Greenhouse Gas Deal Reached - Angelides Finished

Yesterday, Schwarzenegger and the Democrats in the state legislature agreed on a measure to
cut greenhouse gas emissions. California will be the first state in the country to do so. Under the bill, industries in the state would have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020, with new regulations kicking in by 2012.

The White House and Congress has been absolutely MIA on this issue. California is taking a bold step in the right direction & this is the type of thing that makes be proud to live here.

Of course, this means you can start writing the post-mortem on the Angelides for Governor campaign. Even before this, he was trailing badly in the polls & struggling to win over his own party (aside from the fat cats & party insiders in Sacramento). Schwarzenegger has now officially "out-greened" him and will likely carry a healthy chunk of the Democratic vote in November.

Chris Lehane's Advice to Angelides

Announce an Iraq pullout...


Um...OK.

A Few Interesting Notes

from the San Francisco Chronicle...what I wouldn't give for a decent newspaper like this in Southern California.

Conservatives up in arms because Arnold is trying to appeal to Independents & Democrats (you know, the vast majority of Californians)

Gazilionaire developer Phil Angelides emphasizes his middle class roots...good luck with that Phil

Jon Carroll suggesting a pretend Democrat might be better this time around than the real thing

I have to post this quote from the Carroll article because I couldn't agree with it more (well, maybe not the Barbara Lee group hug):

"All my life, I have voted for Democrats, and much of the time I've been happy (Barbara Lee! Group hug!), but the party seems dopey and rudderless right now, at both the national level and the state level"

Too Little, Too Late

After 8 months of being bashed as a tax raiser, Angelides unveiled a middle-class tax cut plan. That won't be seen as pandering at all...

Only 63% of Democrats support Angelides

Ouch.

McClintock Ditches Mel

State Senator Tom McClintock, running against John Garamendi for Lt. Governor, has decided to stop using a fundraising letter written by Mel Gibson in light of his recent anti-Semitic tirade.

Arnold moves ahead

For the first time since the primary, Schwarzenegger now leads the race in a legitimate poll. Rasmussen has Arnold up by 6 points.

Two things are at work here.

1. The more people see Angelides, the less they like him. Look at me for example. I started a blog to attack Schwarzenegger and hopefully help drive him from office and I haven't yet decided if I can stomach voting for a weasel like Angelides in November. (My alternate choice would Peter Camejo - he won't win, but at least I would feel good about my vote.)

2. Schwarzenegger seems to have found his brain again. After letting the Pete Wilsonites lead his governorship to the hard right and his special election to a resounding defeat, he's discovered how to woo California voters again. He's renounced the race baiting politics of Prop 187 and even I was beyond pleased with the climate pact he signed with Tony Blair. Climate change is a top issue in California, and any move to circumvent the faith-based climate policy coming out of Washington has my full support.

How the CA GOP Blew It...Again

Shockingly insightful analysis from determined Schwarzenegger apologist Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee.