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September 24, 2006 6:00 AM
Angelides' "Hail Mary" Play On Iraq
Angelides is expected to appear at anti-Iraq War rallies, which will help solve one of his problems, that of the very small crowds that he is drawing as a gubernatorial candidate. His rally last week in the liberal enclave of West Hollywood — featuring 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry — drew only 50 to 75 attendees. That’s the upside for Angelides, along with the hope that this will be the way to pin the George W. Bush label on Schwarzenegger, who has visited the troops in Iraq and wants an exit plan but not an immediate pullout. But the National Guard is part of the reserve structure of the U.S. Armed Forces, which under national security doctrine aired in Congressional hearings plays an increasingly active role in the post-9/11 military. Under long-standing law, when members are “federalized,” as in time of war, state officials have no authority over them. Unless called to active federal service, a state’s national guard is under the command of the governor, through the direction of the state guard’s adjutant general. When guard members are called to federal service the president of the United States is commander in chief. That’s clear under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which further states: “Members of the Army National Guard of the United States ordered to active duty shall be ordered to duty as Reserves of the Army. Members of the Air National Guard of the United States ordered to active duty shall be ordered to duty as Reserves of the Air Force.” A state governor has no authority over either the U.S. Army or the U.S. Air Force. He or she is not in the chain of command. California guard members serving with the Army in Iraq are receiving regular U.S. military service medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal, not state awards. Angelides yesterday reportedly personally called selected reporters to gain coverage of his idea to pull California National Guard members out of Iraq. Two newspapers, the only two daily newspapers which endorsed him over rival Steve Westly in the Democratic primary, covered the proposed move, the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee. One wonders what Angelides’ most prominent supporters, the Clintons, think of this notion. It’s highly unlikely that President Bill Clinton would have looked favorably on a state-level politician attempting to interfere with his national command authority. Nor is it likely that Senator Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential frontrunner for 2008, is favorably inclined. Angelides’ comments apparently did not address this. We also don’t know what the other Democratic presidential candidates think of this. Then there is the question of California’s two U.S. senators. Angelides says he will storm the halls of Congress to gain support for the pull-out of the state’s National Guard troops from Iraq. It’s unlikely that Senator Dianne Feinstein, Angelides’ most important California backer and co-chair of his campaign, is going to support this. Even Barbara Boxer might not go along. This activism on questions of war and peace is new for Angelides, at least in his career as an elected politician. Prior to this general election campaign against Schwarzenegger, Angelides has not proposed to crusade against American’s various military interventions. But it does recall his first entry into politics, decades ago in the Vietnam War era. Inspired by legendary liberal and anti-war activist Allard Lowenstein, Angelides proposed to drop out of Harvard, where he was an undergraduate, and become a member of the Sacramento City Council. The then college sophomore did make a run for the city council, but lost to a longtime incumbent. Comments (47)Ann :Kandy Kid :Usually six weeks left marks the middle of a gubernatorial campaign. Is Angelides such a failure that he is throwing second quarter Hail Mary passes?? Bill Bradley :Actually, we're 70% of the way through the general election campaign. Campaigns haven't started at Labor Day for at least 30 years now. Jonathan Hemlock :The governor does not run the Army. This seems as clever as Mr. Lockyer's lawsuit against auto makers for acting lawfully in manufacturing cars. It is designed to sway the witless. Bill Bradley :Incidentally, you'll get the promised video, which is finished, tomorrow. This story came up last night. And Monday is a much higher volume day, anyway. jillian :Bill then I look forward to watching said video after I get home from work tomorrow:) I think this latest tactic from PA won't fly just as the "ad" didn't fly but the worse of it is neither Senator of CA will support him on this....put a fork in it it's done is the thought in mind now Sacramento Solon :The American Ryder Cup team has a better chance of winning than Phil does. Oh, wait, they just lost, didn't they? Hope the party spends the money on the down ticket candidates and bond measures. Wow, now I sound like Barbara! Guess it's time to go bird hunting... :-) carole w :We had a candidate that pleased both unions and small business. In my family I can't recall a candidate that we could all discuss...without an argument. We had a good solid chance for cohesive government. Hopefully, everyone will get together and make things work with Arnold for the next four years. jillian :lol Solon happy bird hunting Barbara :"Phil's " Hail Mary Pass"
