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Polls continue to show Meg Whitman’s momentum

November 20th, 2009, 1:43 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows Republican Meg Whitman in a dead heat with Democrat Jerry Brown in the race for governor, a big swing from less than two months ago when Rasmussen showed Brown 9 percentage points ahead and this Field Poll showed him 20 points ahead.

The vagaries of polling methodologies likely have something to do with the differences, as they have in surveys concerning the GOP primary in the race (click here for a rundown and my analysis of those polls). But the trend in Whitman’s favor is giving the campaign something to crow about.

“This is more clear evidence that Californians are attracted to Meg’s focused vision for California,” wrote senior campaign advisor Jeff Randle in a “state of the race” memo sent out to the press today.

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Posted in: Elections 2010 • Polls • • | Post a Comment »

Argument grows for all-mail elections

November 19th, 2009, 1:14 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

Tuesday’s dismal turnout at the polls added fuel to the call to do away with polling places and conduct elections entirely by mail, as is done in Oregon, two small California counties and at least one California city.

Just 9,172 - 4 percent - of the 72nd Assembly District’s voters went to the polls. But 30,745 voted by mail, accounting for 77 percent of all ballots cast. (Overall, a scant 18 percent of the district voters cast ballots.)

More people still make the trip in big elections - 55 percent of the county’s ballots last November were cast at the polling place. But that number shrinks a little each time around as more voters opt for the convenience of voting from home.

Fred Smoller is leading the call in Orange County for all-mail elections. He says it saves money and can increase turnout.

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Posted in: 72nd Assembly • Elections office | 8 Comments »

Appeal filed on Obama birthplace lawsuit

November 18th, 2009, 12:57 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

The allegations that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen and so is not legitimately president continue to percolate, with an appeal filed Monday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter on Oct. 29 dismissed without trial a civil suit seeking to disqualify Obama as president. Click here for the story. Laguna Niguel attorney Orly Taitz, on behalf of 42 of the 44 plaintiffs in the case, then filed with Carter a fiery motion for reconsideration. Click here for the story.

The two remaining plaintiffs, Buena Park Pastor Wiley Drake and American Independent Party Chairman Markham Robinson, had a falling out with Taitz and hired lawyer Gary Kreep to represent them. Kreep has filed the appeal on their behalf.

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Posted in: President Obama • • • | 145 Comments »

Norby holds big lead in Assembly special election

November 17th, 2009, 8:08 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

Updated with Norby’s and MacMurray’s comments.

County Supervisor Chris Norby, a Republican, has a commanding lead in the race to replace disgraced former Assemblyman Mike Duvall, with 36 percent of the vote. Democrat John MacMurray is second with 28 percent, followed by Linda Ackerman with 20 percent.

29,130 mail ballots have been tallied, accounting for virtually all of the mail ballots received through today with the exception of those hand delivered to polling stations. Mail ballots are currently on pace to account for more than 80 percent of the vote. 10:30 p.m. update: 5,346 polling place votes - 124 of 197 precincts - and no significant change in results.

Less than 20 percent of the district 219,961 voters are expected to participate in the election. It appears that no candidate will receive more than half the vote, meaning the top vote getting Republican will face off on Jan. 12 against MacMurray and the Green Party’s Jane Rands.

“It looks good so far,” said Norby, from Cherch Restaurant in Fullerton, where his campaign is gathered. “I think the voters were familiar with my record and my roots in the district.”

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Posted in: 72nd Assembly • Elections 2009 | 11 Comments »

Early results expected in today’s Assembly election

November 17th, 2009, 4:16 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley tells me that he’ll be posting a tally of virtually every mail ballot he’s received for today’s special election at 8:05 p.m.

Since more than half the votes cast are expected to be mail ballots, we should know the results at that time unless it’s close. The only mail ballots he won’t have tallied are those hand delivered to the polling stations.

Meanwhile, Register interns from Chapman University are posting anecdotes and quotes from the polls. Click here to read that.

I should mention that the candidates - Chris Norby, Linda Ackerman, Richard Faher, John MacMurray and Jane Rands - are vying to replace “Open Mike” Duvall.

