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Day By Day by Chris Muir
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Arnold: Raking in the CASH for Special Election
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is raking in the political contributions, Schwarzenegger Still Getting Big Donations.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may be slumping in the polls and beset by conflict-of-interest charges, but the governor’s fund-raising team continues to bring in sizable donations, including a $1 million contribution this month.
Schwarzenegger said in January that he would need to raise at least $50 million to support his ballot initiatives in the upcoming Nov. 8 special election. The governor’s top money manager said Wednesday the team is more than halfway to that goal.
“We are on track with what we said publicly we would do,” said Marty Wilson, a senior Schwarzenegger campaign consultant who oversees fund-raising.
I remember Marty when he was an aide with former California Governor Pete Wilson.
The Governor will raise the money and make the Democrats WORK for every vote this November.
The largest of the contributions so far in July was $1 million given to Schwarzenegger’s California Recovery Team by B. Wayne Hughes, chairman of Glendale-based Public Storage Inc., which owns 1,400 storage facilities in 37 states.
Hughes is a major GOP donor, having contributed more than $600,000 to Republican political organizations in 2004.
The Governor will BE BACK.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League
Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page
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SCOTUS Watch: Judge Roberts’ Wife Ran Pro-life Group
So, if they cannot attack Judge Roberts they will go after his wife, Jane. The Boston Globe has Judge Roberts’ Wife Ran Pro-life Group.
Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts has made conflicting statements over the years on Roe v Wade – calling it “settled law” during his 2003 appellate court confirmation hearings but “wrongly decided” while he served as deputy solicitor general.
There’s no doubt, however, where his wife comes down on the hotbutton issue of abortion.
“The role of his lawyer wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, in Feminists for Life, a group dedicated to overturning Roe v. Wade, is . . . certain to raise liberal eyebrows,” reports today’s Boston Globe.
In fact, Mrs. Roberts once served as executive vice president for the pro-life group.
On the Feminists for Life web site, the group’s mission statement explains:
“Feminists for Life recognizes that abortion is a reflection that our society has failed women. We are dedicated to systematically eliminating the root causes that drive women to abortion – primarily lack of practical resources and support – through holistic woman-centered solutions.
“Women deserve better than abortion,” the mission statement continues.
“Feminists for Life continues the tradition of early American feminists such as Susan B. Anthony, who opposed abortion.”
The Borkinization of Judge John Roberts has started.
What class!
Attack his wife for her political beliefs and activism.
And here is a blog from the LEFT, And Now for More Political Back-scratching.
Technorati Tags: John Roberts, Jane Sullivan Roberts, Feminists for Life, abortion, pro-life
Daily Pundit has That Didn’t Take Long, Did It?
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Justice John Roberts: Filibuster of Confirmation Unlikely
A filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts is extremely unlikely. The ASSociated press has Democratic Filibuster of Roberts Unlikely.
The possibility of a Democratic filibuster against Supreme Court nominee John Roberts in the Republican-controlled Senate seemed to all but disappear Wednesday.
One influential Democrat said Roberts was “in the ballpark” of being a nonconfrontational selection. A Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold hearings on Roberts’ nomination, said she did not think the appeals court judge was “filibuster-able.”
“Do I believe this is a filibuster-able nominee? The answer would be no, not at this time I don’t,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a strong abortion-rights supporter and a committee member.
Several of the seven Republicans among the 14 senators who brokered a deal over judicial filibusters indicated they thought a filibuster against Roberts would be unwarranted. Most have already praised Roberts. Their support would make it almost impossible for Democrats to carry out a filibuster.
The President has hit a homerun with this nomination.
This is not to say that the confirmation process will not be contentious, but unless something extremely damaging comes out Judge Roberts will be confirmed.
Captain Ed over at Captains Quarters agrees, Democrats Signal Filibuster Unlikely.
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L.A Times: Editor Dean P. Baquet
Los Angeles Times Editor John S. Carroll, left, announces his retirement to news staff. Managing Editor Dean P. Baquet, center, will succeed him on Aug. 15. Publisher Jeffrey M. Johnson, right, praised Carroll’s leadership, saying, “We are indebted to him for his extraordinary legacy of journalistic excellence and wish him every happiness in the future.”The Los Angeles Times has announced that Editor John Carroll is retiring, Baquet Named Times Editor as Carroll Retires.
Editor John S. Carroll, who led the Los Angeles Times to 13 Pulitzer Prizes in five years as the newspaper struggled with declining circulation, retired today and will be succeeded by Managing Editor Dean P. Baquet.
Publisher Jeffrey M. Johnson announced changes this morning in the newsroom, where a festive mood prevailed. Carroll was greeted with 45 seconds of sustained applause.
