Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Journalism vs. Advocacy; RFK's Ridiculous Article.

The difference between journalism and advocacy.

• A good journalist gathers the facts, interviews the principals, explains the seeming anomalies and then presents it in an understandable way.

• Advocates only present the facts that support their point of view, ignore the ones that don't, read people's minds and pack it all up into a conspiracy that doesn't really exist.


The later is exactly what Robert F. Kennedy Jr did writing for Rolling Stone Magazine in the June 15th edition entitled DID BUSH STEAL THE 2004 ELECTION? How 350,000 Votes Disappeared in Ohio"

Like many Americans, I spent the evening of the 2004 election watching the returns on television and wondering how the exit polls, which predicted an overwhelming victory for John Kerry, had gotten it so wrong. By midnight, the official tallies showed a decisive lead for George Bush -- and the next day, lacking enough legal evidence to contest the results, Kerry conceded. Republicans derided anyone who expressed doubts about Bush's victory as nut cases in ''tinfoil hats,'' while the national media, with few exceptions, did little to question the validity of the election. The Washington Post immediately dismissed allegations of fraud as ''conspiracy theories,''(1) and The New York Times declared that ''there is no evidence of vote theft or errors on a large scale.''(2)

But despite the media blackout, indications continued to emerge that something deeply troubling had taken place in 2004. Nearly half of the 6 million American voters living abroad(3) never received their ballots -- or received them too late to vote(4) -- after the Pentagon unaccountably shut down a state-of-the-art Web site used to file overseas registrations.(5) A consulting firm called Sproul & Associates, which was hired by the Republican National Committee to register voters in six battleground states,(6) was discovered shredding Democratic registrations.(7) In New Mexico, which was decided by 5,988 votes,(8) malfunctioning machines mysteriously failed to properly register a presidential vote on more than 20,000 ballots.(9) Nationwide, according to the federal commission charged with implementing election reforms, as many as 1 million ballots were spoiled by faulty voting equipment -- roughly one for every 100 cast.(10)
-Numbers depict footnote references of which this article is loaded.-


There's plenty more drivel where that came from but for respect for space and your sanity I'll leave it at that. You may read the article at your leisure.

So to make the very long drawn out story of his short the answer given is "Yes He Did" The early exit polls that showed John Kerry winning the election; the stories of lost, delayed and denied voter registration cards; the long lines and other problems at many polling places; and the presence of Secretary of State Ken Blackwell as an overarching malevolent Republican presence all led Kennedy to conclude that a vast and wide-ranging series of conspiracies resulted in Kerry losing an election that the majority of Ohio voters wanted him to win. Salon.com has posted a great rebuttal called Was the 2004 election stolen? No.

There was no shortage of mistakes made in vote counting. There were voters who should have been registered but weren't, polling places with lines that were too long and without enough voting machines, and decisions from Blackwell that appeared to be partisan.

All these mistakes and misjudgments took votes from both candidates, but probably more from Kerry. But they didn't add up to nearly enough votes to swing Ohio from Bush to Kerry.

The mistakes were often a result of lack of foresight and bad judgment, but they were bipartisan in nature and not a result of Republican Deception.
Here are some examples how RFK exhibited the traits of an advocate over that of a good journalist:

- Kennedy offers the exit polls as proof that the election was flawed by saying, (A) Election Day exit polls are always right, and (B) the 2004 exit polls had Kerry winning the election; therefore (C) the election must have been stolen.

That's nonsense - exit polls are often wrong.

- He cited an example from the 2004 Florida exit poll that was partially based on the pollsters' expectation that 18- to 29-year-old voters, a group that leaned heavily toward Kerry, would account for 17 percent of the vote there.

The exit poll was weighted accordingly for that age group, but it turned out that the age group actually accounted for only 13 percent of the vote, which skewed the poll inaccurately toward Kerry.

-In his online footnotes, Kennedy refers no less than a half-dozen times to a five-month-long post-election investigation commissioned by the Democratic National Committee called, "Democracy at Risk."

But never quotes the DNC investigative team's conclusion that "The statistical study of precinct-level data does not suggest the occurrence of widespread fraud that systematically misallocated votes from Kerry to Bush."

- Kennedy saw conspiracy in a Franklin County foul-up that resulted in far too few voting machines at a polling place in a heavily black area that would presumably vote mainly for Kerry.

