Say No to Pombo

Old dogs know old tricks

2010-04-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

You would think that, after getting a shellacking that surprised no one outside the circle of beltway bloviators, that Richard Pombo would seek to run his current campaign in a new way. Fortunately for the voters of the 19th district, Pobmo is falling back on the same old issues that lost him the election in 2006 and building his war chest from the same old sources.

Let's sort through this in a logical manner. One of the complaints against Pombo was that he was too closely associated with Jack Abramoff and the sleazy deals surrounding Chinese criminal control of the Marianas Islands government. Often cited were the many trips to Marianas resorts taken by Abramoff associates, Republican Congressmen and their staffs. So, who is in the forefront of Pombo fundraising? None other than losing Colorado Republican Bob Schaffer. While Schaffer was in Congress, he earned the nickname "Sponge Bob" for soaking up Marianas perks like a sponge. Why anyone thinks that two losers equals one winner is beyond me.

Add to that, the theme of this fund=raising event, an attack on the Endangered Species Act by petroleum industry money. This is a return to a 19th Century Robber Baron thinking… well maybe a continuation of old ways that we no longer need in the 21st century. We might have learned a bit over the years. It is clear that the people who run some of these big companies have not, using easy promises of jobs for all in order to allow them to accumulate riches for a few. But more on that later%hellip; as te race heats up, so will the pace of posting.

Pombo Polls Poorly

2010-02-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Lisa Vorderbrueggen continues to recount that travails of "Rich" Pombo at the Contra Costa Times political blog. Lisa probably thought that she had enough of Pombo is 2006, but, like a bad penny, he just keeps trying to return.

The conclusions offered by the pollster are somewhat suspect, in that it was identified as a "push poll" and most of these are intended to elicit a specific response. According to the person who commissioned the poll... Jeff Denham's campaign manager... there was enough substance to justify the following conclusion.

Based on these survey findings, it is our opinion that former Congressman Richard Pombo is very unlikely to win the Republican Primary in the 19th District,” the memo said. “Further, if he were to win the primary election, it is our opinion that much of the Republican base would not stay with him and make Republicans have to spend significant money to keep this Republican Congressional seat in the Republican hands even with the very comfortable registration margin.

We have not yet seen much in the way of anti-Pombo money injected into this campaign from the organizations that helped defeat him before. Maybe they are taking a wait and see attitude on this primary campaign. However, you can be assured that, if Pombo were to pull a comeback and win the Republican primary, the checks would be written and TV / radio ads would flood the airways.

Dirty Dick back on Dirty Dozen List

2010-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well, Richard Pombo has made it back on the League of Conservation Voters Dirty Dozen list, and he hasn't done anything yet. Their headline indicates a bit of disquiet about the fact that the Congressman who wanted to sell off parts of our National Parks is now in the running to represent Yosemite.

Just to cite one comment:

No California member of Congress has been more knee-jerk anti-environmental than Richard Pombo,” said California League of Conservation Voters CEO Warner Chabot. "There's no better candidate than Pombo for the Dirty Dozen list."

Now, for some in the 19th CD, having the LCV attacking Pombo might be a reason to vote FOR him. After all, Pombo is getting funded by Westlands Water District members and they have turned "enviro" into a curse and ESA into a road sign for target practice.

What the district really needs... like the Pombo's home 11th CD needed, was a Congressman who listened closely to all of his constituents and then applied common sense and knowledge rather than political expediency when they made their decisions. But listening was never a Pombo strength and his common sense and knowledge were about par for a college drop out.

Maybe his day has come... and passed.

2010-02-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

I have just been reading Jeff Denham's web site. Now, it seems to me that the 19th CD is a bit crazy. Since Pombo jumped into the race with a big reservoir of Westlands cash, he did pick up a few endorsements. But by now, Jeff Denham has the endorsement of every County Supervisor in the 19th CD, or so it says on his web site.

That makes it sound like Pombo will have to run a tea bagger race, stirring up all those folks with fears of Denham actually voting for a tax increase. That would surprise me, though.

Is this going to be one of those races where the people rise up against the party leadership? Pombo seems to be taking to the air ways, but a lot of the quotes on his facebook page seem to come from the big companies (Land o' Lakes) or neighbors I never heard of.

Pombo, an old dog with no new tricks

2010-01-19T11:19:00.000-08:00

Everything that I read about Rancher Richie's latest political adventure looks a lot like his 2006 run, with the exception that he does not have an opponent with the national name recognition of Pete McCloskey as a primary opponent. It was McCloskey who gave good Republican's permission to vote for Jerry McNerney rather than to return to Congress a demagogue who had never really represented the people of the district… or at least he never bothered to talk to that portion of his district (CA-11) in which I lived.

Now, we see him following the same path's, out trolling for money at the Western Indian Gaming Conference. This is typical Pombo from the old days, racking up political debts and knowing the favors that he will have to deliver in order to pay them off. However, this history shows that he did more collecting and little paying. Those tribal agencies who were willing to contribute to Rancher Richie should ask around before they open their checkbooks. Since that links to a series of posts that I did on the old Pombo Watch blog, I may have to put it back online... or at least to make those particular items available. Those who ignore history will live to repeat it.

Democrats Can Take Charge In CA-19 -- With Your Help!

2010-01-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here's the deal. Every article to date about CA-19 has been full of the conventional wisdom about this district: It's Republican; it's a lock; Democrats need not apply.

And to reinforce this wisdom come the statistics (all pdf): Boxer lost in 2004 by nearly 13 points (to local favorite Bill Jones); Dianne Feinstein lost by less than 2% in 2006; Obama lost by 6 points to McCain in '08. So, according to the statistics, this is a seriously Republican district. You'll read it in all the articles -- CA-19 has a 6% Republican advantage in registration (Safe Republican).

