by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

This is a quickie.  My car insurance provider noted in an email that tomorrow night is Lights Out LA, an event designed to conserve energy and raise awareness.  Between 8-9 pm, LA residents are encouraged to turn off all non-essential lights in a bid to save enough energy to power 2,500 homes for a full year.  The Hollywood sign, City Hall, and most government buildings will go dark.  I believe something like this was attempted in San Francisco earlier this year.  It's exciting that Los Angeles is attempting to raise awareness of climate change and promote conservative.  You can even get a free beeswaz candle to use at this website.

My only issue is how to square this with the fact that it'll be happening in the fourth quarter of the Michigan football game.  I'll get out my transistor radio, I guess.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Looks like what could have been a big Democratic Senate primary battle in the Sacramento suburbs has fizzled. Hank Shaw at The Stockton Record confirms that John Garamendi Jr. appears to be scuttling a fight with Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) for the seat currently held by Senator Mike Machado.

Wolk now has a clear path for the Democratic nomination. Senate leadership is said to be happy with Wolk's candidacy. She starts the race with a strong base in Davis, fundraising prowess, and a lock of major endorsements. Challenging her would have been foolhardy for any other Democrat, even someone with the name recognition of John Garamendi, Jr.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Doug Paul Davis

The Vanguard has received word that John Garamendi, Jr. has opted to not challenge Assemblywoman Lois Wolk for the Democratic nomination for the 5th Senate District. That leaves Assemblywoman Wolk from Davis as the only announced Democrat in a bid to succeed current Democratic State Senator Mike Machado.

In 2004, Mike Machado won a very hard fought battle against Stockton Mayor Gary Podesto. In a race that went back and forth up until the end, Machado ended up edging out Podesto by a margin of 52.2 to 47.8.

The closeness of that race and competitiveness of the district will likely make this race one of most heavily watched and financed State Senate races in the state. Indeed, the race has drawn a top notch Republican in Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian.

There is however, word now from some people close to the scene that has suggested that neither the Democratic leadership nor Senator Machado himself are convinced that Assemblywoman Wolk can win this seat. Part of that has to do with the southern portion of the district--the locations that Wolk does not currently represent--being larger than the north. In addition, that portion is much more conservative than the northern part.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Assemblywoman Laura Richardson's campaign for Congress got a major boost Monday night when the LA County Federation of Labor endorsed her candidacy.
 
The Labor Fed has perhaps the best organized ground operation in the state. In a low turnout special election, it can make a significant difference. The district is heavily unionized.
 
According to the Daily Breeze, some political observers are speculating that the Labor Federation endorsed Richardson because her main opponent, state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, recently voted to support the tribal compacts negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, which the union opposes. At least one tribe has poured pro-Oropeza mail into her district after the vote.
 
The Labor Fed, however, denies the claim. County Fed top dog Maria Elena Durazo told the newspaper that "It was by no means the only reason or the driving reason."

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

To every season, turn, turn, turn. Not even two weeks have passed since CMR joined Calitics, the California Progress Report, and others in hosting a fundraiser for Doolittle challenger Charlie Brown and Pombo defeater Jerry McNerney. McNerney was a darling of the netroots during his primary challenge against "establishment" candidate Steve Filson and later during his successful bid to unseat the environment's least favorite Congressperson.

But today, the House rejected a bill that would have set a 9-month time table for withdraw from Iraq by a vote of 171-255. 59 Democrats helped kill the bill, including McNerney, and this has led to a bitter repudiation by some of his former loyalists.

"It seems pretty clear that many people in the netroots who worked hard for Jerry, donated time and time again are pretty upset with the new Representative today," said juls at Calitics (cross-posted at DailyKos). "Heck, even Ellen Tauscher found a way to vote to get us out of Iraq today."

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

It was announced with much hoopla today that U.S. Sen. John McCain’s hobbling Presidential campaign will be led in California by former Secretary of State Bill Jones. I can’t help but to wonder if Jones will abandon McCain at the first sign of trouble, the same way Jones dumped George W. Bush for McCain in 2000 immediately after the Arizona Senator trounced favored Bush in New Hampshire. Jones’s highly-publicized betrayal effectively doomed any White House support for his ill-fated 2002 bid for Governor. Bottom line: expect the fickle Jones to keep Romney and Giuliani on his speed dial in case the peripatetic McCain falters early.