Four Days Away

Top of the Ticket
With Brown and Boxer pulling away from Meg and Carly, volunteers should look at helping on local races because they are hot!

D6
The Voice explains what a Zapf win would mean for the future of San Diego. This the the most important local race, the one that had been a bare knuckle bruiser and the only race that any progressive within City limits with half a mind should be volunteering for. Call (619) 761-6951or go to the Wayne Campaign website to keep Zapf away from the City Council.

D8
The only exception to this is if you reside in Ben Hueso's City Council District. The UT has a great story about Ben giving Felipe $25,000 through an IE run by the Central Labor Council. D8 has been chronically used by their council members as a stepping stone for higher office. Help Alvarez and put a stop to the dynastic attempts at succession.

S4
We advocate for an all out effort for Wayne because without an Obama-like wave we don't see Whitburn making it. Even with a full court press by some local Dem leaders, SEIU, and the Dem Unity campaign, Whitburn has run a lackluster campaign. As we enter the final days, resources must be used where they can have the largest impact and that looks like Wayne.

California Democratic Party Features President Obama in Mailer Opposing Prop. 23, an Initiative That Would Eliminate Thousands of Clean Energy Jobs

SACRAMENTO – The California Democratic Party today announced a new mail piece, arriving in voters’ mailboxes as early as today, featuring President Barack Obama’s opposition to Proposition 23.  This dangerous initiative on California’s November ballot, sponsored by polluting out-of-state oil companies, would eliminate clean energy standards and thousands of green jobs created by California’s landmark greenhouse gas law.

In fact, because of our new greenhouse gas law, California’s clean-tech industry is thriving: More money is being invested in California alternative energy start-ups than anywhere else in the world, and green technology is creating 10 times more new jobs than any other sector.

But Prop. 23 would reverse that economic progress and turn back the clock on clean air protections. It would jeopardize the 12,000 clean energy businesses, 500,000 clean energy jobs and more than $10 billion in private investments that have been created.

President Obama understands that California and our nation can be the worldwide leader in green-tech industries, and opposes Prop. 23 because it would ship clean energy jobs overseas.  The same Texas oil companies behind Prop. 23 are trying to stop federal climate change legislation, as well.

Prop. 23 is also opposed by respected California organizations including the American Lung Association in California, California Professional Firefighters, AARP, California Nurses Association, the California Democratic Party, National Venture Capital Association, the California Solar Energy Industries Association, California Wind Energy Association, Small Business California, Attorney General Jerry Brown, Senator Barbara Boxer and many others.

A pdf of the Prop. 23 mailer can be found here:
http://www.cadem.org/admin/miscdocs/files/Prop23ObamaMailer.pdf

# # #

KPBS

Listen to Howard Wayne answer questions while Lorie Zapf ducks from the issues.

Wayne-Zapf

And listen to Felipe Hueso charge David Alvarez with being a "youngster."

Hueso-Alavarez

Brown coming to San Diego

Call the SDCDP at (858)277-DEMS(3367) for more information.

D6 and D8

D6: Then
In June, the Lincoln Club stuffed boxes in District 6 with over-sized mail attacks against Wayne and puff pieces promoting Zapf. The local GOP gave Zapf 20K and were able to insert voting guides into Republican ballot statements. Wayne and Hadley were fighting within the Democratic party for support and Tran had won the sign war.

When it was over, Zapf was heading into the runoff with 2nd place Wayne.

D6: Now
The local Dems gave Wayne 17K, both Hadley and Tran have endorsed Wayne and the mailers against Zapf all have a sting. The Lincoln Club is repeating their mail strategy but the Wayne campaign has the edge. The "Don't Get Zapf'd" tag line (Thanks, CityBeat) has a life of its own thanks to the IE mailings about Zapf's record of defaults, hateful remarks, and poor fiscal management.

