Republicans are stepping up attacks on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, deciding that a major part of their 2010 electoral strategy will be linking Democratic candidates to her.
The approach emerged last week when the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans, issued a statement saying it hopes Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, puts Ms. Pelosi "in her place" on Afghan policy. The statement accused Ms. Pelosi, a California Democrat, of putting party politics ahead of national security in her cautious statements on expanding the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

A lobby for the industry, America’s Health Insurance Plans, focused its criticism on a bill likely to be approved Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee.

“The overall impact will be to increase the cost of private insurance coverage for individuals, families and businesses above what these costs would be in the absence of reform,” said Karen M. Ignagni, president of the trade association.

Democratic aides on the Finance Committee disputed the conclusion. They said the bill would provide tax credits to millions of people to help them afford coverage. Moreover, they said, people could keep the coverage they now have if they wanted. In addition, they said, some provisions of the bill would reduce the administrative costs of insurance.

Ms. Ignagni cited a report done last week for her organization by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm.

Email has had a good run as king of communications. But its reign is over.

In its place, a new generation of services is starting to take hold—services like Twitter and Facebook and countless others vying for a piece of the new world. And just as email did more than a decade ago, this shift promises to profoundly rewrite the way we communicate—in ways we can only begin to imagine.

We all still use email, of course. But email was better suited to the way we used to use the Internet—logging off and on, checking our messages in bursts. Now, we are always connected, whether we are sitting at a desk or on a mobile phone. The always-on connection, in turn, has created a host of new ways to communicate that are much faster than email, and more fun.

At the request of former Senator Bob Dole, Democrats are scrapping plans to broadcast a new commercial that touted Republicans like Mr. Dole speaking in support of overhauling the health-care system.

Mr. Dole lodged a complaint with the White House Saturday night, saying that the new commercial, set to run on national and Washington broadcast stations on Monday but available online on Saturday, was deceptive.

“He believes it is deceptive, it was not authorized, and he asked that it be pulled,” Michael Marshall, a spokesman for Mr. Dole, said Sunday morning. “He was told late last night by the White House that it would not run.”

After months of collaboration on President Obama's attempt to overhaul the nation's health-care system, the insurance industry plans to strike out against the effort on Monday with a report warning that the typical family premium in 2019 could cost $4,000 more than projected.

Saturday night President Obama charmingly delivered a rather bleak message to the gay community on the eve of its latest march on Washington. In a speech to the world's largest gay political group, the Human Rights Campaign, Obama essentially said two things: I'm with you. But I can't do much for you.

There aren’t many competitions where you can lose 99 percent of the time and still be considered a leading contender, but somehow Barbara Boxer is pulling it off. A recent Field Poll has her with a 14-point lead over her closest Republican rival. However, her colleagues in Washington have seen fit to only enact three of the nearly 400 bills the three-term senator has sponsored since she was elected in 1992, raising questions of why the popular liberal icon—who set a record for the most votes received in a California election—has failed so spectacularly to land any punches.

California lawmakers are racing to hammer out a deal aimed at alleviating the state's growing water shortages, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatening to veto about 700 unrelated bills if legislators don't find a water solution by midnight Sunday.

Mr. Schwarzenegger was huddled in closed-door meetings with legislative leaders in the Democratic-run statehouse Friday, as they worked to close sharp differences on a package of water measures that the Republican governor says are critical to meeting California's future water needs.

While authorities have made gains against the local production of narcotics over the past decade, some local law enforcement officials are concerned that meth labs may be making a comeback.

In just the past two months, six labs have been busted in the Inland Empire, said Erasmo Carrizosa, special agent supervisor and clandestine lab coordinator for the state Department of Justice.

"That's not a real significant number, but that's more than last year," said Carrizosa, who is based in Riverside. "I think it's creeping up on us."

In the 1990s, there were major problems with Mexican nationals operating meth labs in the Inland Empire, said Al Garcia, a supervisor for the San Bernardino County West End Narcotics Enforcement Team.

State revenue has already fallen more than $1 billion short of assumptions in the budget lawmakers passed less than three months ago, according to a new report from the state controller.