But he didn't tell his readers that the chairman of the Franklin County elections board, who oversaw the county's voting machine allocation, was a black man who also chairs the county Democratic Party. Not a likely candidate to steal votes for Bush.


Kennedy finished the piece by charging that Ohio's press has turned a blind eye to the stolen election, refused to investigate all these charges, and simply accepted the result as valid.

This is just pure nonsense any reporter who could actually verify a story proving that a vast right wing conspiracy cost John Kerry the presidency would become the darling of the left and would probably win a Pulitzer Prize and a first class all expenses paid trip to Hollywood. Personal politics aside, name a reporter who wouldn't jump at that opportunity?

And it looks like the center left blogs even distanced themselves from this. Has vote-fraud become taboo for the left? The Dogs That Didn't Bark!
The farther away from Ohio you are, the more inclined you may be to find merit or believe in that Rolling Stone piece. I'm sure it didn't take you long to figure out, though, that the piece not only reports "No New News" but that it's complete Nonsense!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

The Chasm Between Muslims & Westerners

Many people in the West see Muslims as fanatical, violent and intolerant. Muslims, tend to view the West as selfish, immoral, and greedy as well as fanatical and violent. Says a new study by the Pew Global Attitudes Project who surveyed 14,000 people in 13 countries, including the United States, five European countries, five Muslim countries, Nigeria and India during April and May.

According to the study the Muslim public feels more "embittered" toward the West and its people than vice versa. Muslim opinions about the West and its people have worsened over the past year and by overwhelming margins, Muslims blame Westerners for the strained relationship between the two sides. But there are some positive indicators as well, including the fact that in most Muslim countries surveyed showed a decline in support for terrorism.

The fact remains Muslims and Westerners blame each other for deteriorating relations. Muslim people "have an aggrieved view of the West" and are "much more likely than Americans or Western Europeans to blame Western policies for their own lack of prosperity"

The west says Muslims are held back by "government corruption, lack of education and Islamic fundamentalism" Despite the divide, attitudes are not uniformly negative.

Solid majorities in France, the US and Britain retain overall favorable opinions of Muslims, while positive views of Muslims have declined sharply in Spain (from 46% to 29%), the survey notes.

It says about eight in 10 people in both Spain and Germany associate Islam with fanaticism - a view that is less prevalent in France (50%), Britain (48%) and the US (43%).

Likewise, Muslim opinion is far from uniform, with Muslim minorities in Europe often attributing positive attributes to Westerners - including tolerance, generosity, and respect for women.

On the other hand, in Muslim countries in the Middle East and Asia large majorities describe the West as "selfish", "arrogant", and "violent".


This I found very interesting:

DID ARABS CARRY OUT 9/11?
British Muslims: 56% No
French Muslims: 46% No
Indonesia: 65% No
Egypt: 59% No
Turkey: 59% No
Jordan: 53% No

Nothing highlights the divide between Muslims and the West more clearly than their responses to the uproar this past winter over cartoon depictions of Muhammad. Most people in Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey blame the controversy on Western nations disrespect for the Islamic religion. The majority of Americans and Western Europeans who have heard of the controversy say Muslims intolerance to different points of view is more to blame.

The chasm between Muslims and the West is also seen in judgments about how the other civilization treats women. Westerners by lopsided margins do not think of Muslims as "respectful of women." But half or more in four of the five Muslim countries populous surveyed say the same thing about people in the West.

Yet despite the deep divide in attitudes between Westerners and Muslims, this poll/survey also finds that the views of each toward the other are far from uniformly negative. Even in the wake of the events of the past year, solid majorities in France, Great Britain and the U.S. retain overall favorable opinions of Muslims. But positive opinions of Muslims have declined sharply in Spain over the past year (from 46% to 29%), as well as in Great Britain (from 72% to 63%)
Some other findings:

• Concerns over Islamic extremism are widely shared in Western publics and Muslim publics alike. But an exception is China, where 59% express little or no concern over Islamic extremism.

• Muslims differ over whether there is a struggle in their country between Islamic fundamentalists and groups wanting to modernize society. But solid majorities of those who perceive such a struggle side with the modernizers.

• Fully 41% of the general public in Spain says most or many Muslims in their country support Islamic extremists. But just 12% of Spain's Muslims say most or many of the country's Muslims support extremists like al Qaeda.

