Other things happening around the state
• Who said Republicans never lifted a finger to save anybody from a burning car? Well, not me. Asm. Curt Hagman(R-Chino HIlls) apparently saved two people from their burning car right outside of his apartment.
• The Meg Whitman for Governor campaign is getting a ton of attention from the media. And why not? She has so much experience lowering costs by outsourcing jobs and employing slave labor that she would certainly be able to build barbie dolls for our kids to hold while they aren’t attending public schools. As for fixing the state’s structural problems, well, I peg her chances somewhere between those of Gary Coleman and the Ask a Ninja guy. I take that back. Gary Coleman might be able to get us a payday loan, that’s probably better than Whitman could do.
There is a video on the SF Chronicle’s site. It’s almost funny how she tries to use the Arnold post-partisan rhetoric while at the same time trying to woo the crazy wingers that are in the GOP primary. How exactly do you say that you would never vote to raise taxes at the same time that you are arguing that the legislators can’t see past their narrow ideological barriers. The logic, or lack there of, of it all is just staggering.
• There could be another problem for Whitman: she’s not the typical GOP candidate, ie a white dude. The obstacles to her getting the GOP nomination are really quite staggering. Honestly, if I were her, I would just say screw the GOP, I can win this without them.
• At least the stimulus will help out with the HSR plans.
• CapAlert’s story about how Chuck DeVore tried and failed to remove Mike Villines from power, based apparently on a email between the two Republicans leaked to the John and Ken show that forced DeVore’s hand, is really symptomatic of Yacht Party politics and how the game is played. It’s really like a junior-high playground over there, not a political party.
• The idea that filmmaker Roman Polanski is seeking to get his child sex charges dismissed based on a separate filmmaker’s documentary about the case folds life and art on their collective heads in interesting ways such that the whole story becomes a kind of Moebius Strip… UPDATED the judge denied the motion for dismissal but suggested that he only did it because of Polanski’s fugitive status, and that there is credible evidence to dismiss the case.
• The funny caption contests are usually fun, but I have to say I find the selection of Schwarzenegger’s Finance Director Mike Genest’s caption of a picture with DiFi and CIA chief Leon Panetta sort of offensive, and clearly a partisan stab at our junior senator. The caption? “As long as you’ll be working on Intelligence, can you do something for Senator Boxer’s?”
• This really isn’t anything new, but I wanted to once again commend John Myers of KQED for his tremendous Twitter feed.I think Myers is, if not revolutionizing, certainly evolving the journalistic use of twitter to cover a news-worthy event. Last night I was at Drinking Liberally, but I was able to quickly pull up my twitter feed, and there was the latest budget news, in 140 character bites. Twitter allows real-time publishing that even puts blogs to shame. He has poured an incredible amount of time into these tweets, basically supplementing his additional workload. If you can, please think about supporting the nation’s most listened to public radio station, KQED. I just renewed my membership. Please note your support for John Myers in the “comments” section. I forgot when I renewed, but I want to make sure he gets the credit he so richly deserves.
