Shane Goldmacher is a former reporter for Capitol Weekly. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he served as editor of the Berkeley Political Review.

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  • All about Phil: Angelides is strategist in own campaign
  • "Women of the year" married to men of Legislature
  • With new law, chase for campaign cash becomes family affair
  • High school student gives governor $44,600
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  • David Crane: Arnold's other Democratic adviser
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  • 1A: 76.9-23.1
    1B: 61.3-38.7
    1C: 57.4-42.6
    1D: 56.6-43.4
    1E: 64-36
    83: 70.6-29.4
    84: 53.7-46.3
    85: 45.9-54.1
    86: 48-52
    87: 45.2-54.8
    88: 23-77
    89: 25.5-74.5
    90: 47.6-52.4

    U.S. Sen.
    Feinstein 59.7
    Mountjoy 34.9
    Gov.
    Schwarzenegger 55.8
    Angelides 39.2
    Lt. Gov
    Garamendi 49.5
    McClintock 44.9
    Atty. Gen.
    Brown 56.7
    Poochigian 37.9
    Sec. of state
    Bowen 48.5
    McPherson 44.7
    Treasurer
    Lockyer 54.8
    Parrish 37
    Controller
    Chiang 50.9
    Strickland 40.1
    Insur. Comm.
    Poizner 50.7
    Bustamante 38.9

    For complete election results click here.


    Gov.
    Angelides 48.2
    Westly 43.1
    Lt. Gov
    Garamendi 42.9
    Speier 39.3
    Figueroa 17.8
    Atty. Gen.
    Brown 63.2
    Delgadillo 36.8
    Sec. of state
    Bowen 61.1
    Ortiz 38.9
    Treasurer
    Parrish 56.4
    Richman 43.6
    Controller
    Democratic primary
    Chiang 53.4
    Dunn 46.6
    Republican primary
    Strickland 40.9
    Maldonado 36.9
    Insur. Comm.
    Bustamante 70.5
    Kraft 29.5
    Supt. of Schools
    O'Connell 52.5, avoids run-off

    For complete election results click here.


    73: 47.4-52.6
    74: 45-55
    75: 46.6-53.4
    76: 38-62
    77: 40.5-59.5
    78: 41.5-58.5
    79: 38.9-61.1
    80: 34.3-65.7

    For complete election results click here.


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    Friday, August 18, 2006

    The AG's race and abortion

    The issue of abortion is heating up in the race for attorney general in a series of press-releases fired off between the campaigns of Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno.

    Little of the debate has made it past reporter's inboxes, but in down-ticket races, where candidates and campaigns try to settle on only one or two themes, the back-and-forth is likely instructive of where the debate is heading this fall.

    The first release came from Camp Poochigian on June 26, when the campaign sent out an opinion piece by John Gizzi, in which he wrote:

    Brown's penchant for flip-flopping is legendary. After spending time with Mother Teresa in the 1980s, he proclaimed that "the killing of the unborn is crazy" and wrote a letter seeking parole for an anti-abortion activist in prison after more than 130 arrests. But when he was running for state Democratic chairman in 1981, and came under fire from pro-abortion activists, he declared himself in favor of abortion.

    On August 3, Brown's campaign sent out that they were endorsed by Planned Parenthood. They included the following quote from Kathy Kneer, president of Planned Parenthood:

    “We support Jerry Brown for Attorney General because he will defend a woman’s right to choose in the face of challenges from extremists who are determined to overturn Roe v. Wade and return to the days of back alley abortions.”

    “Unfortunately, it is clear that State Senator Chuck Poochigian cannot be trusted to uphold California law, including the Reproductive Privacy Act. Poochigian is so extreme that he wants to outlaw abortion for women who are the victims of rape or incest. He is truly out of touch with California voters. This is a pro-choice state where Californians consistently and overwhelmingly support upholding Roe v. Wade.”


    That was followed by a missive from Brown campaign chief Ace Smith:

    As Chuck trumpets such obvious endorsements as his Republican legislative colleagues on his website – there is one great omission. There is never a mention that he has been enthusiastically endorsed by the California Pro-Life Council – a group which loves him because Poochigian is in favor of outlawing abortion even in cases of rape and incest and because he is a staunch opponent of stem cell research.

    Those comments didn't go over too well with Camp Poochigian, whose strategist Ken Kachigian responded

    Mayor Jerry Brown's handlers recently flunked their abortion homework on two scores. First, with a false and malicious claim regarding the Senator's personal views and, second, by covering up the mayor's own hypocritically contortionist position.

    Fact: Brown referenced a website questionnaire that Senator Poochigiannever completed in order to make his false claim. The website's organizers have been asked to remove any suggestions that Senator Poochigian "answered" a questionnaire that he never filled out and have acknowledged the same.

    Fact: Senator Poochigian does not oppose abortion in the case of rape and incest. Period. To the contrary, he has always expressed great sympathy for the victims of these heartless crimes. In fact, Senator Poochigian co-authored the 2005 law that reversed a measure Jerry Brown signed in 1980 that had for nearly 25 years allowed child molesters who target their own family members to avoid consequences for their actions by pleading down to an incest charge. Senator Poochigian is also a co-chair of the "Jessica's Law" campaign, and has been an ardent supporter of strengthening California's laws on rapists and other sexual predators.


    Team Brown followed with another statement from Kathy Kneer, "Poochigian needs to acknowledge his extreme anti-choice position."

    I'm guessing that won't be the end of the debate, though it is probably not the issue Poochigian would most like to focus on. Rather, the recent increase in crime this year is Oakland is what they are trying to highlight, including in some web-only videos.

    Remember, it is still only August.

    Comments on "The AG's race and abortion"

     

    Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:10 PM) : 

    its clear that chuck and his campaign are trying to cover their tracks

     

    Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:05 PM) : 

    poochigian is a lunatic right-to-lifer. look at his extreme anti-choice ratings at
    on project vote smart:.

     

    Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:08 PM) : 

    The brown camp posted a quote from planned parenthood prez saying pooch is for abortion even if incest and rape.

     

    post a comment