Honestly, the UT's lukewarm endorsement of Zapf tells you that their decision had more to do with their simplisitc "labor v. business" theme that the UT loves rather than critically looking at the candidates. That would require thought.

Zapf's history of ducking out of debates and her performance at Clairemont using cue cards have confirmed suspicions that she's a lightweight who needs talking points from another politician (Carl DeMaio) in order to speak about anything substantive.

Right now, Wayne is winning the sign war and has been using the new media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) very well to get their messages out. In fact, on the Wayne website is a release about LAPA endorsing Wayne after endorsing Zapf in the primary. The SDRA also backed away from their Zapf endorsment. We hope these signs point to a Wayne victory in November because the last thing San Diego needs is to get Zapf'd.


D8: Then
In a district that relies on getting voters to the polls, Alvarez and Hueso barely survived to fight another day.

D8: Now
And now they are ready to rumble. Alvarez and Huseo both dropped mean attack mailers on each other this weekend. With the local Dems supporting Alvarez and Labor supporting Hueso, this looks like a wicked match-up. But labor is not unified behind Hueso, such as the Firefighters who are supporting Alvarez, and the Dems are dividing their time between Whitburn and Wayne.

Expect Ben to help out his brother by sharing staff and resources like he did in the primary. As the KUSI post below shows, Felipe seems like a nice enough guy but is miscast as a candidate.

Alvarez can vote on issues facing his district because of he is not conflict-of-interested out and has the community credibility. He is currently winning the sign war but remains to be seen if this campaign can survive a full on labor onslaught.

Really, this shouldn't be happening. Whomever wins is going to be a better vote for labor than the GOP alternative. And heaven knows that Wayne could use the help. But for reasons that seem more emotional than rational, we have a Dem vs. Dem death match.

District 8 Debate on KUSI

Last week, the two Democrats vying for San Diego's District 8 City Council seat discussed their candidacies on KUSI.

David Alvarez immediately got Filipe Hueso on the defensive. Watch for yourself.

D6: Clairemont Debate Review - Easy Wayne Win

After passing through a mass of Wayne signs, volunteers and sitting through a Ron Robert's hosted info session about Cal Fire, the debate for District 6 was held before a filled (about 150 people) cafeteria at Clairemont High.

In a tightly run debate voters had a clear sense of their choices. Zapf continued her pattern of not answering the questions and using the opportunity to attack labor. Wayne began hitting back landing solid rhetorical blows on Zapf for her lack of a record and the hypocrisy between her statements and her actions.

What was very telling was the use of cue cards by the Zapf campaign. A member of the Zapf camp was in a corner with a few pieces of cardboard that had notes in large type on them. When questions about city finances would come up, he would switch these notes out and Zapf would look to his corner before responding.

This is pathetic. It's not like we need more evidence of Zapf's vacuous campaign. But this is just sad. At this stage in the calendar, any candidate worthy of being elected should be able to speak on the issues without a net. Zapf has ducked debates and appears to be in hiding unless she can be scripted.

Really, without DeMaio's talking points and Sudberry's money, would there even be a Lorie Zapf candidacy? With her constituency of two and her weak showing last night, the last thing District 6 needs is a puppet at City Hall.

Wayne won last night in a big way. He was smarter, convincing, and called Zapf out on her BS when she tried to let it fly

And kudos to Janet Miller of the Clairemont Community News for moderating this debate and keeping things on schedule. This was one of the only debates that ever let out on time.

Official Democratic Voter Guide

Early voting has begun! If you're holding on to a ballot, please help all our candidates by filling it out completely and mailing it in right away. You can view and print our official Democratic Voter Guide online here: 

www.sddemocrats.org/endorsements 

Please forward this link to your friends and family through email, Facebook, and any means you have to promote the Party's recommendations. As an informed Democrat, you are a vital source of information for other voters in your personal network.

For more information, please call Democratic Headquarters at (858) 277-3367 or email info@sddemocrats.org.

