This year, of course, Mr. McCain is trying to escape from Mr. Bush's shadow. Most Republicans say Mr. Bush should play whatever role Mr. McCain wants him to. Some, like Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California, simply wish Mr. Bush would keep out of it, though few would say so openly.
"I don't think there are a lot of people who want to see him at the convention," said Mr. Rohrabacher, who is especially irked with Mr. Bush for his stance on immigration. He said the president "should stay home from the Republican convention, and everybody would be better off."
I'll tell you who would certainly be better off - Dana Rohrabacher, in the fight of his political life against Debbie Cook.
In another case, he said, "a female motorist was talking on her phone, and saw the officer looking at her. She attempted to throw (the phone) out the driver's window, but it clanked and fell into her lap."
California DREAM Act in Assembly Appropriations Committee Today
(David Dayen)
I'm happy that Sen. Cedillo hasn't given up on this legislation, which would allow undocumented students to apply for financial aid at state schools. Today the Assembly Appropriations Committee hears testimony on the bill at 10:00am.
DCCC is rolling out a radio ad featuring a Bush impersonator talking gas prices in 15 districts across the country. CA-50 (Leibham vs. Bilbray) is the lone California target.
McCains Skip Taxes, Default on San Diego Home
(Lucas O'Connor)
HuffPo has the scoop on an upcoming Newsweek story "revealing that the McCains have failed to pay taxes on their beach-front condo in La Jolla, California, for the last four years and are currently in default".
Mayor Roosevelt Dorn was charged Thursday on allegations he obtained a low-interest $500,000 loan that was originally intended to help municipal employees afford to live in town.
Dorn was charged with felony misappropriation of public funds, using an unauthorized loan for private profit and conflict of interest, the district attorney's office said. He faces up to four years and eight months in state prison if convicted of all counts.
...
Prosecutors said he used money from the 30-year loan, which had a variable interest rate of 2.39 percent, to pay off his home and put the rest, about $265,000, in his bank account.
William Bolthouse drops $100K to oppose equality
(Brian Leubitz)
William Bolthouse, founder of Bolthouse Farms juice company, gave gave $100K00K to support the initiative to end marriage equality. So, perhaps avoiding purchasing Bolthouse Farms products would be in order.
Bollywood/Hollywood partnerships are apparently the wave of the future. Who better than the Governor to ring in this new era of international cinematic cooperation?
He's one of a growing number of Republicans who aren't feeling the McCain thing:
Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.). [Wolf contacted The Hill following publication of the article to correct his staff's error. His staff had said he has "yet to endorse McCain" and did not return follow-up phone calls this week].
Unclear whether McCain is too corrupt for Doolittle, or not corrupt enough.
Chief Judge of 9th Circuit Court in SF caught with the porn
(David Dayen)
And right before he was to rule on an obscenity case, too. Apparently the website where he stored all the pics was publicly accessible. That shows proper judicial temperament.
This guy is almost always on the short list of Republican Supreme Court nominees.
Dreier Votes To Refer Bush Impeachment To House Judiciary
(David Dayen)
One of 24 Republicans to do so. Impeachment isn't likely to go anywhere, but interesting that such a Bush crony like Dreier wants to claim that he voted to move forward impeachment in an election year.
Mark Leno, Democratic Nominee for the Third Senate District, set a record on ActBlue for the most raised by a state level candidate in the history of ActBlue. He raised over $227,000 on ActBlue. Go Mark!
"This is a deeply personal time, too, you know," Feinstein said. "Barack is trying to put things together for a major presidential campaign. There are a lot of decompression and nerve endings that need to come together."
Cook Shifts CA-04 to "Likely Republican"
(David Dayen)
I still think they're understating things, but clearly experts believe McClintock is more vulnerable than Ose. What they don't seem to get is how strong Charlie Brown is.
