Matt Ortega

In breaking news tonight, the dirty tricksters behind the California electoral vote swindle are giving up, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Plagued by a lack of money, supporters of a statewide initiative drive to change the way California’s 55 electoral votes are apportioned, first revealed here by Top of the Ticket in July, are pulling the plug on that effort.

In an exclusive report to appear on this website late tonight and in Friday’s print editions, The Times’ Dan Morain reports that the proposal to change the winner-take-all electoral vote allocation to one by congressional district is virtually dead with the resignation of key supporters, internal disputes and a lack of funds.

Stay tuned for the full report tonight.

Congratulations to the Courage Campaign for a job well done on engineering a people-powered opposition to a blatant partisan ploy by the Republicans.

McNerney is foolish to be running a Congressional campaign — the number three target of Karl Rove, as he’s fond of pointing out — with NO CAMPAIGN MANAGER. If you think a Chief of Staff with a thimble-full of campaign experience operating from a continent away is adequate for this job — well, then, you must be Jerry McNerney or Angela Kouters. Because absolutely no one else thinks it’s a good idea.

–Babaloo, local Bay Area blogger
(The Progressive Connection, 09/26/07)

El Pais, the Spanish newspaper, reported on a February 2003 meeting that included then-Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and U.S. President George W. Bush.

Think Progress’ Ali Frick reports:

… Bush told Aznar that the U.S. would go to war with Iraq to disarm Saddam Hussein with or without a UN resolution:

“We must take him right now. We have shown an incredible degree of patience until now. There are two weeks left. In two weeks we will be militarily ready.”

Though Aznar asked Bush to “have a little patience” and urged, “It is very important to have a [UN] resolution,” Bush pushed for war throughout the meeting, telling the Spanish Prime Minister, “We will be in Baghdad by the end of March.”

Just a few days later, Bush insisted to the American public that war with Iraq was not a certainty:

BUSH: “I’ve not made up our mind about military action. Hopefully, this can be done peacefully.” [3/6/03]

BUSH: “We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq. But if Saddam Hussein does not disarm peacefully, he will be disarmed by force.” [3/8/03]

(Headline courtesy of Wonkette)

It’s unclear why Craig was a regular at that restroom. As Al Kamen previously pointed out in his In the Loop column, Craig’s flights from Idaho regularly came in at gates G14-G16, with Northwest Airlines flights for Washington leaving on the other side of the airport. Craig usually passed by four other restrooms on his way to the North Star Crossing restroom — including one sitting right at the gates he usually arrived at, literally a hundred or so feet from the gate.

–Paul Kane, columnist
(Washington Post, 09/26/07)

Meet Fred Klaske. He’s running for the Democratic nomination in California’s 15th Assembly District.

Klaske — an avowed supporter of then-Democratic candidate Jerry McNerney — announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination in California’s 11th Congressional District during the campaign season for the 2006 midterm elections. “Fred Klaske’s always in your corner.”

Fred Klaske redefined what it means to run an “insurgent campaign.” He currently lives in Castro Valley — outside the district; yet conveniently close to the campaign headquarters just outside the canyon separating Castro Valley from AD-15.

The office in San Ramon ain’t bad, so long as you don’t mind all the UPS signs everywhere. (This will be of no solace to The Progressive Connection’s babaloo, but Fred Gear, apparently, is tough to come by.)

Fred Klaske is a renaissance man: He’s a candidate in the 15th Assembly District and a delegate from the 18th AD. (Suck on that, Chuck Norris.)

Fred Klaske is a blogging genius:

I was planning in my latest eblast that went out today to discuss the ongoing strike by the UAW against GM, but news often happens faster than real life … [emphasis added]

And when it comes to the official Fred Klaske for Assembly blog, he wants you to know…

… that with my busy schedule, I won’t be able to post here very often …

… but to be sure to…

… stop by often.

So when you are continuously visiting Fred’s infrequently updated blog, be sure to read posts that you’ve read once already because it is going to take at least two read throughs to fully understand Fred’s literary awesomeness.

Did you know that the California Energy Commission’s November 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report is on Fred’s list of favorite books?

Fred Klaske is a magician: he can make your wallets and purses talk — you just have to give him all of their contents first — for the children.

There is no bar set too high, unless of course, Fred Klaske came up with the parameters.

Word has it that the wind turbines at the Altamont Pass are powered solely by Fred Klaske “listening” tours.

Fred Klaske is a self-starter — even if that means someone has to make him stop.

All of this may sound familiar. You’re wondering, could he be? Yes, he is the Fred Klaske that infamously wrote in an e-mail to potential supporters the following… (Text shown as it appeared.):

Now, more than ever — we need your help to make this
campaign a total success and give it
the momentum it needs to push this bus over the funding hill and get it
rolling non-stop (and non-stoppable) to a victory in the
primary for all the things you and I care so deeply
about, and want to change for the better & mdash
please stop for a moment, right now, and contribute
something
today, either on-line, or if
you want to use a check, click
here for the address, but please add your
actions
to your concern and your voice — act
now with a
contribution of any size –
together, let’s both of us make hope happen!

Legend has it that when Elie Wiesel said…

I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings. [emphasis added]

… Fred Klaske replied, “You’re welcome.”