All posts by Brian Leubitz

Mel Gibson Truly Believes in Schwarzenegger running mate Tom McClintock

Mel’s done some fundraising on behalf of Tom McClintock.  Mel’s a true believer.  And you know what a good judge of character Mel is:

But one thing’s clear: the unusually gushy, three-page, single-spaced fundraising letter sent out by the star of “Braveheart,” and “Passion of the Christ” to help raise campaign cash for McClintock’s effort won’t help much now: it could even be a “Lethal Weapon” for the GOP candidate because Gibson, arrested for DUI, is tabloid fodder for making a rash of anti-Semitic comments.

In the good old days before his current troubles, Gibson’s letter shows he appeared eager to get into the political mix, detailing what he believed was wrong with California’s government — and how McClintock would set that straight.

“When I find that rare politician who will stand his ground for what is right — no matter what the pressure or consequences — I take notice,” Gibson wrote in last year’s fundraising pitch for McClintock obtained by the Chronicle. (SF Chron Blog 8/8/06)

Doesn’t that make you want to reach out and hug Tom?  No?  Really?  Didn’t you see Braveheart? The Patriot? Mad Max?  You should love Tom now! Dammit! Apparently some people are playing this “gotcha” game against Mel Gibson.  Just because Mel said some stuff about Jews doesn’t mean we can’t all love him, right?

McClintock pulled the ad, apparently Gibson isn’t such a good friend after all. Oh, and by the way, Mel loves Tom’s running mate, Arnold Schwarzenegger, too.  Arnold’s “fighting for vital reforms and needs strong voices to help him make the case.”  You know, like the reforms to ensure that big corporations control the California economy and that the poorest workers get little to no pay raise.  Those kind of vital reforms.

New Indian Casinos…This time without the unions

Arnold Schwarzenegger entered into a pact with the Agua Caliente band of Indians to open a new Casino near Palm Springs.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to announce a deal today to permit one of the state’s richest tribes to open a third casino in the Palm Springs area, a pact that could open a new round of gambling expansion in California. Top Schwarzenegger administration officials said Monday that the governor and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians were expected to sign a deal that would permit the tribe to have up to 5,000 slot machines.

The Palm Springs-based tribe, which in recent years has been one of the governor’s main antagonists, currently is authorized to have a total of 2,000 slot machines in its two casinos. (LA Times 8/8/06)

Personally, I have no real problem with Indian casinos.  Apparently the new deal will yield $89.3 million for state and local governments, so you can’t really dislike it all that much.  Well, I guess you could if you thought gambling was, as Ann Richards said in a debate with George W. Bush, “a cheesy way to make money.”  It takes money from the poor to redistribute, rather than your normal taxing structure which takes money from wealthier people first.  However, that’s an argument on the principle of gambling at all.

But buried in this article is yet another Arnold flip-flop.  In previous agreements he had required pro-union language that would allow organization of the employees at the Indian casinos.  THis is critical b/c it’s unclear as to whether traditional state and federal union laws apply to the Indian casinos.  However, this time, when Schwarzenegger really, really didn’t want to see the Agua Caliente money going to defeat him, he found a way to exclude that language:

But the accord omits pro-labor language that had appeared in previous compacts with other tribes. Unions sought that provision as a means to organize casino workers. Agua Caliente, the prime target of a union organizing campaign, fought the clause.

“If it doesn’t include labor, that would be a huge betrayal on the part of the governor,” said Jack Gribbon, an executive with Unite-Here, the hotel workers union that has been seeking to organize workers at California’s Indian casinos.

Sigh…yet another Arnold flip-flop.

Legislative Roundup on KQED Forum…Dan Walters’ ignorance

KQED’s Forum is currently airing a legislative round-up with John Myers and Dan Walters along with some other people.  You can listen live on the web, or go to their audio archive after the program concludes at 10AM.

UPDATE: I also need to point out Dan Walters ignorance on global warming issue.  After labelling Al Gore’s move “Inconvenient Propaganda”, he goes on to say that there isn’t enough evidence, calling himself an “agnostic” on the issue.  Well, Dan, perhaps you just haven’t read enough on the subject.  If you claim to be an opinion journalist, you should at least provide an informed opinion.  Dan, the thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles (and even the great environmentalist Arnold Schwarzenegger) have come to a conclusion.  That you have not does not make you superior, or moderate, or what not.  It just makes you ignorant. 

