If you're still looking for more on candidates, or perhaps live in Lamont, there's a candidate forum tonight.

The Dolores Huerta Foundation is hosting the event at 6:30 at the David Head Center,
10300 San Diego St.

Scheduled are Assembly candidate Fran Florez and judge candidates Olaf Landsgaard, Frank Butkiewicz and Chip Brehmer. Some candidates will also send representatives.

You've got to give credit to Cliff Thompson for trying something different in his race against Supervisor Ray Watson.

He and a friend wrote and printed a 12-page tabloid-sized "Fourth District Report." Then Cliff paid to have it inserted in The Bakersfield Californian's print edition on Wednesday. The color report includes stories on many of Thompson's campaign issues — dairies, law enforcement, transportation —and bashes Watson for failing to get things done.

The stories are written "reporter"-style — and the unnamed writer calls themselves a "reporter" in at least one place.

It's an effective ploy less than a week before the election on Tuesday.

But it triggers one of my pet peeves — people with an agenda attempting to pose as journalists to lend credibility to their arguements.

Admittedly, most people will be smart enough to see through the charade. But some people might think the thing was written by real reporters.

I talked to Thompson about the supplement and he said he has no intention of decieving people with the tabloid — which he has used before in races in Taft. The mini-paper contains sections — that look like ads inside the product — that say "Paid for by Taxpayers 4 Thompson."

Thompson said most people will see the report for what it is — an advertisement.

But if they learn a bit about him and his positions, he said, the piece has done its job.

It's my humble opinion that the best thing for all parties involved in the printing and distribution of this advertising insert to have done would have been to print "ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT" on each of the 12 pages.

James Burger

Californian staff writer

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan was considered one of President Bush's most loyal aides, but his new tell-all memoir is less than flattering of his former boss and the administration.

Among McClellan's revelations:

• Says Bush relied on “propaganda” to sell the Iraq war.

• Says the White House press corps was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war.

He does describe Bush as 'sincere.'

Read the whole story here.

His name is on the new airport terminal. He brought to Kern County more than $700 million for road improvements. And he pulled together a $40 million authorization for the Valley Fever Vaccine Project.

For these reasons and more, Cal State Bakersfield President Horace Mitchell will present to former Congressman Bill Thomas the doctorate of humane letters, the university said.

“I am honored and humbled by this recognition,” Thomas said. “It is especially appreciated because it is being give by people at home who have known me for a long time.”

The honorary degree will be presented at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences commencement ceremony, 7:15 a.m. June 7.

Thomas was a political science teacher at Bakersfield College and elected to the California State Assembly in 1974. He represented the 22nd Congressional District from 1979 to 2007.

Others who have received the honorary degree include veterinarian and legislator Walter Stiern and auto dealer Jim Burke.
 

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, was in Bakersfield Tuesday during the Congressional break talking about the Democratic presidential primary, the farm bill, water and other topics near and dear to the San Joaquin Valley.

Costa, a “super delegate,” confirmed that he and fellow valley super delegate, Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, will vote for Sen. Barak Obama, D-Ill., at the convention.

And he has exacted a promise from Obama to visit the valley either before or after the Democratic convention in August.

Of the farm bill, Costa said there are some things in it he didn’t like, particularly payments for corn when corn is at record highs, but the fact is the bill was $40 billion less than the previous  farm bill. It also benefitted California farmers who can opt to participate in various programs adding up to $1.3 billion. And a large chunk of the bill was dedicated to improving nutritional programs.

Costa also touted a measure he is working on with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and representatives from six other valley counties to create a blueprint for water conservation, flood protection and quality standards.

Immigration reform, he said, will likely have to wait until the next administration takes office.

 

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We've learned that Kern County elections officials are going to use a loophole to expand the use of electronic voting machines in the June 3 primary. (Details below).

You guys think that's a good or bad idea? Do you prefer voting on paper or via machine — or do you not really care as long as your ballot counts?

— Government editor Christine Bedell

Here's county reporter James Burger's story:

When you cast your vote on June 3, you may be voting for something you didn’t expect.
Paper ballot or plastic data card?