But what the conventional wisdom won't tell you about CA-19 is this: Although the November 2008 voter registration numbers from Fresno County (the largest population center for CA-19) show a 163K-153K Republican advantage (nearly 2 1/2%) in registration and, just eight months ago, in the latest online report from the California SoS (May '09), that advantage was still around 8,000 or 2%, things are changing fast. You can see where the conventional wisdom might coming from -- historical data.

Here's the new reality. The California Democratic Party has targeted the Central Valley over the last year or so. And during that time, the Fresno Democratic Party has held numerous voter registration events -- as in "We're serious about this."

So where do we stand today? Well, here's the news that you won't read from the DC-centric media. According to the Fresno Registrar of Voters, as of last month, a mere 468 voters (or about 1/3%) separate the Democrats from the Republicans in voter registration. That's right. From an 8,000 voter difference to 468 in nine months' time.

Think this is too good to be true? Well, come out to help Fresno Democrats register voters next weekend. Here's the info:

Volunteers will meet at 1304 East Olive Avenue in Fresno at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 16
Walk until we hit our goal (or until 5:00 p.m.)
You can RSVP to James Williams at jamesdean19662000@yahoo.com.

This is NOT necessarily a Republican district -- especially if we work to lay the groundwork right now!

Water Pirates

2010-01-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

We already know what Pombo will use as the centerpiece of his campaign. It will be Water and how the "enviros" are using the Endangered Species Act to keep farmers from earning a living. From Rancher Dick Pombo, it is a broken record from his failed 2006 campaign.

The real story is that the East Side farmers got 100% of their water allocations last year. It is the Westlands Water District that didn't and they are the ones using all of their media manipulation to spin a mythical tale of fish over man.

Before you swallow that swill, enjoy this video of the Water Pirates.

Pombo "Scrounging" For Work

2010-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

So, if you believe Richard Pombo (something you should never do), he's running in CA-19 only because he wants to serve the residents of the Central Valley.

Earlier this year, Fresno County agricultural interests frustrated with Radanovich contacted Pombo about running. Pombo said he declined at the time because he did not want to challenge a sitting Republican.

But with Radanovich’s announcement Tuesday that he will retire after this term, Pombo said he is now seriously considering a run for the seat.

“I don’t miss the politics,” Pombo said. “I miss the policy side of it. Obviously California needs some help.”

That's right. Pombo's just running for Congress so that he can help Californians. But this nugget from Politico in November 2008 sort of casts another light on Pombo's purported altruism.

The mood at the Republican Capitol Hill Club last night was low.

Very low.

People were depressed about the elections, we're told, including recently defeated Reps. Robin Hayes and Ric Keller. Also there was former Rep. Pombo, defeated in 2006, along with his sidekick Steve Ding, "scrounging for business" we hear. (Emphasis added)

What's that? Sounds like neither the former seven-term Republican Congressman/rancher nor his former chief of staff, Steven Ding, could manage to make much of a living away from the government teat.

According the the SF Chron

Pombo's chief handler Steve Ding sent a note to GOP friends Monday asking for support and telling folks he's putting together the team. Says the Dinger: "Richard has already been working the new district and lining up support."

Sounds a lot like scrounging, doesn't it?

Return Of The Zombies

2010-01-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

In a scene straight out of Night of the Living Dead, Richard Pombo has pulled himself out of his political grave and is lurching back to Congressional politics.

This time, though, he's planning to feast on the brains of the innocent residents of CA-19. CA-19 is a rural district that encompasses the southern San Joaquin Valley and Sierra. Rumors swirled last week that Pombo was contemplating a run to replace retiring Rep. George Radanovich. Well, according to Hotline OnCall, Pombo will make it official tomorrow.

The former 7-term congressman, who once headed the House Resources Committee, will run for the seat being vacated by Rep. George Radanovich (R), who announced last week that he will not serve another term. Radanovich's 19th district is next to the 11th district, which Pombo lost to Rep. Jerry McNerney (D) in '06.

Pombo will make the announcement tomorrow, sources tell Hotline OnCall, after speaking with several incumbent members of Congress and supporters back home. He has reached out to donors in recent days, as well as to Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R) and Devin Nunes (R), two incumbents who hold neighboring districts.

For those of you wondering just where the heck CA-19 is, here's a map. You'll note the supreme irony that Pombo is seeking to represent a district that contains the crown jewel of the National Park system -- Yosemite National Park.

But never fear. Richard Pombo isn't the only zombie in this game. SNTP will rise again -- and there's only one brain on which we intend to feast.

Goodbye — Hello

2007-04-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks after last November's election, I posted a meta piece taking stock of where we'd been as a blog and questioning the future for Say No To Pombo. Since that time, we've come up with a new blog, Progressive Sundae. The SoapBlox format is a little different than Blogger — and the first thing you'll notice is that you have to register as a user to leave comments. But once you register, you can comment away, as well as post your own diaries (like DailyKos).

And what's the purpose of this new blog? Well, it's all explained here. But the short version is that we want to create a larger forum to discuss local electoral politics, including but not limited to CA-11 and Jerry McNerney.

So give it a try — it's Progressive Sundae.com.

Update

2007-02-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

Well, we said NO to Pombo once. But it seems that he is not willing to "go gentle into that good night." Rather, he seems to want to establish himself as a different sort of player in the California Republican Party, one show support was necessary to gain party organizational office. Now, it seems that even the Republicans did not listen to him rave at the close of his political day.

