CA Observer passes, Capitol Alert begins!

So, if you haven't noticed from the lack of posts, the blogging days here are the California Observer have been indefinitely suspended. But that doesn't mean I am not still writing stories in cyberspace. In fact, today marks the official launch of the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert, a spanking new subscription-based Web site that aims to be your new home for California political news. As for me, I will be writing original stories for the site on a continuous basis--think of as newspaper reporting but with a deadline of 5 minutes ago instead of 5pm. Also inside, you will find many exciting features, including exclusive blogs from Bee columnists Dan Weintraub, Dan Walters, and Steve Wiegand, early access to the Bee's political coverage, a comprehensive Capitol calendar and clippings of the day's most important stories and editorials. And for you Blackberry users out there: It's all accessible on your handheld device. So check it out, and pass your hot tips on to me there. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to read the CA Observer for the past year and a half.

Reiss looking back

CW's Anthony York has a sit-down with Bonnie Reiss, the governor's close friend and a top adviser, as she leaves Sacramento. Here's one telling passage: That night, Schwarzenegger's political advisers from his Proposition 49 campaign, including George Gorton and Bob White, were huddled at the house trying to cram for the historic election to come. That's when the actor and his wife called Reiss. "Maria and Arnold called me that night and they said, 'Listen, a bunch of these guys are over here talking, but there's one thing we need. These people are all experienced and good, but none of them go back with Arnold. We need someone whose brain we trust and we know will have our backs. Can you show up tomorrow at the office, get with the team, start to be involved as a senior adviser in the team? And that began it."

New in CW 11.30.06 (My last week)

For those of you who do not know, this is my last week at Capitol Weekly. I am joining the Capitol bureau of the Sacramento Bee next month, after a short jaunt of doing normal things that do not involve writing stories about California politcs. I will still be covering Capitol politics at the Bee and the paper is launching a very exciting Web site early next year that I will be heavily involved with. More details to come... And, with that, on to this week's story: Swanson takes office after years toiling behind-the-scenes After more than three decades of working behind-the-scenes on the East Bay's political stage, Sandré Swanson is finally stepping into the spotlight. A 30-year staffer to two of Oakland's best-known--and most liberal--politicians, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Congressman and Mayor-elect Ron Dellums, Swanson won his own Assembly seat in a landslide election earlier this month. "I've already had one career and now I am trying to make a contribution to my community," said Swanson, whose district represents part of Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont.

Schwarzenegger's D.C. rep departs

Today marks another departure in Gov. Schwarzenegger's administration. David Wetmore, who has served as assistant to the governor and director of his Washington, D.C. office since early 2005, is leaving to join Carpi & Clay, a California-based government relations firm. A Republican, Wetmore held the same post for Schwarzenegger that he did under Gov. Pete Wilson, directing the then-governor's D.C. office. Though Schwarzenegger began his governorship surrounded by Wilson veterans, including chief of staff Pat Clarey, few remain. As for Schwarzenegger's relationship with Washington, that has been hit and miss. As many legislative Democrats love to note, he claimed he would go to D.C. as the "Collectinator" but has met with little success in terms of wrestling more money for the state. When Democrats took over Congress earlier this month, Schwarzenegger said, "I think it’s good that there are new ideas and new blood because Washington was stuck. They could not move forward, not much was accomplished. I think it was terrible" In a release, the governor's office credited Wetmore with helping secure federal funds for fix the state's levees, negotiating a hospital financing waiver to protect health funding and garnering more transportation dollars. Wetmore will stay on until the end of the year and a replacement has not been named.

Tamminen backs Lockyer automaker suit

Terry Tamminen, a former top environmental aide to Gov. Schwarzenegger, had written a piece in the Chronicle today defending Attorney General Bill Lockyer's suit against automakers for causing global warming. Let us say Bob's BBQ opens next to your home. Bob refuses to do anything to stop the greasy soot and the smell of burning ribs that pour into your windows each night, because he has permits and operates lawfully. Technically he may be right, but if you take him to court there's a good chance he will be found guilty of creating a nuisance and ordered to direct his chimney smoke away from your windows so you can resume the normal use and enjoyment of your home. If Bob's smoke was affecting your property value and health, your case would be even stronger. On the specifics of Lockyer's action: When California Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued automakers this September for contributing to global warming, he followed a well-worn path that leads to fairer and more equitable use of our commonwealth, in this case, our state treasury. His suit seeks to compensate taxpayers for some of the costs of dealing with climate change and comes only after trying other means to abate the threat posed by vehicle emissions.