Former District 6 Candidate Kim Tran Endorses Howard Wayne

Statement from Kim Tran

Character. Honesty. Ethics. In order to protect our community and our children, we need to elect officials whose words we can trust.  

With this criteria in mind, today, I announce that I am endorsing Howard Wayne as my choice to be the next Council member for District 6. I am encouraging all the people who supported me in the June primary to please vote for Howard.

We need the person representing our district to be honest, capable and truly committed to helping our communities.

Howard Wayne has proven his honesty. He is a deputy attorney general who has protected our communities from violent crime and consumer fraud as a prosecutor for 30 years. San Diego needs a leader we can trust.

Howard Wayne has proven his capability. He understands the legislative process and knows how to make things happen. And he’s maintained his own financial and personal integrity. San Diego needs a leader with experience.

Howard Wayne has proven his commitment to the community, as evidenced by his extensive history of community involvement in the 40 years that he’s lived here. San Diego needs a leader who cares about the community he lives in. 



While I don't agree with Howard on some issues, Howard has given me his word that he is committed to revitalizing our communities by creating middle class jobs, restoring fire and police protection and repairing our streets. He is also committed to reforming the pension and reducing the budget deficit. 



We have a choice between two candidates here in the 6th district. One candidate in this race is honest. One candidate in this race is capable. One candidate has shown true commitment to the community. And that one candidate is Howard Wayne. Please join me and Steven Hadley this November, and support Howard Wayne for City Council.

Bad News Keeps Piling Up for CA GOP

From the CDP:

In case you missed it: Bad News Keeps Piling Up for CA GOP

Two articles today that offer windows into the state of the race for the GOP candidates at the top of the ticket: Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina.

Yesterday, Meg Whitman hit the unprecedented $140 million mark in campaign spending, and she’s still not done. Why is that bad news? Her campaign remains stuck in neutral and has even started sliding in several polls. This is not where Meg Whitman and her high-priced consultants hoped to be at this point in the race — not after outspending their opponent 14 to 1.

Also, a new Field poll out today shows what California Democrats have known for months about that darn Sarah Palin endorsement that now hangs around Carly Fiorina’s neck like an albatross. In short, California’s Democratic-leaning, moderate electorate does not hold the half-term Alaska governor in high regard and is inclined to vote AGAINST a candidate who has received her endorsement.

The bad news is far from over for Fiorina as Governor Palin is scheduled to fly into California for an RNC-sponsored fundraiser in Orange County next week. If there’s one thing that follows Sarah Palin, it’s media attention — and that’s now part of the problem for Carly Fiorina and her team heading into the homestretch.


http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/06/3082867/whitman-spends-record-140-million.html
Whitman spends record $140 million on campaign
By Jack Chang
jchang@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010 - 10:28 am

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman spent a record $140 million on her campaign through the end of September, including about $55 million since winning her party's nomination in June, according to campaign finance records filed Tuesday.

Her Democratic rival, Jerry Brown, spent less than a tenth of Whitman's total – about $11 million – but didn't face any serious primary challenger and could count on unions to run anti-Whitman advertising through the summer.

Five of the biggest union-funded independent expenditure groups, including California Working Families, Working Californians to Support Jerry Brown and Level the Playing Field, spent about $13 million through the end of September running ads and campaigning against Whitman, the records show.

The groups were funded by an array of unions, including the California Nurses Association, the California Teachers Association and the California State Council of Service Employees.

On top of that, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees spent $2 million on TV ads opposing Whitman.

The filings don't show the cost of issue ads run by the California Teachers Association against Whitman or U.S. Chamber of Commerce ads targeting Brown.

Whitman had $9.2 million in reserves at the end of September, while Brown had $22.6 million in cash on hand.

Whitman, the billionaire former CEO of online auction firm eBay, has invested more than $119 million of her own money in the campaign and has said she's prepared to spend up to $150 million of her wealth. Last month, she surpassed New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as the biggest self-funding candidate in U.S. history.

