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Archives for June 2012

Darrel Issa’s Fixation on Attorney General Eric Holder

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Five Things To Know About The Republican Witchhunt Against Attorney General Holder

By Ian Millhiser / Think Progress /Jun 13, 2012

In 2006, during the presidency of George W. Bush, the Justice Department launched the first of a series of misguided “gunrunning” schemes that eventually led to the death of federal Agent Brian Terry. Rather than look to ways to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, however, House Oversight Chair Darrell Issa’s (R-CA) spent his tenure as a committee chair trying unsuccessfully to embarrass Attorney General Eric Holder.

This week, Issa escalated this witchhunt by holding an committee vote on a resolution to hold the Attorney General in contempt of Congress. Here’s what you need to know about this vote:

1. Issa Has No Case: Issa’s uncovered no evidence showing Holder bears any blame for the botched operations begun under George W. Bush, even though the Justice Department turned over thousands of pages of documents concerning the operations.   [Read more…]

Arizona Latinos Prepare for Civil Disobedience as Supreme Court Reviews Immigration Law

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In Arizona, Latino communities are preparing for acts of mass protest and civil disobedience ahead of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling on the controversial immigration law SB1070. Should the law go unchallenged, police will be allowed the power to investigate the immigration status of any person they may have “reasonable suspicion” of being undocumented.
“No one, from the governor down, has provided any guidance on what constitutes ‘reasonable suspicion’,” said Allesandra Soler Meetze, ACLU’s director in Arizona. In the absence of proper training, she added, “police officers will rely on their own prejudices and go by how people look and speak. That will push law enforcement into racial profiling.”   [Read more…]

Book Review: Emma Goldman: Revolution as a Way of Life

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By Mel Freilicher / Special to the OB Rag

Emma Goldman: Revolution as a Way of Life
By Vivian Gornick
Yale University Press, 2011; 151 pages; $25

Rather than write a political history of Emma Goldman’s very full life (which is already documented in great detail, including in her own hefty, 2 volume autobiography, Living My Life), Vivian Gornick has chosen to “concentrate on the force of her extraordinary rebelliousness and try to understand it in light of the existential drive behind radical politics.”

To illuminate what she believes to be at the heart of many dedicated radicals’ commitment, Gornick delivers a provocative portrait of Goldman’s soul, really: embodied in what’s famously paraphrased as, “If I can’t come to your dance, I’m not coming to your revolution.”   [Read more…]

Your Daily Primary Election Update: June 14th Edition

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Kreep vs. Peed, Saldaña vs. Peters races updated.

With 7000 ballots left to be counted, here’s the latest from the SD Registrar of Voters:

With just a hair under 400,000 total votes cast, birther lawyer Gary Kreep has opened up an 824 vote lead over prosecutor Garland Peed.   [Read more…]

Only You Can Save Balboa Park!

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The good folks at SOHO – Save Our Heritage Organization – are fighting angry. And for good reason. They are upset that the San Diego Planning Commission approved billionaire Irwin Jacobs’ plans for Balboa Park at its June 7th meeting. SOHO wrote us:

After eight hours of presentations and public testimony on June 7th, with little thoughtful deliberation, the San Diego Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of the Plaza de Panama project. Their conduct was one of extreme disappointment as they let down both the public and forfeited their stewardship of Balboa Park in an embarrassing display up one-upmanship of who could thank Dr. Jacobs the most for gracing their presence. This is no exaggeration.

The meeting in its entirety can be viewed at this video link. But for those of you who haven’t the time or inclination, please view the following short clips. These remarks from the Planning Commissioners will give you a good idea of just how endangered Balboa Park is in the hands of decision makers who are unable or unwilling to show real leadership and why your involvement is so crucial.

  [Read more…]

The Starting Line—DeMaio’s Pothole Plan Craters; UT Editorials for Sale?

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June 14, 2012- Mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio’s scheme to tie his November campaign to yet another ‘reform’ initiative ran into a brick wall yesterday as a San Diego City Council committee voted 5-0 against referring it to the full council for a vote. DeMaio’s “Road Repair Initiative” would have required the city government to exclusively allocate any surplus revenues for the next five years towards infrastructure repairs. Councilwoman Marti Emerald asked why the city should spend monies to support an initiative that was clearly designed to support a mayoral campaign. Mayoral challenger Bob Filner appeared before the committee, calling the proposed measure “an aspiration for mediocrity.”

