Quote of the Day - Henry David Thoreau

I happened to drive by Thoreau Way in Stevenson Ranch on Sunday and it reminded me of a phrase in Walden.

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Dionne on Obama and the Republican Agenda

When partisanship wins, the American people lose.  Most folks I talk to just want our leaders in Washington to get things done and not risk tanking the economy or abdicate their leadership to score political points.

The GOP can win if the mood is terribly negative toward Washington because voters see Obama as the man in charge.  ... the trend on the president’s numbers has been downward, and the Republicans seem willing to pay a high price to keep them moving that way. ... Obama hates to bring up the nasty fact that we have political parties, but very soon, he will have to point out that it is Republicans in Congress who are blocking his agenda. They will either have to start worrying about their low ratings or begin to pay a real price for obstruction.

Source: Dionne, E.J., Jr. "Obama’s paradox problem," Washington Post. 8/31/11.

Poem of the Day - Rainer Maria Rilke

A Walk

My eyes already touch the sunny hill.
going far ahead of the road I have begun.
So we are grasped by what we cannot grasp;
it has inner light, even from a distance-

and charges us, even if we do not reach it,
into something else, which, hardly sensing it,
we already are; a gesture waves us on
answering our own wave...
but what we feel is the wind in our faces.

Translated by Robert Bly

Photo of the Day - Rep. Brad Sherman

Despite the somewhat volatile mood of the electorate and triple digit temperatures, Congressman Brad Sherman still moved forward with a Town Hall meeting at Reseda High School this past Sunday.  I respect him for it as not many members of Congress are willing to do so these days.  I also appreciated his remarks at the Granada Hills North Neighorhood Council (which I serve on) earlier this year.

Cartoon of the Day - Behind the Scenes

Don't tell Governor Perry.  He might find it "treasonous." ;)

Rove on Palin

I think a lot of people would agree with Rove on this point.

"It is a sign of enormous thin skin that if we speculate about her, she gets upset. And I suspect if we didn’t speculate about her, she’d be upset." — Karl Rove taking a swing at Sarah Palin on Fox News.

Source: Tanabe, Karin. "The Week in One-Liners," POLITICO. 8/26/11.

Quote of the Day - Richard Trumka

“As we approach this Labor Day, our working-class people are looking for three things: jobs, jobs, jobs."  - AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

Source: Tau, Bryon. "AFL-CIO head: Labor to ditch Democrats," POLITICO. 8/25/11.

West on Obama

A hard critique of the President from the left.

The age of Obama has fallen tragically short of fulfilling King’s prophetic legacy. Instead of articulating a radical democratic vision and fighting for homeowners, workers and poor people in the form of mortgage relief, jobs and investment in education, infrastructure and housing, the administration gave us bailouts for banks, record profits for Wall Street and giant budget cuts on the backs of the vulnerable. 

Source: West, Cornel. "Dr. King Weeps From His Grave," New York Times. 8/25/11.

Cornel West, a philosopher, is a professor at Princeton.

Wildermuth on Partisanship

A sad but accurate commentary on our bodies politic.  Is it the system or simply the people we elect? Maybe we need to put people of different backgrounds in the statehouse--not just lobbyists, spouses of current elected officials and the other usual suspects.

In the ever-more-partisan worlds of Washington and Sacramento, the question now isn't whether a bill is good or bad for the state or the country, but what its political effect will be on the Democratic and Republican parties. And when there's an election in the offing, that all-too-often becomes the only consideration. ... Voters, both in California and the rest of the nation, want their elected officials to do whatever it takes to improve the state and the country, which means backing the best, smartest and most effective economic plans and legislation, regardless of who originally suggested it.  It's the results that matter to most Americans and they don't much care who gets the credit.

Source: Wildermuth, John. "Partisan Fights Hold Ideas Hostage," Fox & Hounds Daily. 8/26/11.

Brooks on the Perry Phenom

It is still early and he has his first presidential debate on September 7th but Governor Perry is off to a strong start in the polls.  Perhaps it might also be said that Donald Trump also lead the polls in April.