Mr. Bradley! the Debate Day, Oct 7, ...it is another Full Moon! I wonder if we will have one has glorious at the last one! Hey Guv! it is also a memorial day for "Our Lady Of The Rosary" ...just something to keep in mind as long as Mr. Bradley mentioned Mary! Ann :It is funny how journalists fail to think critically. The Sac Bee story is pretty good, delving into legality and political viability, the La Times is the usual crap. Bill Bradley :I think that was written and rushed into the paper on very short notice. Lucas :This is another stunt from the Angelides campaign. As someone who is rather familar with Title 10, I know that Phil would be laughed out of court asserting control over the California National Guard once they have been called up under Title 10. I'd be interested to hear what Lockyer and Brown have to say about Phil's chances in court and the quality of his arguments. Tommy Boy :One of the first posts on the California Majority Report, by forked-tounged master of political natstiness Chris Lehane (at least I think it was Lehane) was on this very subject... Check out TIme for a Game Changing Play. Imagine, for a moment, if Angelides were to make public that he has bought five minutes of statewide primetime TV to make a major announcement about what he will do as governor on the single most important issue confronting California and the country–the War In Iraq. The post goes on to lay out the rest of the speech. I may go the event in LA and compare scripts! As far as legality...I'm sure George Wallace would have loved to "un-federalize" the Alabama Guard to stand with him "in the door" of the University. I don't recall him being able to do it then...guess I'll read the Times' and Bee's takes on if Angelides can do it now. Tommy Boy :And by that last comment, I'm not hoping to compare Angelides to Wallace...despite recent articles on Angelides failures campaigning in the African American community! Barbara :Oh wow, I just came back from the river and visited CMR...and saw your comment Mr. Bradley! "Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign two Assembly bills (AB 2941 and AB 2179) that would pave the way for targeted divestments operating in Sudan" CMR Mr. Bradley's comment at CMR : [Arnold is signing both bills!] "At a press conference also attended by George Shultz, George Clooney, and Don Cheadle." Wonderful news! This is turning into a great weekend for me, all these positive things happening!...(everyone keep positive thoughts!... like ...Dems take back the house* Dems take back the house* Dems take back the house!) SCC Dem :Since this plan has no legal viability, and the only way Phil could make it happen as governor would be to camp out in the halls of Congress, it appears the real shift in campaign strategy is to now run for the not often prized position of CA lobbyist-in-chief. Since Phil hasn't been running a gubernatorial campaign since June 6, it's good to finally see what he's really been angling for. I'm not sure who has been more disappointing, Phil for micro-managing the campaign message, or Carrick and Maslin for not asserting themselves more. AthlonGuy :Sacbee refers to Angelides as "Gov". Typo or subliminal message? You make the call. Democratic gubernatorial challenger Gov. Phil Angelides promised Saturday "to do everything in my power" to bring California National Guard troops home from Iraq if he is elected governor. carole w :Where is Conan? CADTS :Let me say just a few things... The article is telling because when the Chron starts ripping you down, the campaign is in blood freefall. I am sorry but does anyone see the entire Angelides campaign as nothing more than a bad remake of the Tom Hayden campaign for US Senate. I mean really, Phil is going after Arnold FOR THE F#@%$%ING NATIONAL GUARD. Seriously, go back and look at that message from back then...same f89&*(&ing campaign. God almighty -- the man has not the political sense God gave a screwdriver. And now, because Phil has run such a piss poor, lackluster, directionless and, really, stupid campaign -- the downballot races we, meaning the Democrats, could normally do well are in serious jeopardy. Wanna know why? Because Duf-man and the CRP can now spend their limited money on beating Garamendi, Bustamante, etc. etc. Funny, this is the exact same scenario I predicted over TWO MONTHS AGO.A weak Phil means more $$$ the Reeps can spend on sticking it to our down-ballots -- which were pretty f*(&)(*ing weak to begin with in a few cases. Imagine my utter surprise... Phil, you are the captain of the Democratic Party Titanic. We are STUNNED by your unique way of screwing up a perfectly good opportunity by just being you. So thanks Phil, thanks for helping to not only sink your boat BEFORE it hits the iceberg but for, potentially, helping to torpedo the hopes of the downballot candidates. Hal :If you have a problem getting your party united behind you, raising an issue that will split the party even more and will only please the hard core who are already behind you isn't a very smart, but then what has Phil done that was smart in this campaign? Barbara :CADTS:"Funny, this is the exact same scenario I predicted over TWO MONTHS AGO.A weak Phil means more $$$ the Reeps can spend on sticking it to our down-ballots -- " Yep,you have been right about everything! ...all along... But why are Labor leaders behaving so foolishly with this I.E for Phil?...They will need to take some responsibility for any down ballot losses also!...for still insisting on spending