Congress made a quick break from their recess to vote for HR 1586, to which Carly Fiorina previously announced her opposition.  The measure would provide substantial funding for teachers during this recession.

It is one thing to voice opposition, but it’s another to do the deed and vote against retaining teachers for purely political reasons.  And that’s what we have with Mary Bono Mack, who today voted against HR 1586.  Oh, and Mack was joined by the rest of the California Republican delegation.  Well, save Dan Lungren who opted to walk out on the vote rather than casting that no vote.  That’s real political courage for you.

I’ll simply ask the same question of these two Congress members that Robert asked of Fiorina: How can you explain to Californians why you believe 16,500 teachers should lose their jobs and why should kids be taught in overcrowded classrooms?

While candidates for state and federal office have until July 15 to announce their fundraising totals to the FEC, we’re starting to see some of the numbers trickle out.  And this is a pretty good one.  Steve Pougnet, the openly gay mayor of Palm Springs, husband and father of two, reportedly raised over $200,000 in the second quarter.  He claimed to have outraised his opponent, incumbent Mary Bono Mack, although the Republican has not yet released her numbers.

$200,000 is a better quarter than almost all Democratic challengers achieved at any point in the last Congressional cycle until the final fundraising quarter.  It’s particularly impressive this far out of the race.

With Bono Mack facing heat from her right flank over her vote for the Waxman-Markey energy bill, she may not have the kind of national backing she could need.  Bono Mack has performed impressively in this seat throughout her career and she remains heavily favored, but Pougnet will have a chance in a district that went 52-47 for Barack Obama in 2008.

As we sit back and await the results of the Los Angeles Municipal election today, I thought I’d share with you something that came my way from the DCCC.  Like so many other Republicans (here’s looking at you, Bobby Jindal) that decried the stimulus as “socialism” or some other such but were more than happy to take the money for their states and districts, Mary Bono Mack (R-CA45) has similarly derided the stimulus package while praising the benefits it will bring to her district no more than a week later:

In a striking example of hypocrisy, Representative Mary Bono Mack voted against the landmark American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act and now is touting a nearly $5 million grant included in the legislation to benefit her district.

“Representative Mary Bono Mack’s vote against the economic recovery act in Washington and taking credit for its benefit in her district is just too much to take,” said Andy Stone, Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  “As a member of the ‘Party of No,’ Bono Mack voted against legislation that would save or create 8,700 jobs in her district and now she’s crowing about the benefits it’ll bring to her constituents.”

In announcing her opposition to the economic recovery package in a press release on February 13, Bono Mack said the bill was “not the answer” to our nation’s economic woes that funds were being spent on “special projects…that have little or nothing to do with stimulus” and even that provisions in the bill could have “a detrimental effect on our local economy.”

In a complete about face that smacks of hypocrisy, Bono Mack sent out a follow up release last week announcing a grant for her district that will provide “much-needed assistance” and noting her pleasure that “our community will benefit from this funding.”

Sorry, Representative Bono Mack, but after voting twice against the job-creating and tax-cutting economic recovery package, it’s just not possible to have your cake and eat it too.

In my opinion, it’s great to see the DCCC trying to get on Mary Bono Mack early.  The Inland Empire (my old stomping grounds, as I grew up in Ken Calvert’s CA-44) is ripe for the picking, as you can see from this chart.  Obama won Bono Mack’s district 51.5%-47%, a huge reversal from 2004, where Kerry lost by 13 points.

If the DCCC wants to make gains in Congressional races this midterm cycle, there are few better places to focus on than the districts of the Inland Empire, which are getting bluer by the day and could seriously use some help in terms of building up a Democratic Party infrastructure (of course, the CDP could help with that too).

UPDATE by Dave: Sorry to intrude, but this is the best part of this whole thing:

Met with Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack […] Talked to her about Obama’s $780 billion stimulus legislation. She’s outraged that the plan has “$1 billion wasted on a magnetic-levitation train from L.A. to Sin City ” – all at Nevada Sen. Harry Reid’s doing.

