"The most consistent and smartest thinking and writing about progressive politics isn't happening in Sacramento, but being churned out day after day on sites and by organizations like Calitics, Orange County Progressive, and the California Budget Project." - CalBuzz
We weren't invited to her Carlyfornia Dreaming kickoff, but we wouldn't have gone anyway.
But as progressives, folks who are interested in good government and consumer rights, and tired of being ripped off all the time, we're supporting Chuck Devore.
It's not because we agree with Chuck, whose signature legislative initiatives include offshore oil drilling for one company and allowing one foreign conglomerate to build a new nuclear power plant.
No, it's the ink cartridges that came with those damned HP printers. Did you realize they were only 1/3 full and wonder why the HP ink jet printers were so expensive?
Blame Carly Fiorina.
And even after she ripped you off on the ink cartridges, she left HP in a shambles and the stock fell by 50% when she was running the company and laying off thousands of California workers. She took away $100 million, mostly from cheating you on ink.
Chuck Devore may be a wingnut who votes against education and home-schools his kids, but he never cheated me on ink.
Guess who said this about the GOP's "great hope" to defeat get clobbered by Barbara Boxer next year.
"Never in California's history has a self-funded dilettante ever won any top office, Governor or Senate," the candidate said [Thursday] morning at a breakfast sponsored by TAS and Americans for Tax Reform, when asked about a potential primary challenge from Fiorina.
[?] pointedly told attendees that Fiorina was fired from Hewlett Packard and from the McCain campaign for making several gaffes. He criticized her for supporting the financial bailout and said her views on most policy issues were unknown.
He also took issue with Sen. John Cornyn, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for "already making up his mind" to support Fiorina, even though she hasn't declared her candidacy.
Markos Moulitsas came by the California caucus at Netroots Nation and previewed the latest California polling.
Bad news for OC's Assemblyman Chuck Devore, who is the only announced candidate for the Republican Senate race in 2010 against Barbara Boxer.
Not many people know who Chuck is, his negatives are higher than his favorables, and he loses to Carly Fiorina in a primary and to Barbara Boxer in a general election.
In a straw poll of the California caucus, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom were tied at no support, with unanimous support for "none of the above".
Among those discussed as alternatives, Jackie Speier was the crowd favorite. Draft Jackie, anyone?
Well, at least we have some good news to report today. H/T to Mad Professah for this:
One of Boxer's key strategies for fending off interested challengers has been to raise money early in the cycle. As of March 31, the Boxer campaign had $4.6 million on hand, to a paltry $350,000 raised by DeVore at press time.
Fiorina, if she runs, could potentially match Boxer financially from her own deep pockets. As for the governor, Schwarzenegger once had the star power to match Boxer's draw, but apparently he lacks the will following several years of bruising budget fights in Sacramento.
The polls are also leaning heavily in Boxer's favor. The Field Poll in early March found Boxer leading Schwarzenegger 54 to 30 percent, up from an October 2007 survey from the same polling firm that had Boxer trailing, 43 to 44 percent.
Against Fiorina, the numbers are even better for the incumbent. Boxer lead [sic] Fiorina 55 percent to 25 percent in the March Field Poll.
Heh. So I guess Chuckie DeVore (R-Crazy Attention Seeker) isn't putting up much of a fight? I guess those Freepers & RedStaters just don't have the power (and the cash!) that they used to.
And Carly Fiorina? If she really wants to run, then she needs to put her money where her mouth is before she looks even more like a joke than she already is.
Oh yes, and if there's anyone who deserves this level of support, it's Barbara Boxer. She may not always be perfect, but she's most consistently progressive and she's never, ever forgotten where she came from and who put her where she's at now. Let's all help her keep up the great work so that California can continue to have a real people's advocate in the US Senate.
The OC Weekly has served up some fresh OC Fruit cake and here's one to start with, Rev. Wiley Drake Prays for Obama's Death. That's right, he's proud of it too.
Since the Liberal OC called Art Pedroza on his behavior, I'm adding him here as another fruitcake of the OC. Sorry Art, you didn't "scoop" anyone. Responsible journalism includes confirming details before publishing. A lot of people made the same connection (Please note the phrase "severe fall"), they just had the decency to have it confirmed and wait the 24 hours until more information was available.
More fruitcakes? How about this...O.C. scolded for its risky investment strategy -- again. "Having already experienced the largest municipal bankruptcy ever, the citizens of Orange County expect their leaders to stick with simple, conservative investments ...," the reports concludes. Crazy talk!
Chuck DeVore refuses to cut his own pay well, because you know, that's not the point. SO everyone else should sacrifice but you Chuck? Nice. The politician who took a pay cut,
So I wondered what would our very Republican, very fiscally conservative local lawmakers think of this. Would they follow suit?
What do you think? Last time this subject came up in 2007, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore said, I work hard for the money, (probably not referring to Donna Summer... I think) and caught a bunch of flack for taking a pay raise.
...
DeVore had this to say:
Rather than an ad hoc approach, we need to look at all legislative costs, including the salaries of the many Democratic staffers who are paid more than elected lawmakers.
On a personal note, I am one of a small number of lawmakers who have voluntarily forgone use of a state-provided car for my entire five years in the Assembly, saving the taxpayers about $24,000.
Of course any list has to contain Crazy Dana, one of the nuttiest wingers we have, via OC Weekly Make Sure Dana Rohrabacher Never Accepts Social Security. First we have to retire the guy before we can even talk blocking his Social Security Benefits.