2008: Game On in CA-11

2007-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

Cross posted at MyDD, Swing State Project, Calitics, and Daily Kos

[UPDATE: Josh Richman of the Contra Costa Times now has a story about this.]

Last Thursday, Jerry McNerney took the oath of office as a member of the 110th Congress. A scant five days later, with what must surely be unprecedented speed, the NRCC has sent out its first anti-McNerney campaign mailers of the 2008 election to voters in CA-11.

It’s worth noting that in the run-up to the 2006 elections, the NRCC spent over $1.3 million to prop up threatened incumbent Rep. Richard Pombo, all to no avail. In the days leading up to November 7, the NRCC sent out no less than 20 anti-McNerney mailers (strikingly, they couldn’t think of one single pro-Pombo message). Looks like old habits die hard.

So if anyone out there thinks that McNerney’s 2008 re-election will be easy simply because he won in 2006 by a 6% margin — er, not so much. Expect a steady drumbeat of anti-McNerney disinformation over the next two years. The only real question is, what are we going to do about it?

Congressman Jerry McNerney Sworn In

2007-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Well, today's the day -- Jan. 4, 2007, and Jerry McNerney is being sworn in as Congressman for the 11th District of California. There are stories all over the local papers, so I won't repeat them here. The bottom line is that this is GOOD NEWS all around. No, not just "good", but WONDERFUL, even STUPENDOUS news.

Be sure to revel in it -- and the hope and inspiration it brings. What a truly remarkable thing that the former congressman is out of office, no longer empowered to attack and destroy our environment. That gives me, and many, many others, great hope for this world.

After six years of the worst president in history, things were getting very depressing. But McNerney's win, and more important, Pombo's loss, gives so many of us renewed faith that maybe sometimes the political system actually works, that the common people can have their voices heard, and that the exploitative corporations don't entirely run the show in Washington, as hard as they try to.

So have a happy "McNerney Inauguration Day" today everyone! This is what we all worked for!

McNerney To Deliver Democratic Radio Address On Dec. 30

2006-12-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Cross posted on Calitics

[UPDATE]: You can listen to Jerry McNerney's Weekly Democratic Radio Address here.

The text of the press release from Nancy Pelosi's office is as follows:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Congressman-elect Jerry McNerney (CA-11), an incoming freshman, will deliver the Democratic Radio Address on Saturday. In his address, Congressman-elect McNerney discusses Democratic plans to break the link between lobbyists and legislation and the need for a new direction in Iraq.

WHO: Congressman-elect Jerry McNerney (CA-11)

WHAT: Weekly Democratic Radio Address

WHEN: Saturday, December 30, 2006 -- 11:06 a.m. (EST)

WHERE: Major radio networks, including AP, ABC, NPR, CBS Radio, CNN Radio, C-SPAN, Armed Forces Radio Network, American Urban Radio Network, Voice of America Radio Network, BBC Radio, CBC Radio, and Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Below is a transcript of his remarks:

Embargoed until Saturday, December 30, 2006 at 11:06 a.m. EDT
"Good morning and Happy New Year. This is Congressman-elect Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton, California, a new Member in the 110th Congress.

"As we move into the New Year and the new Congress, I am excited about what we can achieve for the American people. In this election, the American people clearly called for change: change in the way we do business in Washington, change in the way that we shape our energy policy, and most importantly, a change of direction in Iraq.

"As our first responsibility in fulfilling the mandate of this critical election, House Democrats will restore integrity and civility in Washington in order to earn the public trust.

"We will ban gifts from lobbyists and lobbyist-funded travel, prohibit the use of corporate jets, and shut down the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street Lobbyists. We will restore the House tradition of allowing a reasonable 15-minute voting period to prevent extended votes, and we will require that Congress put away the credit card and operate under a pay-as-you-go common sense budget rules. We will hold Members of Congress accountable to the people who voted them into office, not lobbyists and special interests.

"Our heavy dependence on foreign oil is putting our economy, our climate, and our national security at great risk. We are actually funding the very terrorists around the world who are trying to harm us. It's our patriotic duty as citizens of this great nation to end our dependence on imported oil. Democrats will quickly and significantly reduce our consumption of foreign oil while creating jobs, prosperity, and a healthy environment with a new energy technology, including renewable energy and bio-fuels.

"Most of the technologies needed to reshape our energy future are already at hand; what has been lacking is the political will to develop and expand their use. Democrats have a vision of creating a new energy economy using good old-fashioned American ingenuity to achieve energy independence. New American jobs and a bright future will be the dividend.

"Democrats will also lead the way for a new direction in Iraq. My son was in the military when he convinced me to run for office, and we continue to keep our soldiers and their families in our prayers. But our troops need more than our well-wishes, and our veterans need more than lip service; we need a change in policy, as confirmed by the Iraq Study Group report released earlier this month.

"I share the concern of my Democratic colleagues that President Bush may use his same failed logic to increase our troop strength in Iraq by up to 30,000 soldiers. The incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton, has said that an increase in troops at best won't change a thing, and at worst could exacerbate the situation even further in Iraq.

"The Iraqis need to understand that the responsibility for the future of that country is theirs. Beginning the redeployment of American forces would send that message. We must also improve the training of Iraq security forces by ensuring that Iraqi units are not infiltrated by either militia members or insurgents. The consequences of not doing so are unacceptable. In my district there is a Gold Star mom whose son was killed in Iraq by the very Iraqis he was training. He and his mom are always in my thoughts. We simply can not ask our young men and women to train Iraqis without doing everything possible to make certain that the people they are training are not attacking our troops.

