Term limits have really screwed up the state, and if one needs any further proof, one need only look at the brewing internecine wars between members of the same party, which are occurring mostly because because one of the candidates might be out of a job. These races also show how special interests try to control the state in the post term limits environment.
So Portlytino decides to take on fellow Democrat Liu. We're certain that this is because she's so different on the issues. As Rick Perry would say, "oops." No: this is clearly about Portantino's own ambition, and not public service, and not any difference on major issues.
But wait, you say, wasn't Portantino the guy who took on the establishment in Sacramento? Uh, yeah, not really.
Portantino tried to BECOME the establishment, and when that failed, he did the only thing that an outsider can do: slam the insiders. Portantino in fact ran for Speaker not once but twice. He lost both times.
An examination of Portantino's speakership campaigns show that never did he once run on trying to open up the Assembly records. It gets worse. Portantino has been in office as long as anyone in the current Assembly. Not once did he previously complain about the fact that his budget was secret. Only this year, did he find religion.
We guess the only way to distinguish yourself after being part of an institution and part of a problem for so long, is to manufacture an issue with that institution and pick a public fight with it. But Portantino's timing and his status make his newfound religion as suspect as a Goldman Sachs banker attacking Wall Street only after he got fired.
And just imagine how much more dysfunctional our government would be if everyone tried to distinguish themselves from the institutions by trying to tear them down on your way out the door.
Portantino has no compelling reason, save his own ambition, to challenge his fellow identicrat Carol Liu.
Case study number 2 comes a little south of Burbank, where a candidate named Torie Osborn is challenging Betsy Butler for Assembly.
We polled our fellow Democratic activists: On ALL the major issues: LGBT, labor, immigrants, choice, the environment, etc, there is not one iota of difference between Torie Osborn and Betsy Butler. NOT ONE DIFFERENCE. Thus, excuse us for concluding that this stupid internecine challenge is all about Torie's monumental ego and her personal ambition.
Excuse me, but those are NOT good reasons to get in politics.
(As of press time, Torie's camp would not confirm that her campaign slogan will be, "Torie: It's About Me." We did confirm however that she really does punctuate emails with a call to VicTorie. No kidding...)
The Butler-Osborn race also shows the sheer chutzpah of special interests in the state. This year, the parents of kids with epilepsy asked the Legislature to allow school workers to VOLUNTEER to administer seizure medication if a kid is dying at school. If there is no one there to do it (and 99% of schools don't have nurses), the kid dies. Plain and simple.
Butler did the right thing and voted yes on this bill, bucking the Nurses Union and their comrades in the Teacher's Unions. Trying to flex their political muscles in the grossest possible way, they have endorsed Torie Osborn...
We will be walking precincts for Carol Liu and Betsy Butler, and encourage all of our fellow activists to do the same.
Case Study 1: Anthony "Un-im" Portantino has decided to challenge incumbent local Senator Carol Liu in a inter-Demo squabble. Portantino exhibits the "I want an elected job, any job" attitude that plagues our state's selfish elected officials.
Portantino spent the last year telling everyone that the time had come for him to run for Congress, because he wanted to focus on important FEDERAL issues. (It was sheer coincidence that Portantino was term limited out from his position as a state Assemblyman, we're sure.)
Fast forward one year, and Portantino did not get the Congressional district he wanted drawn, so, all of the sudden, the federal issues can wait, and he has to look for another place to land his ample, term-limited gluteous.
So Portlytino decides to take on fellow Democrat Liu. We're certain that this is because she's so different on the issues. As Rick Perry would say, "oops." No: this is clearly about Portantino's own ambition, and not public service, and not any difference on major issues.
But wait, you say, wasn't Portantino the guy who took on the establishment in Sacramento? Uh, yeah, not really.
Portantino tried to BECOME the establishment, and when that failed, he did the only thing that an outsider can do: slam the insiders. Portantino in fact ran for Speaker not once but twice. He lost both times.
An examination of Portantino's speakership campaigns show that never did he once run on trying to open up the Assembly records. It gets worse. Portantino has been in office as long as anyone in the current Assembly. Not once did he previously complain about the fact that his budget was secret. Only this year, did he find religion.
We guess the only way to distinguish yourself after being part of an institution and part of a problem for so long, is to manufacture an issue with that institution and pick a public fight with it. But Portantino's timing and his status make his newfound religion as suspect as a Goldman Sachs banker attacking Wall Street only after he got fired.
And just imagine how much more dysfunctional our government would be if everyone tried to distinguish themselves from the institutions by trying to tear them down on your way out the door.
Portantino has no compelling reason, save his own ambition, to challenge his fellow identicrat Carol Liu.
Case study number 2 comes a little south of Burbank, where a candidate named Torie Osborn is challenging Betsy Butler for Assembly.
We polled our fellow Democratic activists: On ALL the major issues: LGBT, labor, immigrants, choice, the environment, etc, there is not one iota of difference between Torie Osborn and Betsy Butler. NOT ONE DIFFERENCE. Thus, excuse us for concluding that this stupid internecine challenge is all about Torie's monumental ego and her personal ambition.
Excuse me, but those are NOT good reasons to get in politics.
(As of press time, Torie's camp would not confirm that her campaign slogan will be, "Torie: It's About Me." We did confirm however that she really does punctuate emails with a call to VicTorie. No kidding...)
The Butler-Osborn race also shows the sheer chutzpah of special interests in the state. This year, the parents of kids with epilepsy asked the Legislature to allow school workers to VOLUNTEER to administer seizure medication if a kid is dying at school. If there is no one there to do it (and 99% of schools don't have nurses), the kid dies. Plain and simple.
Butler did the right thing and voted yes on this bill, bucking the Nurses Union and their comrades in the Teacher's Unions. Trying to flex their political muscles in the grossest possible way, they have endorsed Torie Osborn...
We will be walking precincts for Carol Liu and Betsy Butler, and encourage all of our fellow activists to do the same.
amen brother
ReplyDeleteIf Portantino was smart, he'd run fir LA City Controller. His message would resonate there, and Zine and Ron Galperin ain't exactly a tough field.
ReplyDeleteTorie Osborn was in the race for the 50th a year before the redistricting happened, and far, far before Betsy had even thought about moving into the district. You make it sound as though she's "challenging" Betsy, but it's BETSY who decided to move into the district that Torie has lived and worked in for 25 years. Betsy COULD have moved to 66th, where she is better known. In doing so, she could have helped Dems capture the 2/3 majority. But instead, she decided to move into the 50th, where Torie had already established her campaign.
ReplyDeleteBetsy's doing what she can to protect her job, instead of what will actually be best for California voters. She's carpetbagging for an easy fight.
That's the problem: you assumed Anthony Portantino was smart. He's an average IQ douchebag who thinks he is smarter than others. He doesn't realize how cheesy, cliche, and narcissistic he comes across.
ReplyDeleteThat's your problem: you assumed Anthony Portantino was smart. In fact, he's an average IQ douchebag who thinks he is smarter than everyone else. He has no clue how cheesy, cliche, and narcissistic he comes across.
ReplyDeleteActually Carol has been asleep in the state senate her entire term. I will be voting for Portantino primarily because the Assemblyman Portantino pays attention and awake and follows what is going on.
ReplyDeleteI see the hand of Dario Frommer in all of this. This campaign is guranteed to expose the utterly uninspiring Liu for what she is, and the narcissistic, ratfuck of all ratfucks Portantino. This is making people desperate for an alternative (Frommer). Or Portantino will shoot his wad making him a non-entity in 2016. Frommer's machine benefits.
ReplyDelete