by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Lucas O'Connor [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Douglas N. Thomason

A major theme of Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been that her experience makes her best prepared among the Democrats to assume the Presidency. In citing that experience, she is presumably claiming more than mere longevity in public life; she is asserting that her record over the years shows leadership, including the character and judgment Democrats and Americans would want in a President.

In stressing this as a 1 ½ term senator, she also implicitly suggests that former President Clinton would play a significant role in her administration as he is in her campaign. His prominent role in her campaign has caused it to increasingly be referred to as that of "Billary" Clinton. It is critical in assessing her claims to look in some detail at the most important vote she has cast while holding office, that authorizing President Bush to invade Iraq, as well as the handling of the issue of the Iraq war in her campaign.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Rosemary Shahan,
President
Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety

Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger boasted about balancing California’s budget. Now it’s $14 billion out of whack. Why did California’s economy tank so suddenly? Many factors contributed to this fiscal meltdown. But President Bush’s drastic changes to federal bankruptcy law should not be overlooked. Ironically, the law’s enactment also illuminates a stark difference between the leading Democratic Presidential contenders.

When the Republican-controlled Congress and President Bush changed the rules for consumers who file bankruptcy, they encouraged banks to engage in reckless lending practices. They sowed the seeds for widespread predatory lending and the ensuing home mortgage debacle that is hitting California with the worst tidal wave of foreclosures since the Great Depression. The dramatic downturn in the housing market is now eroding California’s tax base and costing our state billions.

The Bush-backed bankruptcy bill was vehemently opposed by a large coalition of consumer groups, labor unions, academics, economists, and bankruptcy attorneys who warned that it would harm hard-working people who fall on hard times. They cited the leading causes of bankruptcy: high medical bills, job loss and divorce.

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

This is a huge win for Hillary and a major blow to Bill Richarson. CNN is reporting that LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will endorse Hillary Clinton for president.