• Nearly four-in-ten Germans (37%), and 29% of Americans, say there is a natural conflict between being a devout Christian and living in a modern society.
The Pew Global Attitudes Project study site has a complete rundown and great graphics & charts I would post here if I had the power ;-) that I urge you all to check out!

This is not exactly an epiphany but very interesting poll into the way people think!

500 shells

Originally posted at Redstate.com Jun 22nd, 2006: 10:57:00

By now I'm sure you're all aware of this Report: Hundreds of WMDs Found in Iraq

The United States has found 500 chemical weapons in Iraq since 2003, and more weapons of mass destruction are likely to be uncovered, two Republican lawmakers said Wednesday.

"We have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons," Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said in a quickly called press conference late Wednesday afternoon.

Reading from a declassified portion of a report by the National Ground Intelligence Center, a Defense Department intelligence unit, Santorum said: "Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq's pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist."


And if I could sound the alarm for those who respect Senator Santorum Get ready for an all out attack from the left accusing him of using this as a campaign stunt this of course is completely ridicules but you know it's coming if it hasn't started already!


Yesterday's announcement reminds me of this story from May 17, 2004 Sarin, Mustard Gas Discovered Separately in Iraq

A roadside bomb containing sarin nerve agent (search) recently exploded near a U.S. military convoy, the U.S. military said Monday.
Bush administration officials told Fox News that mustard gas (search) was also recently discovered.

Two people were treated for "minor exposure" after the sarin incident but no serious injuries were reported. Soldiers transporting the shell for inspection suffered symptoms consistent with low-level chemical exposure, which is what led to the discovery, a U.S. official told Fox News.

"The Iraqi Survey Group confirmed today that a 155-millimeter artillery round containing sarin nerve agent had been found," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt (search), the chief military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad. "The round had been rigged as an IED (improvised explosive device) which was discovered by a U.S. force convoy."

The round detonated before it would be rendered inoperable, Kimmitt said, which caused a "very small dispersal of agent."

--snip--

Two weeks ago, U.S. military units discovered mustard gas that was used as part of an IED. Tests conducted by the Iraqi Survey Group (search) -- a U.S. organization searching for weapons of mass destruction -- and others concluded the mustard gas was "stored improperly," which made the gas "ineffective."

They believe the mustard gas shell may have been one of 550 projectiles for which former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein failed to account when he made his weapons declaration shortly before Operation Iraqi Freedom began last year. Iraq also failed to then account for 450 aerial bombs with mustard gas. That, combined with the shells, totaled about 80 tons of unaccounted for mustard gas.


As far as shelf life for these weapons or their ineffectiveness according to the CIA, Iraq has tried to overcome the problem of sarin's short shelf life by Developing binary chemical weapons, where the two precursor chemicals are stored separately in the same shell, and mixed to form the agent immediately before or when the shell is in flight. This approach has the dual benefit of making the issue of shelf life irrelevant and greatly increasing the safety of sarin munitions So lets put the "these weapons are old and no threat" arguments to rest!

The fact that these shells predated the 1st Iraq war has absolutly no barring on the fact that the finding proves Saddam was hiding these weapons. UN resolution 1441 as well as the pervious 15 or so resolutions demanded that Saddam account for ALL such wepons. No matter how much the lunitic left wants to dismiss this finding, the fact remains, along with a litany of reasons to go to war the WMD section/reason was valid.

I have a very strong felling that this is just a small portion of what was and will be found. As a military anylist said last night on Fox news (sorry can't remember his rank or name I think it was Thomas McInerery but don't hold me to that) the reason why this administration may not want to come forward with more is the possible exposure of counties who were complicit in providing said weapons such as Russia, China, and France.

It's important to not lose track of whats going on here. Is this the smoking gun, No, not that that would satisfy the left. We could find 20 nuclear missles there and the left would find some way to spinn out of saying they were wrong. Its important to sistimaticly show the American people that what they are being told in the MSM is not the be-all end-all gosple truth they'd like everybody to believe!