In October, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen restricted the use of several models of electronic voting booths, including AccuVote-TSx touch-screen machines owned by Kern County, after studies showed votes made on the machines could be tampered with.

The studies showed the AccuVote machines, manufactured by Diebold (a company now called Premier Election Solutions), are vulnerable to viruses that can be spread between machines.

Bowen’s edict still stands but Kern County Auditor Controller Ann Barnett plans to use a loophole to put large numbers of the machines back to work next month.

She’s doing it despite the fact every electronic ballot will have to be recounted by hand after the election — costing the county an extra $12,000.

“People have a right to use (a) touch screen,” Barnett said.

Read the rest of the story here: www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/452930.html

Rep. Jim Costa probably won't be getting as many calls from Bill Clinton anymore.

Costa was one of the uncommitted superdelegates, and was being courted heavily by both campaigns, aides said.

But AP reported today that Costa has announced his support for Barack Obama.

Costa was a footnote in the story, which focused on a few other superdelegates switching from Hillary Clinton to Obama and some Edwards delegates going to Obama.

Clinton won California, you may recall, including a large win among Hispanics. State Sen. Dean Florez, though, said there was a generational split, with younger Hispanics – including him — supporting Obama.

Supervisor Michael Rubio, basking in a re-election campaign free of an opponent, is now free to spend some of the substantial pool of cash he collected supporting some friends.

Most notably, Rubio dropped $12,000 on the Lt. Gov. campaign of his political mentor, Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter.

James Burger

County Government Reporter

Signing up to be a volunteer at the polls for the June 3 statewide direct primary election has given me a greater appreciation for the work poll volunteers do. It's hard . It's a day-long labor that starts at 6 a.m. and finishes about 14 hours later: an arduous situation from which you know you'll eventually be relieved, although you can't know exactly when. “You are required to stay and assist with the closing until the final paperwork is completed and the site is clean,” says the Additional Information for Election Officers flier I got in the mail.

I went to my mandatory training last night at the Beale Memorial Library downtown. The class, limited to 60 trainees, was pretty full. It was supposed to last three hours but went a little long. We learned how to help voters with paper and electronic voting — using the famous Diebold machines that have been full of controversy because of voting snarls and other mishaps in recent elections — as well as the different types of behavior that are not permitted at or within a certain distance of polling locations: campaigning for a particular candidate or party, a boss “assisting” a direct employee with his or her vote, etc.

The Kern County Poll Worker Instruction Manual we were given is 55 pages long. The last eight pages have to do with electronic voting: from how to set up the machines, which we were taught to do hands-on, to how locks and seals on different parts of them are there to prevent tampering, to how to submit the information without compromising any of it once the voting is complete. We also got a DVD which I haven't looked at yet. I'm afraid. I think I'll have to set aside a whole Saturday afternoon for watching it.

We were told by our head trainer that voters casting provisional ballots this time around will only be able to vote on paper, not on the machines. Something having to do with how the machine-cast provisional voting didn't go well the last time around, so rather than risk any inaccuracies in provisional vote counts, it's been decided that those votes will be cast and counted the old fashioned way. Learn from experience. Makes sense to me — but then, I'm a neophyte poll worker.

The roster of voters, the supplemental active roster of voters, the tally sheet, cross-over voting, the posted street index: There's so much to keep in mind it's amazing elections take place efficiently at all. It's like having to train for a very complex job that is poorly paid even though you know you'll only be employed for a day.(I'll be getting $110 from the county for volunteering, plus $10 for attending last night's class; site supervisors and inspectors get more, but not much.) As one of my fellow volunteers who was familiar enough with the Diebold machine setup and operation to sometimes get ahead of the instructor said, “If you use these daily, like you use a register, there's no problem.” Think of how long it took to learn the paperwork, copy, fax machine, phone and computer operation at your current job. That's kind of how it is, but you have to learn everything in just a couple of hours and be really good at it when you go live.