Click here to read my Sunday story on the race.
Click here to read our voters guide to the race.

Posted in: 72nd Assembly | Post a Comment »

Racial prejudice colors attitudes on Obama policy

November 16th, 2009, 12:44 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

Updated with responses from O.C. GOP Chairman Scott Baugh and O.C. Dems’ Executive Director Malahat Rafiei.

Some have touted the election of Barack Obama has heralding a “post-racial era,” but prejudice swayed some from voting for the black man and is causing many to be wary of his policies, according to a new study led by UC Irvine’s Eric Knowles.

For instance, many Americans who don’t like the health-care plan being developed under Obama responded favorably when the same plan was described to them as having been proposed under Bill Clinton.

“Obama’s win has led many to say that it proves we’re no longer a prejudiced country,” Knowles said in describing the study. “But that doesn’t hold water. The question is how much he would have won by if that prejudice wasn’t there. He won despite prejudice. This election hasn’t ushered in a post-racial era.”

Does racial prejudice have a tangible effect on opinions of Obama policy?
View Results

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Posted in: President Obama | 229 Comments »

O.C. health-care rally pushes for more coverage

November 12th, 2009, 2:14 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

05.healthrally.1112.jahCongressional approval health-care reform may seem increasingly likely, but that didn’t stop nearly 100 demonstrators - and a dozen counter-demonstrators - from hitting the streets at Fashion Island today.

“The concern now is with the Senate,” said Irvine’s Bruce Tierney, 47, who markets software. He said he was participating in one of 120 MoveOn.org demonstrations nationwide because he wanted to make sure the public option for health insurance approved by the House of Representatives remained in the final bill.

The 83 percent of Americans now covered by health care would increase to 96 percent by 2019 under the House bill. Tierney and many others on hand today said they ultimately would like to see 100-percent coverage from a single-payer, government-run plan like Medicare.

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Posted in: Health care • Health reform | 46 Comments »

Witnesses: Obama birth lawyer told us to lie

November 11th, 2009, 5:00 am by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

orly-taitz2A man claiming to have been Barack Obama’s homosexual lover and another claiming to have Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate say Laguna Niguel attorney Orly Taitz asked them to lie in federal court. I’ll get to the details of their affidavits with the allegations momentarily.

Taitz planned to use the two as witnesses in her effort to prove Obama was born in Kenya and is not a legitimate president. However, the case was dismissed on Oct. 29 by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter without going to trial.

In his dismissal, Carter wrote, “the Court has received several sworn affidavits that Taitz asked potential witnesses that she planned to call before this Court to perjure themselves. This Court is deeply concerned that Taitz may have suborned perjury through witnesses she intended to bring before this Court.”

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Posted in: President Obama • | 225 Comments »

Obama birthplace lawyer lashes out at court

November 10th, 2009, 12:05 pm by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

Laguna Niguel attorney Orly Taitz has filed a fiery motion to revive her dismissed lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s presidency. The documents filed with federal District Judge David O. Carter’s Santa Ana court include allegations that a Carter law clerk previously worked for a law firm defending Obama, and that that clerk wrote most of Carter’s ruling dismissing Taitz’s suit.

That suit sought to prove that Obama was born in Kenya and so does not meet the qualifications to be president. Carter’s Oct. 29 ruling said that removal of a president is, by the authority of the Constitution, a matter for Congress, not the courts.

In his ruling, Carter repeatedly chastised Taitz. At one point, he complains that she had her followers contact the court in an effort to sway his opinion, and at another point, he says he’s received several affidavits from witnesses who say that Taitz asked them to lie to the court.

Taitz denied both points in her filing.

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Posted in: President Obama • | 238 Comments »

TV ad attacks Norby in latest mudslinging

November 10th, 2009, 11:37 am by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

Alliance for California’s Tomorrow may have pulled the plug on campaign spending to beat Assembly candidate Chris Norby - click here for that story - but another independent group has launched the following ad on cable TV. It shows disgraced former Assemblyman “Open Mike” Duvall’s face morphing into Norby’s face, and paints Norby as disrespectful to women.

YouTube Preview Image

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Posted in: Elections 2010 • • | 9 Comments »

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