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California: California Democratic Party

March 5, 2009 - 07:45 pm
NEWS FEED: Calitics

CYD Endorsement press release

By Dante Atkins (hekebolos)

Last week, I posted a brief entry about CYD's endorsements in CDP leadership races.  I received some complaints about it, and I agreed to post CYD's official press release as a clarification of sorts.  It is rather lengthy, so I am posting the full text below the fold.
Santa Barbara, CA- The California Young Democrats (CYD) took official positions on the race for the California Democratic Party's Executive Board:

Chair- John Burton.  A founding member of the San Francisco Young Democrats, John Burton has spent decades in the trenches fighting to put progressive principles into action. A leader on such issues as universal healthcare, college affordability and the living wage, CYD is confident that John Burton will continue to fight for issues young people across the state care most about.

Read More at Calitics >
There have been 40 comments posted in response to this story.

February 19, 2009 - 03:16 pm
NEWS FEED: Calitics

25 Things About The California Budget

By David Dayen

Done for the Facebook reference: I may not get to 25.

1. One bit of schadenfreude in this is that Doug McIntyre of KABC and the comment section of the OC Register are flipping out over the heretics who broke with dogma and voted for tax increases.  McIntyre was particularly incensed about a Sacramento Bee editorial lauding Dave Cogdill as a "hero."  He's not a hero, he's an extortionist, but McIntyre was calling him a guy who "took money out of your pocket to give to someone else."  Typical Yacht Party jihadism.

2. It's very clear to me that this got wrapped up today before the Yacht Party's meeting in Sacramento, just blocks from the Capitol, so the spectacle of the crazies on the lawn demanding that old people eat cat food and public schools use the weeds out back for lunches be averted.

Read More at Calitics >
There have been 38 comments posted in response to this story.

February 12, 2009 - 07:59 pm
NEWS FEED: Calitics

Burton Watch Offers Revealing Critiques Of The Man Who Would Be CDP Chair

By David Dayen

It's been distressing to see the race for CDP chair turn from an election into a coronation, with John Burton lining up institutional support, muscling out the grassroots and forcing his competition to the sidelines.  Coming off an historic Presidential election, with the demographics squarely on the side of Democrats and a new generation of activists who have boundless ideas to bring a different organizing philosophy to California, the right chairman of the Party could really leverage the energy and activity into something special, to lay the groundwork for a re-imagining of the political structure.  Sadly, the best can be said of Burton is that

Read More at Calitics >
There have been 35 comments posted in response to this story.

January 30, 2009 - 03:00 am
NEWS FEED: Los Angeles Times

Politics enters state's stem cell research program

By Eric Bailey

Reporting from Sacramento -- On the cusp of a new era in stem cell science, Democratic heavyweights are pushing to install the outgoing California Democratic Party chief in a leadership post at the state's $3-billion research program.

Art Torres, who served two decades as a state lawmaker before assuming the party chairmanship a dozen years ago, is being backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California and Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, among others.

Torres' opponent for vice chairman on the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is Republican biotech executive Duane Roth, supported by Gov.

Read More at Los Angeles Times >
There have been 29 comments posted in response to this story.

Thu, 12/11/2008 - 16:52

FPPC postpones decision on ‘slush fund’ ballot measure committees

By Ben van der Meer, PolitickerCA.com Senior Reporter

SACRAMENTO - The state Fair Political Practices Commission postponed a decision Thursday that would make it more difficult for politicians to use generic ballot measure committees as less-regulated slush funds for political fundraising.

Bowing to concerns from both concerned election law attorneys and some commissioners, the FPPC voted unanimously to delay adoption of the regulation until its details could be clarified, which would happen before the commission's next meeting in early January.

There have been 34 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 22:15

Torres hopes life after politics involves putting a human face on state stem cell research

By Jeff Mitchell, PolitickerCA.com Editor

SACRAMENTO -- With just a few more months to go before California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres plans to step down as head of the party, the famous former state lawmaker is already thinking about the future.

And the future in Torres' case may well involve being one of the high ministers of an agency doing some of the most cutting-edge science out there - stem cell research.

Torres, 62, has been nominated to become the next vice chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

There have been 32 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 00:01

Burton says state Democratic Party must do more to turn more 'red' areas 'blue' - or at least 'purple'

By Jeff Mitchell, PolitickerCA.com Editor

SAN FRANCISCO - Famed state political legend John Burton has begun to detail the kinds of things he plans to do with the state Democratic Party should he be elected its chairman next spring.

Burton said that he would focus on getting the party to provide more assistance to those grassroots efforts working to turn traditionally Republican or conservative counties to more moderate if not outright Democratic counties.

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There have been 35 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 21:23

Campaign for chair of the California Democratic Party picking up steam

By Jeff Mitchell, PolitickerCA.com Editor

SAN FRANCISCO - The political derby to become the next chair of the California Democratic Party commenced in earnest this week.

While legendary former California lawmaker John Burton is the odds-on favorite to replace current CDP Chairman Art Torres, he is not alone.

Labor lobbyist and CDP state First Vice Chair Alexandra Rooker has been in the hunt since early summer. Joining her is Eric Bauman, who is the chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.

There have been 39 comments posted in response to this story.
Mon, 12/01/2008 - 20:31

John Burton on GOP budget proposals: 'The Republicans are full of crap'

By Ben van der Meer, PolitickerCA.com Senior Reporter

STATE CAPITOL - Former state Senate President Pro Tem and U.S. Rep. John Burton (D-San Francisco) hovered about swearing-in activities Monday, with plenty of thoughts on the ugly fiscal situation newly appointed lawmakers will face.

"They're coming into a very bad situation," said Burton, who was termed out in 2004 and is planning a run for California Democratic Party chair next year. "But I think it's unfair to lay the responsibility for a solution totally on Speaker Bass and Senator Steinberg."

There have been 11 comments posted in response to this story.
Mon, 11/03/2008 - 19:10

California Republican Party files FEC complaint against Obama campaign

By Ben van der Meer, PolitickerCA.com Senior Reporter

The California Republican Party filed a complaint Monday with the Federal Election Commission over four different situations where the party said Barack Obama's presidential campaign and/or its allies are flouting the law.

In one part of the complaint, the party said Obama's campaign failed to disclose its release of a donor list to ACORN, a federal housing rights group under investigation for possible voter registration fraud.

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There have been 46 comments posted in response to this story.