Whitman spokeswoman Sarah Pompei noted that outside contributors were also pitching in, to the tune of at least $29 million by the end of September. Whitman collected $10.8 million in outside contributions from July to September, compared to Brown's $9.5 million.

"Our campaign has a budget designed for victory, and we've invested the necessary resources for success on Election Day," Pompei said.

Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford said state voters just aren't buying Whitman's message, despite the record spending. Public opinion polls show Brown and Whitman are locked in a tight race.

"It's an indication that you can spend a lot of money but if it's in the service of a message that voters don't buy from a candidate and that voters don't believe, you're still going to lose," Clifford said.

Whitman's campaign finance statement contained several eye-popping numbers in a race that has already smashed political records.

She has spent about $95 million so far on radio and TV advertising, with the radio spots debuting more than a year ago. By comparison, Brown has spent about $9 million on such advertising, which he launched on Labor Day.
Whitman has poured $8.2 million into campaign literature and mailings, including two editions of a glossy policy magazine mailed to hundreds of thousands of households.

She's also spent $11.7 million on consultants, including top adviser Mike Murphy, who earns $90,000 a month, close aide Henry Gomez at $36,000 a month and campaign manager Jillian Hasner at $30,000 a month.

Pompei said the Republican has had to invest heavily to battle Brown and the unions.

"There's no question these unions have bought and paid for Jerry Brown's campaign," Pompei said. "And if he's elected to his third term in office, they'll be looking to collect their IOUs."

Clifford responded that Brown, who was governor from 1975 to 1983, has proved he'll make decisions independent of the unions. In fact, Brown has said he'll seek pension changes and some cuts to bridge the state's budget deficits.

"There's one candidate in this race who's actually vetoed pay raises for employees, and that's Jerry Brown," Clifford said.

*****



http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=824D3D9A-E818-FBF0-04F235DB495B0BCB
POLITICO
Poll: Palin woes could hurt Fiorina
By: Andy Barr
October 6, 2010 12:08 PM EDT

Nearly six of 10 California voters have a negative view of Sarah Palin, whose endorsement could be dragging down the state’s GOP Senate nominee, according to a new Field Poll.

The former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee has a 58 percent unfavorable rating in the Golden State, compared to a 33 percent favorable rating. Only 9 percent of the registered voters polled had no opinion.

Palin’s polling woes could have coattails as well.

Carly Fiorina, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, has frequently touted her endorsement from Palin, but the survey shows Palin may be a drag on Fiorina’s numbers.

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said they would be less inclined to vote for a candidate endorsed by Palin, while only 21 percent said they would be more inclined.

Among those who said they plan to vote in the Senate race, 47 percent of Fiorina supporters said they were more likely to back a candidate because of Palin’s support. But 84 percent of Boxer supporters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate with Palin’s blessing.

The Fiorina campaign is not concerned about Palin’s poll numbers. “Voters are evaluating the candidates in this race as individuals,” said Fiorina spokeswoman Andrea Saul.

Palin is scheduled to appear in California next week for a Republican National Committee fundraiser in Orange County. She will be at another RNC fundraiser later in the month in Orlando.

Palin’s numbers in the state have declined since she was first introduced as John McCain’s running mate in September 2008, when both her favorable and unfavorable rating stood at 43 percent in the Field Poll.

The Field Poll survey included responses from 414 registered voters from Sept. 14 to Sept. 21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Sierra Club gives high marks to San Diego Democrats

From Today's UT:

Local Republicans fare poorly in report card

Read it here

LA Times says Jerry for Governor!

"Californians must choose. One candidate is a stranger to the political and governmental landscape; the other knows every superhighway, back road and dead-end. We opt for real-world experience, know-how and creativity. The Times urges a vote for Brown."

Read it here.