so much of their resources on Phil!...Does this idea that turnout depends on enthusiasm for the top ticket still hold true when the public at large sees the top candidate as toxic?!...its seems to me ,Labor, should put some real money into Garamendi, Brown, and Bowen and Cruz and they should just run with it and RUN AWAY from Phil!...When I think of the head of the DEMS ...I think of The Speaker, I never think of Phil or even Art Torres..of course I am not a Dem...Maybe the Dem down tickets should join Arnold, The Speaker, and Perata on the infrastructure road show! Leave Phil and REEP party candidates of "NO" on the sidelines? To salvage a very bad situation maybe DEMS should make this a race about what is good for California.... be viewed as forward and positive ...be part of that image,effort and team, which means they go with a somewhat non-partisan persona to win as DEMS.... Barbara :Woops,I forgot Chiang/Controller ...The public has no sense of how powerful and important this office is...even Westly did not work it to really reap benefit...To his credit Gray Davis did...He understood how many important Boards & Commissions he had appointment authority...and I am talking about real juice boards and commissions that impact public policy and allow an individual incredible networking opportunities to be utilized for future races...it was not accident the Davis base of support financially was both REEP and DEM ...it was not just because he was perceived a moderate DEM...it was also due his tenure as Controller..It is not good for the DEMS to risk losing either AG or Controller...I cannot fathom what Labor is thinking when they speak of this I.E.for Phil and putting all their effort into his campaign. Paul Burton :Angelides speaking at an anti-war rally is absurd. The major groups that organize the rallies don't allow pro-war democrats and candidates to use the rallies as a platform for their campaigns. Are the democrats (a pro-war party) going to organize some phony photo opp events (where maybe 30 people will show up) with war-profiteer Dianne Feinstein a featured guest? I don't think so... Anti-war rallies in San Francisco organized by International ANSWER have drawn tens of thousands to at least 7 or 8 rallies over the past three years. The Green Party's Peter Camejo and Todd Chretien have been featured speakers, along with the Peace and Freedom Party's Marsha Feinland, because the actually have opposed the Iraq war from the beginning and worked to educate people long before DiFi and Angelides realized they could make political points with an 'anti-war' stance. Angelides calling for withdrawal of National Guard troops is a good thing, and hopefully will spark dialogue. But since he helped elect pro-war democrats like Feinstein, Angelides' sudden anti-war position seems calculated and insincere. calwatch :Not to mention, does he really want to associate with some of the anti-war types? Many of them have extremist viewpoints like immediate withdrawal and are lumped in with other issues like communism, the pro-Palestine movement, et al. That would alienate a lot of the moderate leaners toward Angelides. Ann :Where are those stupid lib thugettes who claimed Angelides was the man? lol Bill Bradley :I think the majority of the down ballot statewide Democratic candidates will be okay. Ann :Angelides admitted today he wouldn't have the power as governor to bring the National Guard back from Iraq. He said he'd file a lawsuit or something else. What a weasel wanker he is. Jonathan Hemlock :If Mr. Angelides is so deeply troubled by the war in Iraq, why has he not already filed his lawsuit? Perhaps it is because he did not know he would not have power as governor to recall the troops. Perhaps it is because this scheme only just occurred to him. Mike D :One of the most under-appreciated, but also most informative measurements..."metrics" if you will...about a statewide campaign in California (and anywhere else for that matter) is crowd size. for weeks now we have been reading about 25-30, or 50-75 people showing up to Angelides rallies in major cities and in small towns. those kinds of numbers barely account for friends and family of campaign staff members and hardcore base voters. I painfully and vividly remember the 1998 governor's race between Dan Lungren and Gray Davis. while Davis was routinely drawing 200-300 people to events, Dan was rarely able to muster more than about 50 people to his rallies and appearances, half of whom were protesters. forced attedance by union members contributed to some of this crowd gap, but it was clear by Labor Day that Davis crowds were two or three times the size of Lungren crowds. those numbers grew more stark as the campaign went on, with more and more people seeing the writing on the wall and wanting to be seen with a winner, and therefore AS a winner. unless the governor is found in bed with a live man or a dead woman, there's precious little Angel Eyes can do now to capture the buzz he needs to propel him past Arnold, who has run a tactically smart and mistake-free campaign thus far. the writing is on the wall, and its reflected in the crowds. If the Fat Lady isnt singing yet, she is surely driving across Tower Bridge on her way to the West Steps. NickM :CADTS - you don't really need to worry about Bustamante. Poizner is one of yours anyway. Who would have thought that someone who donated $10K to the Gore/Lieberman recount Committee, maxed out to Kerry for President during the primary, publicly