** While traveling this week, I received a document from Anne Gust Brown, wife and manager (campaign, that is) of former Governor Jerry Brown. Earlier, I had criticized Brown — currently mayor of Oakland and frontrunner for California attorney general — for evading the question when asked what he thinks of The Da Vinci Code.
This new document would appear to provide a hitherto undisclosed linkage between the Jesuit-trained Brown, a shadowy religious organization, and the Da Vinci “code” itself. I need to study it further and determine its provenance. It looks to be very old, indeed. If it proves out, and if my LA Weekly tech can help me upload it to this site, the document will be revealed.
** THE POLITICS OF IMMIGRATION REMAIN TANGLED, DESPITE PASSAGE OF THE SENATE COMPROMISE BILL. (Could be a consensus emerging around illegal immigrants already here, and perhaps future guest workers, but border security remains a sticking point.) BUT ONE THING IS CLEAR, THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND ASSEMBLY SPEAKER FABIAN NUNEZ.
You can listen in here.
Those who read my Nunez profile last summer might not be surprised. I exclusively revealed at the time that the speaker and the governor put in marathon sessions at Schwarzenegger’s LA home to try to avert last November’s special election showdown.
** Meanwhile, discontinuing the love, Jon Fleischman over at Flash Report tells about the mini-boycott of Mexican President Vicente Fox’s visit to the Capitol and the president declining to meet with legislative Republicans.
** THE CANDIDATES TODAY.
Phil Angelides: A Teamsters labor event in San Diego, a high school visit in San Diego, and an environmentalists event in Sacramento.
Steve Westly: The ex-eBay honcho’s buscapade adventure continues, taking in Tulare, Bakersfield, Fontana, and Cathedral City. Just think of all those West Wing episodes I’m missing.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The governor is engaging in visualization exercises today.
** Okay, yes, the Brown family are old friends of mine. But never let it be said that I am not a nice guy. Rather than tee off on LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and his hyper-aggressive campaign for state attorney general, which would be child’s play for me to do … I have not. However, here are the newspaper endorsements from the would-be AG’s hometown. LA Times? Jerry Brown. LA Weekly? Jerry Brown. LA Daily News? Jerry Brown. From left to right, the pick over the LA home boy is the erstwhile Governor Moonbeam. Case closed. Game over. Without me ever investigating some very questionable events regarding the pro football player who was not, the gangland survivor who was not, the … well, you get the picture.
Attention, Republican state Senator Chuck Poochigian. I want to cover your campaign against Jerry Brown. Whenever it occurs. Because I love a story. And I need stories. Especially stories involving interesting personalities. There is a reason why I have urged your campaign to challenge Brown on his home turf. It is not simply because he would likely take that challenge and turn it back against you.
Here is the slogan of the British Special Air Service (SAS), which I am sure is familiar to you. “Who dares wins.”
Happy Memorial Day, all you vets out there.
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I notice that Mexico President Vicente Fox had no comment on the “Additional and Secret Article” of The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in his speech to the California Legislature. This treaty was signed 9 days before gold was “discovered”, of course.
The treaty begins with “In the name of almighty God…”. Had I called former Governor Jerry Brown asking about this, I’m sure he would not have responded to my inquiry by now.
That document is even harder to study than the purported new Da Vinci document.
What does it say?
I just saw an updated PPIC poll at the DCpoliticalreport.com website. It gives Angelides a 12 point edge over Westly. Any further info on that, Bill?
There is no “updated” PPIC poll, Hattie.
New West is a PPIC subscriber.
I think that was the Survey USA poll done for a television station…
http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_145164237.html
Aside from the arguments that always breakout about Survey USA, there is also the issue that this poll has a margin of error of 4.8%.
What’s the cutoff on margin of error when the poll becomes irrelevent?
Bradley, South, Maslin? Any of the experts? Can you help me out with an answer?
I would bet a lot of money that Phil is not taking that poll seriously.
I think Phil made that same bet with his $2,000,000.
Would be nice to see a new Field Poll or LA Times poll.
At your convenience please provide a link to your Nunez profile…Thanks!
At your convenience please providew a link to your MySpace profile…you certainly have enough friends around here.
You’d probably have more than Westly, but wouldn’t top Angelides (too bad many of his are either to young to vote or are basically “spam friends” from adult film stars).
Oh…and look at Phil’s “Top Eight” and you’ll find a picture of BvR…
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=30567007
You can skip straight to BvR’s profile here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4003727
We should all get on MySpace and create a group…I think I’ll set up a profile today!
