by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Post whatever you want here.

Arnold's daughter is also voting for Obama.  

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Dave just called from the Michelle Obama, Opera Winfrey event.  Maria Shriver just took the stage and announced that she was endorsing Barack Obama.  Evidently she made up her mind just this morning.

I am sure the Obama advance team was more than happy to make room for a Kennedy on the stage.  From the way that she has been talking recently I expected that she would endorse Clinton if anyone at all.  Good late pickup for Obama in California.  Shriver is pretty respected and often credited with helping Arnold successfully make his move back to being a moderate after the 2005 special election.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Yup, this is part 3 in the series. Today, a snazzy letter from Andy Stern aficionado Tyrone Freeman, president of United Long-Term Care Workers' Union, another union with over 100,000 members. He seems to be a proponent of just gettin 'er done. Freeman gives no indications of what plan he's talking about, but you get the sense that some plan, any plan, would work with him. Be that ABx1 1 or whatever it is that Arnold's got cooking.

The funny thing is, Arnold's plan isn't really on the table. The Democrats aren't going to just drop their demands of affordability, nor are the other It's OUR Healthcare coalition partners (I'll let others speak to that with more insight though).  SEIU alone doesn't determine whether Arnold's healthcare will pass.  Is Arnold's plan better than Massachusetts? Probably, but it's still not good enough for California. And that's what's frustrating about this excerpt from the letter:

? Healthcare reform, as it realistically could be passed this year, will set a benchmark, like a minimum wage, where currently there is none.

We can't half-ass this and expect to come back to healthcare in 3 years. It's just not going to happen. And when you make it law that everybody must pay for insurance to a cartel of insurance providers, you better be damn well sure that you cover all your bases and provide a workable system.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Well, I suppose juls is the one that really should be writing this, as she wrote far, far more about Arnold than really anybody in the state, certainly in the blogosphere. But directly from the, uh, what took you so long files, comes this editorial from the right-leaning LA Daily News:

But Schwarzenegger has bested even Davis in fundraising. Whereas Davis grossed $120 million in seven years, Schwarzenegger has raked in $125.8 million in only six. And like the special interests that bankrolled Davis, the special interests that are pouring millions into Schwarzenegger are no doubt looking for something in return.
***
And as long as the special interests control the state's political process, they will continue to bankrupt California(LA Daily News 11.26.07)

Of course, the LA Daily News, as a typical reactionary, fails to make that last logical leap. That if the special interests are killing us, we need clean money. What other solution is there to the problems they've outlined? Of course, they don't think as corporations as special interests, that label is reserved for unions and other organizations that support workers' rights.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Well, after months and months of having a "plan" with no associated bill in the Legislature, Arnold has a bill! This probably should be a quick hit, but I wanted to give everybody the opportunity to discuss this. So, thank you Capitol Alert. So, without further discussion, here is the Governor's ABX1 2.