[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Art Torres
Chair of the California Democratic Party

The Republican initiative called the “Presidential Election Reform Act,” about to begin circulating for signatures to qualify for California’s June 3, 2008 primary, is like a bad movie sequel.

“Florida, Part Deux” is simply another GOP power grab, expanding on what Republicans did to Al Gore, and to our nation, in 2000 -- only this time, it’s happening right in our own backyard.

In 1992 and 1996, Bill Clinton got the most votes in California, as well as nationwide. The same for Al Gore in 2000, despite the Supreme Court vote. In 2004, Bush lost California by 1.2 million votes, but received the most votes in enough states (and nationally), which gave him the necessary Electoral Votes and a second term.

Now the Republicans don’t want to give the win to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes statewide, beginning with the crucial 2008 race. This initiative would take California’s 55 Electoral Votes, one for each of our 53 congressional districts and two for our U.S. Senators, and break them up as a way to supersede the popular vote of California.

by Sheri Divers [courtesy of Blog for America]

Yesterday, Senator Patrick Leahy called Bush's refusal to release White House documents, "Nixonian stonewalling." Leahy added, "In America, no one is above law."1

When Bush refused to comply with Congressional subpoenas regarding the U.S. Attorneys firing scandal he was really flaunting his disdain for the Constitution.

This standoff will likely lead to the Supreme Court. But we know that the Court is stacked in Bush's favor.

There is another way to hold the Bush administration accountable. Besides Bush and Cheney there has been one figure at the center of the warrantless wiretapping program, the torture of America's prisoners, the suspension of Habeas Corpus, and the U.S. Attorneys firings. That man is Alberto Gonzales.

Democracy for America is pushing for the removal of Gonzales because impeachment is one avenue towards accountability that even the Supreme Court can't stop.

Keep the pressure building with an end of quarter contribution of $15!

https://contribute.democracyforamerica.com/gonzo

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Today we got a dose of what the Bush presidency has meant for the Supreme Court. Campaign finance reform and free speech were among the ideals that took a beating from the right. Andrew Cohen at The Washington Post has this terrific analysis.

by dday [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

We didn't need any more evidence that the Bush Administration uses the executive branch as a political instrument.  But this latest example shows that they will use federal agencies to work to oppose legislative efforts at the state level, making a complete mockery of the entire premise of federalism itself.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Henry Waxman has received information that the Department of Transportation has been lobbying members of Congress to oppose state efforts, sought by California and others, to regulate tailpipe emissions.  California is waiting for an EPA waiver to implement their tailpipe emissions proposal.  The Governor has threatened to sue the EPA if they don't receive that waiver.  The first roadblock that the EPA tried was to appeal to the Supreme Court by claiming that they didn't have the ability to regulate greenhouse gases, but in a landmark decision the Supreme Court said that they did.  So plan B, apparently, is to use the DOT to threaten legislators in automobile-producing districts that their local economies would be severly impacted by any efforts to regulate.  This excerpt is from a letter by Waxman to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters:

by Mike Cooper [courtesy of Blog for America]

If there's any remaining doubt about how imperative the 2008 election is going to be, this should shatter it :

Raleigh, NC -- The families of four American security contractors who were burned, beaten, dragged through the streets of Fallujah and their decapitated bodies hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River on March 31, 2004, are reaching out to the American public to help protect themselves against the very company their loved ones were serving when killed, Blackwater Security Consulting. After Blackwater lost a series of appeals all the away to the U.S. Supreme Court, Blackwater has now changed its tactics and is suing the dead men's estates for $10 million to silence the families and keep them out of court.

It gets better:

More recently, Blackwater employed Kenneth Starr, famed prosecutor in the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal, to oppose the families. To add additional muscle, Blackwater hired Cofer Black, who was the Director of the CIA Counter- Terrorist Center.

Or worse I should say:

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

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

As the Republican presidential candidates gear up for their first debate tomorrow, debate sponsors Politico.com are giving you a chance to ask them a question. Whether it's "Senator McCain, would you like to walk down the streets of Baghdad without security that exceeds Fort Knox?" or "Mayor Guiliani, are you really 'quite literally, nuts'?" you have the opportunity to have your question deferred to pre-scripted talking points. NARAL Pro Choice California is asking their supporters to submit questions related to the federal late-term abortion ban recently upheld by the Supreme Court, and that's not a bad idea. Whatever list we would compile to determine "California issues", women's privacy certainly belongs there. The candidates' public positions on the ruling can be found here.