In case you missed it: LA Times Poll Shows CA Voters Choosing Democrats over GOP

From the CDP:

With one week to go before more than 6 million California voters begin to receive their mail-in ballots, top-of-the-ticket Republican candidates remain stuck in neutral, and in some cases, are sliding backward.

Despite spending more than $130 million bombarding the airwaves with ads for over a year, candidate Meg Whitman just can’t seem to buy her way into the hearts of California voters, according to the latest LA Times poll, which shows her five points behind Jerry Brown in the race for governor (Brown 49 – Whitman 44).  

Whitman’s poll numbers have been sliding downward in the past few months as the election draws closer -- a stinging rejection for a candidate who has outspent her opponent by 20:1.  In fact, Whitman’s paltry ratings (47% unfavorable vs. just 37% favorable) must have her media consultants running for the hills and scratching their heads, wondering why their slick, shiny ads haven’t persuaded Californians to even like their candidate, much less vote for her.

Meg’s fellow CEO counterpart and GOP “running mate” of sorts, Carly Fiorina, also hasn’t earned the trust of California voters, many of whom no doubt find Fiorina’s extremist, right-wing views on abortion, off-shore drilling and the environment, alarming. Fiorina trails Senator Barbara Boxer by eight points, (Boxer 51 – Fiorina 43), despite her barrage of negative attack ads on the Senator. 

Still more bad news for Republicans: California remains a state where President Obama remains popular among voters in general and overwhelmingly popular among  Democratic voters in particular. Voters here just aren’t buying into the latest rehashed and repackaged right-wing Republican ideas – or candidates – in fact they are rejecting them outright.  

* * * * * 
 
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-poll-20100926,0,1560189,print.story

Labor Council rips into Lorie Zapf with new mailer

CityBeat posts the first salvo of the D6 race and it's strong.

To quote Evan McLaughlin, political director for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, “Judging by the amount of mail cued up in District 6,  San Diego CityBeat will be a household name by November 2…I’m saying there will be plenty of mail plugging your good reporting in voters’ mailboxes.”

Its a bold move from the Labor Council and I hope it's not the last. Wayne needs to win this and it will not be easy going against the nearly unlimited funding of the Lincoln Club. Any attempt to sink Zapf will be appreciated.

What $111 million will get you

According to most recent Field Poll, all of that money will get you 75% of the Republicans and only 38% of the Decline-to-States.

Running at 41% of likely voters for both Brown and Meg, you must conclude that the ROI on such an investment is far too high for comfort.

Advantage Jerry. He has yet to spend and understands that timing is everything.

Meg and her nose

From the Brown campaign:

How is Zapf paying for it all?

She's out of default but what is she doing for a living?

From Dave Maass at CityBeat:

City Council candidate Lorie Zapf is no longer in default on a home loan according to records filed with the San Diego County Recorder’s Office.

As CityBeat originally reported (here and here), Wells Fargo filed a notice of default (often called a foreclosure notice) against Zapf’s home in Clairemont. According to the March document,  Zapf and her husband Eric had not made their mortgage payments in about six months.

At the time, the campaign said the Zapfs were renegotiating the home loan and that these notices of default were just part of the process. Experts disagreed, however, as the Zapfs predicted would happen, the notice of default was removed.

The document is called a Notice of Rescission and it was filed with the Recorder on August 27.

The question now is how are the Zapfs paying their mortgage.  Although Lorie Zapf describes herself as a small business woman, her company, Zapf & Associates, was dissolved in April.

Click here for the article.

Brown Campaign ad is up

Finally!

How is Zapf making her mortgage payments?

Inquiring minds what to know what it is that Lorie Zapf does for a living.

See CityBeat

The longer she remains silent, the larger a campaign issue this becomes.

Boxer vs. Fiorina Senate Debate Watch Party

Bamboo Lounge - 1475 University Ave. San Diego, CA 92103

Don't miss the first and ONLY televised debate between Democratic U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and her Republican challenger and former CEO of Hewlett Packard, Carly Fiorina.