After expressing my doubt that the Las Vegas line was actually in the bill’s language, Bono Mack directs her staff to “get him the bill, it’s right there, show him.” A few minutes later, a staffer emerges with a copy and quietly says “it’s not in the bill.”

This is what happens when you believe the zombie lies of the conservative Limbaugh crowd instead of, you know, your eyes.

Howie Klein has a look at the state of congressional races in California as voters are heading to the polls in what should be a tsunami year for Democrats.

Over the flip…

The most likely district to go from Republican to Democrat this year is CA-04 where corrupt Republican incumbent John Doolittle– along with the equally corrupt Mrs. Doolittle– will soon be headed for prison and the GOP is trying to slip in an ideological doppelganger in the form of L.A. right wing extremist Tom McClintock. First McClintock, widely seen as an interloper and carpetbagger, will have to get by the Democrat who came close to beating Doolittle in 2006, local boy Charlie Brown, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel known for standing up for working families.

There are two other Blue America candidates running strong races, Russ Warner in CA-26 and Debbie Cook in CA-46, both awakening red districts represented by entrenched rubber stamp Republicans David Dreier and Dana Rohrabacher. No one ever mentions the two most glaring anomalies about the two Republicans: Dreier is a hypocritical, self-loathing closet queen who takes his lover/overpaid chief of staff on exotic vacations all over the world at taxpayer expense; and Rohrabacher is out of his mind and the biggest– probably only— supporter of Taliban terrorists in Congress. Instead, battles in both districts are being fought on familiar turf– both incumbents have taken massive amounts of “donations” from special interests like Big Oil and commercial banking and insurance and have always voted for their interests instead of the interests of the working families in their districts.

Three other California Democrats are making credible cases to displace out of touch incumbents. Up near Sacramento, far right extremist Dan Lungren is facing his stiffest challenge ever from Bill Durston. Meanwhile Mary Bono Mack, who doesn’t have any connect to her district any longer, is getting a run for her (big corporate contributors’) money from Julie Bornstein. The sixth challenger with a real shot at winning is Nick Liebham who’s taking on corrupt rubber stamp lobbyist Brian Bilbray in Northern San Diego County. This afternoon Nick talked with me about Bilbray’s shameful record concerning veterans. “Bibray’s voting record as it concerns veterans really speaks to his distorted priorities and values,” said Nick. “Irrespective of how you feel about the war, and I have called for a timeline to withdraw our troops, we as a nation have an obligation to provide for our heroes when they return home.  Brian Bilbray will send them to a war into perpetuity but wont send them to college.  He is a disgrace.” Nick’s campaign got a tremendous boost in the last couple of weeks when a local hero, former Marine Gen. Joe Hoar not only endorsed Nick, but started campaigning for him and cut a devastating TV commercial as well.

As Howie notes, the disgusting decision by Democrats to focus on an incumbent protection redistricting following the 2000 census means that we are in the second cycle in a row where it is unbelievably difficult for Democrats to take advantage of a nation that has realized Republicans are an awful choice. While it is important to talk to your parents about voting Republican, it is quite difficult to beat them in California. So if you live in a competitive district, please do all you can to help out. And since it is likely you don’t live in a competitive district, sending money is helpful. And hopefully, following the 2010 census, Democrats will follow a Burton redistricting model that is far more Phil than John.

(Moved video up top as it is pretty gosh darn funny. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Yesterday, we told you about California Democrats who were holding events to celebrate the 73rd birthday of Social Security.  Their intent was to both pay tribute to the program that has been a lifeline to millions of seniors for over seven decades AND to condemn John McCain and Republican members of Congress who are eager to privatize the system and let the corporate greed-mongers of Wall Street make a bundle.

For instance, Jeff Morris, the Congressional Democratic candidate who is going head-to-head with Wally Herger in CA-02, held his campaign kickoff at the Social Security office in Redding.

Julie Bornstein, the Democrat running to unseat Mary Bono Mack in CA-45 also held an event, to open her new campaign office in Palm Springs, with a special emphasis on celebrating 73 years of Social Security.

But Beverly and Leonard’s celebration in CA-03 took the cake, so to speak…

You may have seen the video of Beverly and Leonard in yesterday’s diary as they talked about the important role Social Security has played in their lives and discussed their plans to express their gratitude to the program by delivering a birthday cake to Dan Lungren.

