Tony Blair leaves Downing Street yesterday for the last time as
prime minister and proceeds, in his now armored Jaguar, to Buckingham
Palace to tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth in this BBC footage.
** GORDON BROWN’S NEW CABINET AND FUTURE U.S. RELATIONS. As expected, new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has created a mostly new Cabinet. Perhaps the most intriguing appointee is the new foreign minister, 41-year old David Milliband, an Oxford grad who did his post-grad work at MIT. He was already a member of the Blair Cabinet, as the environment minister. In that post, he declared climate change the key mobilizing issue of the age, and late last year floated the idea of issuing “carbon credit cards” to British citizens. It’s an intriguing notion, which is not entirely clear to me, but it seems to involve determining each individual’s carbon output, establishing some sort of allowance, and promoting a market in trading offsets between individuals.
Something not dissimilar can already be done, and is increasingly being done. You can determine your own production of greenhouse gases — in your home, your driving, and your air travel — through various online sources, and figure out ways to lower your GHG production and to purchase carbon offsets for what you do not lower.
In addition to his environmentalism, and perhaps most immediately telling with regard to Britain’s future role with the US in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere in Terror War activities, Milliband is known as an early skeptic of the Iraq War. Though he did vote for it in the House of Commons. So this is a subtle yet not so subtle sign of Brown widening the distance between Britain and the Bush Administration, without any sort of immediate pull-out.
** SCHWARZENEGGER APPOINTS FIREFIGHTERS UNION HEAD TO STATE FIRE BOARD. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today appointed Lou Paulson, president of the California Professional Firefighters union to the California Board of Fire Services. It’s interesting in that Paulson and the firefighters u/nion went all out fo defeat Schwarzenegger during his notably unsuccessful “Year of Reform” special election initiative agenda of 2005. Firefighters were outraged by what they saw as Schwarzenegger meddling with their pensions and health benefits, and that outrage turned to a frenzy when they discovered that the former action superstar’s then misfiring yet very high-priced political team had come up with an initiative that could deny benefits to the survivors of public safety personel killed in the line of duty.
Then last year, Paulson and the union backed Democrat Phil Angelides heavily in the governor’s race. But Schwarzenegger may owe them a debt of gratitude for their work in the race. How so?
Angelides was running behind eBay honcho-turned-state Controller Steve Westly in the Democratic primary. Until the firefighters put their stamp on a $10 million “independent expenditure” campaign for Angelides almost entirely funded by the development empire of Angelo Tsakopoulos, Angelides’ longtime patron and business partner and also finance chairman of his campaign. The firefighters provided TV production facilities and people for TV ads depicting cops, firefighters, and health workers plumping for Angelides. He won narrowly. Which provided the perfect set-up for Schwarzenegger: An underfunded, untelegenic opponent who believed that the best way to beat the former Mr. Universe was to remind California voters that he was really a clone of George W. Bush.
** CALIFORNIA LABOR CHIEF BLASTS DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATURE FOR PASSAGE OF INDIAN GAMING COMPACTS. California Labor Federation chief Art Pulaski issued the following statement: It is with deep dismay that California’s working people have witnessed the passage of tribal gaming compacts, agreements that have all but guaranteed that a generation of workers in California’s fastest growing service sector will be left without the protection of state and federal laws or a union contract.
There is no more important issue to workers than the right to organize themselves and collectively bargain for fair wages and improved working conditions. This is a right that millions of workers hold dear as a symbol of respect and fairness, and which historically has secured the path to better lives for their families.
The middle class has eroded as union membership has declined. Our legislative allies agree that the best way to rebuild our middle class is to create jobs with living wages and decent benefits. And our legislative allies know that a growing and vibrant group of workers with the right to organize is the best way to achieve that goal. Unfortunately, with this vote, the Legislature has abandoned California’s 100,000 current and future casino workers who now risk languishing among the working poor.
We express our deepest gratitude to the dozens of casino workers who injected the Capitol and district offices, first weekly, then daily, with stories of their struggles on the job. It is their collective voice that has challenged the power of the state’s wealthiest casino owners. Today, a clear choice was made. The Legislature chose to stand with wealthy employers over the workers who create their prosperity.
Labor had several issues, but the principal issue was card check. That is a technique by which a union can become authorized by the workers by getting them to sign up on cards, rather than have a secret ballot election.
** THE BIG IMMIGRATION BILL GOES DOWN, AGAIN. IMPACTS. After going down earlier this month on a procedural vote following the sunsetting of its guest worker program at the insistence of organized labor, the Senate comprehensive immigration revamp measure was revived, only to go down again today on what most say is the final attempt before the 2008 elections. The bill needed 60 votes to move forward. It received only 46. Of which only 12 were Republican, yet another sign of the dramatically downsized influence of President George W. Bush.