Baquet, 48, told staffers in Los Angeles, and via telephone hookup to the newspaper’s national and foreign bureaus, he wants them “to do great stories.”
“I want the Los Angeles Times to be the best newspaper in America,” Baquet said.
You have a long way to go!
Another non-Los Angeles editor from the Tribune Company.
SIGH…… Can Riordan or some syndicate buy the Los Angeles Times and restore its California flavor?
Update #1
Editor and Publisher has ‘L.A. Times’ Editor John Carroll Steps Down, Baquet Chosen as Successor.
The company also announced on Wednesday that as part of the leadership transition, the editorial and opinion page editors will now report directly to the publisher.
The Times has cut positions and delayed editorial initiatives because of revenue shortfalls. In May, the paper reported that average daily circulation for the six-month period ending March 31 declined 6.5 percent, compared with the previous year.
Michael Kinsley, the opinion editor lives in Seattle and has done an abysmal job on editorial content. The new editor should choose a new editorial director and send Kinsley packing.
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Bill Lockyer: U.S. in Toilet Art
Should California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and candidate for California Treasurer in 2006, remove Steven Pearcy’s painting of the United States sinking into a toilet from the California Department of Justice in Sacramento?
The Calfiornai Republican Party says YES.
“I don’t know why we need to tolerate the cheap artwork of a gadfly with a world view that is so offensive to a majority of the people,” said Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the California Republican Party.
Flap says YES.
Flap says Bill Lockyer is DEAD MEAT in 2006.
Technorati Tag: Bill Lockyer
Check out Mark in Mexico’s, Bill Lockyear’s official artist.
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Is Roberts RIGHT for SCOTUS?
Anne Coulter apparently says NO.
FIGHT — FROM THE RIGHT: COULTER SAYS BUSH PICK WRONG
“We don’t know much about John Roberts. Stealth nominees have never turned out to be a pleasant surprise for conservatives. Never. Not ever… Oh, yeah…we know he’s argued cases before the supreme court. big deal; so has Larry Flynt’s attorney.”
So declares conservative columnist Ann Coulter in a new dispatch set for release.
Coulter continues: It means nothing that Roberts wrote briefs arguing for the repeal of Roe v. Wade when he worked for Republican administrations. He was arguing on behalf of his client, the United States of America. Roberts has specifically disassociated himself from those cases, dropping a footnote to a 1994 law review article that said:
“In the interest of full disclosure, the author would like to point out that as Deputy Solicitor General for a portion of the 1992-93 Term, he was involved in many of the cases discussed below. In the interest of even fuller disclosure, he would also like to point out that his views as a commentator on those cases do not necessarily reflect his views as an advocate for his former client, the United States.â€
This would have been the legal equivalent, after O.J.’s acquittal, of Johnnie Cochran saying, “hey, I never said the guy was innocent. I was just doing my job.”
And it makes no difference that conservatives in the White House are assuring us Roberts can be trusted. We got the exact same assurances from officials working for the last president Bush about David Hackett Souter. I believe their exact words were, “Read our lips; Souter’s a reliable conservative.”
From the theater of the absurd category, the Republican National Committee’s “talking points†on Roberts provide this little tidbit:
“In the 1995 case of Barry v. Little, Judge Roberts argued—free of charge—before the D.C. Court of Appeals on behalf of a class of the neediest welfare recipients, challenging a termination of benefits under the District’s Public Assistance Act of 1982.â€
I’m glad to hear the man has a steady work record, but how did this make it to the top of his resume?
Finally, lets ponder the fact that Roberts has gone through 50 years on this planet without ever saying anything controversial. That’s just unnatural.
If a smart and accomplished person goes this long without expressing an opinion, they’d better be pursuing the Miss America title.
John Roberts: A home run for the president, the SCOTUS, and for the United States.
Judge John Roberts may be the smartest lawyer I have known, and he combines that intellect with a graciousness and good humor that will make it hard for any except the most extreme ideologues to oppose him. Here’s his bio, but it cannot fully convey the great intellectual force which Justice Roberts will bring to the SCOTUS.
Full disclosure: Judge Roberts and I were colleagues in the White House Counsel’s Office in 1985/1986. A colleague of his from his Hogan & Hartson days, Dan Poneman, was a guest on the program earlier and a transcript of that conversation will be posted at Radioblogger.com. Poneman is a center-left specialist on national security issues, having served both the first President Bush and President Clinton on the NSC. Poneman’s enthusiasm for the Roberts nomination will be mirrored across official Washington which will have a very hard time summoning any energy to smear as well regarded and liked man as Judge Roberts.
For now, Flap will take Hugh’s recommendation. He knows and has worked with the man.
The President has made a fine choice for the Supreme Court.