The evidence suggests that Perry’s appeal will not be just a summer fad. He’s benefiting from several of the trends that have fundamentally altered the Republican electorate. If the 2008 electorate were going to vote in the 2012 primaries, then Romney could handle Perry. But that electorate no longer exists. The events of 2009 and 2010 — bailouts, health care reform, the stimulus package — substantially shifted voter attitudes and nothing that has happened in 2011 has altered that shift. 

Source: Brooks, David. "President Rick Perry?" New York Times. 8/25/11.

Bauman on the Merits of VBM

I still love going into the voting booth and pulling the lever but voting by mail (VBM) saves both money and time (for the voter and campaigns).

“The voting day is over by the time they get home.  That’s the kind of voter, the occasional voter, that you have to work hard to get out to vote. So the solution is to put a ballot in their hands, and that’s the starting point.” - Eric Bauman, Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party

Source: Howard, John. "State Democratic Party targets mail vote to boost L.A. turnout," Capitol Weekly. 8/25/11.

Cartoon of the Day - Initiatives

Off the Presses - August 25th Show

Today’s episode of Off the Presses featured interviews with Daily News editorial writer Mariel Garza and attorney Sherman Ellison who is battling the City of L.A. over its troubled red-light camera program. Other topics included the recent stabbing on the Red Line subway and the Santa Mountain Mountains Conservancy’s revenues from its stop sign cameras. Special thanks to our sponsor PacFed Benefit Administrators, Inc.

You can click here to play or download the show as well as all shows (with summaries of topics and guests) on L.A. Talk Radio or iTunes.  Please feel free to tweet or email us a question to ask on-air.

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OTP August 25th Advisory - Mariel Garza & Sherman Ellison

Off the Presses (OTP) will feature Daily News editorial writer Mariel Garza and attorney Sherman Ellison today at 11 a.m. Special thanks to our sponsor PacFed Benefit Administrators, Inc. and our media partner, The City Maven.  Catch the live stream on LA Talk Radio (just click on the “Listen 2 Live” button on the right-hand side of the screen). You can also play/download every OTP show and/or go to iTunes. Please feel free to tweet or email us a question to ask on-air.  Here is the link to our conversation last week with Joel Kotkin and Jon Regardie.

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Cartoon of the Day - Emissions

Walters on the Mood of the Electorate

Walters makes some good points.  What does it say for us as a society if the status quo is not good enough but we don't know what kind of change/reform we want?  Maybe we need leaders to step forward to provide some vision.

The malaise has become virtually a cottage industry as foundations, think tanks and academic consortia delve into our shortcomings and generate endless conferences and position papers and occasional reform proposals. ... Voters are unhappy with the political status quo and want change but aren't certain what kind of change they want. They are very skeptical about paying more taxes, although they may be willing to impose more taxes on business. ... When we seek the root causes of California's political dysfunction, we should look first in the mirror.  Collectively, we residents of this very diverse state really don't know what we want. 

Source: Walters, Dan. "New survey finds same old conflict ion California governance," Sacramento Bee. 8/23/11.

Editorializing on Homeownership

Some analysis from the New York Times editorial page.

Tens of millions of Americans are being crushed by the overhang of mortgage debt. And Congress and the White House have yet to figure out that the economy will not recover until housing recovers — and that won’t happen without a robust effort to curb foreclosures by modifying troubled mortgage loans.

Instead of pushing the banks to do what is needed, the Obama administration has basically urged them to do their best to help, mainly by reducing interest rates for troubled borrowers. The banks haven’t done nearly enough. In many instances, they can make more from fees and charges on defaulted loans than on modifications.

Source: Editorial. "Homeowners Need Help," New York Times. 8/21/11.

Traister on Obama

Interesting alternative history analysis in the full piece as well as some good observations of what faced Obama on Day One.

We forget, sometimes, that our government was designed to limit the powers of the president. Barack Obama walked into the White House in January 2009 with his own set of structural and strategic challenges: an economy in free fall; a 24-hour cable-news and talk-radio-fed culture eager to blare “crisis!” headlines every 12 minutes, making long-view evaluations of a presidency impossible; and most important, an obstinate Congress. On every major vote, from the stimulus to uncompromised health care reform, Obama needed 60 (not the historically customary 50) to get anything moving, a practical impossibility, thanks both to Republicans, whose stated goal was not to fix things but to keep the president from fixing anything, and to conservative Democrats, who made the party’s majority a false promise to begin with.

