The good news for Abel Maldonado is that his nomination
is still
alive. But
momentum to block his nomination among Assembly Democrats
increased Monday, as three Democrats held a press conference
calling
for his rejection. Today, the Assembly Rules committee
will finally
hear Maldo, before moving him to the ful floor for
a vote. In the
Senate, today's big Governmental Organization committee
hearing on
Internet poker is the main event, with opposing tribal
chairman set to
testify this afternoon.
Speaking of Maldo, former Assemblyman John Laird is shopping a private poll that shows he could beat Sam Blakeslee in the race to replace Maldonado, should that seat
become available.
"Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat, said Monday that the
poll gave him a lead "in the low single digits." Respondents
were asked twice about the theoretical match-up, first near the beginning of the call with pollsters,
then again "after every conceivable thing was thrown
and him and me both," Laird said. He said the lead
grew slightly after potential negatives were given
to respondents.
Dan Walters looks at the abuse Maldonado is taking from the right and the
left.
"
While Democratic Assembly members hammer him for being
insufficiently liberal, right-wing groups batter him for not being
conservative enough – and those on his left and right both dislike
Maldonado's sponsorship of Proposition 14, a June ballot measure that
would create a nonpartisan primary election system.
"His votes
against environmental protections for Californians
are almost too many
to count," Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara said Monday in an
op-ed article. Nava and some other Latino Democrats also
contend that
Maldonado has not backed Latino causes.
Meanwhile, Ken Mettler,
president of the ultra-conservative California Republican Assembly, was
even harsher, saying Maldonado "has not exhibited the
honor, integrity
or principles that merit support for this position"
and adding,
"Maldonado represents everything that is wrong with
the Republican
Party and support for him will further encourage many
voters to
register decline-to-state."
Meanwhile, from our Slouching Toward November Files,
the California Teachers Association dropped a half-a-mil into the fight to repeal corporate tax loopholes.
Tory Van Oot reports,
"The donation from the CTA's Issues PAC, reported to the Secretary of State today, comes several
days after the CTA began gathering signatures to
qualify the measure for the November ballot. The CTA
has also
transferred $86,882 from a separate campaign account to fund the
effort."
Speaking of fundraising, Jack Chang reports Steve Poizner's money-raising efforts appear to have stalled.
Jerry Brown, meanwhile, spent his day calling out the state's public pension funds for failing to comply with a new state law.
"State Attorney General Jerry Brown on Monday urged
the California Public Employees' Retirement System
and the State Teachers' Retirement System to "honor
the state law" and divest themselves from companies
doing business in Iran.
"The attorney general said both pension funds filed
annual reports at the end of last year, but that those
documents did not say whether investments in companies
with ties to Iran have been reduced and did not give
a timeline of divestiture.
"What it boils down to is that he is looking for some
additional information that is not in the report, and
we’d be happy to consider it (his request)," said CalPERS spokesman Brad Pacheco."
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom reacts to Audi's "Green Police" Super
Bowl ad, saying the premise of the composting cops really
"hit home."
And finally, from our Stupid Crack-Head Tricks Files, "Authorities said a man accused of stealing
a car then reporting it stolen remains in custody after
telling police
he was robbed at gunpoint while trying to buy crack cocaine
with a
credit card. The Flint Journal said the man reported Thursday night
that a 2003 Chevy Malibu had been stolen.
Police reports indicated the vehicle was previously
stolen out of Lapeer, about 50 miles north-northwest of Detroit."
So remember kids, when you're buying crack in Michigan
remember to bring your Visa card. Because they don't
take no for an answer, and they don't take American
Express...