Even had the bill managed to get out of the Senate, it likely would have languished in the House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi had told Bush he needed to provide 70 Republican votes there, as many Democrats are opposed. Indeed, most of organized labor — as I predicted last year when the immigration issue emerged as a frontburner matter following large demonstrations around the country — is opposed to this bill, which would provide a pathway to legalization for the 12 million or so illegal immigrants already here, some new border controls, and a large guest worker program. That ran very contrary to the claims made widely by enthusiasts for legalization and more immigration.
Although Republicans are getting the credit or blame, depending upon one’s perpsective for killing the bill, it’s interesting how little Democratic presidential candidates referred to it, much less championed it. They will all privately breathe a sigh of relief that they needn’t deal with it in their campaigns.
On the Republican side, everyone was opposed except John McCain, who co-authored the bill with Democratic Ted Kennedy. Having recovered from a poor start to this campaign, McCain saw his campaign smothered by the immigration issue. If he is to have a chance at the nomination, which he still does, he needed this bill to lose. Though I doubt he saw it that way.
** BLAIR’S EXIT INTERVIEW. Here is Tony Blair’s only media interview of his final day as prime minister, done with his local Northern England newspaper on his train trip from London to his Sedgefield constituency, the Northern Echo. Incidentally, on the video above, as Cherie Blair gets into the Jag for the final time as Britain’s first lady, she tells the assembled media: “Bye. I don’t think we’ll miss you.”
Meanwhile, word out of Washington is that Secretary of State Condi Rice wants to be the one to negotiate peace in the Middle East, rather than new Mideast envoy Blair. That seems, let us say, unlikely.
Says Blair: “I have to prepare the ground for a negotiated settlement, and the key to that is to prepare the Palestinians for statehood. There have to be two states – Israel confident in its security and Palestinians with a viable state not merely in terms of its territory, but also in terms of its institutions, its capability – otherwise there won’t be a deal.
“That’s the reality.
“Anywhere you go in the world, this is the issue which concerns people, not merely because of the plight of the Israelis and the Palestinians, but also the symbolism of the dispute, what it says about the state of the relationship between the Western world and the Muslim world and between different cultures and religions. It is a fundamental issue. I will be starting straight away. I will probably go out in July.”
** CALIFORNIA PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. CLINTON AND OBAMA 1-2 AMONG DEMOCRATS, GIULIANI AND MCCAIN 1-2 AMONG REPUBLICANS. Running quite contrary to another public poll this week, but tracking private polling, the PPIC poll has Hillary Clinton a clear first among Democrats, Barack Obama a clear second, and John Edwards a distant third.
Without Al Gore in the mix, it’s Clinton 41%, Obama 25%, and Edwards 12%. With Gore, it’s Clinton 35%, Obama 20%, Gore 19%, and Edwards 9%.
Among Republicans, it’s Rudy Giuliani 29%, John McCain 15%, Mitt Romney 12%, and Fred Thompson 11%. Although Thompson is riding a wave of national publicity, and leading in some other early states, he isn’t catching on yet in California, the biggest primary prize of all.
** SCHWARZENEGGER VERY STRONG IN NEW CALIFORNIA POLL. The new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows great support for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his policy agenda. His job approval rating among voters is at 65%. His universal health care proposal is backed by the same numbers. The rest of his policy agenda is also quite popular.
But support for the Legislature has diminished, as have expectations of great post-partisan achievements coming out of Sacramento. This comes in the wake of the right turn by most partisan Republicans in the state, as well as a sharply declining mood about national politics. President George W. Bush is extraordinarily unpopular, as is his latest policy in Iraq. I should probably have a default key to push to say that, so I don’t have to waste time typing what should be obvious.
** CASINO TRIBES WIN. As reported last night, and forecast long before that, California’s Indian casino tribes are getting their new compacts negotiated last year with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. The administration negotiated some side deals to allow for better accounting practices. But the so-called card check procedure that labor wanted, wherein unions would be recognized by signing workers up on cards, rather than by winning elections, doesn’t fly. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez put out a statement late yesterday acknowledging that the deals are acceptable, but saying next time labor must do much better.
Meanwhile, the biggest expansion of slot machines in California’s history is poised to occur. The move by Assembly Democrats, which comes in the wake of last week’s spirited but small rally outside the state Capitol by labor, will likely forestall a threatened casino tribe campaign against the term limits change initiative which will almost certainly appear on next February’s presidential primary ballot.
** LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN MAJOR POWERS, OR THEIR CHALLENGERS. A new international poll of 47 nations around the world shows declining support for America, but also increasing suspicion of resurgent great powers China and Russia.
** AL QAEDA’S AMERICAN PRISONERS STILL NOT LOCATED. American troops are now in the midst of a 47th day of searching for the remaining two US soldiers captured by Al Qaeda in an ambush south of Baghdad. They have had no luck so far. A video put out by Al Qaeda forces in Iraq claims that all three men were executed after being captured. But, with the exception of the Californian found floating in the Euphrates River, that claim can’t be confirmed. The US high command in Baghdad has revealed that ID cards for the other two American prisoners were found in an Al Qaeda safehouse on June 9th.
** Track global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg. Most crude oil prices are up around $70 per barrel.
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Cherie Blair has a lip on her!
“word out of Washington is that Secretary of State Condi Rice wants to be the one to negotiate peace in the Middle East, rather than new Mideast envoy Blair.”
The long arm of Dick Cheney at work?
It is two days before the Legislature and Governor fail in their constitutional duty to produce a budget for next fiscal year. And there is no plan to pass one today.
Any thoughts about the failure of “post-partisan” politics to achieve the only task the Legislature must perform each year?
That’s too funny!
I meant Cherie Blair, not Kandy boy’s propaganda. lol
Condi already tried and failed. She doesn’t know the ME like Blair does, she’s a Russia expert, actually, America has vastly less experience in the region than Britain, and to be blunt, a woman is not going to bring Arab and Muslim leaders together on the most contentious issue in the world.
>Brasky :
“word out of Washington is that Secretary of State Condi Rice wants to be the one to negotiate peace in the Middle East, rather than new Mideast envoy Blair.”
The long arm of Dick Cheney at work?
Jun 28, 2007 08:31 AM
Condi’s not tight with Cheney, but she certainly did nothing to blunt him or Rumsfeld when she was national security advisor.
Of course I have something to say about that, KK. When Mike Villines tells me there is a big fight going on over the budget, I’ll report it.
Do you have any idea how many constitutional deadlines I’ve seen come and go, with no political affect whatsoever?
>Kandy Kid :
It is two days before the Legislature and Governor fail in their constitutional duty to produce a budget for next fiscal year. And there is no plan to pass one today.
Any thoughts about the failure of “post-partisan” politics to achieve the only task the Legislature must perform each year?
Jun 28, 2007 08:31 AM
I miss the big state budget fight. It’s gotta start real soon. Doesn’tit? Why hasn’t it?
Blair has the right take on the Mideast. I think Bush will have to let him do it else it won’t get done.
I’m aware of Condi’s “expertise”, which is ironic given that Russian-American relations are at their lowest in 15 years and her boss “looked into the eyes” of the form head of KGB and only found puppy love.
Good point about it being impossible for a woman to bring peace to the Middle East. Hadn’t thought of that.
Look for Blair making a move early on that goes against the wishes of the Bush administration. He has to establish credibility with all parties — it’s like hitting a guy with a chair on your first day in prison.
I know you’re big on Blair but the facts are simple. The regional actors are suspicious of him. Bush had to state that Tony wasn’t his “Poodle” (Border Collie then?) and the Great British Public said “Good Riddence” as it breathed a sigh of relief at his exit and his successor’s first action was to dump the Foreign Secretary and issue regrets over Iraq. Sorry, Tony is going nowhere but, at least it will keep him out of the UK and give Gordon Brown a chance to repair the damage to Labour.
Arnold is popular among Californians:
Brasky,
Yesterday, I complained regarding dead trees and brush around my home. The thought of a Tahoe type wild fire destroying my town is very scary. I sent an email to the local city council to ask for help. The first call I received this morning was from our fire chief. Chief Morley was wonderful. I was given the phone numbers to call and instructions for my home. Apparently, new city ordinances for the removal of even MORE material are in the works. The fire chief is working hard to create these ordinances and educate the public regarding living in a fire hazard area.
I watched the Tahoe press conference yesterday. The Governor and his team are determined to help the residents of the Tahoe area. I hope and pray these people get the help they need.
In the future,Sacramento SHOULD fully fund ALL fire prevention, fire staffing and equipment projects.
When the day comes that an actual person is cutting down the trees that threaten my home, I will be celebrating, taking pictures and thanking my local fire chief.
…and Brasky …I owe you one.
Local government can be very frustrating. It can also be, as you’ve seen, very responsive.
Glad to help carole.