Source: Traister, Rebecca. "What Would Hillary Clinton Have Done?," New York Times. 8/17/11.

Rebecca Traister is the author of “Big Girls Don’t Cry: The Election That Changed Everything for American Women” and a contributor to the magazine.

August 18th featuring Joel Kotkin and Jon Regardie

Off the Presses featured featured some hard hitting commentary about L.A.’s economic decline as we spoke with Chapman University Fellow Joel Kotkin, who expanded on his recent articles about how the city lost its manufacturing and corporate base due to over-taxation and over-regulation resulting in net job loss despite population growth. Next up, we interviewed Downtown L.A. News editor Jon Regardie who handicapped NFL teams’ eventual moves to L.A. along with who the next mayor might be.  Special thanks to our sponsor PacFed Benefit Administrators, Inc.

You can click here to play or download the show as well as all shows (with summaries of topics and guests) on L.A. Talk Radio or iTunes.  Please feel free to tweet or email us a question to ask on-air.

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Parker on Profanity

Interesting observation.

Public profanity is nothing new, of course, but it inarguably has gotten worse. It was hilarious (and shocking) in the 1970s when comedian George Carlin poked fun at our cultural aversion to the seven words you can’t say on television. His act now can be viewed as a period piece. We can say most anything anywhere now, and we do. Penalties may arise from behavior that accompanies foul language, but the words themselves are constitutionally protected. As they should be, I hasten to add. Like most Americans, I’m willing to have my sensibilities offended rather than surrender the freedoms that permit such offense. ... Good behavior is nothing but good manners, simply consideration of others. Recently out of vogue, manners get hauled out the way most people attend church — at Easter and Christmastime. But manners aren’t just gray-haired pretensions practiced by smug elites on special occasions. They are the daily tithes we willingly surrender to civilization.

Source: Parker, Kathleen. "What’s wrong with these bleeping people?" Washington Post. 8/19/11.

Cartoon of the Day - Time Management

Will on Christie

I find myself agreeing with the WashPo columnist and This Week contributor on these two points.

[New Jersey Governor Chris] Christie, who resembles Falstaff in girth and Jack Dempsey in pugnacity, is a visceral politician who thrives on conflict. ... He relishes being America’s Caesar — its most powerful governor.

Source: Will, George F. "Chris Christie, America’s Caesar," Washington Post. 8/19/11.

Douthat on Perry

The New York Times columnist provides a context for the Rick Perry presidential juggernaut.

When Perry became governor, taxes were already low, regulations were light, and test scores were on their way up. He didn’t create the zoning rules that keep Texas real estate affordable, or the strict lending requirements that minimized the state’s housing bubble. Over all, the Texas model looks like something he inherited rather than a system he built.

Source: Douthat, Ross. "Messing With Texas," New York Times. 8/21/11

Calbuzz on the Fruits of Republican Obstructionism

Calbuzz has really been on point this week and I thought the following analysis was no exception.  I happen to like Jon Fleischman quite a bit and have done events with him as well as had him on Off the Presses--but he is really putting himself out on a limb with this redistricting referendum nonsense.

"... the fruits of Republican obstructionism over the last decade have been declining schools, more debt, deteriorating infrastructure and a world class university system that’s quickly becoming second-rate.

Maybe businesses actually understand that their economic self interest is better served by a government that’s not too hobbled by partisanship to provide decent public education, public health, public transportation, public recreation and water delivery systems and services.

If we recall our U.S. history, the whole notion of using tax dollars for the government to help build and sustain the private sector goes back to the administration of Abraham Lincoln, who we heard had something to do with starting the Republican party.

Source: Roberts, Jerry and Trounstine, Phil. "Why Flash Is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong on Redistricting," Calbuzz. 8/19/11.

DeSaulnier on Reforming the Initiative Process

There should be more transparency in the initiative process.  Why shouldn't voters know if a person is being paid to circulate a petition or not?  It might make a difference if they know most are paid and few efforts these days are truly "grassroots."

