Election 2008: June 2008 Archives

Secretary of State Debra Bowen assigned the first list of numbers for ballot measures on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Here is the list from her office:

Proposition 1 Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century. SB 1856 (Ch. 697, 2002)

Proposition 2 Treatment of Farm Animals.

Proposition 3 Children's Hospital Bond Act.

Proposition 4 Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy.

Proposition 5 Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation.

Proposition 6 Criminal Penalties and Laws.

Proposition 7 Renewable Energy.

Proposition 8 Limit on Marriage.

Proposition 9 Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights.

Proposition 10 Bonds. Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy.

Proposition 11 Redistricting.

After announcing last week that he would turn down federal funding, much was made of how Sen. Barack Obama had raised so much money from small donors.
Now, come the heavyweights.
Obama is scheduled to appear at a Music Center fundraiser Tuesday with a stuffed guest list of Hollywood heavyweights, reports Variety.
Those on the guest list include Sugar Ray Leonard, Jennifer Beals, Dennis Quaid, Heidi Klum, Sidney Poitier and a long, long list of big fivers.
Costs for the event are $2,300 per person to appear at the reception and $28,500 per couple at a dinner.

Fresh from his trip to Israel, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is headed off to Miami where he will be one of the principal speakers at the meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and also get involved with some presidential politicking.
Villaraigosa is to talk about the economic issues facing cities as well as discuss immigration, the environment and crime as challenges that need to be addressed by mayors across the country.
But, he also is scheduled to meet with presumed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, according to LAIST.
Villaraigosa was among the most prominent of supporters for Sen. Hillary Clinton and was credited with helping her win the Latino vote. After Clinton's withdrawal from the race, Villaraigosa said he would do all he can to help Obama win the election.

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Sen. Barack Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, will be campaigning on his behalf this Saturday
at a lunch saluting his volunteers and begin the effort for the Nov. 3 election.
Soetoro-Ng will be at Hecho en Mexico, 4976 Huntington Drive, Los Angeles, starting at 12:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

In an overture to Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who put his presidential campaign on hold, teh Libertarian Party praised the Republican for his campaign themes.
The Libertarians, who nominated former Rep. Bob Barr as their presidential nominee, issued a rellease thanking Paul "for all that he had done for liberty in his presidential bid.
"Paul fought an uphill battle for liberty every day in his presidential campaign against all of the big-government juggernauts of the Republican Party," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis.
"Paul opened many doors for liberty in this nation through his presidential campaign," Davis continued. "By that standard--of which all politicians should be judged--he won a bigger victory than John McCain or Barack Obama ever will. Ron Paul worked to empower the people, not the government. That is a rare trait in today's political world."
Paul was the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1988, and remains a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was gracious in her full-throated endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. But that does not mean all is forgiven by others in the Clinton universe. New York Times.
For proof, look no further than Doug Band, chief gatekeeper to former President Bill Clinton.
Mr. Band keeps close track of the past allies and beneficiaries of the Clintons who supported Mr. Obama's campaign, three Clinton associates and campaign officials said. Indeed, he is widely known as a member of the Clinton inner circle whose memory is particularly acute on the matter of who has been there for the couple -- and who has no

San Fernando Valley supporters of Sen. Barack Obama are wasting little time on congratulatory celebrations and instead have begun firing up a voter-registration drive aimed at increasing the already record numbers backing the presumptive Democratic nominee's historic campaign for the presidency.Tony Castro in the Daily News.

And the major weekend voter-registration drive in the San Fernando Valley is a microcosm of what the campaign is doing nationally, according to Obama delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August and other supporters.

"I think almost every Democrat is elated over the concept of all the new people that have been brought into the political process," said Erikson Albrecht of North Hollywood, an Obama delegate from the 28th Congressional District.

Pink slips piled up and jobs disappeared into thin air in May as the nation's unemployment rate zoomed to 5.5 percent in the biggest one-month jump in decades. Wall Street swooned, and President Bush was considering new proposals to revive the economy.AP in the Daily News.

Help-wanted signs are vanishing along with jobs. The unemployment rate is likely to keep climbing, a government report indicated.