Updates from the blogosphere

Today has brought about a few interesting posts in the blogs-o-California-politics. First up, is this from Calitics, where an activist plots to take over the California Democratic Party--from the inside. Then, the FlashReport's Mike Der Manouel says the stories about new GOP leader Mike Villines are a joke and that Villines is no partisan warrior. "Call it partisan if you will - but in reality, Mike Villines is simply doing what is right and necessary for these troubling times," he writes. Then incoming Senator Mark Wyland tells the U-T that Gov. Schwarzenegger doesn't do policy. "He does not really have an in-depth interest in policy. ... He loves marketing," said Wyland

The Jerry Brown Interview

The must-read of the day is a NY Times with Attorney General-elect Jerry Brown. As a Democrat accustomed to being in charge — you’re the mayor of Oakland as well as a former two-term governor of California — how do you feel about having to answer to a Republican governor? You don’t answer to a governor. The attorney general is autonomous. But isn’t Schwarzenegger over you? No. The attorney general reports only to the people and to his conscience. Either way, I admire you for being flexible and taking whatever position is available. That’s why my three and a half years of Jesuit training were helpful. The 12th rule is to let him in all things seek his greater mortification and continuing abnegation. How is being attorney general of the state of California a form of mortification? Well, that means you go against yourself. There’s a guy named August Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s older brother, and you know what he said to me? He said your most important role is governor emeritus. Meaning what, exactly? I never quite knew what he meant, but I keep thinking about it.

Slow week

This may be the definition of a slow news week. Today, there were, count 'em, zero press conferences that I was aware of in the Capitol. And tomorrow? Another goose egg.

CTA sues to campaign on campus

The California Teachers Association, one of the biggest and most powerful unions in the state, is launching a lawsuit to enable the union to campaign for partisan offices on public school grounds. The Contra Costa Times has the story today. In a debate that pits electioneering laws against free speech, California's largest union has launched a legal battle to permit political endorsement on public grounds. State law ensures teachers unions the right to spread the word on contract negotiations and grievances using campus mailboxes. However school districts typically ban partisan politics from the rectangular receptacles, to the chagrin of unions. "We view that as censorship," said Priscilla Winslow, assistant chief counsel for the California Teacher Association. In conjunction with local union affiliates, CTA has filed four unfair labor charges with the state Public Employee Relations Board over restrictions on teacher mailboxes, long considered off-limits to election endorsements. The Mt. Diablo Education Association turned in a complaint earlier this month. Teachers in Long Beach and Yuba City schools made similar charges. Campaigning on public grounds has long been a no-no. In fact, it was an issue (of sorts) in this year's lieutenant governor's race, when GOP operatives took pictures of Democrat John Garamendi hosting a rally in a state building.

No Otto win

The OC's Buzz reports that Lou Correa ekked out his victory over Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher by more votes than GOP write-in (and Democratic-funded spoiler Otto Bade). "Now I don't have to name my next son Otto," Correa quipped.

Expanding the blogpen

Jon Fleischman just keeps adding new names to his list of conservative bloggers. Just added, former Assemblyman Ray Haynes, incoming Assemblyman Anthony Adams, and Adam Aleman from San Bernardino. With Adams and Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa both "blogging" for the FlashReport, that gives Fleischman precisely 1/17th of the GOP caucus.

Arnold on Meet the Press

Gov. Schwarzenegger made an appearance this morning on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert. Find the full transcript here Here's some highlights: On what an "Arnold Republican" is: Well, it’s basically being fiscally conservative, being socially moderate and you know, being environmentally progressive. I think that’s what it basically means. And you know, Tim, one of the most important things, I think, that this nation is facing is that we—while we must see economic progress—and I think we have had great progress economically and I think the Bush administration hasn’t gotten enough credit for that, the jobs are coming back, we have the lowest unemployment rate in 30 years or so, the economy’s booming—But we also have to protect the environment at the same time, and that’s what we are doing in California. And I think this is something that this country has to do. We have to show leadership in protecting our environment so that we have a future for our children and grandchildren. On eliminating the deficit: And we have done a tremendous job of bringing down the structural deficit from $16 ½ billion when I took office to now $4 ½ billion. And we’re going to come down further this year and we’re going to eliminate it by next year or the year after that. On universal healthcare: First of all, we have to bring down the health care costs, we have to make it more affordable to provide health care. Number two, we’ve got to insure everybody, because we have 6.7 million people that are uninsured, and we’re working right now on the various different ideas, we’re going to bring those ideas together, I’m going to present this in my State of the State address. But this is the next big challenge. Look, if we could face the challenge and fix our infrastructure problem and approve a $37 billion infrastructure package, we can also solve the health care problem. Will he face Boxer in 2010? You know, I’m not really thinking about what I’m doing in 2010. I’m not ruling anything out, but I’m not really thinking about any of that. I’m thinking about, now, moving California forward, making sure that we create more accountability in education in California, fixing our health care problems to insure everybody that is uninsured. I mean, those are the kind of—and how we build California. I think those are the very important issues. On Iraq: So I think we got to get out of there. We have to have a time, a timeline. I totally believe that there has to be a timeline there. But we got to get out of there with a victory rather than with a defeat.

Happy T-Day

Eat turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and be merry. See you all next week.