Chicks Conference Rocks the House
The Governor and First Lady’s conference for Women was a marathon — a 12-hour day, but well worth the price of admission.
The conference this year blew away all expectations. It was bigger, better and had a more excited and diverse line up of speakers than ever before.
Kicking off the day was a humorous panel with multi, multi billionaire Warren Buffett and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that was moderated by political pundit, Chris Matthews.
Three men at a conference with 14,000 women — It was clear the three were loving it and played ruthlessly to the house. At one point, Warren Buffett asked Chris Matthews if he thought so highly of women would have rather been one. Matthews skirted the answer…
California: Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal — Or is it?
Conventional wisdom has pegged California as a fiscally conservative, socially liberal state. Whether that’s true or not will be measured by the results of a number of statewide ballot measures on November 4.
If Californians are truly fiscally conservative then the bond measures on the November ballot don’t stand a chance. How in heaven’s name can fiscally conservative voters support $16-billion in bonds when the California economy and the national economy are in meltdown mode?
These general obligation bonds have first call on the state treasury. In other words, the bond obligations must be met before a dime is spent on other state functions. So while it is technically true, as every bond ad screams out: THIS PROPOSITION ____ (fill in the blank with Props 1A, 3, or 10) WILL NOT INCREASE TAXES, bonds put pressure on the general fund because they reduce available tax revenue needed for day to day state responsibilities.
Oops.. Now he tells us!
There it is in the mid-day, NY Times ‘Breaking News’ feed:
“Facing a firing line of questions from Washington lawmakers, Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman once considered the infallible maestro of the financial system, admitted on Thursday that he ‘made a mistake’ in trusting that free markets could regulate themselves without government oversight.”
Now he tells us!
Greenspan’s mea culpa testimony went on to say that, well, maybe he was only ‘partially wrong’ during his 18-year tenure as Chief Honcho of the Fed, not to regulate our old friends, those pesky credit default swaps that nobody except a few math geeks really understand. Oh, those things.
Democrat VP Nominee Joe Biden to endorse Republican Abram Wilson in AD15!?
“Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden in a recent visit to the Bay Area a few days ago endorsed Abram Wilson, the Republican Candidate running in the sharply contested 15th District Assembly Race in Contra Costa, Alameda, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Counties. This seat, the most contested legislative district in Northern California, has a 2% registration difference between Republicans and Democrats – Biden’s endorsement could put Wilson over the top.”
And – if you believe that – I have some swampland in Florida to sell you.
The thought of the liberal “Joe Senator” endorsing mainstream Republican Wilson is about as likely as the thought of Republican VP Nominee Sarah Palin endorsing union-backed Joan Buchanan in this contested race.
Yet, a mailer sent out this week from a group called “Create Change – Support Joan Buchanan Independent Expenditure Committee” suggested that Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin was indeed supporting Buchanan, a Democrat.