DeMaio plans to re-introduce the measure as part of a revised budget should he win the mayoral contest. If the City Council refuses to go along with his plan at that point he pledged to go through the initiative signature gathering process. One has to wonder if his plan for governance is simply government by initiative.   [Read more…]

Sex In San Diego: Women Aren’t Meeting Breastfeeding Goals

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by Denise Mann / WebMD Health News

Despite having every intention to breastfeed for at least three months, more than 85% of mothers don’t meet their goals. A recent study takes a look at what makes moms most and least likely to succeed.   [Read more…]

Election Update, June 13th Edition: Kreep Creeps Back Into the Lead

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Birther lawyer Gary Kreep has crept back into the lead over prosecutor Garland Peed.  According to the latest Registrar of Voters update, with almost 400,000 total votes cast, and 13,500 provisional or absentee ballots still to be counted, Kreep has taken a 216 vote lead: Gary Kreep: 197,376 votes, 50.03% Garland Peed: 197,160 votes, 49.97% […]

Los Angeles Kings Win the Stanley Cup

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The oldest and most coveted sports trophy in North America will call Southern California home for only the 2nd time in its 120 year history.

The LA Kings made history the other night. In defeating the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, they became the first team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup, the oldest and arguably the most coveted trophy in North America, as a number eight seed.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line—Peed Dribbles Past Kreep in Closely Watched Judicial Race

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June 13, 2012- Observers are keeping a close eye on late election results at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters office, with a couple of close races hanging in the balance as 17,700 provisional ballots are counted. The closest contest is the race for Superior Court Judge # 34; Garland Peed is clinging to a 79 vote lead over right wing activist and birther Gary Kreep. In the hotly contested race to see who will challenge incumbent Congressman Brian Bilbray in the 52nd district, former City Councilman Scott Peters holds a 803 vote lead over former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña. 5PM UPDATE: Kreep now leads Peed by 216 votes; Peters lead over Saaldana narrows to 737 vote-word is that she is conceding. There are 13,500 provisional ballots left to count.

Looking at the primary from the other side of the aisle… Local conserv blog SDRostra has a couple of post-election articles up that, along with the additional comments posted, should be mandatory reading for San Diego politicos. The Oracle Speaks has local pollster John Nienstedt sharing his observations about local primary contests from a (successful) political consultant’s point of view. And Tweets Don’t Equal Votes takes a look at the social media efforts of the Nathan Fletcher campaign; be sure to read through the comments on this one.   [Read more…]

Within These Whispering Walls–What My House Told Me About City Heights

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The home my husband and I bought in City Heights over two decades ago is a four mile straight shot along University Avenue from the little house we had rented in North Park for six years. Despite the short distance, the trips east to our new home were initially disorienting. Yes, there were the same low buildings constructed between the 20’s and 40’s lining University Avenue and the uninterrupted march of billboards knitted the two communities together seamlessly with their visual blight.

But North Park, even though it was in the throes of urban decay, still had a palpable urban energy and a diverse concentration of businesses in the area of 30th Street from University to El Cajon. There were small specialty shops, thrift stores and restaurants, and even a JCPenny, all of which attracted a diverse segment of the population in the area. City Heights on the other hand lacked an identifiable destination with a similar broad appeal. In City Heights, circa 1987, there was no there there.   [Read more…]

FDA releases nutritional guide to insects, vermin and pests

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(BOCA RATON) Americans can stretch their dwindling food budgets and broaden their taste horizons if they’d only consider eating more insects, rats and vermin, according to Uncle Sam.

That’s the message from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which today released a report on the nutritional value of more than 700 common insects, reptiles, rodents, amphibians and spiders.

The report, Let Them Eat Snake: The Nutritional Benefits of Insects, Vermin and Household Pests, hopes to “broaden American perspectives on food in the 21st Century.”

While initial response has been one of alarm, the FDA is assuring the public that the report does not signal any pending problems with the food supply.   [Read more…]

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