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July 26, 2005

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stubbornly refuses to cancel this special election, an $80 million waste of taxpayer money. Despite the fact that his redistricting measure was thrown off the ballot and is now tied up in legal battles, and his numerous 'reform' initiatives that he was forced to abandon along the way, this governor refuses to face reality. Our state will lose a huge amount of money by being forced to bankroll this election. These are not true reforms of government but rather a power grab by the governor and his fellow Republicans. And in the end, it’s the people of California who lose.

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July 21, 2005

We had a great conference call today with U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy about his thoughts on Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts. Senator Kennedy made some excellent points, such as the grave importance of an appointment to our nation’s highest court. He summarized, “this is the most important decision we [the U.S. Senate] can make beyond war and peace.” This is a decision that effects every American, even more than the decisions made everyday by the President and Congress. The Supreme Court is the last line of defense for American’s freedoms.

One of the Senator’s biggest concerns with Roberts is his narrow view of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which has enabled so many federal laws, such as our civil rights laws, to be upheld by the Supreme Court over the years.

Senator Kennedy reminded us all that we need to take the right tone in this debate. The Republicans have taken a partisan tone, we have taken a nuetral tone, and the American people know the difference. We will examine this man’s credentials and his potential place on the Supreme Court very carefully.

Finally, on the issue of Karl Rove, Senator Kennedy said, “We’re not going to take our eyes off of Karl Rove and that extraordinary abuse of power.”

Click here to read Senator Kennedy's statement on the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court.

Click here to read the Floor Statement of Senator Kennedy on Nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court.

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July 19, 2005

Arnold should take his governorship seriously, just as he should take this investigation seriously. The people of California deserve as much. Joking about this is not going to make his ethical problems go away:

"We think that the governor's actions here are pretty outrageous. He's lined his pockets and he's vetoed legislation that directly affects those people giving him money. And we think that violates several pretty clear provisions in the Political Reform Act." -- Lance Olson, general counsel for the state Democratic Party

"I have no problem about the money, but my wife had a little problem with that. She was worried - that means less diamonds or something like that." -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in reference to first lady Maria Shriver

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July 14, 2005

Today, it was revealed that the governor has an $8 million five-year contract as an "Executive Editor" of American Media Inc, which includes muscle magazines Flex and Muscle and Fitness. These magazines extract a huge amount of their profits from advertisements from "performance-enhancing substances."

Last year, Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill by Senator Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) protecting teenagers from the effects of these substances in high school sports. In a news conference today, Sen. Speier called on Schwarzenegger to sever all ties with the publisher.

Speier said, "I have got to believe the electorate will be incensed that he has this relationship, that he has not been upfront in disclosing it, that he has taken action on legislation that has an impact on the very industry from which he is indirectly receiving financial support."

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July 11, 2005

Georgia political analyst Bill Shipp reveals that former Senator Zell Miller—who lambasted Democrats with his morally pious speech at the Republican National Convention last year, got his hand caught in the "taxpayers' cookie jar" when it was revealed that he inappropriately took over $60,000 upon leaving office in 1999, money earmarked for entertainment and other expenses at the Governor’s Mansion. He then defended himself by essentially saying that no one told him that he couldn’t take the money. Read the whole story here.