Disappointing income tax receipts are the main culprit, falling 11% below what lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expected when they agreed on a patchwork budget during the summer, halting the state’s issuance of IOUs. Sales and corporate taxes have also slid below projections.

"While there are encouraging signs that California's economy is preparing for a comeback, the recession continues to drag state revenues down,” said Controller John Chiang in a statement. He called the new figures “a major blow to a budget that is barely 10 weeks old.”

Sarah Palin stands ready to stump for the Republican gubernatorial candidates running in the two most closely watched campaigns in the country this fall, but neither seems to want her help.
Less than a month before voters go to the polls, it appears increasingly clear that the former Alaska governor, vice-presidential nominee and conservative favorite will not appear on behalf of either New Jersey’s Chris Christie or Virginia’s Bob McDonnell.
Palin is the only one of the most talked-about potential 2012 presidential candidates who has not yet campaigned for either Republican candidate.
Given her loyal following among many in the party’s grass roots, it’s Palin who could surely draw the largest crowd and perhaps raise the most money for the two candidates — her book, “Going Rogue,” is already the No. 1 best-seller on Amazon, more than a month before it’s even released.
“The governor offered her assistance with both races,” said Palin adviser Meg Stapleton. “The ball is in their court.”

In a clear dig at former President George W. Bush, a State Department spokesman compared President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize to the flying footwear his predecessor faced in Iraq.

"From our standpoint, you know, we think that this gives us a sense of momentum … when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Friday.

Crowley was referring to a 2008 incident in which an Iraqi reporter hurled his shoe at Bush during a news conference in Baghdad. The act of protest struck a chord with millions in the Arab and Muslim worlds who had been captivated and angered by daily images of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Got curious about how the media in Norway is playing the Nobel Peace Prize decision (I read/write Norwegian fluently), so I check out the Aftenposten (largest daily) this morning. Found one of those opinion poll widgets on their site- vote on if you think the prize to Obama was correct. 62% of Aftenposten's own Norwegian readers voted not vs 37% who voted yes. Just thought you'd be interested in how it plays out over there. Swedish dailies are pretty much skewing this as a stupid joke the Norwegians have created (to be expected…Swedes love to laugh at dumb stuff their next door neighbors do).

Nicholas Ballasy reports “a senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told CNSNews.com that it is ‘likely’ that Reid will use H.R. 1586—a bill passed by the House in March to impose a 90-percent tax on bonuses paid to employees of certain bailed-out financial institutions—as a ‘shell’ for enacting the final version of the Senate’s health care bill, which Reid is responsible for crafting.”

This story confirms the four part scenario that would railroad the bill through the Senate using a very unusual closed door procedure to craft the bill with no input from the American people.

The four stage plan to pass Obamacare has been publicly confirmed and is ready to be implemented.

International reaction ranged from delight to disbelief. The former winners Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu voiced praise, the latter lauding the Nobel Committee’s “surprising but imaginative choice”.

But Lech Walesa, the dissident turned Polish President, who won the Peace Prize in 1983, spoke for many, declaring: “So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far.”

Mr Obama’s domestic critics leapt on the award as evidence of foreigners fawning over an untested “celebrity” leader. Rush Limbaugh, the US right-wing commentator, said: “This fully exposes the illusion that is Barack Obama."

But in the Republican battle, these numbers must be insanely frustrating for Carly Fiorina. She was supposed to cruise to the nomination, but she is tied (21-20) with Chuck DeVore, a right-wing Assemblyman without a ton of money. You have to wonder, if she doesn't bounce back from her bad month or so that she had, will she really want to get involved in this mess. Carlyfornia Dreamin' was such a clear disaster, will she really want to sink much of her own money into the race, and will people really give her any money if she doesn't sink some of her ill-gotten HP gains into it? It's really something of a vicious feedback loop for Carly now.
+++++++
Good observation. Will Fiorina decide to invest in her own candidacy or heal up from cancer and pick another spot when Feinstein's Senate seat opens up?