Prop 85: Labor Officially Opposes Prop 73 Redux

The California Labor Federation, which had been neutral on Prop 73 during the special election, is officially now opposing the redux.

California’s leading union organization, bucking organized labor’s long-standing neutrality on the issue of abortion, is for the first time taking a strong stand in favor of abortion rights.

Meeting behind closed doors last month, the California Labor Federation — which represents more than 2.1 million workers belonging to more than 1,100 affiliated unions — voted to oppose Proposition 85, a November ballot initiative that would require doctors to notify parents before performing abortions on minors. In a policy statement, the labor federation also urged the national AFL-CIO “to reconsider its position of neutrality on the issue.”
(LA Times 8/7/06)

It’s great to hear that the CLF is standing up for the safety of teenagers.  The transperancy of the motives of the far Right combined with their tenacity on this issue mean that we will need to focus a lot of energy on the issue.

CA-04: Doolittle doing a bit too much for Abramoff

A repeat diary of WHP’s diary here, but what’s done is done, so I thought I’d put it up in the middle of the night.

It apparently doesn’t even take that much cash to convince John Doolittle that an island without labor laws that promotes forced abortions is really a great idea. 

Rep. John Doolittle helped Jack Abramoff secure a lucrative lobbying contract with the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 1999 and then assisted the now-disgraced lobbyist’s efforts to route federal money to the islands and defend its garment industry, newly obtained documents show.

Doolittle accepted $14,000 in contributions from Abramoff — $4,000 to his congressional re-election committee and $10,000 to his California political action committee.

The first contribution came just a few weeks before Doolittle endorsed the election of a key commonwealth politician crucial to Abramoff winning the contract. The last Abramoff contribution came just as the Mariana Islands’ lobbying contract was expiring in December 2001. (SacBee 8/5/06)


I get real sarcastic on the flip…

I guess he figured that nobody would really question why a Republican would be in favor of having a U.S. territory without labor laws that holds women in near slavery.  I mean, that’s been pretty much GOP utopia since the 60’s right?  Well, maybe forced abortions won’t play quite so well with his constituency:

The commonwealth is a U.S. territory east of the Philippines whose garment industry has been widely criticized as a collection of sweatshops employing Chinese, Filipino and other immigrant workers at subminimum wages. Clothing from these plants is sold tariff-free in the United States under a “Made in the USA” label.

Workers there have complained of living in prison-like conditions. Women have said they were shunted into the bustling sex industry. Chinese women told U.S. investigators that they were forced to have abortions after becoming pregnant.

I guess all that pro-life thing was about WHITE babies, not some dark babies in Asia.  The article chronicle’s Doolittle’s involvement with Abramoff and all of his dirty causes.  Quite a lengthy story…

Of course, you can help out Charlie Brown, Doolittle’s Dem challenger on our ActBlue page.

CA-Gov: Where does the Governator Really Stand?

Which Arnold will show up on any given day is always a tough question.  He goes through more flip-flops than the Teva Corporation (ba-dum-ching!).  The CDP has a new page on their site chronicling Arnold’s Flip-Flops.  There are plenty of them.  I’d also like to point out another one from an unlikely source, “Ask Dog Lady”, about Mr. Schwarzenegger’s attempts to cut shelter funding.

However, Mr. Schwarzenegger is about to get a bigger test.  The legislature is expected to pass a series of laws that test his “moderate” status. 

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been performing a delicate balancing act in his campaign for a second term — wooing independent voters who are likely to sway the election while trying not to alienate business interests that are helping finance his campaign.

But a number of bills likely to emerge from the Democrat-controlled Legislature in the weeks ahead could test the governor’s centrist strategy at a critical point in his re-election bid. On issues from greenhouse gases to children’s health care to wages for low-income workers, Schwarzenegger potentially faces a series of thorny decisions just as he reaches the home stretch of his campaign against Democratic Treasurer Phil Angelides. (SJ Merc 8/4/06) 

Among the bills that will be headed to the Schwarzenegger’s desk, there will almost certainly be something to do with the minimum wage and likely at least one environmental bill that Schwarzenegger would otherwise veto.  And finally, because Schwarzenegger flip-flopped on health care for all children, expect to see Wilma Chan’s children’s universal health bill .