It's another bizarre quote from one of the wackiest right wing loons. When you're running for Governor with a campaign that spends more on fund-raising than it takes in, why not just insult the voters and tell them to leave California?
"When you have an unemployment rate as high as it is in this state, it should be a signal to people to look for jobs in other states with more jobs and a lower cost of living,"
That's right, Chuck doesn't want to create jobs or bring growth to California. He wants the unemployed and poor to move to a state with less unemployment and lower costs of living.
Devore advocates refusing billions of dollars in Federal funding for programs like Healthy Families and CalWorks and turning down hundreds of millions in federal stimulus funds so he can make sure that modest services are denied to the poor and elderly in California.
Devore also favors massive cuts to education at every level, including local schools, community colleges and UCI - the most important economic engine in his district. Meanwhile, his children are home-schooled. Don't like cuts to education? Leave California.
Really? So the owner of the song has no right what-so-ever to dictate what is done with his music? It's not that hard people, it's his song and should have nothing to do with his politics. But of course that's at issue here, Don Henley would be fine to have some LIBERAL to use his music to spread their message, but GOD forbid a conservative do that!
Sen. Barbara Boxer told a group of bloggers and reporters on Saturday at the CDP convention that she expects a tough race for re-election next year, no matter whom her opponent is.
In response to a question from OC Progressive, she said it didn't matter whether her opponent was Chuck DeVore or former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
"I hope no one runs against me. But I would tell my opponents, 'you are going to face a tough race and I am going to win.'" Boxer said. "[They should] think about it because it's going to be hard."
Boxer also said she believes we should investigate the use of torture during the Bush Administration.
"I like the idea of a truth commission," Boxer said. She said it should be an indiependent body with subpoena power and the power to give immunity, with the results being forwarded to the Justice Department.
First quarter fund-raising reports were released for the 2010 California Senate race, and movement conservative champion Chuck Devore had a dismal quarter.
Chuck only raised $132,000,finishing with more debt than cash,in his quixotic Senate race. Barbara Boxer has $4.6 million in cash on hand.
But what's worse is that Chuck spent $109,272 on expenses, most of it trying to develop a national fund-raising base, using direct mail consultants HSP in Herndon, Virginia.
Direct mail campaigns like this take time to show results, but so far it looks like Chuck's spending more than he's taking in. The totals almost make you wonder if Chuck's campaign is a serious Senate race, or part of a campaign to find a slot on talk radio or in the various organizations funded by right-wing billionaires.
Here's Chuck at the Sacto tea party flailing away at the non-existent movement to reinstitute the fairness doctrine and protect media conglomerates.
The Daily Pilot's "Supplied to Anderson" as this as a headline, No fear, no loathing, but DeVore will not go quietly. What an insult to Thompson. The real issue is that Don Henley's not very happy of DeVore using his song, "The Boys of Summer". DeVore used it as a means of critiquing our President. Same old right wing BS. The most shocking part of the piece? Bulworth? I think not.
But Chuck's at that point in his political career where he's just letting it all hang loose - almost Bulworth-like. And I love it. Satire makes a political race so much more fun, engaging and just plain interesting.
When pigs fly? Nope, but they'll always poop, Tiny Flower Turns Pig Poop into Fuel. Duckweed has the ability to turn that non-flying feces into ethanol and solves a couple of environmental issues with one process.
It's nice to know our Colleges are doing their job, Cypress College Recognized for Muzzling Free Speech via the OC Weekly. The independently funded Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression cites the administration of Cypress College on its 18th annual list of the "best" Muzzlers of Free Speech.
When you're an ideological zealot in a minority party that's increasingly less popular, how do you justify your time in the legislature? You can always show up to vote no on things, and resign your party position after a failed putsch.
Or you can try to find symbolic issues which will garner attention in your Senate campaign.
Chuck Devore keeps going nuclear.
The Orange County Assemblyman gets attention when he reintroduces the same pro-nuclear energy bills, with the same predictable results. And don't think that Chuck only has one nuclear bill. Devore's bills glow in multiple colors, with one attempting to end California's moratorium, one trying to exempt the first new plant from the rules, and one tied to desalination.
In remarks at the California Republican convention, former HP executive Carly Fiorina, who left Hewlett Packard with a 42 million dollar golden parachute after being forced out, criticized corporate greed. She also, unsurprisingly, defended executive compensation.
In a speech to College Republicans, she was coy about her plans to challenge front-runner Chuck Devore for the Republican nomination to run against Senator Barbara Boxer in the 2010 Senate race.
Fiorina, in a meeting with California College Republicans just a few moments ago, acknowledged that she is "considering a run for Barbara Boxer's seat" in the U.S. Senate. The room of young Republicans erupted with applause at the mention of Boxer's name. The Senate Democrat is a staunch liberal and the subject of much ire in conservative circle.
Devore also spoke to College Republicans and had a competition with former E-bay executive Steve Poizner over who was most tech savvy. Devore boasted of over 1500 twitter followers and 3,000 Facebook friends.
Or something like that. It's not shocking to me that Assemblyman DeVore would make a poor analogy regarding the possible stimulus money that would help California during the entire Country's rough patch.
It's not just California that's hurting, it's the whole Country and California Republicans are being just as obstructionist as the Republicans in Congress.
Oh dear God, how is this for a headline? 
