California News by David Finnigan

Sat, 05/03/2008 - 18:30

King/Drew closure haunts the LA County 2nd District board race

The West Los Angeles Democratic Club’s Saturday afternoon debate was more wonkish than wild as less than 150 voters listened to measured responses by the two leading faces in the L.A. County Board of Supervisors’ 2nd District race.

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Sat, 05/03/2008 - 04:00

San Diego D.A. will not retry Chula Vista city councilman on perjury charges

San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’s politician-targeting Public Integrity Unit will not retry Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Castaneda on perjury charges, the D.A. said Friday.

A jury on April 23rd acquitted Castaneda of six perjury counts and deadlocked on four more. Those remaining four felony charges plus two misdemeanor counts were dropped.

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Sat, 05/03/2008 - 03:15

Sheehan taking names, dollars for independent race against Pelosi

[img_assist|nid=765|title=Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan|desc=Photo by Getty Images|link=none|url=undefined|align=none|width=420|height=276]Ex-“peace mom” Cindy Sheehan claims she has a $130,000 war chest for her independent campaign against what she calls, “Nancy Pelosi and her cabal in San Francisco.”

“I’m not just running against Nancy Pelosi,” Sheehan said in a radio interview this week. “I’m running against the two-party system, the entire system.”

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Sat, 05/03/2008 - 02:53

Field poll shows voters prefer Schwarzenegger's health plan but have more trust in the nurses union

A new Field Poll shows that the California Nurses Association has strong credibility among voters on health care issues, but those surveyed also prefer Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s health care plan, which the CNA recently helped defeat.

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Fri, 05/02/2008 - 11:51

Leno gets DFA and Bay Guardian endorsements in bid to unseat Migden in 3rd district state Senate race

Assemblyman Mark Leno has picked up endorsements from the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the Howard Dean-driven group Democracy For America in his Democratic primary push to unseat incumbent 3rd District State Sen. Carole Midgen.

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Fri, 05/02/2008 - 05:32

Nunez, other Hispanic power faces speak at L.A. May Day rally; Mexican congressman booed

[img_assist|nid=746|title=Thursday's immigration rights rally in Los Angeles|desc=Photo by Getty Images|link=none|align=middle|width=420|height=280]

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez addressed Thursday's smaller-than-expected May Day rally in downtown Los Angeles, his blue shirt looking crisp and every hair in place as he spoke in Spanish and then English to voters and future citizens who will vote.

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Fri, 05/02/2008 - 05:10

May Day immigration rallies statewide attract low crowd numbers

A round-up of Thursday's May Day immigration marches shows that crowd numbers statewide were lower than expected, which raises some legitimate speculation as to how much impact such large Hispanic protests will have on immigration policy this election year.

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Fri, 05/02/2008 - 01:28

Berkeley elected official gets 6 months in county jail in felony voter fraud case

A political activist and ex-member of Berkeley’s rent stabilization board was given six months in county jail Thursday after his felony conviction for living in Oakland but listing a Berkeley address so he could run for the rent control post.

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Fri, 05/02/2008 - 01:28

Berkeley elected official gets 6 months in county jail in felony voter fraud case

A political activist and ex-member of Berkeley’s rent stabilization board was given six months in county jail Thursday after his felony conviction for living in Oakland but listing a Berkeley address so he could run for the rent control post.

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Thu, 05/01/2008 - 11:06

San Diego mayor's race is staying loud yet trying to be cordial

A Wednesday evening debate between millionaire businessman Steve Francis and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders ended with them actually shaking hands, compared to their previous debate in which the incumbent refused to offer that gesture.

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