"Our troops have done everything asked of them in Iraq with great courage. Particularly at this time of the year, when families gather to celebrate the holiday season, we need to remember the huge sacrifices being made by the brave men and women in our military, and give thanks for their service.

"Thank you for listening. I wish everyone the very best 2007 and pray that God blesses you and your families for this holiday season. This is Congressman-elect Jerry McNerney."

____________________________________
Source: Office of Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi

SNTP enters post-Pombo period

2006-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Been awfully quiet on this blog. The reason is we accomplished our goal -- Pombo is out of office as of Jan. 4. So now where does the blog go? Pombo was the central figure. With him ousted, the focus is gone, and now the blog needs to find a new focus or hang up its hat.

This blog has gained good readership and people have liked the comments. But the posts have already dwindled and it is hard to know what to post without knowing the blog's purpose, or if it even should continue.

With McNerney in office, there may be people who want to watch McNerney and comment on his actions or help him in some way. That of course leads up to the 2008 election, with people already positioning themselves for that.

This blog could morph into a McNerney blog, but then it should really be named something like "Say Yes to McNerney" or "McNerney Watch". However, I don't think this blog can be renamed, and more important, I don't know if the current posters would be interested in that focus. The audience would be more limited, I think. Pombo had a way of raising the hackles with his position of power and the irresponsible way he used it, and that attracted a lot of attention. With a McNerney blog, the audience would probably be political types, mostly from the district and surrounding areas.

Because of Pombo's position as chair of the Resources Committee, and the power that gave him over the nation's lands, this blog attracted readers interested in environmental issues. These issues are national, indeed global, in scale.

The particular focus of the blog, if it wanted to cover environmental issues, could become Pombo's "Wise" Use Agenda, with his attacks on the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws, the calls for resumption of whale hunting, off-road vehicle use expansion, energy development, pesticides, etc. etc. But I think without Pombo in office, these become general issues. The blog would have to become "Say No To Pombo's Way of Thinking", maybe.

The blog could also focus on CD-11 environmental issues -- the Delta, traffic, clean energy, air quality, restoring flows in the San Joaquin River, etc. That would be "Say Yes to a Clean CD-11".

Or even, in that respect, it could be on CD-11 issues in general, not just environmental -- social issues like immigration and crime, housing, land use, etc. That would be "Say Yes to a Better CD-11".

Another area this blog focused on was Congressional corruption. This may come as a surprise, but there is still a lot of that running around. Some people who worked against Pombo are now focusing on Rep. John Doolittle, the other area "friend of Abramoff", who managed to retain his seat (barely) but still may be indicted. It's not like there is any shortage of material, with Abramoff, the Marianas Islands, Tom DeLay, etc. That would be "Say No to Not Only Pombo, but to All Corrupt Representatives".

Those are some ideas and comments. The point is if this blog is going to continue or evolve and have relevance, it needs to decide what its focus is now that Pombo is back on the ranch. Either that or ride off into the sunset, saying "Well, my job's done here. We cleaned up this here town " [person hops on horse] " and now it is time to move on." [Rider tips hat, horse and rider slowly saunter out of town, fade into the distance.]

Meanwhile, Happy New Year!

Highways for the public interest, not the Pombos'

2006-12-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Nice to see Congressman Jerry McNerney proposing solutions to the I-580 commute over the Altamont Pass. With him securing a seat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from the Bay Area, he is in a good position to push for fed funds for projects like BART to Livermore and Tracy.

Now what seems better for CD-11? Pombo on the House Resources Committe pushing for offshore drilling and giveaways to oil companies, as well as protecting Abramoff/DeLay dealings in the Marianas Islands -- or McNerney on the Transportation Committee helping get fed money for projects in CD-11 to ease the commute?

Or compare Pombo's expensive, environmentally destructive, far-in-the-future-if-ever proposal for a highway over the Diablo Range (which, coincidentally would up the value of Pombo real estate holdings) with McNerney's push for real improvements that can be made in the near future to I-580.

Here's part of the article:

Incoming Congressman Jerry McNerney hasn't even taken his seat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and he's already thinking big.

At a groundbreaking at Dublin City Hall on Friday for a $9 million Tri-Valley traffic management project, McNerney said he hoped to secure federal money for a Bay Area Rapid Transit extension down the middle of Interstate 580 — all the way to Tracy.

"BART to Livermore and Tracy, these are things that I'm very interested in," said McNerney, a Democrat who Nov. 7 wrested the 11th Congressional District from Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy. As a member of the committee, McNerney added, "I will have the opportunity to bring projects to our area."

McNerney, whose new district comprises much of San Joaquin County and includes the Interstate 680 corridor in Alameda County and part of Contra Costa County, said improving links such as the I-580 freeway and BART "fits into my plan to bring economic development to San Joaquin County."

Contrast this with Pombo's approach, as detailed in an Aug. 2005 East Bay Express expose:

The morning and afternoon commutes to and from the East Bay [over the Altamont Pass] are horrendous, choked with more than 140,000 cars and big rigs a day. ... A consortium of business leaders and labor groups, meanwhile, is working overtime to convince the state to widen I-205, which creates a bottleneck when motorists come off the Altamont and have to squeeze from eight lanes down to four. The bottleneck clogs traffic every weekday morning and afternoon.

Widening I-205, which connects I-5 to I-580 from Lathrop through Tracy, would seem to be just the type of project that Pombo would wholeheartedly support. But instead his answer is to build two entirely new freeways, for which he recently obtained $21.6 million in federal funds.