But, I love how the Schwarzenegger campaign is playing this: everybody knows our guy’s record: 

“I do think the legislative Democrats will try to help Angelides by sending bills to the governor that are difficult to veto,” Stutzman said. “But I don’t think the governor will be solely defined by whether he signs or vetoes them. He already has an established record.” 

Yes, why would the people judge a Governor by what kinds of laws he makes?  Why ever would they look at his veto records?  Why would the people possibly care whether he vetoes some stupid enviromental laws.  I mean, hello environazis, he painted his bus green, isn’t that enough for you! Of course the real problem is that the people of California don’t know his record.  He told us that he was going to provide health care for all children in the state, and then vetoed that.  He told us that he was a moderate, and then pursued a right-wing agenda in the Special Election.  What kind of record is that?

The GOP duo’s feelings on the Minimum Wage

One of the positions that Arnold takes that is most antithetical to his so-called “moderate” status is his position on the minimum wage.  Sure, he’s happy to raise it a buck now.  But what is Arnold afraid of when he says that he is against indexing.  Indexing would tie the minimum wage to some measure of inflation, presumably the consumer price index (CPI).  If Arnold believes that the state’s minimum wage workers should get $7.75 in two years (as he has indicated), why does he not think they deserve the same amount of real dollars in five years?  In ten years?

More in the extended…

Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, said the bill’s intent was to alter natural market forces that determine what employers were willing to pay for labor.  “In the world of reality, the Legislature cannot do that,” he said. “It may as well command the tide not to come in.”

Schwarzenegger vetoed a less aggressive version of the bill last year, which would have raised the minimum wage by $1 over two years without the Consumer Price Index component.  This year, the governor signaled a willingness to sign a bill increasing the minimum, but spread over three years instead of two and without the indexing provision. Officials in his administration also sought to tie the minimum increase to legislation that would have weakened a law that requires overtime pay after an eight-hour day or 40-hour week.
“The governor’s concern is that this bill ties government’s hands and does not provide the flexibility it needs to address changing economic conditions,” said Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for the governor. (SF Chronicle 9/8/2005)

First of all, Mr. McClintock: You are wrong.  In this reality, the reality that real Americans live in, the minimum wage is an important floor.  Do we really want a country where employers can pay $2/hour?  The answer to a large majority of Americans is no.  Why would we work towards making the poor poorer?  And, I would also point the Republican duo to Myth and Measurement, a report on minimum wage increases by David Card and Alan Krueger that inicates that minimum wage increases don’t actually decrease the number of jobs.  Rather, minimum wage increases stops employers from bottom-feeding and gets more people to work.  And by the way, here in San Francisco, we’re using the tide for our own purposes: energy creation, Go Gav!

No, it’s become painfully clear that the hard-right CRaP (California Republican Party) is concerned more that certain monied interests get a few more bucks than ensuring that our workers are paid a fair wage.  In America, we have standards that must be met.  A constant amount of real dollars, accomplished by indexing, would be a truly fair wage. 

And if we’ve learned anything about Arnold Schwarzenegger since the recall election, it’s that he’s bought and paid for by his “non-special” interests.  You see, according to Arnold and his “running-mate”, Tom McClintock, California’s poorest workers are “special interests” but big businesses aren’t.  See, don’t you get it? Rich people: voices of the people, Poor people: Special intersts.  But whatever you call them, one thing is clear: Arnold always serves his “interests”:

The bill is opposed by industry groups that are among Schwarzenegger’s biggest backers, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Manufacturers and Technology Association and the California Restaurant Association.

Angelides endorses Prop 89, the Clean Money Initiative

(Hey people, this is a big deal! I’ve cross-posted to MyDD and dKos, please recommend. I want to get the word out about this. Good job, Phil! – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Phil Angelides is apparently taking some new, bold moves.  He has announced his support for Prop 89, the California Nurses’ Association’s Clean Money Initiative:

California State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for Governor Phil Angelides today endorsed the Clean Money Initiative, Proposition 89 on the November ballot.

