by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

To hear the big media folks frame it, you'd think Steve was also requesting a mansion in St. Moritz as well. But, in fact, Steve Ybarra's got a pretty good eye for good tactics, and this is just that: a tactical request. Ybarra wants the campaigns to spend $20 million on registering Latino voters in the Southwest.  From the Comedy Central Blog:

Well, that's kind of, um, honorable. It's kinda not fair the way the article was written; it didn't mention his intentions until midway through and tricked me into thinking he was being greedy. ...

Still, it seems unlikely that Ybarra will get $20 million dollars out of the candidates, who need to spend that money ads calling each other names and accusing each other of being unAmerican.

Plus, I'm sure they can find ten or twenty superdelegates from below the border who will register and educate eligible Mexican-American voters for $2 million and a mattress to sleep on.

read more »

by Dante Atkins (hekebolos) [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Jerry McNerney is among the superdelegates who are meeting with Hillary Clinton today.

According to this DailyKos diary, the Congressman's office is keeping track of who calls and what they have to say, so if you're a California blogger--especially one who helped McNerney--feel free to make your opinion known (whatever that opinion is).

Here's the number:

925-833-0643

Now that there are more undecided superdelegates than pledged delegates, I guess that calling Congressional offices is now more important than calling voters...

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

While I have many close friends who support Clinton and who support Obama, I have not been involved with either campaign. As a professional Democrat, I’ve watched the contest between the two of them evolve – often unexpectedly – for months.

I now believe Obama will win our nomination. His lead among delegates was built by his activist-based victories in states that allocate delegates by caucus. You win such states by having the money to compete on the ground (which has been internet based for Obama) and by generating excitement among the faithful. For all her strong points, Clinton has been unable to generate activist excitement. And because her fundraising was centered around contributors to her husband (‘investors’) she was able to raise a lot of money but not a lot when compared to Obama.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Garry Shay, Chair of the California Democratic Party Rules Committee and a member of the Democratic National Committee Rules Committee, talking with fellow Superdelegate and DNC Member who also sits on the DNC Rules Committee, Alice Huffman, at California Democratic Council Dinner Before remarks

By Frank D. Russo

Yesterday evening, I moderated an after dinner panel discussion amongst eight California Superdelegates, including two who are uncommitted, at the annual California Democratic Council Convention in Fresno. Despite being in session for a dozen or so hours before the dinner event kicked off, the room was packed with CDC delegates who did not tire and stayed for an hour and a half to ask questions and hear from those on the dais. I’ll have a fuller report later on the many interesting comments of these grassroots Democrats, all of whom were elected to their positions, and are not going to the Denver Convention because of appointment or their position.