-By Martha Montelongo

Gov. Jerry Brown has an interesting definition of “third world.”

In an interview with a San Francisco radio station last week, Brown said California would become “a Third World country” unless the state builds a ghastly $100 billion high-speed rail line that’s been fraught with mismanagement, cost overruns and shaky ridership projections.

It’s an odd claim, considering many third-world nations are characterized by crumbling infrastructure, failed boondoggle projects and constant budgetary trouble. In much of the third-world, a new leader will pour massive amounts of a nation’s fortune into a single prestige project, only to have it fail when poor planning, bureaucratic incompetence and malfeasance slowly eat up all the funds.

By this definition, California seems currently on track to become America’s third-world state. Just like high-speed rail, the same spending lobby is promoting a nearly $1 billion per year tax hike so that a politically appointed panel can dole out favors to cronies. The $1 billion in new taxes under Proposition 29 goes into a lockbox that only this politically-influenced commission can access. Not even in cases of waste or abuse can the Governor or the Legislature make any changes! Proposition 29 sounds like it was plucked straight from the playbook of some Latin American dictator or Middle Eastern sheikh.

Jerry Brown ought to find the nearest dictionary. Pouring money into boondoggle projects while neglecting vital services like education and public safety is the surest way for California to join the third-world. Until California can figure out how to pay for what it already has, voters need to say no to more new spending.

(Published with permission)

One hundred sixty four years ago, on this date in the year 1848, in the conquered and occupied Federal District of Mexico, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by representatives of US President James Polk and interim Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, ending the war between the two countries.

By every possible measure, the war ended as a decisive victory for the United States and a humiliating defeat for Mexico. As a result of the treaty, Mexico ceded all rights to territory north of the Rio Grande and the Gila River, including all of California, Nevada, Utah, and Texas, parts of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, as well as the parts of Arizona and New Mexico not later bought in the Gadsden Purchase. From Mexico’s perspective, a perspective that recognized neither the revolutions in Texas and California nor the Annexation of Texas, the country lost over half of its prewar territory.

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One hundred sixty four years ago, on this date in the year 1848, in the conquered and occupied Federal District of Mexico, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by representatives of US President James Polk and interim Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, ending the war between the two countries.

By every possible measure, the war ended as a decisive victory for the United States and a humiliating defeat for Mexico. As a result of the treaty, Mexico ceded all rights to territory north of the Rio Grande and the Gila River, including all of California, Nevada, Utah, and Texas, parts of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, as well as the parts of Arizona and New Mexico not later bought in the Gadsden Purchase. From Mexico’s perspective, a perspective that recognized neither the revolutions in Texas and California nor the Annexation of Texas, the country lost over half of its prewar territory.

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So, Google is integrating its websites more. As a result, some privacy settings will apply network-wide, and one site will be able to use data from another site. People are flipping out, naturally. People have been giving Google this data for ages. People have known that Google was watching them, and yet they chose to keep using Google and in fact use one account for many Google services.

Note that the new policy changes nothing about what Google already knew about you. It just changes what certain Google sites will use about you. As Marsha Blackburn and other members of Congress begin to look into it though, Google isn’t helping its case by pleading that it’s alright because certain users are excluded, which just furthers the premise that there’s something wrong with it.

But ultimately, you’re in control of what you do online. Personal responsibility: it’s not just for breakfast anymore.

I feel vindicated though in having about a dozen Google accounts for the limited times I had use for their services, usual in the course of helping somebody else. Different accounts for different uses and different sites. It was never hard. You just had to do it. Oh, and not use their email.

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So, Google is integrating its websites more. As a result, some privacy settings will apply network-wide, and one site will be able to use data from another site. People are flipping out, naturally. People have been giving Google this data for ages. People have known that Google was watching them, and yet they chose to keep using Google and in fact use one account for many Google services.

Note that the new policy changes nothing about what Google already knew about you. It just changes what certain Google sites will use about you. As Marsha Blackburn and other members of Congress begin to look into it though, Google isn’t helping its case by pleading that it’s alright because certain users are excluded, which just furthers the premise that there’s something wrong with it.

But ultimately, you’re in control of what you do online. Personal responsibility: it’s not just for breakfast anymore.

I feel vindicated though in having about a dozen Google accounts for the limited times I had use for their services, usual in the course of helping somebody else. Different accounts for different uses and different sites. It was never hard. You just had to do it. Oh, and not use their email.

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Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s penchant for hypocritical hyperbole is once again manifesting itself. Her latest example is regarding the #Occupy movement.