“I am proud to join the ranks of California Nurses Association, The League of Women Voters, California Common Cause and so many others in supporting Proposition 89 – the Clean Money Initiative,” said Angelides who was joined by California Nurses Association President Deborah Burger and Assemblywoman Loni Hancock. “It is time for the people of California to clean up the influence of money in our government. Our government should answer to the voices of Californians, not corporate special interests.” (Angelides.com 8/3/06)

To say that I am excited by this move is more than a bit of an understatement.  Admittedly, Phil is taking a significant risk by endorsing Prop 89, as the CTA and other unions that support him have rejected it.  But, for me, I think it’s a great move.  Prop 89 gives the people of California a chance to take back their government.  It gives the grassroots something to get excited about. 

But I’m not saying all of this for my own health, we need to make sure that Phil understands that this was the right decision.  So, if you can give him some money, please contribute.  If you can give some time and some cell minutes, make some calls.  And finally, Phil will be having a town hall tomorrow in Sacramento.  I don’t have all the details yet, but I’ll update when I do.

I’ve posted the entire press release in the extended.

From Angelides.com:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  August 3, 2006
Angelides Endorses Clean Money Initiative

Democratic Nominee Urges Californians to Vote Yes on Proposition 89

SACRAMENTO, CA – California State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for Governor Phil Angelides today endorsed the Clean Money Initiative, Proposition 89 on the November ballot.

“I am proud to join the ranks of California Nurses Association, The League of Women Voters, California Common Cause and so many others in supporting Proposition 89 – the Clean Money Initiative,” said Angelides who was joined by California Nurses Association President Deborah Burger and Assemblywoman
Loni Hancock. “It is time for the people of California to clean up the influence of money in our government. Our government should answer to the voices of Californians, not corporate special interests.”

Modeled after successful laws now in place in Arizona, Maine and other jurisdictions, Proposition 89 would provide public financing to candidates who:

  * Reject private fundraising (except for a small amount of seed money) and agree to limit spending
  to the amount provided by the public;
  * Demonstrate broad-based public support by gathering a set number of signatures and $5 qualifying donations (from 750 – $5 contributions for an Assembly candidate to 25,000 – $5 contributions for a candidate for Governor); and
  * Participate in at least one primary and two general election debates.

Nearly three years ago in his campaign for Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “I will go to Sacramento and I will clean house. I don’t have to take money from anybody. I have plenty of money.” However, as Governor, Schwarzenegger has accepted more than $94 million in campaign contributions.

“The special interests – big oil companies, drug companies, insurance companies, HMOs – spend millions of dollars hoping to earn special favors like tax breaks and corporate tax loopholes,” Angelides added. “It has become a dialing-for-dollars democracy, with the unjust influence of these special interests silencing the voices of Californians. The people of California deserve a state government worthy of their trust, one that hears the voices and attends to the needs of hard-working families, not the special interests.”

Angelides has supported campaign finance reform in the past, including Assembly Bill 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, authored by Assemblymember Loni Hancock.

CA-41: The one time Jerry Lewis quiets up

Jerry Lewis, just as most politicians, isn’t known to be a quiet man. But now he seems a bit reluctant to trumpet his own virtues.

  In a handful of interviews and several prepared statements one of which asserted erroneous information the Redlands Republican has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. But Lewis, chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has declined to comment specifically on any aspect of the investigation. …  Weeks later after hiring a distinguished legal team in mid-June, which as of mid-July had been paid $200,000 from Lewis’ campaign funds Lewis remains aloof and largely unavailable.

  He has hired Barbara Comstock, a high-profile spokeswoman who not only has represented the Department of Justice but also embattled Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, to be the voice of his legal team. Specht now refers questions on the matter to Comstock.

Comstock did not return multiple phone calls over the past 10 days.

With so much media attention on an issue that Lewis has not addressed with any real detail, the federal investigation has led to mounting concerns about the future of the Inland Empire’s greatest benefactor who has enjoyed a sterling reputation. (San Bernadino County Sun 8/3/06)

The article actually has some good info on the entire context of the Lewis scandal.  The man has questions surrounding him, but chooses to issue no response.  It’s a troubling sign for a politician to refuse to speak to his constituents about ethics issues.  For whatever else Congressman are, they are first and foremost servants of the district that sent them there.  They should not forget that so quickly.