California’s Capitol Talks to Ted Lieu

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The fourth in a series of interviews with statewide Democratic candidates who will be attending the Democratic State Convention in Sacramento, April 24 through April 26. 

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(Assemblyman Ted Lieu, a Torrance Democrat, is in his final two-year term in the lower house. As he tells California’s Capitol, he has been the Assembly’s point person on foreclosure and mortgage issues.    Read more »

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California’s Capitol Talks With Rocky Delgadillo

The Third in a Series of Interviews with statewide Democratic candidates who will be attending the Democratic State Convention in Sacramento, April 24 through April 26.

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(A native of the eastside of Los Angeles, Rocky Delgadillo was elected Los Angeles City Attorney in 2003. He ran for state Attorney General in 2006, losing in the primary to Jerry Brown.     Read more »

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California’s Capitol Talks to John Garamendi

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The Second in a series of Interviews with statewide Democratic candidates who will be attending the Democratic State Convention in Sacramento, April 24 through April 26.  

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(Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, the only Democrat officially running for governor, has been an Assemblyman for two years, a state senator for 14 years, the state’s first Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, a deputy secretary at the U.S.    Read more »

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San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris

The first in a series of Interviews with statewide Democratic candidates who will be attending the Democratic State Convention in Sacramento, April 24 — April 26.   Kamala Harris is the first female District Attorney to be elected in San Francisco, the first elected African American District Attorney in California and the first Indian American elected District Attorney in the country.    Read more »

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Life in the White House — Bipartisan Equalizer

As one would expect, a large portion of Washington D.C.’s  National Portrait Gallery is devoted to the presidents of the United States. All get a spot, even the nebish ones. 

One of the great unifiers — whether Democrat, Republican, Whig, No-Nothing or Federalist–  is the conclusion of the occupants that a turn in the White House of four or, worse, eight years is not walk in the park.     Read more »

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Life Is Full of Rich Irony

March 16, 2009 — Capitol Morning Report states that former Senate President Pro Tempore John Burton, a San Francisco Democrat, has received the endorsement of the Computer and Internet Caucus in his quest to become the next chair of the California Democratic Party. 

As reported here previously, Burton has traditionally shunned the Internet and does not own a computer.    Read more »

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A Look Back — And Ahead to the May 19 Election

The conventional wisdom on special elections held in odd-numbered years is that turnout will be lower and comprised mainly of high propensity voters who tend to be older, white and monied.

“A special election is a wild card because voter turnout could be significantly lower and oriented toward older and more conservative voters,” Mark Baldassare, Public Policy Instute of California’s president and pollster tells California’s Capitol.     Read more »

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Meg Whitman Sighting

9:50 a.m., Sacramento, January 28:

The former eBay CEO and GOP governor wanna-be was jay-walking on 10th St. between L  & J Streets heading toward the California Teachers Association World Headquarters.

Not unlike the State Capitol, would one enter those doors voluntarily?

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Meg Whitman Sighting

The former eBay CEO must be running for something. Accompanied by her political consultant, Jeff Randle, she was walking toward the Capitol at 9:30 am, January 6. 

Whitman, 52, recently resigned from the boards of eBay, Proctor & Gamble and DreamWorks Animation, ginning up chatter about her seeking the GOP nomination for governor in 2010.    Read more »

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Some Local Election Results

 

California localities approved seven of nine general obligation bonds totaling $2.4 billion, according to a preliminary count by the California Taxpayer Association.

Among the successful bonds — $500 million to improve parks in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. 

San Francisco approved an $887.4 million bond to retrofit San Francisco General hospital.    Read more »

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