Barack Obama, yesterday in Las Vegas, talks about Nevada’s key role in a new energy economy.
** BOND, JAMES, UH … Okay, gang, I will run the new McCain Bond-style web ad tomorrow morning. It can wait.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, having toured fires around Northern California and having conducted briefings in Big Sur and Chico, is, as of mid to late afternoon Wednesday, now winging his way to Miami. In advance of his appearance there tomorrow at noon with Florida Governor Charlie Crist — the other governor most responsible for John McCain’s Republican presidential win — to promote the cause of fighting the greenhouse effect before a conference of some 800 opinion leaders.
** BIG ANTONIO FUNDER IN SAN FRAN. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had a big fundraiser last night in San Francisco. Which the San Francisco Chronicle plays as something of a slap in the face to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. On the theory that the two mayors will be in the field for Governor of California in 2010.
Well, here is an NWN prediction. Villaraigosa will not run for governor in 2010. He is going to have his hands full getting re-elected mayor in 2009.
** BROWN GOES AFTER COUNTRYWIDE. Former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown, who last week received the award from the Coalition for Clean Air and this week cracked down on a Latino street gang victimizing its own community in the Central Valley, today launched a multifaceted legal assault against California-based Countrywide, the lender at the center of the subprime mortgage crisis, along with its top execs Angelo Mozilo and David Sambol. Said Brown at an event in LA this morning: “Countrywide exploited the American dream of homeownership and then sold its mortgages for huge profits on the secondary market. The company sold ever-increasing numbers of complex and risky home loans, as quickly as possible. Countrywide was, in essence, a mass-production loan factory, producing ever-increasing streams of debt without regard for borrowers. Today’s lawsuit seeks relief for Californians who were ripped off by Countrywide’s deceptive scheme.”
Top Republican and Democratic lobbyists have helped out Countrywide. Their names will be brought up throughout the trial.
** CALIFORNIA: OBAMA UP 2 TO 1 OVER MCCAIN. The latest Rasmussen tracking poll of California — bear in mind that pollster Scott Rasmussen is an avowed Republican — shows Barack Obama opening up a massive lead over John McCain in the Golden State, which Team McCain once saw as a possibility. It’s Obama 58%, McCain 30%. Frankly, this is the biggest lead I can recall in any such presidential poll of California voters. McCain’s shift in position for offshore oil drilling is a major backfire. The McCain connection, as I noted yesterday, has become not a badge of honor in California, but a serious negative. Unfortunately for the Republicans, all of their most credible 2010 gubernatorial candidates are officials in the McCain campaign. Hasta la bye bye.
** NEW MEXICO: SIGNIFICANT OBAMA LEAD. The Mountain West is part of the new swing state phenomenon. And in New Mexico, Barack Obama holds a significant lead over John McCain in the latest Rasmussen tracking poll, 47% to 39%.
John McCain’s town hall on Monday at California State University, Fresno.
** WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
Barack Obama is in Chicago, where he has private meetings with business leaders from around the country on the US economy, and holds a press conference.
John McCain is in Las Vegas. He speaks at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and has a fundraiser.
** SCHWARZENEGGER LIVE WEBCAST THIS MORNING. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tours the fire situation in Monterey County and conducts a briefing on the statewide fire situation from Big Sur. The event will be webcast live at 10:20 AM on www.gov.ca.gov.
** MY LATEST PODCAST. The road ahead.
** OBAMA V. MCCAIN: THE AD WARS ARE ON. What Obama and McCain are doing in their first rounds of general election TV advertising. Along with the where and the why. From my other blog.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Crude oil is trading in the $133 to $136 per barrel range.
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ME-OW. lol
** BIG ANTONIO FUNDER IN SAN FRAN. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had a big fundraiser last night in San Francisco. Which the San Francisco Chronicle plays as something of a slap in the face to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. On the theory that the two mayors will be in the field for Governor of California in 2010.
Well, here is an NWN prediction. Villaraigosa will not run for governor in 2010. He is going to have his hands full getting re-elected mayor in 2009.
Oh, and for our reporter/editor friends based in San Francisco, which happens to be my home town. Neiman Marcus is not actually in Union Square.
News flash – IRS to adjust milage rate for last six months of 2008
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=184163,00.html
“Villaraigosa will not run for governor in 2010. He is going to have his hands full getting re-elected mayor in 2009.”