I expect Mr. Blair to do well in his new posting. There is no pressure to succeed, as no one expects it. Yet he is entering on his new responsibility with the Bush regime at a lowest ebb and the region a tinder box.
He is highly motivated to make up for mistakes on Iraq, extremely skilled in personal politics, and all rational people need him to do well.
Bill — are you going to have coffee with Rudy this afternoon?
Why isn’t Fred Thompson more popular in California? He seems like the kind of guy the Flush Report crowd goes crazy for.
Jonathan you say all rational people wish Blair well in his new job. Maybe, but he’s going to the Middle East! I rest my case.
Ann just answered her own question.
I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.
Today’s PPIC Poll: More Californian voters approve of Bush’s handling of Iraq than his handling of immigration: 25% Iraq, 22% Immigration.
I know this is a race to the bottom, but at least Bush has proved he can do something worse than Iraq. It’s like he is a schoolboy who just discovered a grade below “F.” A pretty remarkable achievement when you think about it.
Re: “F”
The Senate voted down the latest immigration bill. Hmmm, will there be a third attempt?
Not this year.
He might be too conservative for the California primary, even in a multi-candidate field. He has a lot of work to do here.
>Ann :
Why isn’t Fred Thompson more popular in California? He seems like the kind of guy the Flush Report crowd goes crazy for.
Jun 28, 2007 10:51 AM
Why should the state government fund all this fire protection?
Police and fire are classic functions of local government.
>carole w :
Arnold is popular among Californians:
Brasky,
Yesterday, I complained regarding dead trees and brush around my home. The thought of a Tahoe type wild fire destroying my town is very scary. I sent an email to the local city council to ask for help. The first call I received this morning was from our fire chief. Chief Morley was wonderful. I was given the phone numbers to call and instructions for my home. Apparently, new city ordinances for the removal of even MORE material are in the works. The fire chief is working hard to create these ordinances and educate the public regarding living in a fire hazard area.
I watched the Tahoe press conference yesterday. The Governor and his team are determined to help the residents of the Tahoe area. I hope and pray these people get the help they need.
In the future,Sacramento SHOULD fully fund ALL fire prevention, fire staffing and equipment projects.
When the day comes that an actual person is cutting down the trees that threaten my home, I will be celebrating, taking pictures and thanking my local fire chief.
…and Brasky …I owe you one.
Jun 28, 2007 09:50 AM
The only thing the Democrats gain from continuing the imigration debate is the further erosion of McCain’s and Bush’s approval ratings. But I think that Mission is Already Accomplished.
Bill — you going to have coffee with Rudy at “12:50″?
Ah, yes, the “blight” that is Tony Blair.
The only Labour politician to win three national elections. When he became opposition leader, Labour had been out of power for a generation. He reinvented the party and made it electorally viable. He confounded his critics by leaving on a very high note, which accounts for some of the predictable carping.
Of course Gordon Brown is putting in mostly his own people. He’s famous for demanding personal loyalty amongst his associates.
Will Blair succeed in the Mideast? He’s actually well liked by most of the players. He solved Northern Ireland. Will he solve this? We’ll see. Remember, there are many ways to make an impact.
>richard locicero :
I know you’re big on Blair but the facts are simple. The regional actors are suspicious of him. Bush had to state that Tony wasn’t his “Poodle” (Border Collie then?) and the Great British Public said “Good Riddence” as it breathed a sigh of relief at his exit and his successor’s first action was to dump the Foreign Secretary and issue regrets over Iraq. Sorry, Tony is going nowhere but, at least it will keep him out of the UK and give Gordon Brown a chance to repair the damage to Labour.
Jun 28, 2007 09:40 AM
I’m not a big coffee drinker.
>Brasky :
The only thing the Democrats gain from continuing the imigration debate is the further erosion of McCain’s and Bush’s approval ratings. But I think that Mission is Already Accomplished.
Bill — you going to have coffee with Rudy at “12:50″?
Jun 28, 2007 11:53 AM
Thought you might like to ask him about the California Republican Party doings as of late.
Or about Ann Coulter’s comments, since he is running on a platform of recovering from, and preventing future, terrorist attacks.
I’d have to be in Sacramento for that.
Damn – I don’t hold-out much hope for good coverage then.
Maybe I’ll go over an egg him on about Thompson…
Bill,
I am surrounded by state and national forest land. They are my HUGE neighbors. If the city, county, fed and state agencies can’t work together (and have the money to do so)…then we will have a Katrina of a different sort on our hands.