"When volunteers cannot circulate petitions because of the bad actions of special interest petitioners, this is bad for true community activism and civic engagement.  Approval of this bill is an important first step in restoring the initiative process to what Hiram Johnson intended." - California State Senator  Mark DeSaulnier, author of Senate Bill 448

Source: Van Oot, Torey. "Bill requiring badges for paid initiative circulators goes to Brown," Sacramento Bee. 8/18/11.

Whalen on Brown

We had Bill on Off the Presses not too long ago and he was terrific.  I might not share all of his conclusions but I appreciate his sense of history and comparisons.  It will be interesting to see how Governor Brown moves forward on a number of fronts and priorities.

At age 73 and no longer a player in national Democratic politics, Jerry Brown presumably would be immune to the same "Potomac Fever" that afflicted him throughout his earlier stay in the "Horseshoe." He sought California's top job not as a means of killing time between flights to early primary states, but instead to end his storied career on a high note.  Moreover, Brown campaigned on one issue – honestly addressing the $25 billion budget shortfall. To me, a no-excuses fiscal technocrat seemed like California's best hope of ending a decade of shoddy budgeting.

Source: Whalen, Bill. Op-Ed. "Why has Jerry Brown become so vanilla?" Sacramento Bee. 8/14/11.

OTP August 18th Advisory - Joel Kotkin & Jon Regardie

Off the Presses (OTP) will feature author/thought leader Joel Kotkin and Los Angeles Downtown News Executive Editor Jon Regardie.  Special thanks to our sponsor PacFed Benefit Administrators, Inc. and our media partner, The City Maven.  Catch the live stream tomorrow at 11 a.m. on LA Talk Radio (just click on the “Listen 2 Live” button on the right-hand side of the screen). You can also play/download every OTP show and/or go to iTunes.  Please feel free to tweet or email us a question to ask on-air.  Here is the link to our conversation last week with Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain.

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Mercury News on the CRC

We talked about this earlier today at the VICA Government Affairs Committee.  The lines may be imperfect but they are a big improvement from the last time and invite more confidence from the public.

The commissioners worked in the open, and they took seriously the concerns of those who matter most: Californians, not just politicians. ... The commission held 34 public hearings statewide, taking testimony from some 3,000 people in person and 20,000 in writing. ... One of the commission's most important accomplishments is increasing people's confidence in government. They have seen how one ballot measure can improve the way things get done, a counterweight to the distaste so many feel about politics. And they know their legislative and congressional districts are no longer drawn to protect incumbents. They will be much more competitive, because they're based on geographic boundaries, communities of interest and the mandates of the Voting Rights Act. ... Thanks to the voters of California, our method of redistricting can serve as a national model for reform.

Source: Editorial."California redistricting commission can be model for the nation," San Jose Mercury News. 8/14/11.

Cartoon of the Day - Off to College

Henderson on the Fighting Spirit

The UFC put together another great card this past Sunday with UFC Live 5. I liked this comment by the victorious Ben Henderson in his post-fight interview. 

"We have training partners who bleed with us. They're our brothers. If not for those guys, I wouldn't be where I'm at. Life like a fighter is life like a starving artist, and I just want them to get a shot. I will stand behind them." - Former WEC Champ and current UFC Title Contender, Ben Henderson

Source: Arias, Carlos. "MMA notes: UFC headed to Fox," Orange County Register. 8/17/11.

Quote of the Day - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

I am looking forward to the Coro CrossTalk on Prop. 13 next month at CSUN.  Should be interesting to say the least.

"Governor Brown, I say we need to have the courage to test the voltage in some of these so-called 'third rail' issues, beginning with Proposition 13." - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Source: Walters, Dan. "Villaraigosa drops hint about," Sacramento Bee. 8/17/11.

Cohen on the "Texas Gipper" and Romney

Some interesting analysis by the WashPo columnist.

