UPDATE: I think the anger I felt last night over some of yesterday’s developments has subsided.  Plus, the comments to this diary have been enlightening.  I particularly like the idea of an equal time broadcast.  However, I think at a minimum, the phrased “based on the 9/11 comission report” needs to be pulled from the ads.  Additionally some of the really bad factual errors should be corrected as well. I have slightly modified the diary to reflect this.

For those of you who’ve been living in a cave, ABC is going to run a mini-series blaming 9/11 on Clinton and papering over Bush mistakes.  There are serious factual errors in the movie, in fact so many errors that former Bush counterterrorism official Roger Cressey called it “something out of fantasyland”.  This movie should never have been green-lighted and should never see the light of day.  For more information on the movie, see Matt Stoller’s Open Letter to ABC.

So, what does this all have to do with California?  Plenty.  Namely most of the Disney officials are here and we have a tremendous power over these companies.  What can we do about it?  What should we do? Or more aptly, what MUST we do?

We need to show ABC that we are serious about this crap not seeing the light of day.  Marshall Collins a Colorado blogger said this in a comment at Open Letter to ABC:

It is time Democrats stop screwing around with form letters and really go after this tooth and nail.

Here is one idea that Democrats should do to show they are taking the gloves off with this mockumentary.

Every Democratic candidate contact their local ABC affiliate and tell them that they won’t spend a dime in advertising on their station if this Republican propaganda is played. (Open Letter Comments 9/6/06)

A great idea.  An especially great idea in California.  Progressive campaigns, for both elected offices and propositions, need to tell ABC that we won’t abide their whitewash of the facts. 

Our campaigns have some leverage here.  They need to call ABC stations in the state and let them know that they will not that they really don’t appreciate them airing propaganda.

Beep…beep…we now interrupt your regularly scheduled blogreading.  Ok I kid (and I rip of k/o’s humor).  This is nothing new.  Jerry Lewis is once again under investigation.  From the AP:

Federal investigators probing Rep. Jerry Lewis’ ties to lobbyists are looking into a land deal that put nearly 41 pristine acres in the congressman’s neighborhood off-limits to developers, The Associated Press has learned.

The land was given to the city of Redlands by Jack and Laura Dangermond, who have donated generously to Lewis, R-Redlands. The Dangermonds founded and run a company ESRI in Redlands that has gotten tens of millions of dollars’ worth of contracts through the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which Lewis chairs.

One government contract came months after the land donation.

The land, some of which sits directly across from Lewis’ home, is part of a scenic canyon in one of Redlands’ wealthiest neighborhoods. Keeping the land free of development helps ensure that property values remain high.(San Bernadino Sun 9/6/06)

So what’s new? Well, I guess it’s just one more example of the GOP corruption here in California and in DC.  Lewis just loves his little quid pro quo arrangements, passing out government contracts like candy to his supporters.  It’s really rather revolting.  It’s also another example of why we need the bipartisan legislation championed by Sens. Obama and Coburn to create a searchable online database of government contracts.  Sen Stevens, Remove this hold!

A good turnout at the Bart Station in the Mission for a Phil event with Antonio Villaraigosa and Gavin Newsom.  Videos over the flip…

First came Gavin Newsom:

After great remarks from the mayors of Berkeley and Sacramento, Antonio Villaraigosa gave his thoughts.

Phil wrapped up the party with his own remarks.

Sorry for not posting this earlier! But Phil Angelides will be making an appearance with LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in San Francisco at the 16th Street BART station in the Mission. Angelides Link here

Also, remember that anybody can post an event to the event calendar.  So, if you know of an event anywhere in the state would be of interest, go ahead and post it.

Join SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for a
RALLY TO KICK OFF THE CAMPAIGN SEASON AND ELECT OUR NEXT GOVERNOR

Phil Angelides

Tuesday, September 5th 9:30am – 11:00am
16th and Mission BART Station in San Francisco

The LA Times published a great list of some of the bills passed in the legislative session concluded last week. And, hey, look Gil Cedillo got his driver’s license bill passed again! (SB 1162) Some interesting bills that you might have missed in the extended.

Eminent domain: Bill would provide property owners with notice and an opportunity to respond before a court can grant a local government possession of private property (SB 1210 by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch). Another bill would require redevelopment agencies to specify when, how and where they can use eminent domain authority and would allow such agencies to ban the condemnation of residential property. (SB 53 by Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego)
[snip]
Initiatives: Bill would require an initiative, referendum or recall petition to indicate whether it is being circulated by a paid or volunteer signature-gatherer and to also list the five largest contributors in support of the measure being circulated. Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill last year (SB 1598 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey). Another bill would make it a misdemeanor to pay initiative signature-gatherers based on the number of signatures they collect and make it illegal for signature-gatherers to misrepresent the contents of an initiative (AB 2946 by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)
[snip]
Pay equity: Bill would increase penalties against employers who pay an employee less based on gender to up to four times the balance of the wages due the aggrieved employee. (AB 2555 by Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach)
[snip]
Public records: Bill would allow the public to get public records via computer and allow citizens to appeal to the attorney general when state or local agencies deny their requests for records. (AB 2927 by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco) (LA Times 9/3/06)

Check out the full article for more.