Do you wonder why Pombo would have proposed these two freeways instead of what business leaders and labor groups want? Well, the East Bay Express article says it has to do with the Pombo family real estate holdings and money the family needed to pay off debts. Now, that sounds like it is in the public interest, doesn't it? More from East Bay Express on Pombo's highways:

One of Pombo's freeway plans, known as the state Route 239 project, would run along the path of the two-lane Byron Highway from the western end of Tracy northwest to Brentwood. There, it would connect with the Highway 4 bypass currently scheduled for construction. ... But the arrival of the $14 million in federal funds for the 239 project also happens to coincide with a multimillion-dollar land deal currently underway with members of Pombo's family. And for the Pombos, the new freeway proposal appears to be a timely solution to some family financial difficulties compounded by the 2000 slow-growth measure.

And this explains Pombo's other highway:

Across town, the other proposed freeway also could be a boon for the congressman and his family -- even if it's never built. Pombo has been pushing this proposal, the State Route 130 Project, for at least two years. ... Speculation about the possible new freeway almost certainly has driven up the value of the 205-acre ranch Pombo owns in south Tracy with his parents and brothers, even though the ranch is eighteen miles north of Del Puerto Canyon Road. The Pombo property sits right on I-580 and it's only a fifteen-minute freeway trip away.

Oh well, what are the Pombos going to do now that Richard is no longer in Congress to push for transportation projects that raise their land value?

Meet the new boss

2006-12-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

The Who sang about the "new boss same as the old boss. Well, Erica Werner of AP gives us a good introduction to the new boss of the "Natural" Resources Committee, Nick Rahall. Every aware of the importance of symbolic acts, Rahall even intends to rename the committee to the Natural Resources Committee.

I really sounds as the environmental interests got what they wanted out of the election. With Pombo out and Rahall running the committee, it looks like things will be very different.

Rahall's goal will be "not to engage in the wholesale destruction of pristine federal lands, sacrificing them on the altar of energy development," he told a press conference, but instead to "protect those resources which Americans cherish as places to recreate, hunt and fish."

We all know that there good words mask a lot of mischief, as in Pombo's use of the term "sound science". But, the following are the main points of Rahall's plans for the next two years. A

mong his top goals, Rahall listed reform or repeal of Republican legislation and Bush administration policies giving oil and gas companies breaks on royalty payments. He wants to rewrite the Mining Law of 1872 to put environmental controls on gold, silver and other hard-rock mining, and extract royalty payments from mining companies.

Rahall said there would be no more attempts to rewrite the Endangered Species Act to give more rights to property owners _ a priority of Pombo's _ and said he supports maintaining existing bans on offshore drilling, and would lean toward making them permanent.

Rahall also promised a sharp focus on oversight of the Interior Department.

"There's a lot of questions that have not been asked of the Interior Department for the last six years, and we're going to ask them," he said.

Still, Rahall will have to work with Don Young as ranking Republican on the Natral Resources Committee and Young's record is almost as bad as Pombo's in some areas.

What is missing from Werner's reprot is any mention of Coal. Rahall is from West Virginia, a large coal producer. Barbara Cubin, a long time Republican on the Committee is from Wyoming, another Coal producer. I would forcast that the new committee will do all it can to foster the wonderfully misnamed "clean coal" technologies over the next two years, maybe even bringing out Pombo old analysis of Mercury non-pollution to support their efforts.

Maybe the Who had it right, but we will take what we get, give thanks during this holiday season, and pick up again where we need to.

Have a great holiday and get plenty of rest.

Meta Say No To Pombo

2006-11-30T00:20:00.000-08:00

So what is to become of ~~Say~~ Said No To Pombo? That was the question VPO asked privately in the week after the election. There was one suggestion that it be renamed Say Yes To McNerney and start working towards Election 2008, another that it continue on with the same name and be enlarged to cover all the political races in the geographic area encompassed by CA-11. The inclination shared by both Matt and me was to simply end it and leave the archive behind as an artifact of the 2006 CA-11 race.

But VPO and, to a lesser extent, Delta have continued to post, visitors continue to check in and leave comments, and at last glance we still had 364 subscribers. And the realization has slowly sunk in that SNTP is, in a very real sense, a shared community that transcends just the handful of writers who appear on the front page. I can’t help but feel that for Matt or I to peremptorily shut it down would be pretty autocratic. So the question that I’m asking of you as SNTP readers is what do YOU think should happen?

First, though, in that context, I’d like to share with you the underlying vision that has propelled me forward over the last 13 months. Early last fall, kid oakland introduced me to Matt Lockshin. Matt was deeply interested in activism and the CA-11 race against Richard Pombo, and I knew quite a lot about the political history of the district. We started talking regularly about the various campaigns. In early October, in a wide-ranging discussion, I asked him point-blank what he was hoping to take away from this race. Here is his answer:

I'm taking a rather long look at this campaign, and this is kind of where I'm at... If Jerry McNerney wins the primary, that's a black eye for all the people who want to co-opt the Democratic Party and make it an insiders’ game. But it doesn't belong to them, it belongs to us. People like the DLC and Ellen Tauscher have systematically separated the Democratic Party from the ideals that gave it nobility and vigor. Money might make the world go round, but there aren't enough mercenary political operatives in the world to fight the battles we need to fight. We need to take our damn party back, and this is a chance for us to stand up to the forces that be and tell them they can't push us around. Furthermore, even if McNerney doesn't win against Pombo, we (broadly speaking the grassroots volunteers) need to work to ensure that his campaign is an organizational tool. The wind should whisper in our ears, "Organize, organize, organize." I've made numerous contacts over the net in the last two weeks, and so, so many people are ready to help fight Pombo. Too often the Democratic establishment has laid down without a fight. Let us show them and the Republicans what we're made of. Let us marshal our troops and show them that there are lions among us. To do this we need to start creating the overarching connections between disparate groups of like-minded individuals that the DLC has created. We may be the underdog in some sense, but the truth is that there are a hell of a lot more people who will fight for this cause than will fight for the status quo. Maybe that's not the case in certain areas, but goddamnit this is the Bay Area and if we can't do this, nobody can.