I am protected by all of the agencies above. Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when I asked the question regarding the Wilderness Protection Act? The Bill, Boxer is working on? Accessing state or national forest land is a pain in the ass. Our local agencies should have free rein and unlimited funds,when it comes to fire protection… regardless of jurisdictional boundaries.
In San Bernardino county CDF can be seen everywhere. We are a huge,(growing by the minute).. area. We are dry and a hazard. We need the money.
One of my hazard trees has a yellow “X” o it. The yellow “X” means it is the responsibility of the electric company??? I don’t care who claims the dead tree…just cut it down before it falls and hurts someone:(
Before you say…the land owner should pay…you and I will be in Heaven before THAT happens:(
You’re in a somewhat unique situation.
I have more on the California Republican Party situation, but I have to say I’m rather bored by it. Maybe it’s because of all the big stuff going on around Blair and so forth.
Labor hated the huge guest worker program. This isn’t rocket science.
Mr. Bradley -
This is completely off-topic, but I would love to hear your views on the piece from The Nation on the death of news at the L.A. Weekly.
I’m sure you would. But that would mean I’d have to read it.
I’m sure you’ve got lots of time on your hands today, what with the British Government changing hands, California burning down again, gaming compacts and a Democratic “forum” in four hours.
Exactly.
I think NWN has placed the Cal GOP personnel missteps in exactly the right perspective – no big deal.
I also think the Ann Coulter business is way overblown with regard to Edwards’ wife. It almost appears as if she planned the confrontation with Coulter as a prelude to a fundraising appeal to be sent later. Same motivation apparently drives Coulter.
To suggest that Tony Blair is ineffective is to admit having formulated a world view in the echo chambers of the left-leaning blogosphere.
With the possible exception of carole w’s homestead and others like hers, I agree that fire protection is a local public safety matter that shouldn’t be made another state or federal intrusion /bailout.
The problem is often the locals refuse to take responsibility for fire protection. An egregious example of this is San Diego County. Even after massive damage due to wildfires and inadequate resources to fight them voters there stuck to their anti-tax obsession and voted down a measure to address the situation. Stupidity so astonishing it takes your breathe away.
Tommy, as someone who has lived in L.A. since 1981 and read the Weekly during the “golden age” Jon Wiener
lauds I think his article needs to be taken as hindsight rewriting history.
There is mention of “a monopoly situation” which evades the fact many Weekly refugees have migrated to L.A. CityBeat, which is a bastion of the sort of left-leaning insular westside smugness and self-righteousness that used to have a field day in the pages of the Weekly.
And the results? Look at the embarrassing interview with a local south L.A. activist in last week’s CityBeat about the situation at MLK-Harbor Hospital. All softball questions and mind-numbing evasion of who is responsible for this debacle and why it happened. Politics triumphing over reality.
http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=5679&IssueNum=211
To sanctimoniously decry the current political climate the Weekly cadre helped foster is the height of hypocrisy. I still seethe at the memory of Harold Meyerson chortling in print about how wonderful it was that union dollars were now electing legislators. Which ignored these fabulous officials mostly were strangers to their districts and paid scant attention to local concerns and needs. Wonderful for Unions but how about the residents?
And to whine that the L.A. Weekly
is spending too much time on Los Angeles needs and concerns versus far-flung issues in distant lands seems very odd indeed.
I have no love of Jill Stewart or the failed New Times model but criticism should be based on reality not revisionism.
And let us be honest. The success (commercially) of the Weekly is based on its indispensable listings of concerts and other music events (i.e. bands playing at local bars, etc.). That not its political coverage is why people still make sure to grab a copy each week.
Sorry to have gone at length but that article touched a nerve.
Angerlides! lol
So what’s the skinny on the Schwarz firing the chair of the Air Resources Board?
Any thoughts on what I’ve written?
Schwarzenegger does owe the union for the gift of Phil Angelides as his opponent. It couldn’t have gone better if he’d planned it that way.
Two thoughts on what you’ve written:
1) Why the hell did firefighters back Angelides? I’ve met some firefighters, I can’t imagine any of them voting for Phil.
2) What’s the fallout from labor on the passage of the gaming compacts? I mean, I know labor is pissed, but what can they DO?
Bill Bradley :
Any thoughts on what I’ve written?
Sure. GAS is very smart to align himself with firefighters, esp. with a big showdown coming with CCPOA and these fresh reminders of firefighters’ REAL heroism; and even to this old recovering lefty, “card check” smacks of “On The Waterfront” thuggery.
Lou Paulson is a guy you can get along with.
On why the firefighters and Angelides: I think a lot of labor was in reflexive anti-Arnold mode after 2005, thought 2006 would be a replay, and Phil reflected all that back at them.