Just a few short months ago, before the #Occupy movement exposed itself as a bunch of entitlement-driven neo-Communist criminals, Pelosi (and other Democrats) wholly embraced the squatters’ rag-tag movement.

This was Pelosi then:

Despite the fact that unions are now funding, coordinating, aiding and abetting the #Occupy movement–the same unions that fund, coordinate, aid and abet the Democratic Party apparatchik–Pelosi now claims that she and her fellow Democrats are not “connected” to the neo-Com movement.

This is Pelosi now:

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Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s penchant for hypocritical hyperbole is once again manifesting itself. Her latest example is regarding the #Occupy movement.

Just a few short months ago, before the #Occupy movement exposed itself as a bunch of entitlement-driven neo-Communist criminals, Pelosi (and other Democrats) wholly embraced the squatters’ rag-tag movement.

This was Pelosi then:

Despite the fact that unions are now funding, coordinating, aiding and abetting the #Occupy movement–the same unions that fund, coordinate, aid and abet the Democratic Party apparatchik–Pelosi now claims that she and her fellow Democrats are not “connected” to the neo-Com movement.

This is Pelosi now:

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Come, I will conceal nothing from you: the Ricky Gill campaign is busily bringing up the odd detail that his likely opponent for CA-09 – Rep. Jerry McNerney, who was essentially accused by ProPublica last month of having that district redrawn for his benefit – has not yet moved into CA-09.  Given that McNerney’s been putting this move off since at least last July, I think that this is a perfectly reasonable observation of the Ricky Gill campaign to make.  I understand that redistricting can make for temporary confusion and delay until things straighten out again, but at this point failing to find a new place to live in the district that you want to represents a certain lack of, ah, drive*.

As you probably recall, we interviewed Ricky last month at RedState.  Check out the interview.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*We will now pause while Democrats search frantically for any Republican legislator from the last thirty years who did not instantly relocate his or her primary residence because of redistricting.  Alas for them, it’s not really unlikely that any hypothetical GOP legislator had gone through the trouble of (allegedly) designing their district first.  In other words: shenanigans are one thing, but sloppy, ill-planned shenanigans?  That’s kind of… embarrassing, no?

Come, I will conceal nothing from you: the Ricky Gill campaign is busily bringing up the odd detail that his likely opponent for CA-09 – Rep. Jerry McNerney, who was essentially accused by ProPublica last month of having that district redrawn for his benefit – has not yet moved into CA-09.  Given that McNerney’s been putting this move off since at least last July, I think that this is a perfectly reasonable observation of the Ricky Gill campaign to make.  I understand that redistricting can make for temporary confusion and delay until things straighten out again, but at this point failing to find a new place to live in the district that you want to represents a certain lack of, ah, drive*.

As you probably recall, we interviewed Ricky last month at RedState.  Check out the interview.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*We will now pause while Democrats search frantically for any Republican legislator from the last thirty years who did not instantly relocate his or her primary residence because of redistricting.  Alas for them, it’s not really unlikely that any hypothetical GOP legislator had gone through the trouble of (allegedly) designing their district first.  In other words: shenanigans are one thing, but sloppy, ill-planned shenanigans?  That’s kind of… embarrassing, no?