To be honest, I am more interested in Jerry McNerney as a symbol and a rallying cry than a candidate. It is not that I am disinterested in his candidacy. I deeply hope that he wins. But he needs to understand that he is part of something bigger than himself and act in light of that fact. He needs to be a fighter. Regardless of his strategy, he needs to be bold and be strong. He also needs to take the initiative. I am concerned that the people he has surrounded himself with will try to play it safe and make him boring and unremarkable. In fact, I have heard from others that this is the case. Even you seem to suggest as much.

The real argument against those people is our own efficacy. If you do not want to put yourself in a position to have to kowtow to the safe and boring style of organizing, then do what you can to help McNerney in your own way. I think that the internet provides great opportunities to do this. We could create an all-volunteer rapid response group independent of the campaign. We could raise money through outreach to the netroots. I am already planning on establishing an anti-Pombo blog. There are many, many things we can do. Sure, at some level all of our efforts need to get funneled back into the campaign. But every gift you give also gives you a bit of leverage. I don't mean this in a sleazy quid pro quo way. But really, if we do something powerful and effective, both McNerney and other politicians ought to notice. And the efficacy and the power will speak much louder than anyone else.

Also, I suppose that at bottom I am motivated by a need to not watch this train-wreck unfold while I stand idly by and watch. If we try and fail, at least we can take solace in our effort. It is time -- past time -- for me to take a stand for what I believe.

We have the power to create something that is deeper and more enduring than Jerry McNerney. Howard Dean lost his bid for president but he created a tide of new activists. We can do something similar in CA-11, and lay the groundwork to turn it a hell of a lot more blue. You need to find your own way to express the passion and concern you obviously have. I will not judge the choices you make. But I hope you find a way to express your own agency in a way that is authentic and empowering.

That is what we’ve tried to do here over the last year. And even though we did Say No To Pombo, our work is far from done. So where do we go from here? And is SNTP the vehicle to take us there?

Machado "coulda ben a contenda", missed his chance to beat Pombo

2006-11-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

There seems to be some confusion about Term Limits in the California Legislature (and this is relevant to the Congressional Race because legislators termed out often seek other, "higher" offices).

State Assembly -- 3 terms, which at 2 years each = 6 years
State Senate -- 2 terms, which at 4 years each = 8 years

Therefore, in the case of state Senator Mike Machado: He served in the Assembly from 1994 to 2000. (So termed out of Assembly.) He was elected to state Senate in 2000, re-elected in 2004. So he is termed out of the Senate in 2008.

Will he challenge McNerney for the Dem nomination in 2008? Who knows, but it is quite unusual to run against an incumbent in your own party, unless that person's job performance is so corrupt, dismal, or out-of-tune that the voters in the party want a change. This was the case with Pombo, where McCloskey and Beningo (Republicans) were able to get one-third of the Republican vote in the primary. That showed that even a good number of Republicans were sick and tired of Pombo and the Republican Congress/Administration.

With Machado, we have a guy who has been in public office for the last 12 years. I heard during the last election season that he was considering running against Pombo, but had just come off a tough re-election in 2004, where each side spent $5 million (he ran against Gary Podesto), in one of the most expensive state legislature races ever.

So he was reluctant to gear up for another tough run, and at the time (early 2006), Pombo was looking pretty strong.

Machado may have missed his chance for Congress, unless McNerney really crashes and burns over the next two years. That seems unlikely. The pundits are saying McNerney is vulnerable because of the voter registration in the Republican's favor in the district, not because he is failing the Dems. In fact, most articles have noted the McNerney (a PhD in Mathematics) is a quick study and will learn how to make his way in Congress, especially with the rest of the Bay Area delegation being Democratic and supportive of him, and with a Dem majority in the House.

The other noise I heard during the last primary season was that for Machado, who has a family farm in Linden, the idea of commuting to DC was not all that attractive. Obviously, Sacramento is just around the corner from Linden. At this point, my take is that Machado will look for a job in Sacramento, not in Washington. What state office could he run for next? I don't know, I am not focused on Sacramento at this point, and that is getting off-topic. Maybe even he has had enough of politics, and will be happy to ride around on his tractor, raising peaches and almonds, or whatever grows on his farm.

But part of the fun of politics is that you just never know, do ya? According to my dictionary, "ambition" means "eager for power or success". Funny thing, though -- it comes from the old Latin/French words mean "to go around soliciting for votes".

Republicans: "This is Blackhawk calling Houston. Come in, Houston. Over"

2006-11-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

Don't know if anyone is reading this blog this weekend, or if you are too stuffed with food, too busy watching football games, or actively engaged in "discussions" with the more conservative elements of your family, but here is something for your post-Thanksgiving/pre-Election 2008 ruminations.

Lisa Voderbrueggen of the Contra Costa Times had this to say about possible 2008 challengers to McNerney:

Republicans and even Democrats almost certainly will field opponents against the political novice [McNerney]. Insiders are already talking about possible challengers.

The names being talked about -- although none has publicly indicated they intend to run -- include state Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, and Assemblymen Guy Houston, R-San Ramon, and Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton. All three will be termed out of the state Legislature in 2008.