But who has the $$$ to run against him? Hertzberg has said he isn’t running. County Suoervsior Zev Yaroslavsky is posturing to get more media attention (as if he doesn’t already get beyond his fair share) but I doubt he is serious. Mayor AV may be falling short of the expectations he raised but I think he isn’t in dire straits. If the Metro Board goes forward with the proposed sales tax to expand the rail network he’ll be front and center in that campaign and prove he can deliver–that’ll boost his prospects…
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/06/more-on-the-pro.html#more
The people who were ripped off by Countrywide were the ones buying the liar loans and similarly ridiculous mortgages from them. I can’t have too much sympathy for them – if you don’t recognize that the company advertising they approve 5 of every 6 applicants for loans is making a bunch of loans with little hope they will ever be paid back, you’re way too foolish to be investing large sums of money in a securities market. Nevertheless, the smoking guns are out there that Countrywide executives and managers actively encouraged loan falsification from borrowers who were bad credit risks, and there should be a lot of people ending up in prison for it.
Unfortunately, AG Brown’s actions will probably be aimed at “protecting” the borrowers who in many cases were active participants in fraud, and who at best borrowed money that they didn’t expect to earn enough to pay back. Planning from the beginning that you can just keep taking out a new loan to pay back the old one or figuring that you can keep on flipping houses (with trading up to better ones along the way being part of it) is not sensible, and every effort to bail those people out comes at the expense of the people who didn’t act like drunken sailors.
Brown versus Countrywide:
My conservative Republican friend just stated, he would vote for Brown because of his recent lawsuits enacted to protect the citizens of California. Wow… the political landscape is changing.
Nick,
Trust me…I have a story can’t print it here..but, Brown will win …
the only person who can catch Brown is the secretary of commerce for the Obama administration, Steve Westly. Even then, it would be tough.
Brown – ruined highway infrastructure for a generation or two – that worked; Instituted state government unionization – that worked;
Oakland – Only Dellums could make Brown look good.
Can’t wait for Gov Jerry Brown redux.
Thank you for the RIGHT-WING BULLSHIT.
Here is the real deal.
Brown built more highway than your Wilson and Deukmejian COMBINED.
Unions in government?
Yeah, we can’t have unions, can we? In Robber Baron America.
lol
carole – if you’re talking about winning the governorship, that wouldn’t surprise me. He’s Teflon-coated. If you’re talking about getting a win in court over Countrywide, that’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
JTF – when it comes to government employees, your view would make every single Californian a robber baron.
And nice rhetorical trick crediting Jerry “The Era of Limits” Brown with the freeways that were built during his tenure, as what he did was to stop most construction authorizations (and reorient gas tax money to public transportation), thus leaving almost no projects on the table to be completed during the next decade plus.
Whoops. I meant Capitol Boy and said JTF.
Governor Brown. Sort of has a nice ring to it. Sort of.
More bullshit gobbledygook excuses, the only thing the right-wing is good for as it loses election after election forever in California.
NickM:
carole – if you’re talking about winning the governorship, that wouldn’t surprise me. He’s Teflon-coated. If you’re talking about getting a win in court over Countrywide, that’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
JTF – when it comes to government employees, your view would make every single Californian a robber baron.
And nice rhetorical trick crediting Jerry “The Era of Limits” Brown with the freeways that were built during his tenure, as what he did was to stop most construction authorizations (and reorient gas tax money to public transportation), thus leaving almost no projects on the table to be completed during the next decade plus.
Jun 25, 2008 – 4:25 pm
brasky, I think you do both: spread the field AND rip their hearts out where they’re vulnerable. Obama can do both with the fundraising advantage. Again, I like your Webb choice, because if mccain loses VA he’s toast. However, I don’t remember a veep candidate in my lifetime that added strength across the board, as you suggest. I’m just offering a strong alternative. As much as i admire gen. Clark (i was a campaign donor), in the final analysis i was not too impressed with his skills on the trail. Same with richardson who i also respect. Guys like bayh know the ropes and will do no harm.
Won’t Obama have the money to try all these things?
He should.
‘BOND, JAMES, UH … Okay, gang, I will run the new McCain Bond-style web ad tomorrow morning. It can wait.”
Dr. NOT..
BB – every third one
Not enough, ay?
Dr. NOT
Obama has the #1 and #2 watched news/politics videos up on youtube. I couldn’t find any McCain ones in the top 50 (I gave up after that).
