California: Dccc

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.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a map today detailing the benefits for the Recovery Plan.  The DCCC has made Congressman Calvert one of 12 GOP House members they are targeting in an e-mail, text, and telephone campaign calling these members out for voting against the stimulus package.  As the DCCC states, "Congressman Ken Calvert's vote against President Obama's economic recovery package means that he tried to block a badly needed and shovel-ready project to repair streets in Riverside, California, creating 23 jobs alone."

To view the map, visit www.DCCC.org/Content/Recovery
In Mr. Calvert's world of bizarre partisan purity, the Stimulus Bill spends too much.

On Wednesday, February 18th the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted this press release...

Shady Representative Calvert Land Deal Still in Court

Did Calvert and Co. get special treatment to 'further curry political favor'?  With questions still swirling about Representative Ken Calvert's role in the purchase of public land, a $1.5 million lawsuit alleging the land sale may have been improper - or worse - continues to make its way through Riverside County Superior Court.
"Representative Calvert's shady land deal refuses to go away.  After all, Calvert and his partners got a sweetheart deal on a prime piece of property that avoided a competitive bidding process and was done to 'further curry political favor, relations and influence,'" said Andy Stone, Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

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.