[Note: Houston and Aghazarian are termed out of their Assembly seats in 2008, but could still run for state Senate. Machado already served his three terms in the Assembly and will be termed out of the Senate also in 2008.]

And here are some remarks from the right-leaning Tim Hunt, former editor of the Tri-Valley Herald, in reference to Pombo's defeat Nov. 7:

Notably, there may be one Republican beneficiary to Pombos loss — Assemblyman Guy Houston. Houston won re-election over lawyer Terry Coleman for his third and final term in the Assembly.

There is no Republican-safe state Senate seat in the East Bay so Houston will face an uphill battle if he wants to stay in Sacramento after his Assembly term is up. However, if Pombo decides he's done with politics, McNerney will be ripe for the taking in two years because it will still be a Republican district [* see my note below]. Houston is a tireless campaigner and has represented his Assembly district well.

So there you have it, sports fans -- the ugly blue and yellow "Pombo" signs have not yet come down, and already there is speculation and positioning for 2008. That's what happens with a two-year election cycle. Hard to believe, but this coming summer will be when challengers will begin posturing for the 2008 primaries. So who do we have here?

(Rather than make this an overly lengthy post, I will look at each of these possible candidates in subsequent posts. Let's start with Mr. Houston):

Guy Houston, who has been in elected office since 1994 (first as mayor of Dublin, then as state legislator), is termed out of the State Assembly in 2008, and there is no likely State Senate seat he could go after. Houston's 15th Assembly district overlays the 11th District reasonably well. Houston does not represent Tracy, Lodi, and some of the other more eastern sections of San Joaquin. Also, Livermore, the largest city in his district, is not in the 11th. But the match is about as close as the state and federal districts get.

Houston labels himself a "fiscal conservative", that is, against raising taxes and for cutting government spending. I don't find the "fiscal" part so bad, as I am all in favor efficient government. But the "conservative" part turns me off. Houston definitely leans right. And as far as the environment, he is almost as bad as Pombo, though not quite a zealot like that soon-to-be-retired disgrace. For instance, he is endorsed by the CLORV - California League of Off Road Voters (though I guess they have to get back on the road to actually vote). That is the same organization that wrote desperate emails urging their members to help "Richard" in the 2006 election.

Houston beat lawyer Terry Coleman, 55% to 45%, this past election. This was just about the same percentages when he beat lawyer Elaine Shaw in 2004. (In an interesting twist, Elaine Shaw ran and lost against Pombo in 2002.)

To sum things up, here is a recent emailing from the Blackhawk Republican Women group, where they deplore Pombo's loss, but look to take the district back. In the mailing, they make sure to praise Guy Houston, while continuing to foster their delusions about a "McNerney/Media slime campaign". Umm, excuse me Ma'am, but the word "slime" more accurately applies to Pombo and other similar corrupt Republicans, not people like Jerry McNerney. But here is the quote, see for yourself. They sure sound bitter:

Opinions on the 2006 election and how we can take the Congress back!

The Pombo Race - The outcome of this race continues to trouble all of us. A review of the voting patterns is rather stark. It appears that the McNerney/Media slime campaign really took hold throughout the district. Calls were made into the district the last week falsely charging Pombo with covering up the Foley affair among many other false charges. Meanwhile, McNerney got a free ride even though he is a complete empty suit.

I want to especially thank Guy Houston for his help in the Pombo race down the stretch. As many of you know, in the same areas, Guy was polling as much as 20 points better than Pombo before the election. Guy stepped up by doing recorded calls and assisted in many other ways. In the end, it appears that Guy polled over 10 points better in the same areas. Guy also did better than registration in our area.

Thank you Guy – we look forward to great things from you and a bright future.

Well, they got everything all mixed up there, with the labelling our new Congressman, the one with a PhD, an empty suit, and some fantasy about robocalls tying Pombo to Foley. But the emphasis on "Guy" and "take Congress back" is hard to miss.

"Take Congress Back" -- that is interesting. Seems they are longing for the good old days of DeLay/Foley/Cunningham/Pombo/Abramoff corruption!

* Note:
I object to Hunt's classification of the 11th District as a Republican district. I know he is going on the voter registration advantage of something like 44% R to 37% D (as of Sept. 2005). But the district not only voted Dem for McNerney, they also went with Boxer and Feinstein, both Dems, in their respective US Senate races. And after McNerney's win, I hope the Dems will continue their voter drives to even out the spread.

Sierra Club Award to Pete McCloskey

2006-11-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

I got an email tonight that mentions the fact that last Friday evening, the Sierra Club presented Pete McCloskey with their 2006 EDGAR WAYBURN AWARD. The email said that there was no way that Pombo was going to lose if Pete had not run against him. Established in 1979, The Edgar Wayburn Award honors "outstanding service to the environmental cause by a person in a governmental position, either executive or legislative."

Well, it looks like running a good race was enough.

This was not the first time that McCloskey has received an award from the Sierra Club. In 1972, he was a recipient of their Distinguished Achievement Award.

As a decorated Marine Officer, I am sure that Pete would always give the credit to his troops. So, I am sure it is with this. There are a lot of people who did many things. Some enlisted to go along with Pete. Others went with Jerry, but we all met our objectives.

The Return of Pombo? Unlikely

2006-11-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's only been two weeks since McNerney's spectacular win over Pombo and already people are looking to 2008. Congressman-elect McNerney is getting situated in DC and learning the ropes. He grabbed a nice appointment to the Dem's steering and policy committee, and is angling for a seat on the Energy Committee, as well as the Transportation or Agriculture committees.

