Central Command Slide Show

Of the Iraq Fiasco. Story in the NYT.

CA: Prop 89 — No Joke

Doug Heller’s post on Dirty Money Watch

“I heard you’ll be the next Senate Budget Chair and I have some ‘public’ projects you might be interested in. Here’s $99.99,” reads one of the presumably tongue-in-cheek donation options in a fundraising letter from Senator Denise Ducheny.

The letter, posted in Capitol Weekly’s Daily RoundUp, is obviously meant to be funny. Of course, things are funniest when there is a kernel of truth in them. Which makes this solicitation a laugh riot. Last year, for example, Assemblyman Ron Calderon was caught promoting his new position as Chariman of the Banking and Finance Committee in a contribution solicitation sent to about 300 lobbyists. Around the country, politicians are getting busted for trading votes for money like it’s going out of style. (Apparently it’s not.) But the thousands of investigations into political corruption don’t scratch the surface of the winks and nods between donors and politicians gestured every day under the political status quo.

It would, of course, be illegal to actually sell state budget policy to donors in the way that Ducheny’s comedy stylings suggest. But the lobbyists and special interests aren’t giving money for nothing. As Nancy Vogel points out in the LA Times, nearly three quarters of California’s Assembly and Senate candidates are running virtually or literally unopposed, yet they continue to raise millions of dollars. You don’t need a questionnaire like Ducheny’s to know exactly what the special interest donors want when they write checks to politicians.

All of which is not funny. Prop 89, which would allow politicians to govern without keeping a checklist of who they owe what, gives voters a chance to have a laugh at the expense of the special interests.

BushCo Five …

(Encore presentation)

Big supporters of the Iraq Fiasco, these members of congress voted to cut government income (contributions from rich people) — so that our military personnel don’t have the supplies and equipment they need. Then they voted to reduce benefits for veterans of the war.

They eagerly support policies that have helped the United States run up a staggering debt, have weakened national security with a war that actually increased the terror threat, and have ceded much of the powers of the legislative branch of government to the executive branch.

They are also:
The Worst Representatives for Disabled Veterans
The Worst Representatives for Seniors
The Worst Representatives for Children


Rep. Mary Bono

Rep. Sue Kelly

Rep. Darell Issa

Rep. CW “Bill” Young

The Brains of the Outfit

CA: Time for Prop 89

Op-Ed in favor of Proposition 89: in the San Jose Mercury News:

It’s time we took California off the auction block and put the voters back in charge.

Wealthy interests write big checks to politicians and get favors in return in the form of corporate tax breaks, pork barrel projects, legislation or regulation and vetoes. Everywhere you look, regular Californians lose. Higher charges at the pump, inflated HMO premiums, contaminated food, rising chronic asthma rates from polluted air, shoddy products, inadequately funded schools because of corporate tax loopholes that divert money that could be used for education.

NY-19: John Hall

For those who say Democrats attack but offer no alternatives, Joe Trippi & Associates produced this spot:

NY-19: Bill Clinton Campaigns for John Hall

The recordonline reports on Clinton’s campaign stop for John Hall.

“You are riding a wave in America,” Clinton said. “The decisive margin between victory and defeat is now comprised of a group of people who know they ought to vote for change. But they’ve never done it before.”

Hall’s been endorsed by the major papers, including the New York Times. He raised more money last period than incumbent Sue Kelly, the DCCC has joined in supporting him - and polls show he’s pulled even with Kelly.

Yes on Oregon Measures 46 & 47

Salem Statesman-Journal, the newspaper in Oregon’s capital, has endorsed Measures 46 & 47 - Campaign Finance Reform:

Measures 46, 47 will fight political impropriety
Measures are complicated, but they are worth the risk
Big campaign contributions have such an insidious effect on politicians that measures 46 and 47 are a worthwhile gamble for Oregon voters. The measures — especially No. 47 — are complicated because they are aimed at closing all the loopholes. As a result, candidates and organizations would have to pay much closer attention to campaign-finance law.

Some people legitimately worry about amending Oregon’s free-speech provisions through Measure 46. However, it’s not surprising that so many other groups and individuals are opposed: They’d lose their clout.

They want campaign-finance “reform” that restricts the other guy, not them.

If these opponents have a better solution — one that is fair, specific and restrictive to everyone — they should say so. The Legislature has shown little inclination to adopt stringent limits, so it’s up to the people to take action. Oregon has become the Wild West of political finance. Want to buy an election? Come to Oregon. Want to spend as much as you want? Run for office here.

Measures 46 and 47 would return power where it belongs. To the people of Oregon.

Here’s a spot produced by Joe Trippi & Associates:

NY-19 John Hall Draws More Support

The DCCC gets involved, another big endorsement, and Bill Clinton campaigns for Hall tomorrow.

The Journal-News endorsed John Hall over incumbent Sue Kelly today:

Driving our call for change: Need for more independence, more critical thinking, less slaving devotion to party ideology - and party mistakes. Kelly has offered none of this… Kelly has been the consummate GOP soldier, loyally marching in step and even quickening the pace with George Bush in the White House… her uncritical assessment of the Iraq war - at junctures where a frank assessment by the GOP faithful might actually have altered policy and saved lives… disappointed by her utter lack of concern about well-chronicled excesses under the “war on terror” and Patriot Act; we have lamented her lack of concern about Washington fiscal policies (she once attributed record-high deficits to bad weather); we have been disappointed as she opposed a federal ban on some assault weapons; we have lamented her lukewarm notice of the need for campaign-finance reform. We are long past tired of being disappointed. For a change, this time, there is a suitable alternative.

The Hudson Valley News reports:

Democrats turn up the heat in the final days of the campaign

Hudson Valley – Democrats are bringing in the big guns in two area races in the last week of this campaign. In the hot 19th Congressional District match up between incumbent Republican Sue Kelly and challenger Democrat John Hall, the Democrat party is bringing in perhaps their top draw, former President Bill Clinton, to campaign for Hall at a “Rally for Change” in Cortlandt Manor on Monday.

Here’s a spot by Joe Trippi & Associates about Sue Kelly’s ties to special interests:

CA - Jerry Brown for Attorney General …

A sampling of endorsements from major newspapers throughout the state:
• Oakland Tribune Backs Jerry Brown
• San Diego Union Tribune Endorses Brown
• SF Chronicle Endorses Brown
• LA Times Endorses Brown
• Sac Bee Endorses Brown

And this:

Now here’s the big endorsement for Chuch Poochigian:

$300 Million spent on CA ballot measures …

… so far.

AP Report notes most of it coming from Oil, Tobacco, Pharma, Energy etc. Big Biz dragging out their usual scary rhetoric about raising prices for consumers to benefit big government.

But Prop 89, which would change politics in California, looks like it can withstand the special interest assault.