Links:

• CashCall got a call today. And not one that they really wanted to answer, as they were slapped with a $1 million fine and an injunction against their rather outrageous debt collection practices.  I guess this means Gary Coleman will have to find another gig?

• Not California, but just something of note. People at a McCain town hall booed him when he said that President Obama believed in the Constitution and his policies. (h/t Pam’s House Blend Nice crowd there –>

• This is absolutely nuts. Apparently the US Chamber of Commerce thinks they know more about climate change than the Nobel Prize awarded IPCC. They want to do a “Scopes” type trial for the evidence of global warming as a function of man-made pollution.  I don’t know if they remember how this turned out. Sure, Scopes lost and was convicted, but the evolutionary theorists won the war. Sort of, anyway, until modern day creationists decided that their dreams were a better means of evidence than the scientific method, but that’s neither here nor there.

• Mike Berryhill, a cousin of Assembly members Bill and Tom Berryhill, is planning on running against Dennis Cardoza in the 18th Congressional District. I can’t say Cardoza is my favorite Congress critter, and I would wish he would sign the Health Care for America Now pledge, but Berryhill would be no improvement. Given the two options, Cardoza seems the better option. His lifetime Progressive Punch score of 84.17 could be better, but could be worse too. And Berryhill’s would certainly be worse.

• Good Streetsblog post, arguing that high speed rail dollars should basically go to California, because we’re far ahead on preparation and the proper density for HSR to work.

• CalBuzz calls out the Wall Street Journal for some sloppy reporting.  It looks like they are taking to this blogging thing after all: media criticism and random celebrity pictures in one post? The next thing we’ll be seeing is the LOLcatz.

• Shocklingly, Orange Couny birther/dentist/attorney Orly Taitz isn’t a very good attorney. Her lawsuit trying to disqualify Barack Obama for the presidency is procedurally deficient again.  I’m sure here courtroom skills will wow the judge nonetheless, I know she won over Stephen Colbert.