Imagine how crazy it would be if Michele Bachmann lost her House seat to a Tea Partyer even more conservative than she was—that’s the equivalent of what happened on Tuesday when three-term Rep. Jean Schmidt lost the Republican primary in Ohio’s 2nd District to political rookie Brad Wenstrup. The upset was big—just last cycle, …
California
Jerry Brown’s Risky Crusade: How to Raise Taxes in California
On a sunny February morning at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, Jerry Brown’s cup of black coffee was getting cold. When a concerned waitress in the club restaurant poured him a fresh cup and offered to clear the original one, the …
Details of Mortgage Servicing Settlement Between Banks and AGs Begin to Emerge
The never-ending negotiations between the 50 state attorneys general (minus a few big ones) and five major banks over penalties and standards for past, present and future mortgage servicing are finally ending, and some details …
Yes, Let’s Kill Ethanol Jobs
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO— As corn ethanol’s Public Enemy Number One — did my plaque get lost in the mail? — I’m thrilled the Senate voted to kill the industry’s fiscally and ecologically ludicrous tax credit. But it was galling — if not too surprising — to hear Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, complain that the …
Governor Moonbeam: California’s Responsible Adult
SACRAMENTO—Forget the former California governor who’s once again a tabloid sensation. Let’s talk about the former California governor who’s once again a California governor. Jerry Brown, the Golden State’s 34th and 39th chief …
Redistributing High-Speed Rail Dollars: Still Useful!
President Obama’s high-speed rail program has taken a lot of abuse because it isn’t just funding true high-speed rail; it’s also accelerating and improving service on moderate-speed trains. OK, guilty as charged. The program’s actual name is “High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail.” And now that Obama has redistributed the …
Dems Pull Ahead in Cali; Murkowski and Miller are Neck-and-Neck
CNN/TIME/ORC has a new poll of four states out today. Here’s a link to my story. Short version:
Alaska:
Senate: Lisa Murkowski’s becoming a real threat to Joe Miller in polls — but that doesn’t mean these people know how to spell M-U-R-K-O-W-S-K-I come Nov. 2. Governor: GOP incumbent Sean Parnell is winning.
California:
Senate & …
Jerry Brown: “I Did Not Have Taxes With This State” UPDATED
The rap on the California Democrats’ great gubernatorial hope, Jerry Brown, is that he is refreshingly his own guy. He says what he thinks, when he thinks it. And this may be one of his top selling points against his Republican rival, Meg Whitman, who campaigns like a corporate robot, always on message, always bland, working voters like …
Boxer v. Fiorina Debate
Senator Barbara Boxer and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who is challenging the California Democrat for her job, had their first debate last night. Fiorina, I thought, did surprisingly well but that may be due to my incredibly low expectations of her. As the L.A. Times notes, Boxer did well at holding Fiorina’s feet to the …
Federal Judge Strikes Down California Ban On Gay Marriage
Former Solicitor General Ted Olson and David Boies may be headed to the Supreme Court again. A federal judge has stuck down Proposition 8 in California, which banned gay marriage, effectively agreeing with the arguments brought by Olson and Boies who sued to overturn the law on constitutional grounds. The LA Times has excerpts from the …
Recall the Recall?
Politico has an interesting story about about Tea Party efforts in several states to recall politicians — when, you know, the electoral thing just isn’t working for you. Bob Menendez in New Jersey, Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu and Kent Conrad of North Dakota have all been targeted.
Yes, because the $66 million recall of California …
Demon Sheep In The Control Room: Carly Fiorina’s Open Mic
More fun from California. So good.
The rap on Carly Fiorina is that she is less personable than she might be. In this priceless open mic incident, Fiorina, who won the Republican nomination to challenge Barabara Boxer, comes off as, well, sort of a jerk. The payoff line comes at the end, starting at about 4 minutes. At least she …
The Million $ Meg Whitman Question: Can A Billionaire Empathize With The Unemployed?
The California Labor Federation put out a statement today calling the following ad “patently offensive.” Watch closely and see if you can spot the outrage. (I couldn’t.)
The full statement from Steve Smith, of the California Labor Federation, follows after the jump. Billionaires, it seems, are not people too.
