California: Dan Lungren

From Rob Hotakainen, Washington bureau

WASHINGTON --- House Democrats on Tuesday will launch a telephone campaign against 12 Republicans, including Gold River's Dan Lungren, who voted against President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus package signed into law last week.

Republicans in Lungren's 3rd District can expect to receive telephone calls, e-mails and text messages such as this:

"Hello, I'm calling on behalf of House Democrats with an important message about the economy. Did you know Congressman Dan Lungren voted against President Obama's economic recovery plan, endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? Lungren's empty rhetoric can't hide that he voted to raise the AMT (alternative minimum tax) on 22 million middle class Americans and against the largest tax cut in history.

Senate Republicans have a new leader today after the caucus ousted Sen. Dave Cogdill and replaced him with Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth shortly after midnight.

Despite speculation that Senate Republicans may ask to reopen budget talks, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg insisted the change has absolutely no effect on his strategy to break the budget deadlock this week.

"We're going to maintain our focus towards solving the problem of getting one vote regardless of who the leader is," Steinberg said after his house took a recess around 1 a.m. "Leadership doesn't change the fact that there is no other idea put forward that would take $41 billion out of a budget deficit.

Aren't you excited that, with nearly two years until the next election, here I am offering campaign news?

Except there are two significant developments today in California of which you should be aware.

First, Jerry Brown is throwing his hat in the ring to be California's governor for a second time.  He hasn't formally announced, but this interview signals that he will.

It was 1974 when Jerry Brown ran for governor as a dashing 36-year-old reformer, the embodiment of change in Watergate's aftermath.

"I was the new spirit," Brown recalled. "That was my slogan."

No one would mistake Brown for a new spirit today. At 70, he occupies a prime spot among the elders of California politics.

After making two unsuccessful tries at knocking off incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River), Democrat Bill Durston said he plans on making a third bid in 2010.

Noting how his support in the 3rd Congressional District race improved between 2006 and 2008 - from 37.9 percent to 43.8 - Durston said he believes Lungren could be vulnerable in two years.