Still having trouble posting?
Well, I’m trying firefox…
Let’s see how that works for awhile. My “post” button is still gone however…
Pat
…Obama is a very different candidate. And I think the combination of his “exotic” (BB) makeup AND the unsaid concern that there is a real possibility of his assassination, makes his pick of a “reassuring VP” all the more important.
The reality is that Obama might not be under any more threat of assassination than our past few presidents, but I think people will dwell on it more (even if it isn’t spoken). Therefore, you can’t have his VP candidate vulnerable to the “3 am” ad — people have to believe that in a crisis, Obama’s VP can step-up to the plate. I think that means someone who’s got foreign policy experience (and preferably military too) and someone with low negatives (high positives an added plus).
Actually, since given McCain’s age, this is also a concern for his VP pick. But McCain has so many fracking problems right now, no real point on dwelling on this one…
***
So is mine…as is my preview. And I miss them both!
“So is mine…as is my preview. And I miss them both!”
Well, this is Pajamas Media after all — see how the Right Wing takes away Choice?
Solon:
Well, this is Pajamas Media after all — see how the Right Wing takes away Choice?
oops – that was new…
Spot on, Mr. Brasky.
You all will see it tomorrow, but that Dr. No ad is dumb. They don’t even know what they’re attacking Obama on. McCain is all over the map and he steps on his own message constantly.
I don’t care if gas is $6 a gallon – no candidate is going to win the presidency based on a pro-nuclear, pro-oil drilling platform. The people who want those things also vote on a bunch of other stuff too, while the people against those things will just stop listening to McCain.
And I listened to both candidate vids today – they both rely too much on numbers and statistics. Put that stuff on the website and sell the VISION. I’m a wonk and nodded off twice…and that was during the Obama speech!
Bill, growing up, we always thought of the City of Paris as being part of Union Square.
****
Oh, and for our reporter/editor friends based in San Francisco, which happens to be my home town. Neiman Marcus is not actually in Union Square.
Preferable to thinking of it as being on Market Street?
I told the tech guy the post/submit business was too complicated.
>Brasky:
Let’s see how that works for awhile. My “post” button is still gone however…
Jun 25, 2008 – 5:59 pm
I have a feeling there is going to be a big turnout in California on Obama’s behalf. They’ll want to help make history.
Most people don’t savvy electoral college, they savvy popular vote.
>Dana:
“Our CA votes don’t count for much after we deliver our pile of electors.”
But besides President there are several ballot measures and local races where turnout will matter. Plus Bill has noted McCain will be pressured by his party to campaign here to help turnout down ticket even if his prospects here are meager. That may excite the Dem voters to come out and give the party a top to bottom blowout…
Jun 25, 2008 – 2:05 pm
I think Bill Clinton can be a huge asset in those states.
>Pat Skipper:
Addendum. A new poll today, albeit a dem one, shows Obama pulling ahead in Michigan by 9 points.
If I were Obama, I’d beg Bill Clinton to hit the barbecue circuit. West Va, Louisiana, new mexico, Nevada, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and especially Missouri. All states he won. All McCain states now. Spread the map using all resources.
Jun 25, 2008 – 12:30 pm
I don’t think Villaraigosa will be beaten for re-election. But he has to focus all his time and energy on LA.
>Dana:
“Villaraigosa will not run for governor in 2010. He is going to have his hands full getting re-elected mayor in 2009.”
But who has the $$$ to run against him? Hertzberg has said he isn’t running. County Suoervsior Zev Yaroslavsky is posturing to get more media attention (as if he doesn’t already get beyond his fair share) but I doubt he is serious. Mayor AV may be falling short of the expectations he raised but I think he isn’t in dire straits. If the Metro Board goes forward with the proposed sales tax to expand the rail network he’ll be front and center in that campaign and prove he can deliver–that’ll boost his prospects…
Incidentally, NWN passed 65,000 comments sometime in the past week.
Wiki — The store’s most notable location was built in 1896 on the corner of Geary and Stockton streets at Union Square.
…and now the Disney Store has closed, sigh.
Still, Neiman Marcus is in San Francisco Center, some blocks away on Market.
I was sad when FAO Schwarz closed.
Nordie and Bloomie are in San Francisco Centre. N-M at the corner of U.S.
Yes, FAO Schwarz replaced by another N.Y. import.
You’re right.
Thank you……
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