"Illegal immigrants are destroying the city"

"I don't want them here, period." said Mayor Lou Barletta of Hazleton PA. and apparently he's actually going to do something about it. According to MICHAEL RUBINKAM's AP piece City to crackdown on illegal immigration

"With tensions rising and its police department and municipal budget stretched thin, this small northeastern Pennsylvania city is about to begin what the mayor calls one of the toughest crackdowns on illegal immigrants in the United States"

Last week Barletta introduced, and the City Council tentatively approved, a measure that would revoke the business licenses of companies that employ illegal immigrants; impose $1,000 fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants; and make English the city's official language.


Barletta acted after two illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic were charged with shooting and killing a man and the arrest of a 14-year-old boy for firing a gun at a playground.

Barletta, said "People are afraid to walk the streets. There's going to be law and order back in Hazleton and I'm going to use every tool I possibly can." I don't blame him one bit.

Barletta is following the Illegal Immigration Relief Act'' proposed by the Southern California city of San Bernardino rallied for in large part by activist Joseph Turner.

Both Turner's initiative and Hazleton's ordinance would punish those who rent housing to illegal immigrants by fining them at least $1,000, punish those who hire or do business with illegal immigrants by denying permits and contracts, and require city communications be conducted in English.

Turner's proposal would ban city-funded day labor centers. btw I view these city-funded day labor centers as a complete slap in the face to ALL American citizens.
Of course the detractors and open borders people are working hard to defeat such measures. Flavia Jimenez, an immigrant policy analyst at the National Council of La Raza, predicted the Hazleton crackdown would prompt a civil rights lawsuits. And Armando Navarro, a UC Riverside professor and coordinator of the National Alliance for Human Rights, is helping plan a political and legal strategy to defeat the San Bernardino proposal. A meeting is set for 9 a.m. today. The San Bernardino Democratic Luncheon Club on Friday voted to strongly oppose the measure as well.
And it now looks like the court will have to settle this:

Turner collected more than 3,000 signatures in favor of it earlier this year, forcing the city to consider adopting it.

By a 4-3 vote at a May 15 meeting, the City Council declined to adopt it itself and sent the question to the voters. At a subsequent meeting, the council was scheduled to set the election, but opted against doing so after facing a legal challenge on whether Turner had collected enough signatures.

The city charter requires that signatures equal to 30 percent of the voters who voted in the last election in which a mayor was elected be collected to force a vote on an initiative.

After the city filed with the courts for so-called declaratory relief, a Superior Court judge will decide whether Turner should have used the city's November 2002 election as a benchmark or its February 2006 election, for which turnout was relatively high.

While the federal government continues to debate this issue or more likly look for a non-solution; solution. These cities out of frustration, lack of patients, or a feeling of hesitance to pass good illegal immigration reform. Have decided to (for a lack of a better term) opt for the do-it-yourself remady.

No doubt the actions of the these cities will fuel a hole host of heated debate on a myriad of issues including jurisdiction, who's reasonability it is, as well as the cost to the cities tax-payers.

I believe the best testimony comes from the citizens themselves.
"It's about time," said Francis X. Tucci, 57, who was born and raised in Hazleton and owns a hair salon with tiny American flags in the window in the heart of the Hispanic business district. "We were a nice community. You find bad everywhere, I understand that, but we're talking about here and now."

Some Hispanics approve, saying they are fed up with crime and graffiti. "If I was mayor, I wouldn't let anyone in who had a criminal record," said Rafael Rovira, 69, a naturalized American citizen from the Dominican Republic

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

June 2006 Primary Election, CA.

Today is Californias primary election 2006. the following is a compiling of the overall primary races save the many legislative races which were too combersome to make this post for more info please visit Elections & Voter Information


Proposition 82: Preschool Education. Tax on Incomes Over $400,000 for Individuals; $800,000 for Couples. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
SummaryEstablishes voluntary preschool education for all four-year olds. Funded by 1.7% tax on individual income over $400,000; couples' income over $800,000. Fiscal Impact: Increased annual revenues of $2.1 billion in 2007-08, growing with the economy in future years. All revenues would be spent on the new preschool program.

Follow the MoneyDetailed information about all contributors for and against Prop. 82 is available through Cal-Access, the Secretary of State's campaign finance website. To view the most recent contributions, select a committee and click "Late and $5000+ Contributions Received".