PPIC had 5% themselves, not that I trust SUSA over PPIC. I like SUSA to track shifts and get some national perspective on how Arnold is doing.
Polling is interesting, Phil’s strong with men, Westly’s up less with women. It might have something to do with Phil not only being a “Democrat’s Democrat”, but also a “Man’s man” looks like Ed Emmerson is a good man to have around. A decade ago, he walked by me at an event, the next day I began growing facial hair. Last year i heard Phil was interested in expanding his favorability in the mentioned demographic, Ed had him drinking egg’s and sparring with huge frozen pieces of meat, looks like it payed off.
Re: President Fox’s visit.
It was purely pr. He’s leaving office in a couple of months, and in his 6 year term, he’s had very little success getting his reforms through Congress–he pretty much gave up trying. He’s similar to Arnold in that most Mexicans like him personally, but don’t think he’s at all lived up to his promise.
There are several funny things about Fleischman’s piece, one being that Fox is a pro-business, free market conservative. The most ill-considered aspect of Fleischman’s piece is where he recommends the US cutting off all financial aid to Mexico. Yes, weakening the Mexican economy would certainly stem the flow of immigrants, great idea. (Almost as great an idea as rounding up 12 million people in a country-wide pogrom while we build a massive ten thousand mile wall around the border.)
Every year more than 10 billion is sent back home from Mexican workers in the US. Without that sum of money, the second largest source of money after oil revenues, the Mexican economy would collapse. Then what do you think would happen at the borders?
While reading Jon Fleischman’s comments, I had to wonder what is the goal of the business community in re immigration? I have to think their desires are influencing the Bush stance. Is this an example of the classic Republican divide between social conservatives and country club conservatives?
Adam, I posted a few weeks back on the national security implications of Mexico as a neighbor, immigration, and the imortance of stability in Mexico. If Mexico were to become unstable to the extent that people will flee, they won’t be heading to Central America, that’s for sure!
I would make the Mariel Boatlift operation look like a backyard bbq.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariel_Boatlift
Mod Dem, I think the various Fleischmans out there have simply refused to educate themselves on this issue; otherwise they couldn’t be so removed from reality or practical considerations. Of course, it could be that they simply like indulging their nativist, racist sentiments for the sake of Pete Wilson-like divisiveness. Or perhaps it’s a combination of the two.
No, I think there is a genuine dislike of what Mexico has done for its people. It’s not necessarily racism and/or nativism. This manifests itself in the opinions of folks like Conor Freidersdorf, the border blogger for the LA Newspaper Group chain; Doug MacIntyre and Al Rantel (John & Ken’s motivations are entirely different), and House Republicans like Gary Miller and John Campbell (not Dreier nor Rohrabacher). Basically Mexico is using the US as a safety valve, a nice way to pay back us for bailing them out a few years back.
I think the Republicans realize that even if the Hispanic vote grows, they are still a minor part of the electorate on a national scale. The implosion of the Republican party in the state has only partially to do with Pete Wilson’s 187, but more to do with the popularity of Senators Boxer and Feinstein and the inability of Republicans to get around a moderate statewide candidate, at least until Schwarzenegger popped up.
The Washington Times has an editorial today that pretty accurately reflects the frustrations of Republicans who oppose the Senate’s immigration reform bill. It’s not about nativism or racism, it’s about a lack of trust in President Bush. (I’m sure that’s something to which those who post incessantly at all hours of the night on this blog can relate.) http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060525-085628-3936r.htm
Also of note is that concerns over uncontrolled immigration are not partisan. The Wash Times points out “A recent CNN poll found that 66 percent of the public favors increasing penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.” Certainly, 66 percent of the public aren’t nativist or racist for wanting employers to refuse employment to illegal immigrants.
Tommy Boy, is Janine one of my MySpace adult film star friends? I haven’t checked. Hi, Jan! Do I even have a MySpace page?
On a more serious note, I think Karen has a very good point on the illegal immigration front.
There is really no sweetness and light on this issue.
Calwatch: If Mexico is using the US as a safety valve its because the US and Dem/Rep Administrations have allowed them to. Plus, US industry has benefitted by cheap labor, it’s coneptually desribed as the Push/Pull factor in border relations. Having a stable Mexico with fluid borders for their poorest citizens to navigate illegally is much more preferable for US policmakers than sealing the borders and having a social explosion in Mexico that could result in massive numbers of people migrting to El Norte in an anarchic fashion (there would be no remittances to Mexico if immigration, legally or not, were completely stopped).