Redistricting in California is simply a mess. As some left leaning publications have reported, the Democratic Party gamed the allegedly non-partisan redistricting commission while the inept California GOP fell asleep at the wheel and got taken to the cleaners. Perhaps this is a hard lesson learned for California Republicans, but one that may very well undercut the gains made in 2010 and hurt the GOP in that state for the next decade.
Original estimates claimed that the state could possibly lose one or two House seats. However, the growth in the Hispanic population offset any losses in population elsewhere, so they retain their 53 seats and 55 electoral votes.
Larry Sabato had an excellent article on his website about the unemployment rate and the economy in general and its effects on Presidential elections. To summarize, although Obama is in uncharted territory when it comes to unemployment numbers, it should not make too much of a difference when electoral votes are tallied. Using California as the prime example, their unemployment rate exceeds the national average, but does anyone really believe the GOP will carry this state? Clearly, their deep blue status trumps the unemployment rate and certainly bleak economy of that state.
For the Senate seat, Diane Feinstein seeks another term. Currently, the best the California GOP can put forward is Elizabeth Emken- a losing Congressional candidate in 2010 and autism advicate- and Orly Taitz- a dentist who lost to gain his party’s nomination for Secretary of State in the 2010 primary. There are some possibilities starting with Chuck DeVore who finished third in the Republican Party primary for Senate in 2010 to face Barbara Boxer. There is also Steve Poizner who gave Meg Whitman somewhat of a fight in the GOP Gubernatorial primary in 2010. And also Carly Fiorina’s name has been mentioned although I doubt it because she spent a lot of money to lose to a more vulnerable Barbara Boxer in 2010. At best, the best the GOP can hope for is to ding Feinstein along the way, but there is little doubt she will return to the Senate. Preliminary polling shows her at least 18 points ahead of any opponent in hypothetical match ups. Given the size of the state, any campaign is a costly endeavor and it would take lots of money to defeat Feinstein, plus a perfect storm of political winds. If a Republican can a low-cost campaign and came within 10-12 points, they should count that as a victory.
As for the Congressional districts, that is where the intrigue and drama will occur. The current split is 34-19 for the Democrats.
Lynn Woolsey is retiring from the 2nd District thus opening the path for Marin County Supervisor Sue Adams to take over. She should face only token GOP opposition. In the 51st, Bob Filner is leaving to run for Mayor of San Diego and although there may be a primary battle between Denise Ducheny and Juan Vargas, either one of those Democrats will be elected.
I currently count 30 safe Democratic seats out of the 34 they currently hold. But even in the safe districts, there are some intriguing battles. In the 9th, Jerry McNerney seems to be a perennial target of Republicans and will be again in 2012. The 30th will feature a heavyweight battle between two incumbent Democrats- Howard Berman (CA-28) and Brad Sherman (CA-27). Likewise, the same thing should occur in 44th where Janice Hahn (CA-36) will likely face Laura Richardson (CA-37). In the heavily Latino 46th, Republicans will likely run Pat Garcia, a Latino Tea Party activist. That should be interesting.
The newly drawn 3rd will pit incumbent Democrat John Garamendi against Rick Tubbs again with most likely the same outcome. In the 16th, John Costa moves over from the 16th and will most likely replace the retiring Dennis Cardoza. The 24th becomes more Hispanic which makes Republican Abel Maldonado, who has an impressive political resume, a viable candidate against Lois Capps. I think this potential race is one to watch from the GOP standpoint. Finally, the 47th has an outside chance to become competitive, but only if the Democratic primary turns acrimonious.
For Repubicans, I can count only 11 safe seats. Among them, Jerry Lewis should face a close race in the 31st, but prevail. And the conservative 39th District may feature Gary Miller (CA-42) facing fellow Republican Ed Royce (CA-40), but it will remain Republican.
In the riskier districts, Dan Lungren faces a tough re-election effort against Ami Bera. Lungren has been targeted by the DNCC and they will got at him with a vengeance in 2012. The 8th is newly drawn and should remain GOP territory while in the 10th, incumbent Republican Jeff Denham will face heavy competition in either Mike Barkley or former NASA astronaut, Jose Hernandez. Likewise, Elton Gallaghy faces a likely loss. The 32nd will most likely pit current incumbents of different parties against one another- David Dreier (CA-26) will face Grace Napolitano (CA-38). I expect a close Democratic victory here.
A few closing notes are in order. Politically, things are greatly in flux on the Left Coast. Some incumbents have not yet made decisions to run in certain districts while others may opt to run in nearby and more friendly political territory. Also, some may decide to retire into the private sector rather than test new political territory. Hence, this analysis is purely preliminary.
Second, most experts predict Democrats will gain 3-5 House seats out of California. This analysis predicts four, three if Abel Maldonado- the GOP’s best chance to flip a district- prevails.
Third, although well-meaning, the allegedly non-partisan redistricting commission was clearly played for fools. There is little doubt that the DNCC had a serious hand in shaping these new districts, especially in the northern part of the state. The commission decided early on that they were going to listen to the concerns of ordinary citizens before making decisions and drawing maps. We now know that Democratic operatives were playing the role of “citizens” before the commission, but that many were not and some were not even Californians. Democratic strategists armed with sophisticated mapping software have replaced the smoke-filled back rooms of yesteryear. But as egregious as this is, more galling is the fact that the California GOP got caught with their pants down. If they had a modicum of sophistication, the mere fact that Democratic areas- absent Hispanic population growth- saw population stagnation, if not declines. Meanwhile, Republican areas showed population increases. That alone should have been a red flag for all to see. If they did not see it, then shame on them. If they saw it and did not act, then greater shame on them. Many on the Right are now crying foul against the Democratic Party and their actions in California. But, I lay the blame at the feet of the California GOP, such that it exists.
To summarize, Obama gets the 55 electoral votes, Feinstein gets sent back to the Senate and Republicans lose 4 seats in the House.
Running totals to date:
Obama 78 electoral votes to GOP’s 25;
No change in the Senate;
Net gain of two Governors, and;
Net loss of two House seats.

Next stop: Arizona