Cross-posted from Calitics: the progressive community blog for California

Yesterday, KQED’s Forum, ordinarily a program that I enjoy, had a program about the close of the legislative session.  After a discussion of possible reforms, talk moved to the blogs.  I have uploaded the clip here.  

Apparently, Bill Whalen, of the Hoover Institution, is scared by me.  Well, bloggers in generally I suppose. (The transcript is courtesey of Kid Oakland).

I don’t worry so much as a Republican, but as a citizen, and there’s one word: “the blogosphere”  That’s what scares me.  There are angry people on the left and angry people on the right.  And I’m not sure if I want to see that anger harnessed in reforming our government.  I like the firewall, if you will. … Among the leaders opposing [Prop 89] are the California Teachers Association and the California Chamber of Commerce.  Why?  They are very vested interests in Sacramento, they don’t want the rules changed.  But Direct Democracy, to me we have it in effect in the initiative process and I’d kind of like to keep it harnessed. (KQED Forum 9/1/06)

Please see the flip:

Well, this is typical Republican, he’s interested in protecting the entrenched interests. He certainly wouldn’t want the people infecting his government with their petty ideas and nonsensical garbage.  You see, the wise people at the Hoover Instituion know far more about governing the people than that actual people being governed.  It’s blatantly elitist garbage.  nbsp;Chris Lehane, a former White House staffer and one of the contributors to the California Majority Report, first agrees with him(!!) on the substantive blog issue, but eventually calls him out on Prop 89. :

 Lehane: I think Bill makes a lot of good points, I would just sort or challenge the premise that if you’re concerned about Prop 89 and the opposition to it…as the blogosphere evolves and more and more everyday people have access to it it will allow people to transcend some of those historic power centers that have potentially blocked some real reforms that actually do mean something to everyday people. (KQED Forum 9/1/06)

Well, I give Lehane credit for calling Whalen out on Prop 89.  What world does the Hoover Institution live in?  Two entrenched interests fighting against election reform isn’t a sign that it must be bad.  It’s a sign that the entrenched interests like the special access they have.  Sorry, I know the labor people out there won’t agree with me, but I think Prop 89 will be a boon to our government.  We win if the government speaks to the actual people.  Like Bill Clinton said, “When people are talking and listening and thinking, we win.”  

But what upset me more than Whalen’s comments, which come from a Republican, so you expect them, are the comments of Barbara O’Connor, a Professor of Communications at Cal State-Sacramento, who apparently agreed with Whalen completely.  Yes, she doesn’t want any part of our direct democracy infiltrating her little club that she’s got in Sacramento:

Bill’s correct, I read the blogs all the time.  They really do frighten you.  And I don’t want to have that kind of Direct Democracy.  Many of them, by the way, are by journalists.  I don’t want that kind of Democracy either.  But the blueprint thing that I was alluding to harnesses the Sim City game that all of our children use and allows real people to give their priorities to their elected officials.  It’s not taking over government by revolution, it’s an informed citizenry that let’s their views be known.  Clearly, that’s the kind of thing that Chris is talking about where you harness the technology through websites or…we can talk about MoveOn.org and Lieberman a little bit…but I think you have an opportunity as it becomes more mainstream……and I’m hopeful that that kind of thing, and even things like You Tube which frighten people will become more regularized and not so frightening from the far right or the far left…

See, this just doesn’t make sense.  She goes from saying that blogs are “frightening” to saying that she would appreciate citizens being able to let their elected officials know how they feel.  Apparently, that’s not what I’m doing at Calitics.  I’m just angry and extreme.  Huh? I guess Barbara hasn’t actually read Calitics.  I’m neither angry nor extreme. I address issues of electoral politics and public policy issues.  I seek consensus upon a liberal basis. I praise, and scold, politicians of both parties when it is warranted.  Essentially I, the “frightening blogger” am one of these “informed citizens” that Barbara is talking about.  By the way, Prof. O’Connor, I notice you didn’t mention anything about the Right-Wing blogosphere’s attempts on Lincoln Chafee’s career via the Steve Laffey campaign.  I guess it’s only noteworthy when “left-wingers” try to get our views heard.  Lamont is no more extreme than John Kerry, he’s just not part of the in-crowd like Joementum is.  Will Ms. O’Connor be making snide remarks about Chafee?

In the end, I think this bashing is more about selfish self-protection than anything else.  Many insiders, especially Republicans, would like the governing process to remain controlled by the entrenched interests for so long.  They don’t like blogs because they interfere with their power base.  That’s what they are truly scared of.