More From the Campaign Mail Bag…

Digging back into the campaign mailbag: 

Supporters of Proposition 8, which would prevent same sex couples from marrying, show a grainy photo of California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell from a television ad in which O’Connell says that Proposition 8 has nothing to do with schools or children. 

“He’s Lying,” the mailer says in large red letters. “Opponents of Traditional Marriage will say anything” – underlined in red – “to defeat Prop 8.” 

(Editor’s Note: Which, of course, raises the question: What will Prop 8’s supporters say in order to pass it.) 

Indeed, the mailer says, “Teaching Gay Marriage in California Schools Has Already Begun!” 

O’Connell, a “liberal politician,” the mailer informs, has a website which shows that “teaching about gay marriage is required in 96 percent of schools.” 

But Rosie Avila, a Santa Ana Unified School District board member assures us that “Prop 8 protects our children from being taught in public schools that ‘same-sex marriage’ is the same as traditional marriage.” 

A “yes” vote, the mailer says “restores traditional marriage. A ‘no” vote means “gay marriage is still mandated.” 

Another “Yes on Proposition 8” mailer features Robb and Robin Wirthlin of Lexington Massachusetts.  

“After Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, our son came home and told us the school taught him that boys can marry other boys. He’s in second grade. We tried to stop public schools from teaching children about gay marriage but the courts said we had no right to object or pull him out of class.” 

Republican Woman’s Voice is a slate mailer eerily similar to that of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association’s alleged “newsletter” except it has a banner of photos of women – all white except one Asian – across its top. 

On the front of this mailer, appropriately enough, is the shining visage of Sarah Palin who, the mailer informs, is “Blazing a New Trail for America!” 

Quoth Sarah: “We can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all.” Doggone it. 

Like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association’s “newsletter,” there are a lot of asterisks on the Republican Woman’s Voice. Propositions 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 11 all paid for the mailer to urge a “yes.” Opponents of Proposition 7 paid for the mailer to call for a “no” vote. 

To the Republican chicks’ credit, unlike the taxpayer association’s slate mailer, they urge, without charging a fee for it, a “yes” vote on Proposition 1A which would provide seed money for a high speed rail line linking Los Angeles and the Bay Area.  

The Democratic Party of Sacramento wants to make sure Democrats vote for Barack Obama, Nancy Bui for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s board and Alyson Huber, running for the 10^th Assembly district which includes part of Sacramento County. 

Ken Cooley is the Democratic choice for Rancho Cordova City Council and Bill Durston is the party’s pick against GOP incumbent Rep. Dan “Stop-Calling-Me-Dolph” Lungren. 

Lungren has a divergent view on Durston, as expressed in two recent mailers. 

One mailer features a side-by-side comparison of Lungren with Durston. Of course the photo of the Democratic challenger is the goofiest one possible with a black-and-white thumbnail of the Great Satan, Nancy Pelosi, looking over his left shoulder. 

Durston’s crime: “Nancy Pelosi’s answer to the economic crisis is to raise taxes and increase government spending but Bill Durston’s first vote in Congress would be to re-elect Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. 

“Durston would be just one more vote for higher and higher taxes – no matter how much it hurts the economy.” Lungren’s underlining. 

Do the math, Lungren urges: “Bill Durston = Higher taxes, higher government spending and less jobs.” 

It boggles the mind trying to imagine the horrors that will ensue when Durston casts his second vote as a Congressman.  

In contrast, Lungren says he equals “Economic growth, rapid recovery and more jobs.” He might want to get a second opinion from Warren Buffet or some economists about that rapid recovery pledge. 

The second mailer shows Lungren at his desk next to this headline: “Tough times demand experienced, independent leadership.” He tells readers he has stood up to political leaders of both parties and done cool stuff for regular folks that lobbyists don’t like. 

Lungren has “Proven Integrity. Tough leadership.” It must be true since it says so on both the mailers. 

There is one word that doesn’t appear in either mailer, however: Republican. 

An omission that says volumes. 

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