Michelle Malkin has SCOTUS WATCH: ANN WEIGHS IN
Trust you’ve seen the Drudge flash on fearless Ann Coulter’s comments about John Roberts. Ann’s full piece is up at her website.
It’s titled “Souter in Roberts clothing,” and concludes:
He has given us a Supreme Court nomination that will placate no liberals and should please no conservatives.
Maybe Roberts will contravene the sordid history of “stealth nominees†and be the Scalia or Thomas Bush promised us when he was asking for our votes. Or maybe he won’t. The Supreme Court shouldn’t be a game of Russian roulette.
Guess Manuel Miranda was wrong when he wrote last night for the WSJ: “Conservatives around the country went to sleep happy.” (Sentiment echoed by less-informed CNN’s John King.)
Things suddenly got very interesting.
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Related:Blogs for Bush rounds-up conservative blogger reax to Roberts here. Among those sharing the skeptical view:
GOPBloggersDan Flynn at Flynn Files, who writes:
Republicans have tried the blank slate route before. That’s the Supreme Court pick whose opinions are unknown–perhaps even to himself. What did it get the GOP? David Souter, for one. President Bush has twice been elected president, and his party controls 55 Senate seats. If he really is a social conservative–let’s face it, this is all about Roe v. Wade–why should he operate from a position of weakness and nominate a consensus candidate? While Roberts is neither the consensus candidate nor 2005’s David Souter, his views on Roe v. Wade, at least, are unknown. Is a crapshoot the best conservatives can do? On the other hand, the Democrats refused to confirm him when George H.W. Bush nominated him to the bench, and took two years to confirm him when George W. Bush nominated him to the DC Court of Appeals. Perhaps the Democrats know something that we don’t. Time will tell.
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Previous:SCOTUS Watch: Hyperventilation and sighs of relief
SCOTUS Watch: Roberts fileTechnorati Tags: Anne Coulter, John Roberts, Supreme Court
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Los Angeles Times: Abuzz about Major Changes
L.A. Observed is reporting that there are rumors rampant at the L.A. Times that a big announcement involving the future of the paper is coming today.
I didn’t have time to report out what if anything is behind the whispers, and I may be on the road when it comes down. But if it’s true that John Carroll is readying to vacate the editor’s chair, media reporters might want to look into what was discussed in Chicago a few weeks ago between Managing Editor Dean Baquet and Tribune Company brass. Inquiring reporters might also probe just how close Baquet came earlier this month to exiting the L.A. scene. At the time, threats of drastic Tribune-ordered budget cuts were in the air.
Developing.
Stay tuned.
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California Special Election: Deal Unlikely?
Do you think California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez is still laughing? The Sacramento Bee has Núñez: Ballot accord doubtful.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez said Tuesday he’s “very, very skeptical” that Democrats can reach a compromise with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on a package of ballot measures for the November election.
The Los Angeles Democrat, who last month said he was optimistic “a deal on the whole enchilada can still be worked out,” told reporters that negotiations are deadlocked over Schwarzenegger’s so-called “Live Within Our Means” budget proposal.
“We are seas apart of where we need to be on Live Within Our Means,” Núñez said at a Capitol press conference. “The type of power the governor is looking for here is the power that no democratic leader in any democratic society currently has, and it’s too difficult to get there.”
Among other things, the measure would allow California governors to make unilateral budget cuts in times of economic crisis. Democrats have said they fear Schwarzenegger would cripple social programs, health care and other services if the measure passed. They also oppose provisions they believe would erode the Proposition 98 funding guarantee for schools.
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, who later in the day joined Núñez for a meeting on the issue in Schwarzenegger’s office, agreed that there appears to be little hope for a deal.
“I told the governor I would like to continue working on this … but there’s no way we could do this fast enough,” Perata said after the meeting in Schwarzenegger’s office.
Conservatives have worried that Governor Arnold was getting squishy and would sell out already qualified ballot initiatives or cancel the election entirely. But, has this been a ruse to increase popularity? And is Schwarzenegger backing the legislative leaders into a corner?
Margita Thompson, Schwarzenegger’s press secretary, agreed with the two Democrats that talks have stalled. But she said it’s up to the legislators to decide whether the budget needs reform.
“There’s a sticking point,” Thompson said. “They need to decide if they want to move forward. The governor always remains helpful, and the governor remains at the table and will provide the leadership for whatever is necessary to forge a bipartisan solution.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger has won if he stays the course and allows the voters decide on his reform agenda this November. California voters want government and fiscal reform. The Governinator will deliver it.
Flap is happy that he is not a GIRLIE-MAN.
Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page
Technorati Tags: Schwarzenegger, Fabian Nunez, Don Perata, Bear Flag League