Immigration is the nexus between a long standing tenet of US foreign policy desiring stability in the western hemisphere and the domestic pressures that get flamed by political ads saying “they keep coming”. Besides, Mexico would not need to “pay back” the US bailout in this manner as it was completely repaid by the Zedillo Administration in the late 1990′s in US dollars.
Yes, and how would a massive amnesty help that? (Remember that the Republicans are masters at using words, and any program that permits those currently in this country illegally to stay will be considered “amnesty”). Yes, the federal government has turned a blind eye, and our corporations have not helped matters any by building massive maquiladoras just across the border almost tempting the Mexican men and women who work at the maquilas with the riches of the US if they just go a little further.
As for Myspace, the garish colors of the pages there make my eyes hurt. I was supposed to sign on to see someone’s Europe trip pictures but haven’t done so yet because of the poor design of most of the pages.
Phil is doing enviro events for the same reason I get flu shots.
The dislike of what Mexico has not been able to do for its people is a legitimate and very real concern. Until 1994, viewed as the first truly democratic election, albeit in its infancy and where a major political assassination occurred during the campaign, Mexico had been described as the benign dictatorship. It was very true. Mexico is democratizing, but building a democracy after 70+ years of single party rule is not something that can be done in a decade or even twenty years. Eastern Europe became free in late 1999 and look at the troubles they have in creating democracies. The 1990′s were very tenuous years for Mexico, where the military brass openly discussed in newspapers how they felt towards their civilian rulers and that perhaps military rule would be better–its still very much a devoping/third world nation in many respects.
This is what we get when foreign/domestic policy collide in an election year.
A massive amnesty would help whichever political party in this nation seeks to engage and address their issues.
It’s great to see that Phil is out fighting the good fight, while Steve is bussing the same 20 supporters around from fat cat mansion to fat cat mansion.
Okay, Dan R, I warned you.
You are completely full of shit.
I am going to invoke a new rule here.
When people make asses of themselves — and can’t count — I will humiliate them.
This is my web site, little man.
Bill,
My apology, the second poll was not a PPIC update (although it was erroneously reported as such on the dcpoliticalreport.com website), it was a SurveyUSA poll. What are your thoughts on the accuracy of that latest poll?
Gee, I think I’ve already said.
That poll is utterly worthless.
Following Bill’s sentiment, a good Memorial Day to you all. From Bill Bradley to Bob Mulholland (secret split personalities? both vets, both dem politicos, both have initials BB, hmmmm). This vet says vote Phil!
Bob Mulholland is one of my oldest friends. I wish the very best of Memorial Days to him. He is a highly distinguished combat vet, which I am not, and a great guy besides.
the second B refers to his middle name “Bad Mother F*cker”
I’d like to know what has motivated all this current hysteria over immigration? Because, while it’s a problem, there are clearly much more pressing problems. The way this has shot up might lead one to believe that there’s been a economic or national security crisis that can be linked to undocumented Mexican immigrants. Guess what? There are no such links.
So that might be a place to step back and examine the motivations of those who profess that this issue has no nativist/racist implications, to examine how often the GOP dredges up highly divisive issues to distract attention away from a national agenda that is rotten to the core.
You think I’m exaggerrating? Then take a look at the upcoming agenda for the US Senate. That brave and deliberate body will be taking up those other pressing national issues like flag burning, Gay marriage, and potecting the English langauage.
Adam, is it the left or the right who has pushed the immigration issue lately?
The right first, with a bill going nowhere (Sensenbrenner).
Then the left, with the demos attacking the non-starter Sensenbrenner bill.
But who is really pushing the agenda?
I would suggest it is the usual suspect.
Big money.
Bill, could you elaborate on ‘big money?’
Honestly, it’s important for people to look at the ‘severity’ of the problem, and to look at how and why this was pushed so forcefully into the national conversation.
But now that the issue is here, only sensible people are attempting to deal with it practically and with the necessary sensitivity–and of course that includes prominent members of the GOP–but there are no people on the left suggesting round-ups, deportations, ten thousand mile walls, or economic sanctions on Mexico. Those nutso and stupid suggestions come from the right.
By the way, here is to Bob “Screaming Eagle” Mulholland.
Upon the occasion of Memorial Day Weekend 2006. And Bob’s Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Jump Wings, and Distinguished Unit Citation.
The Screaming Eagles being Bob Mulholland’s Vietnam War unit, the legendary 101st Airborne Division. From the Battle of the Bulge to the Tet Offensive.
“Big Money?”
