art's blog

After vetoing a bill that would have increased the minimum wage, cutting funding for public schools and community colleges, and launching grenades toward unions, many are accusing Gov. Schwarzenegger of class warfare.

Two initiatives on the ballot in the California special election this November are drawing particular attention: Propositions 75 and 76.

Proposition 75, an initiative championed by conservative kingpin Lewis Uhler, is designed to cripple the political voice of public employee unions. The initiative is similar to one that was defeated by California voters in 1998 -- Proposition 226. Proposition 226 was the brainchild of Grover Norquist, who once declared that he did not want to eliminate government, he just wanted to "get it so small that I can drown it in a bathtub." Uhler hopes that Proposition 75 will do the same to unions; the initiative would require public employee unions to file thousands of additional forms before using union dues for political lobbying.  Read More »

In an uncharacteristic show of humility, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to cut ties with a fitness magazine publisher today, after progressive media demanded explanations for a potential conflict of interest.  Read More »

An initiative designed to limit the political voice of public employee unions has an early lead in the polls, thanks to strong support from conservative voters and corporate special interest groups tied to Governor Schwarzenegger.

The 'Public Employee Union Dues' initiative, which will appear on the ballot in the November special election called by Schwarzenegger last month, would prohibit public employee unions from using dues or fees from its members for political contributions unless the employees provide prior written consent.

A Field Poll released on June 23 shows a 57% majority of registered voters would vote 'yes' on the initiative if a vote were held today. This compares with 32% of registered voters who would vote 'no.'  Read More »

When justifying the invasion and occupation of Iraq President Bush famously said, "we must take the fight to the enemy over there, so we don't have to fight them at home."

Today with the bombings in London we see painful evidence that the conservative hawks' strategy of blustering beligerance has failed.  CIA reports show that the war in Iraq has only
helped al-Qaida recruit more terrorists to their cause, and the London bombings show that they are not afraid to strike again outside of the middle-east.  Read More »

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor,
75, announced this morning her intention to retire from the court. She said
she would be stepping down before the beginning of the court's fall
term, or when the Senate appoints a successor.

More than 10 years have passed since the last vacancy on the Supreme Court, the highest court in the United States. Justice Stephen Breyer was the last jurist appointed to the court; Breyer was appointed by President Bill Clinton. This will be President George W. Bush's first opportunity to appoint a justice to the court.  Read More »

When Amnesty International released a report that compared the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to Soviet gulags, President Bush called the comparison "absurd."

When Senator Richard Durbin quoted statements from an FBI agent who described Guantanamo prisoners being chained to the floor of their cells, forced to lie in their own excrement in extreme hot and cold temperatures, conservatives called on Durbin to resign.  Such revelations could jeopardize the safety of American men and women serving abroad, according to conservative pundits and legislators.

Last week Vice President Dick Cheney cleared things up for us. The truth is that Gitmo is like a Club Med for prisoners:  Read More »

When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived for a $2500-a-plate fundraiser in Menlo Park, California yesterday he was not greeted by crowds of adoring fans. Instead, over 600 protesters stood outside the entrance to the event, carrying signs with messages such as "Governor, or school yard bully?"

Protesters included nurses, teachers, police, and firefighters, many of whom were concerned about the Governernor's attempts to paint union members as selfish and greedy.

"Schwarzenegger is trying to make it sound like the public is paying for our retirement out of their pockets. We negotiate away benefits and salary to have a reasonable retirement after 30 years of service to our community," a paramedic from Palo Alto told the San Mateo Daily News.  Read More »

Bob Geldof is warning artists not to criticize George Bush or Tony Blair for the Iraq war while on stage at the Live 8 concerts.

In an apparent attempt to impose message discipline on the diverse group of artists, Geldof told one unnamed American artist, "Absolutely no ranting and raving about Bush or Blair and the Iraq war. We want to bring Bush in,
not run him
away."  Read More »