Electoral unrest goes beyond California

[jamesinca]

Electoral unrest goes beyond California
Nation may have a case of 'incumbent fatigue'

Marc Sandalow, Washington Bureau Chief Sunday, October 5, 2003

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Washington -- As the nation casts a bemused eye toward the Golden State's political antics, some experts see signs that the rest of the nation may be on the verge of a California style electoral tsunami.

For months, analysts have characterized California's recall as a perfect political storm, a rare concurrence of a weak economy, deep-seated voter anxiety and a widely disliked incumbent. Now, many are beginning to identify similar winds blowing in other regions of the nation.

In Texas and New York, Govs. Rick Perry and George Pataki's approval ratings are at historic lows. In New Hampshire, mistrust of government threatens the GOP hold on the statehouse. The Democratic presidential field is peppered with "outsiders" running against the establishment. From Oregon to Florida, voters say the nation is headed in the wrong direction.

As California voters prepare to make their judgment Tuesday, the discontent that jeopardizes Gov. Gray Davis' future could also make 2004 a rough year for other incumbents, threatening governors, members of Congress and President Bush.


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/05/BA29653.DTL

[wryter2000]

1. OMG

This is what I've been hoping for. If our having to put up with Ahnold for a few years is part of a larger picture of ousting the republican bastards, I'm willing to make the sacrifice.

[sam sarrha]

11. Only if the media lets people know about it, they are pushing the Swartz'

:shrug:

[teryang]

2. Covering up energy fraud in California

The recall in California is about the Bustamente lawsuit against the energy companies who with national republican leadership packed the FERC and swindled California residents out of Billions. Now that they are on the docket and ready to go down, a number of super rich investor sacred cows will go with them. The recall is their desparate tactic to stop constitutional government in California and the lawsuit.

This author is blowing smoke to confuse the trend. The nationwide reaction of the American people has more to do with a negative reaction to corrupt corporate government which uses "deregulation, deficit spending, tort reform, terrorism and pre-emptive war" to deny the people their traditional priorities of opportunity, education, jobs, health care, civil rights and a future worth looking forward to.

Arnold, Milken, and Buffet must have too much invested in crooked energy companies. They are trying to protect their portfolios. They wanted the profits but they don't want to pay the piper. Typical repuke priorities.

Arnold Unplugged - It's hasta la vista to $9 billion if the Governator is selected
Friday, October 3, 2003

The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay. Also frolicking with Arnold and Ken was convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.

Now, thirty-four pages of internal Enron memoranda have just come through this reporter's fax machine tell all about the tryst between Maria's husband and the corporate con men. It turns out that Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off.

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=283&row=0

[Gin]

3. no word on the lawsuit on the Sunday talk shpws...I emailed it all over

yesterday to lots of news sources.

Is there a recod on the web about the actual suit? Not just a story someone wrote about it?

[teryang]

8. It's on Bustamente's official .gov web site

http://www.ltg.ca.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2002/nov/pr112202.asp

This lawsuit is HUGE. In addition to special damages in the Billions, he is seeking punitive damages. The exposure is unbelievable. Hundreds of law firms could feast on the bones of these companies for ten years.

Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante
Files Lawsuit Against Natural Gas Generators
On Behalf Of California Taxpayers


<...The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on November 20, 2002, was brought by Bustamante as a private citizen on behalf of California taxpayers. The lawsuit names the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and 38 natural gas traders and generators and their subsidiaries, including Reliant Energy Inc., Mirant California, Duke Energy, Dynegy, Sempra and the El Paso Corporation.

The 18-page complaint alleges criminal conduct on the part of the generators for falsely reporting the cost and volume of natural gas to publications that maintain the natural gas price indexes, which help determine how much money millions of Californians will pay for electricity. The complaint further alleges the publishers of Gas Daily and Inside FERC Gas Market Reports conspired with the generators and traders to knowingly report false information and failed to verify information given to them by the market participants named as defendants. The two industry journals are published by Platts, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. >

[Nottingham]

12. Bustamente puts the lawsuit in just now! Well isn't he a bit late!

Better late than never but maybe the Democrats woke up that they will be out of their jobs if they don't prosecute these crooks!

All I can say its about Freakin Time!

:bounce:

[teryang]

13. Just now?

<The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on November 20, 2002, was brought by Bustamante as a private citizen on behalf of California taxpayers.>

[Code_Name_D]

14. Cut them a little slack.

True, Busamatea and Davis are DLC Democrats. As a result, the past few years have been governed by a "go along to get along" mantality. California's wanted Davis to take action. REAL action, when it came to the electric crises. Moblize the nationl gard, exersize powers of eminiute doman to take over the plants. Launch a state level investigation into rigging the markets (A federal juristicition). But instead, Davis was buizy negosating with Enron over the price.

Davist would start to ferm up on an upper limmit, and ZAP, power goes out some where, forcing Davis to go even higher. That is clasic DLC.

Now I can't say for sure that Davis and Busamata have seen the light, but they sure look like they have. To see Davis report things that the mediea will not report is exactly what needs to be done. And as th enationl mediea is a sleep on this, the local mediea isn't. Just saw Fuax news complaning on how the local news was "fixating" on Arnolds sexual exployts, avoiding the issues. And the DLC must have freaked when Davis said "Republicans steel elections that they can not win."

It also looks like Davis is in a real big hurry to fill vacencyes and pass the more libiral minded bills. And their was quite the log jam. It may be too little, to late. But don't forget, the real resitance to BushCo is only just getting started.

[ixion]

4. if this is true, then why the hell is Ah-nold considered a shoe in?

I mean, I really hope it is true. I hope that people are so sick of repug hogwash that they vote them all out of office and ride them out of town on a rail.

But then why are people supporting a hack actor? I think that's just nuts. :crazy:

[sam sarrha]

5. The Swartz' is getting 24/7 Ram Rod coverage on all Chanel'. CNN gives him

5 or 6 minutes of free campaign coverage every time they mention his name. the Enron connection will never hit the "Liberal" dominated media.

[BlueCollar]

6. methinks

the s**t is going to hit the fan in Texas.

The state Dem party chair has indicated she is not going to run again, and the tone of the precinct chairs is becoming increasingly angry.

I suspect our next state party convention is going to be a real knockdown...I'm looking forward to it. The status-quo is about to be overturned as I think the rank and file have had enough.

The Democratic Representatives and Senators who fought back by breaking the quorum on redistricting are the tip of the iceberg about to hit the Wall-Street Democratic Party Titanic.

The people are getting madder by the day, and if Perry moves the election day back to accomodate re-districting and the Party doesn't fight back...there will be hell to pay.

[CMT]

7. I wish there was a recall provision in Texas

I'll bet Perry would be in some real trouble.

[BlueCollar]

9. who says

we can't try and make it a focal point at the next convention...

:evilgrin:

[fla nocount]

10. There's always impeachment.

Money and time is all it would take. As a middle aged ex-patriot Abilenian, yes that is a word, I well remember the fierce independence of thought that is truly West Texas. The problem is that like Fla. those that are mobilized to vote aren't from Texas. There's an attitude that if it's not happening in the backyard then it's not hapnin or it's hapnin to "others". Anybody have some spare money and time?