[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Los Angeles Times brings us the heartwrenching story
of two California parents whose son became the 500th Californian to die in Iraq. Our state's losses make up almost 1/8th of the national total, not counting tens of thousands of casualties.

Meanwhile Barack Obama is widening his national lead over John McCain to double digits, according to two new polls released yesterday.

Obama (in LA on June 24th) has called for a phased withdrawl from Iraq while McCain predicts perhaps a decades long occupation is needed.

Calitics is telling it's readers why inter-city rail matters. State Senator Denise Ducheny hopes to amend SB 53 to create a new state department to oversee Amtrak and high-speed rail.

Steve Wiegand's column takes us back to Sacramento circa 1983.
Calfornians got tired of the A-team and shoulder pads went out of fashion, but water controversies and redistrcitng fights will never die.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Dave Johnson
Speak Out California

We can celebrate the outcome of the Eminent Domain Propositions: 98 lost and 99 won. The spending on the initiatives was, as usual, enormous. As usual the money distorted people's understanding of the candidates and issues and turned a lot of people off to the election process and democracy in general. Only 22% turned out to vote.

Spending on primaries was enormous in some races, with the independent expenditures from JOBSPAC , JPAC, EDVOICE and other interests working against candidates who opposed their narrow interests. And one of the worst things is that the money goes to buy those horrible ads. Clint Reilly wrote about the effect of the ads and mailers in Those Awful Political Ads:

“Even though I actively support many candidates financially and through volunteering, just turning on a TV during election season is difficult for me. Opening my mailbox is painful. I feel smothered by the tidal wave of television commercials and brochures that wash through my house every election cycle.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

California voters thought they would bring fiscal constraint and open politicking to election season when they passed Proposition 34 limiting individual contributions to campaigns. Major interest groups however have skirted the limits by making “independent expenditures” for or against candidates. In most instances these expenditures are benign, simply amplifying the messages of the candidate controlled campaigns. On occasion, however, the “IE” becomes a hiding place for below-the-belt attacks. The EdVoice fusillade against Democratic candidate Mariko Yamada in the 8th Assembly District primary election is a prime example.

EdVoice is mounting an attack that says, essentially, that Yamada is the kind of politician who thinks first about feathering her nest – siphoning off tax dollars for her private use. Specifically, they accuse Yamada of voting herself an increase in pay as a member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Linda Sutton

by lindasutton [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

for Bob Blumenfield,

With Love from His Dad and Current Employer, Congressman Howard Berman

Ignored by the mainstream media this Wednesday, the Fair Political Practices Commission complaint filed against "Valley Democrats for Change" by attorney, Nicole Kuklok-Waldman, is heating up the race in the 40th Assembly District. It entered cyberspace Thursday through the subscription-only website, Capital Morning Report.

What it appears to be, said an employee at the Secretary of State's office, is another committee set up to circumvent California's legal contribution limits.

Background. California law sets a contribution limit for state candidates for the legislature at $3600 per person. A candidate can use an unlimited amount of his or her PERSONAL funds. But, a relative cannot. Which brings us to the present situation. What's a father to do???