But here's the most amazing thing: Volunteer poll workers keep coming back year after year, election after election. Many at last night's class were returnees. I sat at a table with a husband-and-wife team of returnees. These people are like women who keep having children knowing fully well how painful childbirth is. I'm pretty sure I'm only going to be doing it once. So I say now, anyway. I'm kind of hoping I won't like it. I know that working at the polls is something I have wanted to experience once in my lifetime. That's one of the reasons I'm doing it. The other is that, being a Spanish speaker, I feel there are a lot of fellow voters I can help.

On June 2, the night before the elections, I'll have to help with setup. On the one hand, it doesn't sound fun. On the other hand, I want to experience the feeling of having the machines all set up and good to go for the next day, the tables all ready, the polling place clean and orderly looking for the first voters that will come in.

It will be good to feel useful. As a clerk, it'll probably be easier for me. I'll just follow my supervisor's lead. As for my own vote, it will have been cast way in advance of the day. By mail.

— Posted by Louis Medina, staff writer

Quite a few folks in the newsroom have been getting recorded messages on their home and work phones from Bill Thomas and Kevin McCarthy, urging us to vote for Matt Brady in the upcoming election.

Brady is one of eight people running for two judge seats. He has been active with the local Republican politics for years.

Listen to Bill Thomas here and Kevin McCarthy here.

Courtesy Kevin McCarthy's office today:

In case you missed it, during Fox News’ Beltway Boys show this past weekend, host Fred Barnes mentioned Congressman McCarthy as one of three House Republicans that is the “brightest, smartest young Republicans” who could be an elected member of House Republican leadership and would be a “heck of a new face.”

View the video here: clips.shadowtv.net/media/stv/15946/10/2008/139/06 /15946_10_20080518_065850_80.wmv

 
Transcript: www.foxnews.com/index.html

 
View full transcript here: www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356620,00.html

BARNES: What's "The Buzz," Mort?

KONDRACKE: Laura Whittington, one of our ace reporters at Roll Call, had a story last week indicating that if the Republicans lose 15 to 20 seats this year, John Boehner, the Leader, and Roy Blunt, the Whip, will be out as leaders and will probably be replaced by Eric Cantor, who is now the Chief Deputy Whip, and Adam Putnam, the Republican Conference Chair.

BARNES: That makes sense.

KONDRACKE:Young Turks.

BARNES: Young guns, as they call them. If that happens — and heaven knows Republicans could lose a lot of seats — they will be joined somehow in the leadership, because there are three other of the brightest, smartest young Republicans, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the policy guy; Kevin McCarthy, a freshman from California; and Jeb Hensarling of Texas, who is the head of the Republican Study Committee. It will give the Republicans one heck of a new face, no question, if it happens.

KONDRACKE: That's it for "The Beltway Boys" this week. Join us next week when the boys will be back in town.

###


 

People have very strong feelings one way or the other about Ted Kennedy, but it's hard to know what to say about today's news he has a malignant brain tumor. Anybody want to share what they think about him, his career and now his diagnosis?

Here's the latest from the Los Angeles TImes:

Sen. Edward Kennedy diagnosed with malignant brain tumor

By Richard Simon and Johanna Neuman
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the lion of Senate liberals, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, doctors announced today.

In a statement, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital said the 76-year-old senator, who has served in the Senate since 1962, has suffered no additional seizures since a weekend incident that landed him in the hospital.

"Over the course of the last several days, we've done a series of tests on Sen. Kennedy to determine the cause of his seizure," said Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the hospital's department of neurology, and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician. "He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital."

The doctors said that "preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe." Noting that "the usual course of treatment includes combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy," the doctors said decisions about his care will be finalized after further testing.

"Sen. Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol," said the statement. "He remains in good spirits and full of energy."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada read the press release to Democratic senators during their weekly luncheon today. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska described the reaction as stunned silence. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont said later, "I'm having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here that I felt this badly."

Afterward, Reid told reporters that the Senate stands "as a body and certainly as a Democratic family" in sending prayers.

Here's the full story: www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ken nedy21-2008may21,0,4973997.story

California Democrats selected five new superdelegates to the party's national convention this summer and among them was Dora Rubio, wife of Kern County Supervisor Michael Rubio and former aide to state Sen. Dean Florez.

