Yesterday, Ami Bera wrote about Karl Rove protecting Dan Lungren. Today he went statewide. A shadowy Virginia-based group funded by the oil industry, tobacco companies, and health insurance industry — and run by Karl Rove — is trying to sway the outcome of the race for California Attorney General. This is an unprecedented move in a down-ballot race, and the money is being used to create cynical commercials for political gain.
Rove’s group, the “The Republican State Leadership Committee,” has purchased $1.1 million of TV airtime to run vicious ads attacking our campaign. And who exactly is funding this group’s attacks? The very polluters, cigarette manufacturers, and insurance industry giants who I will stand up to as Attorney General.
Of course we are going to stand up to this outside money. You can contribute online to help us fight back.
To be clear, these are many of the usual Republican suspects. Organizations that fight against environmental and consumer protections are lining up to come to the aid of Steve Cooley, because they know that Cooley will fall into line with their agenda. (There is more in the extended diary.)
The oil industry, tobacco companies, insurance giants and pharmaceutical companies think that the Attorney General race can be bought. They know, as you know, that I will fight for all Californians, combating mortgage fraud, promoting a green economy, and working for a fair health care system. This is only a partial list of some of the donors to this shadowy effort funding the attack ads.
Major Special Interest Contributions to the Republican State Leadership Committee
U.S. Chamber of Commerce — $1.15M
American Justice Partnership — $925,000
Blue Cross/Blue Shield — $918,068
Reynolds American – $690,161
Altria Group — $483,545
Devon Energy — $350,000
Citigroup Inc — $200,399
Wal-Mart Stores — $195,276
PhRMA — $150,861
We are committed to fighting these attacks, but we need your help to do it.
There are just eleven days remaining until Election Day, and the special interests are trying to sway the outcome of this race. We can’t let them win.
I live in San Francisco. I’m undecided on which way to vote for AG. In fact, I may be the only truly undecided voter you’ll find on Calitics. I pretty much know the issues with both candidates. At this point, one question and one question only will decide my vote:
If you and Newsom both win, who appoints your replacement -does the new mayor get that appointment, or will it still be Gavin Newsom on his way out?
Unless I find out the answer to this question by election day, my default vote has to be against your candidacy, even though I do agree Cooley is much worse.
With all due respect, Dan’s answer sounds more authoritative. Unfortunately it’s also not the answer that I would have liked to hear.
I disagree with your assessment of Newsom’s motivations, though. Newsom has done nothing but play politics with every appointment he’s made, and he’ll do so again -in fact, precisely because it’s such an important office.
Frankly, I wouldn’t mind that so much, except that Newsom’s politics are absolutely awful. If his entire 7-year record on crime is any indication (including his choice to import Joe Arpaio-lite from Phoenix as his Chief of Police), he’s going to pick the most draconian right-winger he can find for DA.
In fact, I talked to one insider who claims he has a pretty good idea of who it might be. I won’t name any names, because it’s just speculation at this point, but that person would be consistent with Newsom’s philosophy, and that person absolutely terrifies me.
Look… I know all about Prop 8 and the abstract idea of what’s good for California. But that’s all pretty esoteric stuff compared to the immediacy of what kind of DA and police chief I have to live under in my city. If Newsom picks a Guliani-style DA to go along with his Arpaio-style police chief, frankly I will no longer feel safe in this city.