Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican frontrunner for president,
in New Hampshire over the weekend.
** THESE GUYS ARE DEAD WHEN THEY ARE … DEAD. With numerous reports from the right wing of the death and/or impending death of authoritarian leaders such as Fidel Castro and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, all wrong so far, here is a useful NWN rule of thumb for the real world. They are dead when they are dead. Period. “Enjoy” the latest report of a clearly still alive and kicking el presidente.
** GIULIANI KEYNOTE AT CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY CONVENTION. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the California Republican Party Convention on Saturday, February 10th in Sacramento. NWN will, of course, cover this live, with accompanying video later. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will give the Friday night banquet speech.
** A NEW BUZZWORD IN THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE DEBATE. With the proposals-offering and posturing now fully joined, California Senate Republicans having offered a much more limited and market-oriented plan and Assembly Republicans having offered nothing else yet, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has offered … a new buzzword. (That’s an old Jerry Brown term for words/phrases that go buzz in your head.)
While not agreeing with criticism that new payments by business constitute a tax (requiring a two-thirds legislative vote) rather than a fee (requiring a majority vote), Team Arnold has come up with a new perspective on the matter. You remember the “hidden taxes,” some $14.65 billion per year in unreimbursed cost due to the lack of insurance for millions of Californians? You should, they spent weeks talking about it before introducing the plan earlier this month. Well, the hidden tax will be more than balanced by the new mandates/fees. This will lead to lower costs overall. Or, in the new term, a “net tax reduction.”
** ARIANNA REVELS IN RILING MCCAIN. Back in the day, the day in question being the year 2000, right wing-turned-left wing commentator Arianna Huffington, then in the midst of metamorphosis, was a great fan and friend of John McCain. So much so that she had him deliver the keynote address at the first of the two Shadow Conventions that she and others sponsored to, well, “shadow” the Republican and Democratic national conventions of that year in, respectively, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. I was senior advisor to the Shadow Conventions and suggested — unsuccessfully, as it happens — that climate change be one of the issues highlighted on successive issues days at the conventions. A story in itself. In any event, McCain was a great Huffington fave, whose keynote ended up getting booed in Philadelphia when he worked in an endorsement of George W. Bush for president.
** EARLY CALIFORNIA PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ON FEBRUARY 5, 2008 LOOKING GOOD. I dropped by a reception for California’s new state legislators last night hosted by the Sacramento Press Club at the state Capitol. There were a few dozen on hand. It’s interesting to see a lot of people I wouldn’t otherwise recognize, with a few exceptions, if they dropped through my skylight. Hey, it’s a term limits world there.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez was in a very upbeat mood after his fairly triumphant visit to Davos. He told me the early California presidential primary is on. As did a couple of ranking Republican legislators, who preferred to talk on background. More to follow as the week goes on.
** RUNNING ROCKY? LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, wiped out in a Democratic primary race for California attorney general by former Governor Jerry Brown, is said by political insiders to be mulling possible runs for Los Angeles county district attorney or Los Angeles city controller. He’s termed out of his current post in 2009. Delgadillo was on hand for Jerry Brown’s inaugural earlier this month in San Francisco, and said there was much he could learn from the two-time Democratic presidential runner-up.
** AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI CALLS FOR “GAS OPEC.” Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei echoed a Russian idea during a meeting with a top Russian official in Tehran when he called for a “gas OPEC.” Kommersant reports that Khamenei made the suggestion during Russian Security Council secretary Igor Ivanov’s visit to Tehran.
Russia and Iran, by some estimates, have the world’s largest reserves of natural gas. (The US, increasingly dependent on natural gas as the cleanest burning fossil fuel for electric power generation, is sixth.) Although Russia is officially against the idea of a “gas OPEC,” it’s an idea that has previously floated around there with some approval. Russia is the principal supplier to the rest of Europe, as a brief cut-off last month during the Russia-Belarus dispute reminded everyone. Other top candidates for a gas OPEC include Algeria and Turkmenistan.
** GIULIANI IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, TIED WITH MCCAIN. Rudy Giuliani had a generally successful trip to New Hampshire last weekend, with a few caveats. He was well received in his major speech to a state GOP conference, but not rapturously received. He still sounded less than definite in his commitment to the campaign. Several press reports, local and national, noted a somewhat imperious style about his operation.
A new private poll has Giuliani tied with John McCain in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary, with neighboring former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney a distant third. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has a clear lead, with Barack Obama and John Edwards in a dead heat for second.
I don’t know how Giuliani gets along with Hillary Clinton, whom he began to run against for the U.S. Senate in 2000 before dropping out of the race. McCain gets along well with Clinton, reportedly the result of a 2004 vodka drinking contest between the two, and a few other senators, all male, in Estonia.
** Monitor computer memory prices on a daily basis. Prices are stable.
** Track global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg. Crude oil prices are around $54 per barrel, rising slightly on cold weather in the US and in advance of a planned OPEC production cut.
Read 
| Comments (0) |
But Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
If Delgadillo wants to run against Cooley, he will be obliterated by the ethical and character problems that Jerry Brown didn’t have to bring up – including Delgadillo’s office policy of dismissing domestic violence cases unless the abuser left bruises or was stupid enough to do it in front of witnesses. I know at least one woman who is willing go in front of a camera and tell her story.
Do I win something, maybe a horse ride on barbaras favorite mare?
Caddell is so smart its scary-but he fell into the trap of taking this stuff so seriously that it made him into an angry guy. You see that with alot of political consultants. Garry South and Joe Trippi are like Caddell a bit. Both extremely smart and capable, and successful. But, they then get so angry at the candidates, the process and the public that they become angry guys.
I respect their passion tremendously. Its a tough business and it shows integrity that they care so much.
Mr. Bradley, maybe you could ask Mr. Caddell to call someone and find out whats going on with Hagel!!! Heck, I will send Mr. Caddell one of my Pooh Bear w/Hagel Peggy Noonan insert Valentines in care of Fox news if he does that little favor for me!
Toodles!!!
Sorry, that anonymous posting was from me. At home computer, which doesnt automatically display my name.
Pat Caddell? Angry? Say it isn’t so …
Well, as some folks say, if youre not outraged, youre not paying attention!