Read the whole story here.

I know companies like to give to both Republicans and Democrats, but still, it's a little jarring to see it.

The Personal Insurance Federation of California gave $1,000 to Democrat Fran Florez the same day it gave $1,500 to Republican Pete Gilmore. Both are running to succeed Democrat Nicole Parra, who has all-but-officially endorsed Gilmore.

The California Nations Indian Gaming Association did the same, giving $1,000 each to Gilmore and Florez on May 8.

This money is just a small share compared to the total. Florez has about $189,000, and Gilmore has about $174,000.

Source for everything in this post: ElectionTrack.

-- James Geluso

It looks like Gov. Schwarzenegger will ask the public to borrow $15 billion over the next three years — using California Lotto revenues as a repayment tool.

Interesting.

What I found most interesting about the idea is that it is tied to a three-year-long, one percent statewide sales tax increase. If voters don't approve the borrowing initative, the governor will increase taxes.

The tax increase proposal reminds me of the car tax decrease created by former Gov. Gray Davis and the legislature at the height of the Internet stock boom.

Back then the state budget was flush with cash. So Davis and legislators cut the tax on licensing a vehicle in California in half to give drivers a break. There was legislation making the tax-break temporary.

So, when the budget got bad the fee reduction was automatically eliminated and vehicle fees returned to previous levels. But by then drivers had forgotten that they were being given a tax break. They cried foul over the "car tax increase."

Their anger helped Schwarzenegger get into office and the first thing he did was re-create the car tax reduction permanently. Since 2003 the state has brought in $4 billion less money annually because of that.

That scenario makes me wonder, if the one sale percent tax increase is put in place, will it really go away in 2011 or — in a wierd mirror to the car tax situation — will it be made permanent by some future governor?

James Burger

Californian staff writer

SACRAMENTO -- In his latest plan for closing a budget shortfall now estimated at $17.2 billion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will propose giving voters a choice between borrowing against the state lottery and paying more sales tax.

The sales tax proposal is a turnabout by Schwarzenegger, who came to office as an anti-tax crusader and throughout his tenure has steadfastly insisted he would never consent to new taxes. In recent days, the administration repeatedly denied reports that it has been laying the groundwork for a sales-tax increase.

Deep cuts in services would still be needed to balance the budget. According to advocates and lobbyists briefed by the administration, Schwarzenegger will propose reducing health services for the poor even further than he had suggested in January, in his initial spending plan.

At the same time, he is walking away from some cuts he proposed then that triggered loud howls of protest.

Schwarzenegger Communications Director Matt David said the latest proposal restores billions of dollars in school spending and abandons plans to close 48 state parks and release tens of thousands of prisoners early.

The governor's new plan, to be released today, has already drawn resistance from GOP lawmakers, who have pledged to vote against any new taxes.

For the full story:  www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget14-2008may 14,0,4865683.story

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We posted this story today. What do you think — is this a serious slur as the Obama folks contend or harmless humor? (Attached is a screen grab the Obama folks sent us).

— Government editor Christine Bedell

Fake Obama slogans anger local supporters

Local supporters of presidential hopeful Barack Obama are upset with radio personality Jaz McKay for posting what they say are inflammatory fake slogans about Obama’s campaign.

The slogans, which appeared on McKay’s page of the KNZR 1560 AM Web site, included “Obama ‘08” followed by “Hope. Change. Dead honkeys.,” “kill white folks” and “Kill Whitey!”

Obama pledge delegate Uduak Ntuk of Bakersfield said he was shocked and surprised by the slogans, which he called hate speech.

“It’s actions like that that give Bakersfield a bad name,” Ntuk said.

Station Vice President/General Manager Steve Darnell said that McKay did not create the slogans, he found them on another Web site and posted them to his own. McKay goes to a wide variety of news and humor sites on the Internet and posts numerous things he finds to his own site, Darnell said.

The slogans were up for about a week, which is the normal amount of time McKay’s postings are online before replaced by something new. McKay will not be disciplined, Darnell said.

