This past Wednesday, NRO columnist Jonah Goldberg–who, for some reason, is syndicated in the L.A. Times–wrote an editorial condemning the “Home Invasion” advertisement I co-wrote that the Courage Campaign aired on election day.  Why Jonah Goldberg can get a syndicated spot at the Los Angeles Times when no current Mother Jones columnist would get such a prominent placement is beyond me, but I shall ignore that bias from the so-called liberal traditional media for the time being.

Jonah’s talking points were the same ones that we’ve been seeing frequently from religious organizations and right-wing commentators since the protest: that the ad was bigoted, that Mormons were just one member of broad coalition, and that homosexual radicals are suppressing harmless freedom of speech by religious groups.

Well, the Times has a section of their online version named “Blowback”–dedicated to full-length responses to editorial pieces.  Today’s Blowback features a response by Rick Jacobs, founder of the Courage Campaign, to Jonah’s mischaracterizations.

The full thing is worth a read–Rick’s piece systematically takes Jonah’s editorial to task by showing that:

a) truth can’t be libel;

b) The Mormons were the principals behind Prop 8, and have a history of obfuscation of their endeavors on that front;

c) The Mormons have every right to influence the political process through free speech; and supporters of same-sex unions have every right to expose the efforts they make.

Here’s the key quote:

The LDS Church or any other organization has every right to use its power to influence elections to any extent that is legal. What it doesn’t have a right to do is claim persecution when other organizations do nothing but expose the church’s forays into the political arena before a discerning public.

Yeah…honestly.  What’s up with that?  It seems like the “Protect Marriage” folks are really passionate about first amendment rights to free speech, but are really desperate to suppress another first amendment right–the right to free assembly.

Incidentally–if you haven’t signed up to Power the Repeal, please do so.

“It just seems to me it is improper. It reduces confidence in government and also particularly the Party. I think the Party is going to have a tough time with all this publicity raising money from the smaller donors.”

-Bob Stern, President, Center for Governmental Studies on KCRW last night talking about the California Democratic Party wasting $450,000 on Senator Don Perata’s criminal defense fund. CDP flack Roger Salazar refused to go on at the same time as Stern and Rick Jacobs to debate the scandal.

Yesterday, David Dayen explained Why The Perata/CDP Scandal Threatens The Budget Fight. Yet that isn’t the only casualty from the culture in Sacramento that has put the California Democratic Party in crisis.

TPM Election Central is reporting on the target list for $34 million in DCCC reserved TV time this fall. Of the 31 races targeted, zero are in California.

Which brings me back to last night’s ill-timed fundraiser with Speaker Karen Bass. The actblue page to RSVP for the account said the money was going to support the California State Democratic Committee – Federal Account. Great idea, Madame Speaker Bass helping Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi pick up more seats and be able to overcome the Blue Dog Caucus siding with the GOP to obstruct Pelosi’s leadership.

With California unable to count on DCCC ad money against any of the very vulnerable Republican Representatives, it is clear California Democrats need to plan to win on our own. Which is why yesterday’s LA Times editorial on the CDP wasting money on Don Perata is so counterproductive. We need the resources to win on our own and we need small dollar donors to get there. Yet the actions of the CDP discourage small dollar donations. The results are clear, including last night, the CDP has only raised $6,630 ALL CYCLE in federal money on actblue. To put in perspective, San Diego County Democrats have raised more than 20 times that much federal money on actblue — from more than 30 times as many small dollar contributions.

It could be another landslide year, but it probably will be yet another year when Democratic Congressional challengers don’t get the support they could and should count on from the CDP. In fact, when taking into account outstanding debt, the CDP Federal Account had less than $300,000 as of the end of May. And Democratic state senate challengers have already seen $450,000 wasted on not helping elect Hannah-Beth Jackson and Lois Wolk. We can trust in the CDP if the goal is to seize defeat from the jaws of victory (which it might be, Perata already called uncle on two state senate races so far this year). Or we can reform and begin fighting to beat Republicans instead of coddle the Democratic Party establishment. The first step is accountability. Again, Senator Don Perata needs to give back the $450,000 and Art Torres should step down as CDP Chair for wasting $4,450,000 not electing Democrats this fall.

Disgraced California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres apparently intends to attend a small dollar fundraiser with Speaker Karen Bass this evening and make our Speaker look ridiculous by asking for Democrats to give $50 on actblue while the CDP is wasting $450,000 not electing Democrats. Those attending Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s home will be in the awkward situation of having wasted a contribution to the CDP while the latest scandal is being ripped on the editorial page of the LA Times:

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Bee reported that the California Democratic Party used $250,000 of its contributors’ money to pay the legal expenses that Perata (D-Oakland) has racked up defending against a criminal probe by the FBI.

It’s all perfectly legal, but it sure stinks. […]

As for Perata, Democrats not just in his district but anywhere in the state must wonder what their party is doing. They have every right to expect that contributors’ money will be pumped into districts where Democrats are locked in tough election fights with Republicans, or into struggles with the GOP over the budget. Instead, it’s paying the legal bills for Perata, who simultaneously is leading the fight against a redistricting measure on the November ballot.

When politicians demonstrate contempt for Californians, Californians respond in kind. Term-limits reform, badly needed to fix the state’s broken political system, lost at the ballot box in large part because voters mistrusted Perata, Nuñez and Schwarzenegger, and with some reason. The notion that elected officials are paid by the public to do the public’s work has become distressingly quaint.

This is clearly indefensible, which is probably why Bob Mulholland chickened out on debating the issue with Rick Jacobs on KPFA this morning. According to the host, Perata’s flacks also refused to go on the show. With today’s editorial rightly blasting the CDP, the press is trying to get people on record and the word on the street is that the CDP and Perata’s team are refusing to try and defend the indefensible. Props to any press organization that can get the CDP or Don Perata to debate this in public.

There isn’t a debate because there is no excuse for this waste of money. Don Perata needs to immediately refund all $450,000 and Art Torres must resign in shame before tonight’s fundraiser to avoid making a fool of Speaker Karen Bass. And then both should apologize to Hannah-Beth Jackson and every Democrat on the ballot this fall for having such contempt for the concept of trying to win elections.

[UPDATE by Dave]: The problem here is transparency, and it’s not limited to funding.  Watch palace courtier Bob Mulholland respond to the fact that his boss essentially lied about Sen. Feinstein and the FISA bill:

So I contacted the party today to see if Torres would comment on today’s votes. I got a callback from party political advisor Bob Mulholland, who noted Obama voted for immunity today too as a compromise. “Our attitude as a political party is, let’s win the election and we can start cleaning up the constitutional mess Bush gave us,” Mulholland said.

In other words, shut up and trust us, we know what we’re doing.  I think it would be easier to win the election if they weren’t laundering half a million dollars to the Senate leader’s legal defense fund and embarrassing the entire party.  Speaking of which, why IS he still the Senate leader?  Why haven’t there been immediate caucus leadership elections in the wake of this?  Nuñez at least had the sense to step aside.

Every political insider in the state woke up this morning, opened the Sacramento Bee and read:

Perata aid angers some Dems

$250,000 to help with his legal bills should go to 2008 races, they say.

The California Democratic Party’s decision to spend another $250,000 on Senate leader Don Perata’s legal bills has angered some party activists, who say the money would be better spent electing Democrats this year.

The Oakland Democrat has racked up nearly $2 million in fees fending off an ongoing FBI corruption investigation in the last four years. With the latest donation, made July 1, the party has now given a total of $450,000 to help cover Perata’s legal bills.

“The California Democratic Party is in business to defeat Republicans and elect Democrats,” said Rick Jacobs, co-founder of the Courage Campaign, a left-leaning online activist group. “It’s not really to keep corrupt politicians out of jail.”

Steve Cummings, vice president of the Democratic Club of Ventura County, said that while he had not personally formed an opinion, “People are going to be livid.”

Democratic activists who want to take advantage of what could be another tidal wave year should be livid to see the CDP waste money like this. Wasting money on an impotent lame duck who should have passed the batton to Darrell Steinberg long ago instead of electing Democrats is plain stupid. There is no excuse. Art Torres should resign in shame. With this latest scandal, on top of the $4,000,000 he wasted on Fabian Nunez, it is abundantly clear that Torres has no intention of doing his job.

Tomorrow, Speaker Karen Bass is hosting a small dollar fundraiser for the CDP. How can Speaker Bass honestly ask Democratic activists to go to Actblue and make a two figure donation when the CDP is writing six and seven figure checks that have nothing to do with electing Democrats? Chair Torres is embarrassing Speaker Bass with this crap and putting her in an awful position thanks to legal crisis created by the clear appearance of impropriety by Senator Don Perata.

At the heart of the crisis rolling the CDP is money. While DNC Chair Howard Dean and Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama have crossed the bridge to the 21st century and inspired small dollar donors to build people-powered political operations, the CDP is actually going backwards and Chair Torres is running things worse than when he was first anointed by then President Bill Clinton a decade ago. Chair Torres is either unable or unwilling to lead the CDP in this direction. As such, he has no business being Chair and should resign immediately.

When I hear the name “Art Torres” I have a sour taste in my mouth. My first thought is how far the $4,450,000 he has wasted could have gone to register and organize Democrats. Think how far that could have gone towards actually helping Charlie Brown this cycle, or Debbie Cook or Russ Warner or any of the great challengers who should be receiving strong support from the Party. If we lose Proposition 8 and California codifies discrimination into the state constitution, I’m going to think how far that money could have gone towards registering and turning out Democrats. Think how many organizers could be hired and trained with such a large sum.

The California Democratic Party is lost and the first step to set a new course is to admit that the CDP is FUBAR with Art Torres at the helm. Chair Torres needs to step down, preferably before he shames Speaker Bass at tomorrow night’s small dollar fundraiser. For as long as he stays, it makes no sense for small donors to contribute and every Democrat on the ballot this fall in a tight race is at an extreme disadvantage. It is time for reform, for progress. It is time to start winning.

[UPDATE by Dave] – Might as well add this here – the FISA Amendments Act passed today, and Sen. Feinstein voted for cloture, for the final bill, and against stripping out immunity.  Art Torres told us all that last year, she “led the fight” to stop telecom immunity in the United States Senate.  Draw your own conslusions.

KALW 91.7FM, a local public radio station in San Francisco, is going to be having a discussion of whether the February primary is a good thing for California.  Courage Campaign founder Rick Jacobs will be arguing in support of Sen. Calderon’s bill while Paul Hogarth of Beyond Chron be speaking in opposition.  You can listen live at 10 AM on the web at the KALW site. I know both of them to be quite bright and well-informed on the topic, so it should be an interesting conversation.