Adding to the pain, oil prices soared to a new record high, while the value of the dollar fell.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Cal., who became America's best known hostess this week with the sitdown at her home between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, will talk about the presidential campaign on the Sunday talk shows.
Feinstein is scheduled to appear on "This Week with George Stephanapoulos" on ABC and follow that with an appearance on "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" on CNN.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California got the call from Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday afternoon: Could she, would she let Mrs. Clinton use her home in Northwest Washington for a little sit-down with a certain senator from Illinois, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States? New York Times.

Mrs. Feinstein had made the offer before and it was still good. And so a few hours later, at just about 9 p.m., Mrs. Clinton and Senator Barack Obama arrived for a face to face chat. No staff. No spouses. Just the two of them in Mrs. Feinstein's living room.

The California senator had set up two chairs facing each other. She served them water. Nothing else. Two aides were sent to Mrs. Feinstein's study. And Secret Service agents stayed outside.

As he prepares to shift his campaign help to Sen. Barack Obama, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told reporters on Thursday that he felt inspired by Obama. Rachel Uranga reporting for the Daily News.
"He is inspiring," Villaraigosa said at a news conference. "I think he clearly touched a chord with the American people when he talked about a need for change. I look forward to doing what I can."
Villaraigosa said he has had private conversations with Obama, but would not disclose the details.
"I have made it very clear that as the presumptive nominee of our party, I will be campaigning for Sen. Obama," said Villaraigosa, who endorsed Clinton early in the campaign and served as one of her national co-chairs.
"I was proud to have supported Sen. Clinton in her effort. I have never been involved in a presidential campaign where I have seen anyone with the passion and persistence and intestinal fortitude of Hillary Clinton and I was proud to be associated with that campaign.
"But now that Sen. Obama is the presumptive nominee, I have said for a long time that I am prepared to work as hard for him as I have for Sen. Clinton."
The mayor said it is unclear what role he will play at the national convention in August.
"I have spoken at two conventions now and I am not focused on that, I am focused on winning back the White House and changing the course of our foreign policy and domestic policy."

California voters appear to have set a record Tuesday: the lowest turnout in state history. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

Overall, just 22 percent of registered voters across the Golden State cast ballots in the statewide primary election.

And Los Angeles County voters even had their own distinction: Just 16.48 percent of them, the lowest turnout among all counties statewide, showed up at the polls.

While analysts say gerrymandering means the state's November general election was virtually decided by Tuesday's primary, underdog candidates hoped to defy the odds as they hit the campaign trail Wednesday.Jerry Berrios in the Daily News.

Armineh Chelebian, who won the GOP nod in the heavily Democratic 40th Assembly District in Van Nuys, knows she faces an uphill battle against Democratic nominee Bob Blumenfield.

But she has faced long odds before in unsuccessful bids for Assembly and the Los Angeles City Council, and she is not deterred.

She described Blumenfield as a "Washington insider" and said the public is looking for political change this year.

He was one of Sen, Hillary Clinton's highest profile endorsers, but with Sen. Barack Obana securing the nomination on Tuesday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is preparing to switch his allegience.
Villaraigosa endorsed Clinton last May and served as one of her national campaign chairs, campaigning for her in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Texas and throughout California.
"I spoke with Sen. Clinton yesterday and I said to her, `I've never been prouder to support a presidential candidate,'" Villaraigosa said.
But with Obama winning the nomination, he said he is prepared to switch his support. "I also believe that Barack Obama is going to be a great standard-bearer for our party," the mayor said. "Yesterday, we crossed a threshold. Americans said it's time for change. They're looking for a leader who can inspire us, and the message is clear -- we all have a lot of work to do to make sure that that change comes to fruition."