However, back in the 11th District, positioning for the 2008 race is taking place. Pombo himself has not ruled out another run, though it seems Annette wants him to get some work done around the house first. From SF Chronicle article Pombo weighs options in wake of stunning defeat:

The brash 45-year-old conservative, who's led a decadelong crusade to rewrite the nation's environmental laws, isn't sure what he'll do next. He's already getting job offers, but must wait because of ethics rules. He hopes to continue to push the agenda of property-rights groups. And he's not ruling out running to regain his congressional seat.

He's convinced that his successor, McNerney, will be ousted two years from now.

"There's no doubt," Pombo said. "We're already hearing guys are talking about running against him in the primary because they know in a different atmosphere the chances of him holding that district aren't that great. Because he's going to have to vote. Nobody would cover him before, who he was, but as the incumbent they will have to. He's going to be voting on things that the people in that district don't like."

He said there are several Republican mayors and state legislators in the district who would make good candidates. And he added, "I may consider running again for Congress. I really haven't made that decision, and I don't want to make that decision right now."

However, it seems the other Republican-pundits are not promoting another Pombo run. This prognosticator I quote here pretty much rules out "The Return of Pombo". From Election Projection:

California CD-11: Due to some pretty extensive corruption issues, incumbent Richard Pombo was beaten comfortably by Jerry McNerney. If the GOP can find a legitimate challenger, this seat will be ripe for the taking.

And from Red State "Way Back to Majority":

focussing [sic] on the House, specifically on the seats Republicans lost on November 7th, I am taking Scott Elliot's far more expert opinion on the issue. He estimates over at Election Projection that the Democrats that won these seats from Republicans are going to prove to be one-term wonders come 2008 - provided, of course, that the GOP does not mess things up for itself and create another Blue Wave.

# Texas CD-22
# Florida CD-16
# Kansas CD-2
# Kentucky CD-3
# Ohio CD-18
# Pennsylvania CD-4
# Pennsylvania CD-8
# Pennsylvania CD-10
# New York CD-19
# California CD-11

As they say, "it ain't over til it's over", but it seems in this District, it won't be over for a long time, with the Dem tide flowing into the Delta, then maybe ebbing, then flowing, etc. If nothing else, redistricting takes place after the 2010 census, so that will likely change the layout of the District.

But for now we can savor the good news that Pombo was beaten soundly. Even if a Republican were to win a future election in the District, it is unlikely the person would be anywhere near as extreme and ideological as Pombo.

Pombo concedes, but looks to "reform" ESA in lame duck session

2006-11-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

I warned you about the Lame Duck session coming up. From Stockton Record article today:

Pombo said he has one last chance to get his career-long quest to overhaul the Endangered Species Act though Congress, during the lame-duck session that begins later this month. If that fails, Pombo said he expects Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, to pick up where he left off. "It's something that has to get done," he said.

It looks like the work of SayNoToPombo is not quite done yet. Pombo can still wreak some havoc during the lame-duck session. Maybe he will also try to get Arctic drilling and some of his other bills through, in a last-minute, "Hail Mary" assault on the environment.

I don't know what we can do to oppose this. It shows that it is important not to let down our guard until Pombo is truly "back on the ranch".

Also, did you notice he hopes Cardoza, a Democrat, will carry his ESA attack forward? What awful irony if we work so hard to oust Pombo partly because of his ESA stance, then have Pombo succeed either in the lame duck session or later in abstentia through a Democrat.

Resounding Victory for Jerry

2006-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Make no mistake, this is a decisive victory, with Jerry getting 53% to Pombo's 47%. In a district with 6% registration advantage on the Republican side, that is incredible!

Congratulations to all, but especially to Jerry and his team. Also, Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, and the Humane Society can all take a bow. We owe them a lot for deciding to jump into this race. And I want to send a special thank you to Pete McCloskey, who was not blinded by partisanship, but could see what was necessary to do for the good of the country, and then went ahead and did it. There are many, many others to thank, too long to list here.

I am ecstatic. I think we all are. This is a stunning upset, one we all desperately wanted, but often doubted could be pulled off. But we did it with people power, not floods of money. I have never seen such grassroots, people-to-people, boots-on-the-ground campaigning like this ever before.

Now, the Monday morning quarterbacks will come out and analyze this to no end. That will be fun. Stay tuned.

But I want to issue one word of warning here, and that is "lame duck". Word on the street is that Pombo and other Republicans have some nefarious legislation lined up for the coming lame duck session of Congress. My sense is that the defeated R's are bitter and vindictive, and will try to pass some truly awful bills while they still can. So let's watch out for that.

And let's also remember, "winning is only the beginning". Let's continue the work, and see what we can do to help Jerry be successful in Congress so he can truly represent all the good people of this widespread, diverse district.

Meanwhile, I will keep singing "Happy Days Are Here Again!"

Stockton Record: He’s Your Congressman — Learn His Name

2006-11-08T02:53:00.000-08:00

The Stockton Record has not been a friend to its new Congressman, Jerry McNerney (gosh, it feels GOOD to say that). Falling all over themselves and managing to impale themselves in the process, the Record’s editorial board endorsed Richard Pombo a few weeks ago despite SEVERE MISGIVINGS. Well, guys, you should have listened to that quiet little voice that resides inside you. Your readership certainly did.

So here is how the Record describes this morning's election results in a late-breaking article by Hank Shaw and Zachary K. Jackson:

Richard McNerney declared victory at 12:15 a.m. today, leading 52.3 percent to 47.7 percent with 90 percent of the precincts reporting, including 100 percent from San Joaquin County.

"We won this thing. It's ours," he said amid cheers.

Um, guys, RICHARD was your OLD Congressman — JERRY is your new one. Get used to it.