Well, it is big money that wants to legalize low wages and a cheap labor pool, as Cesar Chavez predicted decades ago.
Yes, because the nuts on the left want mass amnesty and no borders. How about this from one of the sponsors of the May 1 boycott, the politically powerful (in Los Angeles, at least) Bus Riders Union:
Demands:
General, Unconditional and Permanent Amnesty for all Immigrants. The U.S. Congress is not our friend, while some immigrants bills may be slightly better than others, we must demand full amnesty and oppose
the “good cop” (Kennedy-McCain) and “bad cop” (Sensenbrenner) bills. The immigrant rights movement cannot grow in moral authority if it sanctions rounding up its own people and putting them under police state control. We need genuine legalization for 12 million undocumented workers and their families living in the U.S.
Open Borders – Abolish la Migra (ICE) and Operation Gatekeeper! We don’t need a 700-mile fence to protect the “American Homeland” from what the U.S. Government seized from Mexico in 1848. The Mexicano/Chicano people have the right to freedom of movement within their entire historic homeland! Stop the massive raid by ICE in retaliation to immigrant rights movement mobilizations.
Don’t Punish Students, Reprimand LAUSD and LAPD for Denying their Rights to Speech and Assembly. Cancel all truancy tickets and revoke the 500 suspensions and other disciplinary measures taken by LAUSD against students for their courageous stance to exercise their right to speak, assemble and effectively protest.
Eliminate border enforcement? Tear down the fence? Let a foreign country’s nationals trample the country at will? That’s nuts, not Sensenbrenner. (link)
But ‘big money’ did not drive this into the national conversation. They are quite content with things as they are.
Who did drive this and why? That’s what I’m saying people should look at, and that’s where you’ll see the use of nativist and racist sentiments to stir things up and distract attention away from the disastrous war in Iraq, domestic surveillance, and the various corruption scandals.
(And before the GOP has us move on to other pressing issues like the War on Christmas, when was the last time we closely looked at what has been done to rebuild New Orleans? Has the Bush administration lived up to its promises in the (literal) wake of it gross incompetence?)
Actually, I think big money is the principal driver. Because illegal immigration has been bumping up into the top tier of issues for a little while now.
There is a reason why Arnold started rattling on about the Minutemen last year under the “tutelage” of the since fired Rob Stutzman.
I agree that big money is now driving it, but I don’t agree that they wanted this fight in the first place.
My take on Arnold & the Minutemen: That genius Stutzman wanted Arnold to put a finger in the wind and see if this issue might serve him as it served Pete Wilson. Happily, Arnold has come to his senses. I think.
Haha have you seen this thing:
mrfatcatforwestly.blogspot.com
Freaking hilarious.
J-Z
You know, sport, are you illiterate?
I told the idiots from both campaigns to cut this crap out.
Did you listen to me?
That would be, no.
I am sure someone somewhere is interested in your opinion, given your track record in life.
Perhaps your parents …
Shoo.
I am out of patience for this incredibly sophomoric nonsense. All such will be summarily deleted. You don’t want me to run your IP address, which I now have.
The polls have taken a certain twist going into the weekend, don’t you know?
That must mean Westly leads …women voters will bring him in for a home run.
Please, folks, stop.
Enough of the blind partisanship. I waste so much of my time on the tail wagging the dog known as the New West comments section.
Have you noticed that colleague Dan Weintraub has not started up his comments section?
Do you have any idea how much more productive I would be without having to deal with this endless shilling and requests for info?
Calwatch: Its not just the left that wants open borders. So do some libertarians. And did you really say that the bus riders union is a politically powerful bunch? Would you compare them to UTLA or the County Labor Fed in terms of power? I think not.
Their rhetoric seems to come straight out of Nativo Lopez’ mouth, and he was recalled as a school board member in predominantly Latino Santa Ana, in the heart of the OC.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-cavanaugh23may23,0,6429773.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions
Bill – just want to thank you for your time. Have a great weekend. Now another thing about Angelides . . . oh never mind.
Yes, thanks, I have wasted several hours on this today.
NOT happy.
I will review the existence of this section following the primary.
The only reason why I might keep it is because the Arnold people have yet to go absolutely nuts here.
Unlike the Angelidoids who have repeatedly flooded my site with fake handles — like I will forget that, Bob and Cathy and Phil and your close, ahem, associates — and the lovely Westlyites who don’t know when to shut up.
Mr Bradley, you have shown remarkable patience in not shutting down your comments section. This policy geek appreciates it. Thanks.
Fleischman does it right with requiring people to use real names. That helps out a lot.