The race for the Board of Supervisors will continue.
With neither Councilman Bernard Parks nor state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas capturing a majority, the two will face off in the Nov. 4 general election, Ridley-Thomas won 45 percent of the vote, Parks had 39 percent.
Alll other county officials easily won re-election.
In contested state races, former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley easily defeated Assemblyman Lloyd Levine for the Democratic nomination in the 23rd state Senate District, while Bob Blumenfield won in a crowded field for the 40th Assembly District. Blumenfield will face Republican Armineh Chelebian in the general election.

ballots are in and they show that Councilman Bernard Parks and state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas could be headed for a runoff.
But, it looks like other county races will be easily won by incumbents.
District Attorney Steve Cooley had a wide lead over two contenders as Supervisors Don Knabe and Mike Antonovich were also returning to new terms on the Board of Supervisors.
In the Parks-Ridley-Thomas race, one candidate would have to win a majority to avoid a Nov. 4 runoff.

Ridley-Thomas staged his party in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton at LAX, with a live band and some 250 people.
Three large projectors were visible to all, the one in the center played a slideshow of Ridley-Thomas pictures and the two on the side giving updated election results. Supporters dined on stuffed mushrooms and fancy appetizers - no roasted pork in the room.
Ridley-Thomas chatted with supporters and discussed the historic nature of the Obama selection. Daily News Staff Writer Brandon Lowrey reporting.

Low voter turnout and a virtually glitch-free day at the polls made Tuesday's primary election one of Los Angeles County's sleepiest in years, election officials and watchdog groups said. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.
The election saw none of the confusion of the presidential primary four months ago, when a peculiar ballot design created confusion for hundreds of thousands of nonpartisan voters.
"It's been a real quiet day," said Eileen Shea, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder.

In the hotly contested 40th Assembly District, Bob Blumenfield took an early lead over Laurette Healey with Stuart Waldman trailing for the
Democratic nomination. Dan McCrory was in fourth place.
On the Republican side, Armineh Chelebian held a lead over Ken Sherman.
In the 23rd Senate District, former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley was leading Assemblyman Lloyd Levine.

Absentee ballots are in and they show that Councilman Bernard Parks and state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas could be headed for a runoff.
But, it looks like other county races will be easily won by incumbents.
District Attorney Steve Cooley had a wide lead over two contenders as Supervisors Don Knabe and Mike Antonovich were also returning to new terms on the Board of Supervisors.
In the Parks-Ridley-Thomas race, one candidate would have to win a majority to avoid a Nov. 4 runoff.

Daily News staff writer Brandon Lowrey reports:
At the campaign rally site for Councilman Bernard Parks tonight, about a dozen volunteers and others sat on folding chairs and continued to make last-minute calls before the polls closed.
An alleyway behind the headquarters on Crenshaw Boulevard had been transformed into a makeshift fairground-like atmosphere with dozens of tables, chairs and food.
Among the offerings were carne asada, fried chicken, french fries and catfish that would be cooked up.
Muriel Jones, co-owner of Shabazz Restaurant, said the fete would include small business owners from the district they hope will be represented by Parks. She said the gathering will reflect what drew her to Parks, letting real people from the district have input.
"He really supports small business owners," she said, adding she doesn't agree with Parks on every issue but she can't say that about any candidate. "Here you see people from the community who support him get to actually be part of the campaign.
"And at the same time he doesn't bust the bank."

Sen. Barack Obama, after bumping knuckles with his wife Michelle, reveled in the winning of the nomination of the Democratic Party for president, ending the first part of a campaign that began officially five months ago in Iowa.
After offering thanks to his family, campaign team members and volunteers, Obama seized the moment.
"Thousands of miles have been traveled, millions of voices have been heard," Obama said, speaking in the arena Republicans will be using for their convention in September. "Because you chose to listen not to yourselves or you fears, but your greatest hopes, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another.
"Because of you, I can stand here and say I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America."

Sen. Clinton never conceded the election to Obama during her remarks, that served to wind up the effort.
"This has been a long campaign and I will make no decisions tonight," Clinton said, adding she wanted her supporters to go to her website, hillaryclinton.com, to offer their opinions and what she should do next in the campaign.