Well, we think Beverly and Leonard did a really sweet job of making their point.  Yesterday morning, they walked into Dan Lungren’s office with their Social Security cake, cut it up, and served large portions to Lungren’s entire staff, making sure to drive home the message that because the cake was so large, there was plenty to go around — everybody could have a piece.

Wow.  Dan Lungren couldn’t have been more on target with HIS messaging.  Yes, there’s plenty of Social Security cake to go around.  It’s just that greedy Republican politicians want to get their hands on it and take the whole cake… leaving average Americans with the empty plate.

From the other events:

In Redding, two Jeff Morris supporters who, at 73, are both the same age as Social Security, pose with Jeff’s Social Security cake.

And Julie Bornstein?  Well, she’s going work to protect Social Security and make sure there’s a piece of it available for every American — not just a few wealthy investors.

Penny

Online Organizing Director

California Democratic Party

Today is the birthday of Social Security, and Democrats around the country will be celebrating the program that has provided stability and dignity to seniors for the last 73 years. During the last few years, George W. Bush, John McCain and the Republicans in Congress have done their best to try to dismantle the protections that Social Security has built over the years.

“The American people said ‘no’ to George W. Bush and John McCain when they tried to privatize Social Security, and they’ll say the same loud and clear to John McCain this November for promising more of the same,” said DNC Chairman Howard Dean. “The same people who brought you Enron can’t be trusted to gamble away the Social Security trust fund on the ups and downs of the stock market. John McCain is wrong on the privatization of Social Security, and he’s the wrong choice for America’s future.”

Throughout the US, Democrats will be visiting Republican legislators and taking them copies of this birthday card. Here in California we have several special events taking place.

Up in CA-02, Democratic Candidate Jeff Morris, who is challenging the do-nothing Republican incumbent, Wally Herger, will be holding his Campaign Kick-Off at the Social Security Office in Redding. If you’re in the area, stop by and meet him and his wife, Judy, and their many dedicated supporters.

Where: Social Security Office, 2195 Larkspur Office, Redding, CA 96002

When: Thursday August 14th at 9:45 am

Down in CA-45, Julie Bornstein, the Democratic candidate who is challenging Republican Mary Bono Mack, will be celebrating both the Social Security Birthday and the opening of her campaign office in Palm Springs.  There’s a rumor that cake may be involved…

Where: 1027 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA

When: Thursday August 14th from 4:30 to 6:30 pm

Or, if you’re in the Sacramento area you can join Beverly and Leonard and some of their friends. Beverly and Leonard live in CA-03, and they’re going to be honoring the birthday of Social Security by taking some birthday cake to their Republican Congressman, Dan Lungren. You see, Beverly and Leonard aren’t exactly rich, and they depend on their monthly Social Security payments to make ends meet. That’s why they’re not too keen on those risky privatization schemes that Republicans like John McCain and Dan Lungren have peddled. Here…they’ll tell you all about it.

So come out and join Beverly and Leonard (or Jeff Morris or Julie Bornstein) today as they stand up in support of our Democratic values and the programs like Social Security that have served so many millions of Americans so well.

Where: Dan Lungren’s District Office, 2339 Gold Meadow Way #220, Gold River, CA 95670

When: Thursday August 14th at 11:00 am

And tune in tomorrow to find out what happened…

Penny

Online Organizing Director

California Democratic Party

This was and probably could/should have stayed a quick hit, but I’m in a mood.

Rep. Mary Bono Mack and her husband Rep. Connie Mack are joining forces to form the new America Supports You Caucus. Reps. Adam Schiff and Allen Boyd join them as co-chairs.  The group will, at least in part, serve to highlight the Pentagon service that provides veterans with links to support services (instead of providing those services?).

I’m all for connecting veterans with support services and all, but at some point you can’t wave that miniature American flag hard enough to hide that you aren’t actually serving members of the military as well as you should.  How fast before this becomes a de facto test of support-the-troops devotion?

Open Thread yourselves as well. Fun with Metronomy’s Radio Ladio on the flip.