refused to support GW Bush's 2004 campaign, gave $100K to Yes on Prop 39, and had Richard Clarke as the featured guest at a campaign fundraiser would be a Republican nominee for statewide office. The Angelides National Guard idea is a campaign jump-the-shark moment. It's now clear to everyone that he is desperate and flailing. This was an unvetted idea to excite the segment of his base vote that you normally have solidly in your corner long before now. Arnold triangulated Phil out of existence. Of course, he's also busy triangulating the rest of his party out of existence too, a la Clinton. Bill Bradley :When the Republicans were attacking Clinton during OralSexGate, Schwarzenegger said he was embarrassed to be a Republican. >Arnold triangulated Phil out of existence. Of course, he's also busy triangulating the rest of his party out of existence too, a la Clinton. Sam :Re:OralSexGate CADTS :NickM, I have been and always will be, a Democrat -- so Poizner is not "one of mine". I have worked for Democrats all my life and will, god willing, continue to do so for as long as I am alive. However, for the purposes of this Governor's race, I am refusing to vote for Phil -- he has wasted our party's time and money in a fruitless effort. He has refused to take advice from the best political minds this state and, indeed, this country has to offer. His control freak nature, his arrogance, lack of political sense among other things doomed this race from the start. Its really just that simple... NickM :CADTS - Poizner is a Republican like Senator Zell Miller was a Democrat. Barbara :"Angelides is expected to appear at anti-Iraq War rallies" I just came from a dinner party . Actually, it was my girlfriend M's daughter's birthday party, she is 3!...as most 3 year old parties are, this one was a party with the grandparents and their friends in attendance and the friends of the parents in attendance ... first and second generation developers, many prominent Sac attorneys, investors ...people who sit on the boards of Sac Symphony, Crocker Museum and the Children's Receiving Home...they have know Phil all his life. All have given money to him ...not one his voting for him...As one very distinguished Sacramento mover and shaker of the "grandparent set" said to me ..".I do not even recognize the man I am reading about in the newspaper and I have known him since he managed Angelo's office" Everyone found this "Hail Mary Pass" Iraq war protest a very bizarre act by someone running for Governor but especially the "grandparent " set..i.e., .Angelo's friends and contemporaries ...they wanted to know "how in the hell protesting the war shows that he could be a competent governor?" I doubt if they will not be the only voters asking that question. CADTS :Nick...have you been drinking or something. While I refuse to vote for your boy, Phil, I will gladly vote for Garamendi, Bustamante, et. al. Jeez man, go back and read my posts. After that, go back to writing weak press releases for Phil. Bill Bradley :Do you know something I don't? (Well, I'm sure there are many things you know that I don't, but you get the gist.) Jonas Blane :The referee should stop the bout. wilbur :Seems to me that healthcare and worker protection incl. comp would have been much better distinguishing issues which might resonate with both the base and the leaners. This is just a desperate variation on the failed Bush=Schwarzenegger tack. Ann :But but but, the Angerlides campaign is about to start. Really. lol CADTS :As a side note, I watched Alex Smith today for the Niners. The guy put up 28pts with a couple of TD's. If it weren't for the Niners D sucking wind...Smith would have won his second game. You heard it from me first, I am convinced this kid is the next Dan Marino. Big, very smart and strong with a CANNON of an arm. Sorry...play on bloggers. Bill Bradley :Alex Smith suddenly looks really good. He seemed lost last season but it looks like the game has slowed down for him. CADTS :His coach at Utah told Mike Nolan before they drafted him that Smith wouldn't be up to speed until he read and understood the playbook. I think you are right BB, because he knows more everything is at an easier pace. Vladimir Bierko :When will Angelides and Mel Gibson do an event on Iraq together? Bill Bradley :Yes, CADTS, it's like when you're new in a big statewide or national campaign. There are so many thing happening so fast, you aren't sure what to ignore, what to deal with, and in what order. You have to be able to play the game faster in order to make it slow down for you. It's the Boyd Cycle, OODA. Observation-Orientation-Decision-Action. NickM :CADTS - my boy Phil? What have I said that sounds remotely pro-Phil? Did you mean to refer to someone else's posts? I'm a Republican whose decision for the Governor's race will come down to whether Arnold signs enough bad bills to convince me to vote for Olivier instead of him. I was talking about the Insurance Commissioner race, where Poizner, the ostensible GOP nominee, has deeper Democrat ties than Republican ties - and may well be to Bustamante's left (Bustamante supported Lieberman in the 2004 Democrat Presidential primary, Poizner supported Kerry). I'm voting for Dale Ogden for Insurance Commissioner. I have no faith in Poizner to act like a Republican if elected. That's why I called Poizner one of yours. Comments have been archived for this page. |
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Desperater and desperater.
Sep 24, 2006 08:54 AM