Lessons from the Senate Race Won’t Apply in 2018 Gov. Battle
California witnessed its first statewide race featuring contenders from the same political party but listening to campaign consultants for Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez at a Friday forum presented by the USC’s Schwarzenegger Institute lessons that might translate to future similar contests—say the 2018 governor’s race—may be hard to draw. In many ways, the senate […]
Dear Kevin, It’s Time for You to Move On
Dear Kevin de León, Your heart isn’t in the legislature, is it? I don’t know if it’s your next job that’s preoccupying you. Or whether you’re in mourning about Hillary losing (you were talked up as a candidate for EPA administrator) or about Trump winning, which means having to spend your time fighting off all […]
This Time the Democrats’ Supermajority Exists in Fact, Not Just Theory
Attempting to divine the significance of the Democrats capturing a two-thirds majority in the California Legislature, many analysts are pointing to the fact that the same thing happened in 2012, and concluding that it showed the supermajority didn’t really mean much. They note the ideological diversity within the Democratic caucus made it nearly impossible to […]
In Congress, a Water Deal for California
(Editor’s Note: Legislation to bring water to California communities was introduced yesterday in Congress and will be voted on this week by the House and Senate. It is a byproduct of bipartisan negotiations between the House and Senate.) After years of hard work with countless constituencies, Congress is ready to pass a California water deal. This legislation will […]
An Election that Shifts the Economic Center West—To the Far East
Did the presidential election change the Pacific Rim as we know it? During these days of transition speculation, there is plenty of talk about what president-elect Donald Trump’s victory means for health care, for immigrants, for the economy, for minorities, for NATO, and so on. In terms of long-term national interests, it’s important to add […]