So we'll
pass. But we did get this response from Whitman spokesman
Tucker Bounds.
"This is a clear effort by the California Democratic
Party and labor
unions to defeat
Meg Whitman, because she is the only fiscal conservative
in the race who
will reform
the failed pension system and solve the fiscal crisis
in Sacramento. The
California
Democratic Party, the public employee unions, and Steve
Poizner have
struck an alliance
to defeat Meg's effort to disrupt the status quo in
Sacramento."
OK then. Moving on.
The three Republican candidates for U.S. Senate faced
off in their first debate in Los Angeles Thursday.
"Minutes into the debate DeVore lobbed his opening
attack on Campbell's
record on taxes, faulting him for supporting temporary
tax increases
last year — including a 32-cents-a-gallon, one-year hike in the gas tax —
to help the state recover from the fiscal crisis.
"I don't believe there's a tax increase in recent history
that he hasn't
supported," DeVore said during the debate, held at
the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles. "I think that leaves something
to be desired
when it comes to conservative principles."
"Fiorina soon piled on, calling both her opponents
"career politicians,"
and criticizing Campbell for refusing to sign a pledge
to oppose higher
taxes. Campbell defended his record — noting that the National Taxpayers
Union Foundation twice named him the most frugal member
of Congress
when he served more than a decade ago.
Carly Fiorina got a boost before the debate when she
received an endorsement from Sarah Palin.
Maeve Reston reports, "Palin, the controversial former
running mate of Arizona Sen. John
McCain, crossed paths with Fiorina on the campaign trail
in 2008, when
Fiorina served as an advisor to McCain. Some speculated
Palin would
endorse one of Fiorina’s rivals, Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore,
who is a favorite of tea party groups and has locked
down other
conservative endorsements, including that of former
Arkansas Gov. Mike
Huckabee.
"A wave of disappointed Twitter posts from DeVore supporters
followed
Palin's move. DeVore spokesman Joshua Treviño sent his own series of
Twitter missives calling Palin an 'establishment figure.'
He also
wrote: 'Stop panicking over Sarah Palin. She is one. You
are many. And
you will win. Now get to work.'"
Politico's Andy Barr says Palin's Facebook minions have started lashing out.
"The revolt is coming from Palin supporters who also
back Chuck DeVore — a
tea party favorite who is campaigning against Fiorina
in the Republican
primary.
"Palin’s Facebook page is littered with comments opposing
her endorsement
of Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard."
Ballot measures that would make it harder
to raise fees and easier to pass budgets have begun submitting
signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Carol Williams looks who would benefit from promised car insurance rate cuts under Proposition
17.
"The proponents of Proposition 17
contend that passage would benefit more than 80% of California drivers
because it would allow them to enjoy their continuous-coverage discounts
— as much as $250 a year for some drivers — even if they switch
carriers to take advantage of lower prices elsewhere.
"But what insurers give to some clients comes at the
expense of others,
say consumer advocates opposed to the initiative bankrolled
by Mercury
Insurance Group. They say the measure on the June 8 ballot would drive
up rates for those who gave up driving when they lost
their jobs, got
sick, served out of state in the military or just wanted
to help the
environment or save money by taking public transportation.
Opponents also contend that the
initiative would make rates unaffordable for many
new drivers and those
with tarnished records, boosting the number of uninsured
cars on the
road and thereby raising safety risks and eventually
premiums for
everyone."
Attorney General Jerry brown says more lawsuits may be on the way involving CalPERS.
Marc Lifsher reports, "This is not the end of this
case or the end of the investigation,"
Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown said at a news conference Thursday.
"Other things
could follow."
"Brown said that information from his office's
investigation or independent investigations could
result in more
lawsuits or criminal indictments from a local district
attorney, the
Fair Political Practices Commission or other law enforcement
agencies."
You can see some video footage of Brown's press conference
on Capitol Weekly's YouTube channel.
Could the courts force Gov. Schwarzenegger to change the date of the
election to replace Abel Maldonado?
A new lawsuit cited a potential violation of a 1960s civil rights law in their appeal to move the election
date. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the election
for June 22, with an
Aug. 17 run-off if no candidate receives 50% of the vote in June.
Democrats and county officials had wanted Schwarzenegger
to consolidate
the election with the Nov. 2 general election but Schwarzenegger
refused.
"The lawsuit hinges on Monterey
County, one of the five counties that make up the 15th Senate District.
Because of a history of literacy tests and other obstacles
to voting in
Monterey County, it is one of only four counties in
the state subject to
special provisions in the federal Voting Rights Act
"Those provisions require federal review for any
proposed change in Monterey elections, said Linda Tulett, the county's
registrar of voters. Everything from unscheduled dates
to changes in
polling places or voting machines must first be OKd
by the Department of
Justice.
"The DOJ has 60 days to review those
changes. But the election was called by Schwarzenegger
less than 60 days
after his proclamation.
"We've been
communicating these barriers with the administration
from the get-go,"
Tulett said. "Letters were written, phone calls were
made. We had a letter
going out that day saying please don't do this."
John Howard reports on Susan Kennedy cracking heads at the PUC and getting the commission to change its ways.
The state
Public Utilities Commission, in an abrupt
and dramatic shift of position, voted Thursday to block
its rule limiting to 25 percent the level of out-of-state renewable
power that utilities can use to count
toward their California-imposed renewable energy goals.
"The 4-1 decision was viewed as a
defeat for environmentalists
and labor, who argued that a greater the level of in-state credits would
be more beneficial to the environment
and provide jobs within the state."
And finally, "Police say a Pittsfield woman has been
cited for
running down a man named Lord
Jesus Christ as he crossed a street in Northampton on Tuesday.
"The 50-year-old man is from Belchertown. Officers checked his ID and
discovered that, indeed, his legal name is Lord Jesus Christ. He was
taken to the hospital for treatment of minor facial
injuries.
"Police say 20-year-old Brittany Cantarella was cited
for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk."
But the question remains:
Why did the Lord Jesus Christ cross the road?
