[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

So there I was, sandwiched in some sweet seats in the third row center of the mezzanine of Hollywood's Kodak Theater. Directly in front of me, my television hero, "Toby Ziegler" of The West Wing. On my left, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and Congressman Joe Baca. On my right, Congresswoman Hilda Solis. Down below, Stevie Wonder, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Steven Spielberg.

Everywhere I looked, anyone who was anybody in Democratic politics was there for the history-making clash between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

It was, in my opinion, the kind of debate Democrats of all stripes were hoping for: civil, issue-focused, and detailed with minimal intervention from the press.

But you can read about that elsewhere. There was much more going on than what was happening on stage.

The "pre-game show," as it was dubbed, was a half-hour of warmup before the debate. California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres was the emcee, rousing the crowd with his projections of Democratic victories and introducing the notables. The biggest surprise? Former Gov. Gray Davis got the only standing ovation from the crowd.

There's more...

Photo courtesy Los Angeles Times.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by latinoprog [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Just got word that Congresswoman Hilda Solis from Los Angeles is doing a live online chat on Saturday, June 23rd at 11am PST/2pm EST at firedoglake!

Solis is one of the most progressive leaders in the House and one of the party's rising stars.

For more info, check out www.hildasolis.org.  She's also on youtube, facebook, and myspace.

by latinoprog [courtesy of Calitics: Soapblox California - Front Page]

Congresswoman Hilda Solis of El Monte is participating in a bipartisan Congressional Delegation trip this week to Greenland, Germany, Great Britain and Belgium to meet with leading scientists and political leaders working on solutions to combat global warming. 

"I am privileged to have the opportunity to see firsthand the economic and environmental impact of global warming, as well as the actions our allies are already taking to address this global challenge," said Congresswoman Solis. "This information is valuable as Congress considers legislation to address global warming.  This serious issue must be solved with international cooperation and innovative solutions."

She is blogging during her trip at the Speaker's Blog, The Gavel. I'm glad to see one of our own in SoCal taking a lead on this issue.