Perry stands a pretty good chance of being the next president of the United States. Like Reagan, Perry is gaffe-prone (he once suggested that Texas could secede from the union) and, again like Reagan, appallingly conservative on social and economic issues. But the similarity that matters most is that both men were elected governor of mini-nations — California and Texas. ... [Romney] is like one of those odd animals left behind by an ice age or shrinking oceans. Nature adapted him to a different political climate. He is his father’s son, a pragmatic Republican. He is moderate on social issues and actually knows how to make money and create jobs. But his very moderation, not to mention his exotic Mormonism, makes him suspect in the tea partyish Republican Party. Every time he pledges never ever to raise taxes even a teensy-weensy bit, I imagine his fingers are crossed.

Source: Cohen, Richard. "The Texas Gipper," Washington Post. 8/15/11.

Off the Presses featuring Hon. Ed Reyes and Ron Kaye

Off the Presses featured interviews with L.A. City Councilmember Ed Reyes and former Daily News editor Ron Kaye, both of whom shared their thoughts about the city’s agreement with AEG to construct a football stadium and rebuild parts of the convention center. Special thanks to our sponsor PacFed Benefit Administrators, Inc.

You can click here to play or download the show as well as all shows (with summaries of topics and guests) on L.A. Talk Radio or iTunes.  Please feel free to tweet or email us a question to ask on-air.

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Brinkley on Obama

Some political food for thought.

“At this point in time, I don’t think he can afford not to have a clearer vision of what he plans to do with the country.  FDR had the New Deal, JFK had The New Frontier, Reagan had Morning in America, George W. Bush had compassionate conservatism and the War on Terror. What does Obama have? People don’t need to agree with you, but they need to understand what you stand for so they can decide to be for or against you.” - presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, who spent several hours in the White House in 2009 and 2010 discussing the presidency with Obama

Source: Thrush, Glenn. "President Obama's Vision Problem," POLITICO. 8/15/11.

Begala on Perry

We had Paul Begala on the Off the Presses earlier this year and he was terrific.  Here's his take on newly-minted presidential aspirant and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

“Rick Perry would be a good candidate if you thought George Bush was just a little too cerebral for you.” - Democratic strategist Paul Begala

Source: Roberts, Jerry and Trounstine, Phil. "How Perry-Bachmann Will Fight to Be the Anti-Mitt," Calbuzz. 8/15/11.

Cartoon of the Day - Politics

Poem of the Day - Charles Simic

I finished this book earlier today.  Here is one of the poems that stood out.  I liked the line about "All things are imbued with God's being."

Night Picnic

There was a sky, starless and vast--

Home of every one of our dark thoughts--

Its door open to more darkness.

And you, like a late door-to-door salesman,

With only your own beating heart

In the palm of your outstretched hand.

All things are imbued with God's being--

(She said in hushed tones

As if his ghost might overhear us)

The dark woods around us,

Our faces, which we cannot see,

Even this bread we are eating.

You were mulling over the particulars

Of your cosmic insignificance

Between slow sips of wine.

In the ensuing quiet, you could hear

Her small, sharp teeth chewing the crust--

And then, she moistened her lips.

Source: Simic, Charles. 2003. "The Voice at 3:00 A.M." Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc., p.151.

Waldman on Gaffes

Interesting observation.

"Gaffes rarely concern substantive policy issues — in fact, the less they are about policy, the more likely they are to stick. Mischaracterize your opponent’s tax plan and observers will barely bat an eye, but pad your résumé, and your fundamental character will be questioned."

Source: Waldman, Paul. Op-Ed. "How candidates’ gaffes confirm reporters’ biases," Washington Post. 8/12/11.

Paul Waldman is a senior correspondent for the American Prospect and the author of “Being Right Is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success.”

Baugh on the CRP and Latinos

Be sure to read the entire piece and how Los Angeles County plays a big role in deciding state outcomes.

"The Republican Party still has a challenge with Latino voters ... and the history of the party and some of the attitudes haven't been healthy.  But it doesn't change the fact that Latino values" - family, faith and strong business interests - "are the values of the Republican Party ... and it's our challenge to overcome some of the negative perceptions." - Scott Baugh, GOP chairman in Orange County, where the ranks of Latino voters have also boomed.

Source: Marinucci, Carla. "California Dems aim for bigger clout in 2012," San Francisco Chronicle. 8/11/11.

Cartoon of the Day - Stump Speech