"Some Republicans who instinctively were backing Fiorina are pulling back and saying wait a minute � I'm actually going to give more serious consideration to both candidates," pollster Mark DiCamillo said. "Neither of these candidates are very well known. There's just a kind of a 'hold the phone' sentiment out there about Fiorina."

Fiorina, who is exploring the race at this point and underwent breast cancer treatment over the last six months, did not attend a recent California Republican Party convention. DeVore, who has declared his candidacy, has been actively campaigning.

Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, as he's told us before, may only have $$700,000 kicking around. But Chuck D from the OC has got 14,000-plus donors.

Yawn, says Team Boxer. They're more worried about Fiorina. As they wrote on Boxer's blog this week:

"As you may know, Fiorina was paid $100 million during her five years at HP, plus a generous golden parachute worth at least $21 million. It is widely believed that she has the capacity to contribute tens of millions to her own campaign. By comparison, the most expensive Boxer campaign in the past raised $21 million. With one personal check, Fiorina could have a larger campaign warchest than we’ve ever had."

Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer holds a strong edge over possible Republican challengers seeking to unseat her in the 2010 election, according to a new Field Poll of registered voters.

The poll, conducted via telephone between Sept. 18 and Oct. 6, showed Boxer holding a double-digit lead over two GOP hopefuls, declared candidate Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, and former Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina, who has not declared her candidacy but has formed an exploratory committee.

Boxer beat Fiorina 49 percent to 35 percent, and DeVore 50 percent to 33 percent.

The poll indicated that much of Boxer's lead could stem from low name recognition for both Fiorina and DeVore.

While 87 percent of those surveyed held an opinion about the Democratic senator (48 percent favorable, 39 percent unfavorable), 72 percent of voters have no opinion of Fiorina and 82 percent have no opinion of DeVore.

Confronted with big job losses and no sign the U.S. economy is ready to stand on its own, Democrats are working on a growing list of relief efforts, leaving for later how to pay for them, or whether even to bother.

Proposals include extending and perhaps expanding a popular tax credit for first-time home buyers, and creating a new credit for companies that add jobs. Taken together, the proposals look a lot like another economic stimulus package, though congressional leaders don't want to call it that.

A new proposal to change the state’s legislative term limits law has been submitted to the Attorney General’s office, and could be on the ballot by November 2010.

The initiative is similar to a measure backed by former Speaker Fabian Nuñez and former Senate Leader Don Perata in 2008. That measure was also supported by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but was ultimately rejected by voters – 53 percent of whom voted against it.

But unlike the 2008 proposal, this measure does not seek to provide extra terms for those already in office. The measure states the intent is to prohibit “any current or former legislator from benefiting in any way from this reform.”
+++++++
This will not pass even if it goes to California voters.

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown is lambasting what he calls "highly inappropriate" behavior by San Francisco Democrats Wednesday who greeted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with a hostile reception during a surprise drop-in at a San Francisco Democratic Party fund-raiser.

But outspoken State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco, who shouted "You lie!" to Schwarzenneger during the event at the Fairmont Hotel — and didn't deny reports he walked out with a quip of "kiss my gay ass" — said the GOP governor's "cheap publicity stunt" earned a very appropriate show of political theater, San Francisco-style.
++++++++
Gay leaders do nothing to help themselves, now do they?

American voters oppose 47 – 40 percent President Barack Obama's health care reform plan, and don't want an overhaul that only gets Democratic votes, but they support key parts of the plan, including 61 – 34 percent for giving people the option of a government health insurance plan that competes with private plans, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.

By a 57 – 37 percent margin, voters say Congress should not approve a health care overhaul with only Democratic votes. Democrats are OK with a one-party bill 63 – 29 percent, but opposition is 88 – 9 percent from Republicans and 62 – 32 percent from independent voters.

The latest Senate health bill will cost $829 billion over a decade and slightly reduce the federal budget deficit, congressional budget crunchers said Wednesday, marking a major step forward for Democrats' plans to overhaul American health care.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found the sweeping measure will cover 94% of nonelderly legal U.S. residents, up from about 83% currently. The bill will cut the deficit by $81 billion over the 10-year period, owing to trims in Medicare spending and new taxes.