Major contributors supporting Prop. 82 as of May 14, 2006 include: California Teachers Association Issues PAC; California State Council of Service Employees Issue PAC; Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner, Producer, Castle Rock Entertainment, and Homemaker, Beverly Hills; Pat A. Stryker, Philanthropist, Fort Collins, CO; Carl Reiner, Entertainer, Beverly Hills; American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees; and Action Against Crime & Violence Fund, Washington, DC. In addition, a large number of smaller contributions have come from venture capitalists and individuals in the entertainment industry.

Major contributors opposing Prop. 82 as of May 14, 2006 include: Baron Real Estate, Inc., Redondo Beach; William K. Bowes, Founding Partner, U.S. Venture Partners, Menlo Park; Cypress Management Company, Inc., Los Angeles; California Business PAC; Charles B Johnson, Chairman, Franklin Resources, Inc., San Mateo; Franklin P. Johnson, General Partner, Asset Management Partners, Palo Alto; and Ameriquest Capital Corporation, Orange. In addition, a large number of smaller contributions have come from a variety of California businesses and business executives, including venture capitalists and investors.


Proposition 81: California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2006.

SummaryThis act provides for a bond issue in a amount not to exceed a total of six hundred million dollars ($600,000,000) to provide funds for the construction and renovation of public library facilities in order to expand access to reading and literacy programs in California's public education system and to expand access to public library services for all residents of California. Fiscal Impact: State cost of about $1.2 billion over 30 years to pay off both the principal ($600 million) and interest ($570 million) costs of the bonds. One-time local costs (statewide) of about $320 million for local matching contributions.

Follow the MoneyDetailed information about all contributors for and against Prop. 81 is available through Cal-Access, the Secretary of State's campaign finance website. To view the most recent contributions, select a committee and click "Late and $5000+ Contributions Received".
Major contributors supporting Prop. 81 as of May 14, 2006 include: California State Council of Service Employees Issues Committee; California Teachers Association Issues PAC; California Library Association; Friends of the San Francisco Public Library; American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees CA Issues; and Carl Corporation of Inwood, WV. In addition, a large number of smaller contributions have come from librarians and public library "Friends" associations.

There has been no money raised to oppose Prop. 81 as of 5/14/06.

Governor

Job Description As the state's chief executive officer, oversees most state departments and agencies and appoints judges; Proposes new laws and approves or vetoes legislation; Prepares and submits the annual state budget; and Mobilizes and directs state resources during
emergencies.

Democratic

Phil Angelides
Barbara Becnel
Joe Brouillette
Jerald Robert Gerst
Vibert Greene
Frank A. Macaluso, Jr.
Michael Strimling
Steve Westly
Republican
Jeffrey R. Burns
Bill Chambers
Robert C. Newman II
Arnold Schwarzenegger

American Independent
Edward C. Noonan

Green
Peter Camejo

Libertarian
Art Olivier

Peace and Freedom
Janice Jordan

Lieutenant Governor

Job Description Assumes the office and duties of Governor in the case of impeachment, death, resignation, removal from office, or absence from the state;Serves as President of and presides over the State Senate and has a tie-breaking vote;Chairs the Economic Development Commission, is a member of the State Lands Commission, and sits on the boards of the California university systems; and Serves as an ex-officio member of the California State World Trade Commission.

Democratic

Liz Figueroa
John Garamendi
Jackie Speier

Republican

Tony Farmer
Tom McClintock
American Independent
James D. King
Green- Donna J. Warren

Libertarian
Lynnette Marie Shaw

Peace and Freedom
Stewart A. Alexander


Secretary of State

Job Description As the state's chief elections officer, administers and enforces election laws and keeps records of all campaign and lobbyist disclosure statements required under the Political Reform Act; Files official documents relating to corporations, trademarks, the Uniform Commercial Code, notaries public, and limited partnerships; Collects and preserves historically valuable papers and artifacts in the California State Archives; and Serves as an ex-officio member of the California State World Trade Commission.

Democratic

Debra Bowen
Deborah Ortiz

Republican
Bruce McPherson

Green
Forrest Hill

Libertarian
Gail Lightfoot

Peace and Freedom
Margie Akin


Controller

Job Description As the state's chief fiscal officer, acts as the state's accountant and bookkeeper of all public funds; Administers the state payroll system and unclaimed property laws; Serves on numerous boards and commissions including the Board of Equalization and the Board of Control; andConducts audits and reviews of state operations.

