by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Recently liberated the Capitol Alert firewall, Daniel Weintraub questions Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner's decision to throw $1.5 million into the No on Prop 93 campaign. Says Weintraub:

"I wish I had Steve Poizner's money. If I did, I bet I could find something better to spent $1.5 mil of it on than trying to kill Prop. 93, the legislative leaders' attempt to change term limits in California.

I know I'm supposed to be real agitated that the proposal would allow assembly members to serve 12 years rather than six, and senators to serve 12 years rather than 8, and it even applies to lawmakers already serving. But to me it's a big yawn. I don't think it makes much of a difference either way. Once this crew washes out, the new members will serve a maximum of 12 years rather than the current 14, and they can serve it all in one house or the other. Is that going to change the world? I doubt it."

Good to have you back, Dan.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Rob Richie
Executive Director
Fair Vote

Facts in the Spotlight

• Number of U.S. Senators appointed without election since 1913: 179
• Number of U.S. House members ever to serve without election: 0
• Number of states that always fill U.S. Senate vacancies by election: 3
• Number of states that always fill U.S. House vacancies by election: 50

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Remember Leslie Southwick? Well, in case you forgot, he's the guy who wrote that children should be removed from gay parents. Oh, and W appointed to him to be a federal judge. Yup, that guy. If you recall, DiFi is basically the only reason his nomination got past the judiciary committee. She broke ranks with the other Dems and voted in support of the nominations with her conservative bretheren in the Republican party. Yay DiFi, thanks for tossing the LGBT community under the bus again. You really have a knack for it.

Well, once you recall all of that, the other important news is that the nomination is coming up for a floor vote very soon. And our old pal DiFi is going around telling other Senators that she's getting no negative comments about Leslie Southwick at ALL! Everybody loves Leslie! Except, that's not really the case. Her own staffers, and other senators, seem to be surprised given the news from the real world that she's getting lots of mail about this. 

The good folks at FireDogLake, have some ideas on what to do. Namely, make sure that DiFi hears a loud and clear message that this vote stunk then, and it stinks now.  Oh, and there will be a presser next Tuesday. I'll try to be there. Mailing info blatantly ripped off from FDL over the flip. 

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The widely respected Public Policy Institute of California released a poll this morning with a lot of compelling data. It looks like voters aren’t too keen on how things are (or aren’t) working in Sacramento. They are hungry for change and show that through their support of term limits reform. The poll shows 55 percent of likely voters supporting February’s term limits initiative.
 
Also from the PPIC poll report:
 
"Today, 66 percent of residents say major (36%) or minor (30%) changes are needed, while three in 10 think that the term limit structure is fine just as it is (31%). Across parties, independents (67%), Democrats (66%), and Republicans (61%) are similar in their likelihood to say that either major or minor changes are needed."