On the final night of the presidential campaign, bolstered by an apparent win in South Dakota, Sen. Hillary Clinton thanked a raucous New York crowd for their support.
She congratulated Obama "on the extraordinary race they have run.
"Our party and democracy is stronger as a result."
Joined by President Clinton and daughter Chelsea, Clinton urged the crowd to show their appreciation for his successes.
:"Sixteen months ago, you and I began a journey," Clinton said. "We saw millions of Americans, registering to vote for the first time, raising money for the first time...saying, 'See, you can be anything you want to be.'"
Clinton said she appreciated the support she received across the country, receiving more popular votes than any presidential candidate in history.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, took advantage of the nation's attention on politics to offer congratulations to Sen. Barack Obama and try to set the terms of the national campaign.
Speaking in New Orleans, McCain addressed a rally before the polls closed in South Dakota and Montana, where he sought to distance himself from the policies of President Bush.
McCain also had high praise for Sen. HIllary Clinton. "I'm proud to call her my friend."
As for Obama, McCain said he was prepared to run a campaign on their differences.
"This is indeed a change election. Whoever wins this election will bring change, But it has to be the right change," McCain said.
"Serious and far-reaching reforms are needed in so many areas of government."
McCain said government has been slow to respond to the needs of the country.
McCain also criticized the response of the Bush Administration to the disaster in New Orleans, saying the country deserved competence from its government.

DNC superdelegate Rep. Maxine Waters has switcher her support from Sen. HIllary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama, the New York Times is reporting.
Waters said she made the decision based on his "ability to unite the country and leadership on issues such as the housing crisis and war in Iraq."

With all the speculation about whether Sen. Barack Obama will ask Sen. Hillary Clinton to be his vice presidential candidate, NBC's Tom Brokaw introduced a dose of realty about the decision: What about Bill?
Brokaw said it is the former president who stands in the way as the biggest obstacle to the possible selection of Sen. Clinton.
Obama could well ask what role the former president would play if his wife is vice president as well as whether he would be willing to curtail his private activities, including his high payign speaking jobs if she is the vice president.

With the final presidential primary selection contests in South Dakota and Montana, Sen. Hillary Clinton was keeping suspense alive on what she will say in her remarks tonight in New York City.
Once the prohibitive front-runner for the nomination, Clinton has seen Sen,. Barack Obama emerge from the streets of Chicago to win the right to run as the Democratic contender for president.'
During the day, the Clinton campaign sent out mixed messages on whether she would concede,acknowledge Obama as the nominee or vow to fight on to the convention in August as negotiations began on her possibly running as vice president with Obama.

As the voters in the 2nd Supervisorial District go to the polls today, there is a lot of examination going on regarding the different strategies of the two main campaigns.
Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles, relied heavily on a ground campaign with four satellite offices in the district and a mail program, financed with some $4 million from local unions.
All of which ended up forcing Councilman Bernard Parks to turn to television to try to counter what Ridley-Thomas was able to spend on mail.
The Ridley-Thomas campaign believes it was able to target its message within the district with its direct mail more effectively rather than spending the estimated $500,000 a week needed for television ads that hit an audience outside its district.

John Perez, a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, announced today he is backing Sen. Barack Obama for president.
Perez, a candidate for the Assembly, made the announcement after casting is ballot in the election, saying that it was time for Democrats to unite behind Obama.
"I believe that now is the time for us to come together and unite for victory against John McCain in the fall," Perez said.
Perez is a cousin of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is a co-chair of Clinton's campaign.

For the first time in more than six decades, California voters will go to the polls today in a split primary election that will decide the fate of state and federal legislators and, in Los Angeles County, a closely contested seat on the Board of Supervisors.Daily News.

The split primary comes after state officials decided to move up the presidential primary election to Feb. 5 to try to give California a bigger role in national politics with Super Tuesday voting among a dozen states.

But so many elections this year - a total of three including the November presidential ballot - mean that even though California and county officials are not projecting voter turnout, most believe that without any real contested races it will be less than 20 percent.

With the presidential primary season lurching to an end, you can create your own electoral map. No prizes. No awards. Just bragging rights that you are smarter than the experts.

Sen. HIllary Clinton was declared the winner of the Puerto Rico presidential primary election as the nominating season grinds to a close with a final burst of balloting on Tuesday .
There were no hard estimates on the returns and whether it will provide enough votes for Clinton to continue to press her argument that she has received more votes than Obama.
Puerto Rico has 55 delegates.