Today, on Barack Obama's birthday, the presidential candidate is pushing his energy policy -- and irony. "There is no place I'd rather be on my birthday than Lansing, Mich.," said Obama with a smile.

Obama has shifted his position on tapping strategic oil reserves. He is now for it. Obama and McCain are continuing to trade barbs on energy. "Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been 30 years in the making and was caused by the failure of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country," said Obama.

Frank Wolak, professor of economics at Stanford, argues in an article for the San Jose Mercury News that energy speculators are not to blame. He also gives tentative support to tapping oil reserves: "[R]eleasing a small amount of oil from the U.S. reserve may still make sense. Given historically high prices - and the great need for government revenues - this may be a fortuitous time to sell oil and take advantage of the market."

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For over a decade, the Center for Disease Control has underestimated the AIDS infection rate by 40%. The news comes days after the Black AIDS Institute released a report finding the "AIDS epidemic is not over in America, especially not in Black America."

The New York Times reports Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is considering new oil drilling off the Gulf Coast as an incentive to get Republicans on board with alternative fuel research and ending oil company tax breaks. “If we come up with a genuine bipartisan compromise, where I have to accept some things that I don’t like in order to get energy independence,” Mr. Obama said, “that’s something I will have to consider.” This comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked a vote this week to increase off-shore drilling.

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When it comes to our dealings with animals, we are all on a pathway. Many of us deeply committed to the cause of protecting animals started out with no awareness of the problem of human-caused cruelty and abuse. But with more information and reflection, we started down the track of greater understanding and more empathy. And some of us have become advocates, not content just to live by a set of principles but compelled to see them broadly adopted by society.

For me, that journey took years, and I am still learning all the time, even though I am president of the largest animal protection group in the world and have access to the best information anyone could have.

For veterans of animal advocacy, it's uplifting to see others in the process of a moral awakening on the issue.

It was a particular pleasure for me to see Nicholas Kristof's NY Times column, "A Farm Boy Reflects," partly because he's moved quite a long way on the issue of animal protection since his last public discourse on the subject. Of course, Kristof, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, is best known for his powerful and compelling writings about human rights—he's covered Darfur, child prostitution networks, sweatshops and other forced labor set-ups, and other human injustices.

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Governor Schwarzenegger's decision to cut-off state worker jobs and salaries is like feuding parents getting their kids in the middle of an ugly divorce -- it's unfair, mean-spirited and doesn't solve the problem. The San Jose Mercury News reports on Arnold's actions and what it means for the 200,000 public employees who took a pay cut and 10,00 who were outright laid off.

In case you missed, Lt. Governor John Garamendi will run for Governor in 2010, but as they say, if you're shocked, you're not paying attention. The Sacramento Bee reports that Garamendi has wanted (and sought) the job for years. He comes to the race with a great resume, but might be overshadowed by the fresher Newsom or more charismatic Jerry Brown.

You probably wouldn't be surprised to hear that Focus on the Family is ponying up to support the anti-gay Measure 8, but what was less expected was the $1 million check for the no campaign from a Utah philanthropist, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Money for this and other measures has been flowing from out of state and will surely continue.

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California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) says Governor Schwarzenegger’s decision to withhold the pay of 200,000 state employees until a budget is signed is "disappointing…unwise…and unnecessary." Speaker Bass says the pay cut order from the Governor will cause economic strife to public servants and their families who are working hard and playing by the rules. As we learn in this Assembly Access video the Speaker says the Governor’s action will not get in the way of a budget that reflects the values of Californians.

Foster care advocates and stakeholders gathered at the State Capitol recently to provide testimony on the challenges and solutions needed to strengthen California’s foster care system, the largest foster care system in the nation. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, (D-Los Angeles) and the Assembly Select Committee on Foster Care, chaired by Assemblymember Jim Beall, Jr.,(D- San Jose), listened to foster care advocates outline best practices on helping families stay together, providing support for social workers and ensuring the well-being of foster youth and families. Here’s more in this Assembly Web Report.

Another day, another bad California poll for John McCain. During his fundraising stop in San Francisco earlier this week, GOP presidential nominee John McCain vowed, "I will compete and I will win in the state of California." Perhaps Senator McCain knows something the voters of California don’t. The latest Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll finds that Barack Obama leads John McCain in the Golden State by 15 points. As for McCain’s bold pledge? I guess it depends on one’s definition of the word "compete."
 
Evans-Novak Political Report rates McNerney/Andal race "leaning Democratic retention." The news just keeps getting worse for Stockton developer lobbyist and Republican congressional candidate Dean Andal, who over the last month has become embroiled in the scandal involving the misuse of tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds and a potential violation of open government laws. After Politico last week proclaimed Andal "one of the party’s weakest fundraisers," perhaps due in part to the scandal, another major D.C.-based publication has rated the CD-11 contest as "leaning Democratic retention."
 
According to the latest Evans-Novak report: "This valley district east of the Bay tilts Republican, but not overwhelmingly—Bush garnered 53% and 54% in 2000 and 2004. To compensate for the tilt of his district, McNerney has roped some local GOP politicians into his campaign. He also has a heavy fundraising advantage….McNerney now sits on a two-to-one cash-on-hand edge over former state bureaucrat and former state Assemblyman Dean Andal (R). McNerney realizes he needs to work hard to win this seat, but he has the edge early on. Leaning Democratic Retention."

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Over the last several years, the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) has grown to become one of our state's largest advocacy organizations with more than 700,000 members in California. We are dedicated to improving the California communities we serve and the lives of California families for generations to come.

Late yesterday, SEIU's leadership met to discuss a number of issues, one of which was Proposition 11, the measure on this November's ballot to change the way Legislative districts are drawn. Although we have taken positions on many of the ballot measures, our members will not take a formal position in support or opposition to Proposition 11.

SEIU is dedicated to improving the way our government works for working families -- increasing access to affordable health care, protecting and improving our environment, improving schools, building sustainable communities with affordable housing, public transportation and good paying jobs, and developing a more fair economic system.

To achieve these goals, we must first fix our broken political system. There are many steps involved in that, one of them is developing a new approach to drawing legislative districts that is transparent and puts an end to protecting the status quo by putting the needs of Californians first.

However, Proposition 11's approach to reapportionment cannot guarantee to fix our broken system. Instead, we urge Legislative leaders to commit to work together, across party, geographic and demographic lines, to develop a real solution, a meaningful first step to changing the way Sacramento works for all Californians.

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Courtni Pugh is the Executive Director of the SEIU California State Council.

Expect some fightin' words at high noon today. I wouldn't exactly call the Capitol the "O.K." corral, but it will be the site where Governor Schwarzenegger is expected around 11:30 am to declare whether he'll be withholding the wages of 200,000 state employees until he signs a budget.

A growing chorus of state officials has stated their opposition to the plan. State Controller John Chiang was one of the first, citing state cash reserves that could easily pay the workers through September. Next was Leutenant Governor John Garamendi, who asked the Governor if he and his family could live on $262 a week. Yesterday, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer told the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board he thinks this is "another example of a governor who would rather have press conferences than do the tough, nitty-gritty negotiations."

For opinions of unelected columnists, check out George Skelton at the Los Angeles Times and Peter Schrag at the Sacramento Bee for their four cents on the matter. And for what the order means for student-interns, California Progress Report has a real live one, Drea Davis, who lays it out.

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