by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

A few links:

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

We know that California doesn't much care for the President, but who does, really? It turns out that we don't feel much better about Congress either. In the latest Field Poll (PDF), we find out just how poorly we view them. And it's really bad.  Just 20% of Californians approve of the Congress's performance.  Interestingly, when you ask about the specific parties those number rise to 23% approval for the GOP and to 30% for the Democrats. As for the Speaker, she's at 35% approval. If you head on over to Capitol Alert to get the cross-tabs, you find out that 49% of Dems approve, which represents a substantial slippage, while just 16.5% of Reps. approve of Speaker Pelosi's performance. About 40% of DTSers approve.

Both Senators have slipped substantially since their peaks in March, with DiFi slipping from 61% to 50%, and Boxer slipping from 54% to 45%, however she has held steady at that level of support for a couple of months.

In the end, Congress has not been able to accomplish what people really wanted of them, ending the Iraq War. Whether that's fair or not, is still an open question, but the results of those expectations are clearly playing out in these polls.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Bill Carrick and Kam Kuwata are the anti-Chris Lehane.

The Writers Guild of America has retained veteran Democratic political consultants Bill Carrick and Kam Kuwata to provide assistance on the strategic and PR fronts of the 8-week-old strike.

"We both have friends in the WGA," Kuwata told Daily Variety. "And we have landed a lot of times on the sides that are pro-labor."

The duo came aboard earlier this month at the guild's behest in the wake of the Dec. 7 collapse of negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP, which insisted that the guild remove half a dozen proposals from the table as a condition of continuing to bargain. The WGA refused, and no new talks have been scheduled, while the Directors Guild of America is widely expected to set a start date for negotiations on its contract within the next week.

Kuwata said he and Carrick will work for the WGA for as long as needed.

Carrick ran the Angelides campaign and Kuwata has worked a lot with DiFi in the past.  But at least that they understand that Democrats stand with workers, unlike Chris Lehane.  I'd rather reject that corporate money and be on the side of those who just want their fair share.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

So, as long as we are in the Bob Mulholland phase, here's an email that he sent to at least one activist, Michael Jay, who is featured in the Courage Campaign video regarding the Guardian story about DiFi. So without ado, over the flip you'll find that email.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Make no mistake, at this point, a vote for Judge Mukasey is a vote for torture.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California say the will support Michael Mukasey's nomination to be attorney general. Both are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

They did the old Friday-afternoon get-out-of-Dodge news dump on it, too.  Guess DiFi learned a lot on that Air Force One ride with George.

Michael Mukasey has refused to explain whether waterboarding is torture.  Allowing him to be the nation's highest law enforcement official means sanctioning that opinion at the highest levels.  Worse, Mukasey's views on executive power - believing that the President has unenumerated powers in wartime - sanction official lawbreaking at the highest levels, and emasculate Congress in their attempts to do anything about it.  DiFi just eliminated her need to show up at the office.