Today's Fresh Meat

[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.

What's new to Sacramento lately? Independent expenditures. Ben Van der Meer looks at a new Fair Political Practices Commission report showing the i.e.'s were the m.o. for many candidates in June's primary.