Democratic

John Chiangwww.chiangforcalifornia.comMember, State Board of Equalization 8221 De Longpre Ave., #25, C/O Norman Chramoff, West Hollywood, CA 90046(323) 497-2600 or nchramoff@yahoo.com

Joe Dunnwww.joedunn.orgState Senator P.O. Box 10451, Santa Ana, CA 92711(714) 621-0829 or joe@joedunn2006.com

Republican

Bret DavisBusinessman 704 Bounty Dr, #401, Foster City, CA 94404David Lawrence HarrisBusinessman 4780 Discovery Pt., Discovery Bay, CA 94514(925) 634-5691 or dhdisbay@comcast.net

Abel Maldonadowww.electabel.com Business Controller/Auditor P.O. Box 948, San Luis Obispo, CA 93902(805) 545-0600 or Info@electabel.com

Jim Stieringerwww.stieringer.comCity Treasurer 8174 Pasadena Ave., La Mesa, CA 91941(619) 466-0793 or stieringer@cox.net

Tony Stricklandwww.tonystrickland.comTaxpayer Organization President P.O. Box 1371, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358(805) 297-4529 or Info@TonyStrickland.com

American Independent

Warren M. CampbellMinister P.O. Box 75, Kaweah, CA 93237 (559) 561-4860
Green

Laura Wells www.laurawells.orgFinancial Systems Consultant P.O. Box 16025, Oakland, CA 94610(510) 986-0879 or info@laurawells.org

Libertarian

Donna TelloTax Accountant 13446 Poway Rd, #202, Poway, CA 92064(858) 486-2352 or donnatello4cacontoller@yahoo.com

Peace and Freedom

Elizabeth C. Barronwww.peaceandfreedom2006.org/candidates/ebarron/ Retired Teacher 640 S. 13th St., San Jose, CA 95112(408) 287-0101


Treasurer

Job Description As the state's banker, manages the state's investments; Administers the sale of state bonds and notes and is the investment officer for most state funds; Chairs or serves on several commissions, most of which relate to the marketing of bonds; and Pays out state funds when spent by the Controller and other state agencies.

Democratic

Bill Lockyerwww.lockyerfortreasurer.comCalifornia Attorney General 1230 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 444-1755 or info@lockyerfortreasurer.com

Republican

Claude ParrishMember, State Board of Equalization P.O. Box 2427, Palos Verdes, CA 90274(562) 983-7855

Keith S. Richman www.keithrichman.comBusiness Owner/Assemblymember P.O. Box 4704, Chatsworth, CA 91313(888) 322-0055 or RichmanforTreasurer@KeithRichman.com

American Independent

E. Justin NoonanComputer Technician 1561 N. Beale Rd., Marysville, CA 95901(530) 743-6878 or ejnoonan@4xtreme.org

Green

Mehul M. Thakkerwww.votethakker.comInvestment Advisor 815 Washington St., #52, Oakland, CA 94607(415) 305-3916 or info@votethakker.com

Libertarian

Marian SmithsonCity Treasurer/CPA 1677 Aspen Village Way, West Covina, CA 91791(626) 915-7666 or mariansway@earthlink.net

Peace and Freedom

Gerald Sanderswww.peaceandfreedom2006.org/candidates/gsanders/P.O. Box 24764, Oakland, CA 94623(510) 845-4360 or sanders@peaceandfreedom.org

Attorney General

Job Description As the state's chief law officer, ensures that the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced; Heads the Department of Justice, which is responsible for providing state legal services and support for local law enforcement; Acts as the chief counsel in state litigation; and Oversees law enforcement agencies, including District Attorneys and Sheriffs.

Democratic

Jerry Brownwww.jerrybrown.orgOakland Mayor/Attorney 2633 Telegraph Ave., #302, Oakland, CA 94612(510) 628-0202 or info@jerrybrown.org

Rocky Delgadillowww.rocky2006.com Prosecutor/City Attorney 4144 N Lankershim Blvd., #201, North Hollywood, CA 91602(818) 766-0165 or Info@Rocky2006.com

Republican

Chuck Poochigianwww.pooch4ag.comCalifornia Senator/Attorney P.O. Box 8446, Fresno, CA. 93747(559) 255-1699 or campaign@poochigian.com

Green

Michael Sutton Wymanwww.votewyman.orgAttorney-At-LawP.O. Box 9380, San Rafael, CA 94912(415) 785-3448

