[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill has a feature out today on former State Senator Jackie Speier's congressional run. It quotes yours truly praising Sen. Speier to high heaven -- but it also signals that she may have a challenge from the left.

Such a challenge would be a massive waste of resources by California progressives -- funds and enery that could be used in the neighboring district to help re-elect Jerry McNerney or on the state level to win a 2/3 legislative majority. Jackie Speier is an amazing candidate with a rich record of accomplishment on the Democratic agenda. I'm all for democratic elections, but It would be a shame if to have a slugfest in this safe Democratic district.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Susan Smartt
Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters

Super Tuesday and the political excitement generated by the February presidential primary has passed, and most Californians, particularly those who care about the environment, are looking ahead to the November presidential elections. Indeed, the inertia and environmental backsliding by the Bush Administration over the last seven years give environmentally-minded Californians including the folks at the California League of Conservation (CLCV) good reason to look ahead (see http://ecovote.org/heat/). However, if you care about issues like global warming, sprawl, protecting the coast or the quality of the air that you’re breathing as you read this, you should join CLCV in treating the June 3rd primary with the same urgency as the November election.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

I know, I know. If the left doesn’t push elected officials they will move right to win. Well, it worked in Berkeley didn’t it?

But Feinstein has never claimed to be liberal. She spoke in favor of capital punishment at the Party Convention and was booed, remember? Yet she still won the support of Democratic Primary voters against a more conventional liberal candidate.

And lost to Pete Wilson – a defeat that cost us redistricting in 1992 and our Legislative Majority in 1994. She didn’t lose because she was too conservative.

Feinstein’s instincts have led her to seek the support of Republican colleagues to solve problems during the dark days when the G.O.P. controlled both Houses of Congress, the Presidency and the Federal Courts. She pursues a policy of giving to get, forgoing stands on “principle” for small victories in practice

Now she is castigated for support of Bush’s lame duck Attorney General appointment. She’s supporting him as the “best we can get”. Undoubtedly true. Does anyone seriously believe that George W would supply a better candidate after being doused by the Democrats?

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Jackie Goldberg
Teacher
Former Member of the California Assembly

NO 2nd Grade Testing!

A couple of years back, while I was Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, we made a deal with the Governor. And now, he wants to back out of it! I guess that should come as no surprise, since he seems to only make deals for a short term gain, and chooses not to follow through with the parts he doesn't like.

The deal was that the budget would pass and with it would be a commitment that California would end testing seven year olds with high stakes, standardized tests.

Why did the legislative majority require California to get out of the business of "testing" seven year olds? Was it because we don't want them to learn? Is it because we don't think they can learn? Or is it that we just don't want to hold teachers and schools "accountable"?
Well, actually, it is not for any of those alleged reasons. We, as a legislative body, decided that labeling very young children as "failures" was probably not going to help them love learning, and was indeed cruel and unusual punishment.