According to the Los Angeles Times and Capitol Weekly, leaders of our state Democratic Party are “putting pressure” on our legislative leaders to reject Abel Maldonado’s nomination for LG.

First of all, I hold Chairman Burton, Alex Rooker and the entire CDP team in the highest personal regard.  Under their field-and-finance-focused leadership, the CDP is in extremely able (no pun) hands heading into the most challenging election season in recent memory.  But I humbly and respectfully disagree with this position.  (Note to self: send college-hoops-themed gift basket to Chairman Burton stat.)

Here's a good one from the California Democratic Party. The CDP today launched a website to introduce U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina to California voters. The site, www.carlyfailorina.com <http://www.carlyfailorina.com>, highlights the worst business failures of the candidate that Portfolio Magazine named the “19th Worst CEO of All Time” after a disastrous run at Silicon Valley-based Hewlett-Packard.

In an op-ed on the San Francisco Chronicle's website, former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez is urging legislative Democrats to support the Governor's nomination of Abel Maldonado for the LG spot. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/opinionshop/detail?&entry_id=56535#ixzz0eQsgnq4w.

Yesterday, President Obama released his first real federal budget.  Although the FY 2010 budget was released after President Obama took office, it as largely just an edited version of what the Bush Office of Management and Budget prepared.
 
One early issue of note to California is that President Obama requested $330 million for SCAAP funding.  SCAAP reimburses states and localities for the costs of incarcerating undocumented felons.  California typically receives forty percent of the overall federal SCAAP funding.  While $330 million is a drop in the bucket compared to California's related costs and is shy of the fully authorized amount, it represents a move in the right direction.  The Bush administration typically zero-funded SCAAP.  Hopefully, our Congressional delegation can work to up the amount of SCAAP funds that are appropriated as the process unfolds in Congress.

You have to give them credit; Republican Party leaders still dominate the dirty tricks department.

The Associated Press is reporting http://www.fresnobee.com/news/national-politics/story/1796316.html that the Republican National Committee is sending out officially-appearing letters that look like Census forms.

When the cameras panned the House floor during the President's State of the Union speech last night, i thought I was California Congressman Tom McClintock among the Republicans who sat on their hands during most of the chief executive's remarks. Which got me to thinking: what is the original Mr. Tea Party up to?

Senator-wannabe and sometimes voter Carly Fiorina and her fledgling campaign got some more bad news today with the results of the latest PPIC poll. Despite plowing millions of her own money into her race, Fiorina is stuck at a distant second place behind Tom Campbell, who just jumped into the contest.

The usually mild-mannered press secretary of Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg apparently has had it up to her eyebrows with the Govrnor's constant attacks of foot-in-mouth disease. I can't say I blame her. Here's a statement she released this afternoon after
Schwarzenegger’s office  released a document stating that Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg’s endorsement of a tax withholding requirement on independent contractors is a tax increase.

Kudos to Speaker Karen Bass for being a straight-shooter about Governor Schwarzenegger's "blame it on DC" strategy.

In an interview with Politico http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31737.html today, Speaker Bass says the Governor's poking of the D.C. delegation prior to their visit led for ruffled feathers and may have hurt their efforts to get more federal dollars.