Chairman's Corner

Kevin Tillman in the San Francisco Chronicle

This thought provoking commentary from Kevin Tillman, brother of Pat Tillman who was killed in Afghanistan, reminds us why it's so vitally important to vote on November 7th.

The Plot Thickens

Here is the latest in the ongoing investigation into who sent the intimidating letter threatening Latinos in Orange County not to vote in the upcoming election. The letter apparently came from the office of the GOP nominee for the 47th Congressional District, Tan Nguyen.

Susan Blad Seldin

The Democratic Party lost a dear friend this past weekend. Susan Blad Seldin had worked much of her life for our Democratic causes -- at the CDP; as a deputy campaign manager for Phil Angelides; with College Democrats; and the DNC's GOTV program in 25 states.

Susan was a dedicated Democrat, a true friend to many, and she will be missed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband, David Seldin, daughter Agnes, and their entire family.

Click here to read more about Susan from the Washington Post.

In Memoriam: Richard Schrank

Richard Schrank gave from his heart and spirit all that could be asked of anyone and more. He was a star who never forgot the needs of others, especially his beautiful wife Marti. Always present, always contributing to his state, community and our Party. We will miss his presence. Our love and prayers go out to Marti who in her own right is a star to all of us. The Schrank values and principles are a testimonial which inspire all of us.

Rest in peace Richard.

Senator Art Torres (Ret.)

NY Times: "In final weeks, GOP focuses on best bets"

Interesting article about the Republicans pulling back support from some of their no-win candidates.

Cleaning Up the House

Here is a great article on Representative Nancy Pelosi being poised to take over and clean up the House of Representatives.

GOP Scandals Run Deep

The GOP scandals and the coverups run deeper that just Mark Foley. This blog post "Tom Reynolds (R-NY) chose to keep Don Sherwood (R-PA) in key GOP leadership job after Sherwood allegedly beat and tried to strangle his mistress" shows that Republicans will do almost anything to keep the status quo.

Schwarzenegger�s Father

This letter to the Editor is from Joanne Minsky, who is very upset over Arnold's remarks in the gubernatorial debate trying to compare a police officer in America to his father being a police officer in Austria.

Darnell Cooley

I received some sad news about Darnell Cooley, a staffer in the California Legislature for many years, who passed away suddenly on Friday. Darnell was the Director of the Legislative Black Caucus. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Darnell L. Cooley Memorial Fund, Washington Mutual, Sacramento, CA 95814.

TJ Cox Endorsed by Modesto Bee

Great news, the Modesto Bee has endorsed our Democratic nominee for the 19th Congressional District, TJ Cox. TJ is a terrific candidate and he is in a tough race against Representative Radanovich. The Modesto Bee has this to say about Radanovich: �In his 12 years in office, Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, has become a poster child of a do-little member in a do-little body.�

Gubernatorial Debate Reaction

Here are my thoughts on the debate this evening: There was only one governor in the room tonight and it was Phil Angelides. He presented a clear vision for California and how to pay for it, with tax breaks for the middle class and closing corporate tax loopholes. Governor Schwarzenegger is still clinging to the fact that he feels his initiatives were a good idea. He was wrong then, he was wrong tonight.

GOP Cover Up

The revelations of the GOP Congressional leadership�s cover up of the congressional page scandal are deeply disturbing. For a look at Republican reaction to the scandal, click here. For a timeline of the GOP�s actions in covering up for Congressman Foley, click here.

Doris Meyer Morell

It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of Governor Gray Davis' mother, Doris Meyer Morell, who passed away Sunday night after a long battle with lung cancer. As did I, so many Californians had a chance to meet this wonderful woman who returned often to California to campaign for her son. Our deepest condolences go out to the Governor, Mrs. Davis and the entire family.

You may read her obituary here. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be sent to Palm Beach Gardens Hospice, 3360 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410.

Arnold in Trouble with Latinos

According to this new poll from the New Democratic Network (NDN), Arnold is in serious trouble with Latinos. Among this critical constituency, Arnold is losing to Phil Angelides in Orange, San Diego and San Bernardino counties by 64 to 21 percent. You can read the complete poll here.

President Clinton's Interview

Kudos to President Clinton for standing up to the right wing and directly confronting the lies that they are trying to perpetuate through Fox News that he was responsible for not catching Osama Bin Laden. You can watch the interview here.