Libertarian

Kenneth A. Weissmanwww.electkenweissman.comAttorney-At-Law 8484 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 850, Beverly Hills, CA. 90211(323) 655-4529 or CalAG2006@yahoo.com

Peace and Freedom

Jack Harrisonwww.peaceandfreedom2006.org/candidates/jharrison/ Attorney/Rent Commissioner 1312 Cornell Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702(510) 333-7832


Insurance Commissioner

Job Description Oversees and directs all functions of the Department of Insurance; Licenses, regulates, and examines insurance companies; Answers public questions and complaints regarding the insurance industry; and Enforces the laws of the California Insurance Code and adopts regulations to implement the laws.

Democratic

Cruz BustamanteCalifornia Lt. Governor1114 State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 441-1175 or tagostino4cmb@aol.com

John Kraftwww.ic-johnkraft.com Insurance Healthcare Consultant 1441 Huntington Dr., Ste. 209. South Pasadena, CA 91030 (626) 284-2813 or jhkraft@pacbell.net

Republican

Steve Poiznerwww.joinsteve.comBusinessman/Entrepreneur P.O. Box 508, Los Altos, CA 94023(650) 962-0189 or info@joinsteve.com

American Independent

Jay Earl BurdenStudent 1210 E. 22nd St., Marysville, CA 95901(530) 713-1393 or JayDawg1981@yahoo.com

Green

Larry Cafierowww.votecafiero.comNewspaper Editor P.O. Box 203, Ben Lomond, CA 95005-0203(831) 438-1401 or larry4inscomm@earthlink.net

Libertarian

Dale F. Ogdenwww.dalefogden.orgActuary/Insurance Consultant 3620 Almeria St., San Pedro, CA 90731(310) 547-1595 or dfo@dalefogden.org

Peace and Freedom

Tom Conditwww.tomcondit.orgWriter 2124 Kittredge St., #174, Berkeley, CA 94704(510) 845-4360 or condit@peaceandfreedom.org

U.S. Senate Race

Democratic

Martin Luther Churchwww.churchforsenate.comRetired Program Manager 6697 E. Woodbridge Rd., Acampo, CA 95220(209) 369-7381

Dianne Feinstein www.dianne2006.comUnited States Senator P.O. Box 67457, Los Angeles, CA 91502(310) 556-8683 or info@dianne2006.com

Colleen FernaldMother/Artist/Entreprenuer P.O. Box 30, Sebastopol, CA 95473(707) 876-9610 or colleenfernald@earthlink.net

Republican

Richard "Dick" Mountjoy www.mountjoyforsenate.comImmigration Control Consultant P.O. Box 877, Monrovia, CA 91017(626) 357-8237 or info@mountjoyforsenate.com

American Independent

Don Grundmannwww.truthusa.org Doctor of Chiropractic 425 E. Merle Ct., San Leandro, CA 94577(510) 433-7000 or stoptheirs@aol.com

Green

Todd Chretienwww.todd4senate.orgWriter 1710 Broadway, #1214, Sacramento, CA 95818(510) 590-6073 or toddchretien@mac.com

Tian Harterwww.tianharter.orgCommunity Volunteer P. O. Box 391854, Mountain View CA 94039-1854(650) 964-6481

Kent P. Mesplaywww.mesplay.orgInspector, A.P.C.D.8556 Lynx Rd., San Diego, CA 92126-1827(858) 586-2686 or kmesplay@msn.com

Libertarian

Michael S. Mettiwww.mettiforsenate.comParent/Educator/Businessman1072 Nugent Ct., El Cajon, CA 92020 (619) 277-7127 or metti2@cox.net

Peace and Freedom

Marsha Feinlandwww.feinlandforsenate.orgRetired Teacher 2124 Kittredge St., #174, Berkeley, CA 94703(510) 845-4360 or feinland@peaceandfreedom.org

My picks are:


Arnold Schwarzenegger GOVERNOR
Tom McClintock LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Bruce Mc Pherson SECRETARY OF STATE
Keith Richman TREASURER
Chuck Poochigian ATTORNEY GENERAL
Steve Poizner INSURANCE COMMISSIONER
Tony Strickland CONTROLLER
Ed Royce District 40


If you're a registered voter in California please take a few minutes to consider the candidates, then GET OUT AND VOTE!