“The listeners know what he’s about,” Darnell said. “They get his sarcasm and his tongue-in-cheek humor.”

— Staff writer Jason Kotowski, jkotowski@bakersfield.com
 

It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans, including Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, cast their votes against mothers.

It has long been the custom to compare a popular  of legislation to motherhood and apple pie. Evidently, that is no longer the standard. Worse, Republicans are now confronted with a John Kerry-esque predicament: They actually voted for motherhood before they voted against it.

Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: "Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother's Day."

By voting against it?

Read more: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/200 8/05/08/AR2008050802999.html

Friday, May 9, 2008; Page A03

Is Hillary the only one who doesn't know when it's over.
 

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From Don Frederick, a Washington editor for the Los Angeles Times:

The Fresno Bee's opinion section weighs in on Sen. Dean Florez's spat with the Governor:

"Florez is stubborn and smart, a combination that has taken him far in the political game. Now he's turned his sights on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Read the editorial here.

From the office of state Sen. Dean Florez today:

“Small town” legislator calls on Schwarzenegger to show competency through exit exam
 
SACRAMENTO -- Days after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger insinuated legislators from rural districts were blissfully ignorant, staring wide-eyed like children when told implausible tales of “airports” and “freeways,” California State Senator Dean Florez is challenging the Governor to demonstrate his own “wide-ranging knowledge” and competency – by taking the state’s High School Exit Exam.
 
Florez, the Democrat from Shafter, a city of about 14,000 in California’s Central Valley, issued the challenge this morning at a news conference with education leaders in Madera to decry looming ten percent across-the-board budget cuts he has denounced as “simple-minded.”
 
Senate Resolution 28, which Florez introduced today in Sacramento, calls for the Governor – whose important duties include supervising the state’s executive branch, appointing judges and submitting a state budget -- to “demonstrate his command of the acceptable minimum level of knowledge and basic skills for earning a California high school diploma” by taking the exit exam, which is described as “one of the cornerstones of California’s accountability system.”  If Schwarzenegger failed the test, he would be given as many tries as needed to pass – while the Lieutenant Governor assumed his duties.
 
Florez issued the following statement to expand on the reasons behind his decision:
 
“The Governor’s recent narrow-minded remarks disparaging Californians ‘from those little towns’ feeds into a destructive stereotype of rural California.  For the leader of our great state to suggest that rural Californians have no vision -- of an airport or of a highway -- is demeaning in a very personal way for the people who live in rural California.
 
The Governor’s comments were unwelcome and at worst hurtful, especially to our children. I’d like to remind him that there are many kids in rural towns who work and study hard day in and day out and yet, according to the Governor, are considered closed-minded simply because of where they live.
 
Like every other kid around the state, small town students take the same graduation tests as big city kids to show competency.  Rural kids can make the grade.  Given the Governor’s distasteful comments, what’s unanswered is whether he can make the grade. 
 
That’s why, today, I’m introducing a senate resolution asking the Governor to take the high school exit exam.  If the Governor fails the test, then we certainly have a capable Lt. Governor who can assume his duties until the Governor successfully passes the exam.  
 
I hope that he accepts this challenge and that he doesn’t cower behind some excuse.  This is a serious effort to bring attention to the divisiveness of placing labels on people based on who they are, how they live or where they come from -- or even how well they do on a test.
 
If it is a good enough test for our twelfth graders, then certainly it is a good enough test for the Governor to demonstrate his competency.
 
And after he takes the exam, maybe he’ll think twice about the massive cuts to education funding he's proposing -- he just may have to return to school to brush up for the test.”

Bakersfield Congressman Kevin McCarthy will lead the committee which will draft the Republican party’s official national platform prior to September’s presidential convention.

McCarthy was named Thursday as the Chairman of the Republican Party Platform Committee.

McCarthy said he’s ramping up for the big task ahead and hopes to “apply the positions of the past” to the Republican party’s future.

“I may be chair but I don't get to make the decision,” he said. “At the end of the day you've got to get people together and find consensus and deliver a product.”

For the full story go here.