Gabrielle Giffords

In New Memoir, Giffords Vows To Return To Congress

Josh Petri | November 4, 2011, 12:52PM

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) listens as her husband, Captain Mark Kelly speaks at his retirement ceremony.

The AP reports that in her upcoming memoir, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) vows to return to Congress. The book details her months of intense therapy and her emotional battle to come to terms with the events of nearly a year ago.

The book, titled "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope," will be released on November 15th. Among the details reportedly included: Before the shooting, Giffords was attempting to conceive.

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CA-SEN

Poll: Feinstein Crushes GOPers In 2012 CA Senate Race

Jon Terbush | February 3, 2011, 8:39AM

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Last year, Republican Carly Fiorina put a scare into the Democratic Party by making her race against incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) seem close, if only for a few months. Yet Republicans may have less cause for excitement when they challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) in 2012, as a new PPP poll shows Feinstein dominating a slate of prominent GOP challengers by anywhere from 14 to 34 points.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger

Schwarzenegger: Being Governor Cost Me At Least $200M

David Taintor | January 17, 2011, 1:41PM

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

Poor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fresh off the end of his last term as governor of California, he told an Austrian newspaper that his time in office cost him at least $200 million in expenses and lost income that he could have otherwise made from acting.

But don't pity the former governor just yet. "It was more than worth it," he said.

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Proposition 19

Prop 19 Burnout: Why Did Pot Legalization Fail In California?

Marc Kilstein | November 5, 2010, 8:30AM

Attorney Omar Figueroa in a medical marijuana garden in Sonoma County, California.

On Tuesday, California residents voted down Proposition 19, the state's marijuana legalization ballot initiative, by a 54%-46% margin. A few months ago, statewide polling on the initiative found that Californians were in support of the measure significantly more than they were in opposition to it. As September survey results rolled in, however, findings began to suggest a stark shift in public opinion and the California legalization narrative was flipped on its head. In the final two months leading up to election day, opposition steadily increased in the polls while support markedly dwindled.

So what happened?

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Blazed: Mexico Burns 134 Tons Of Confiscated Marijuana]

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CA-GOV

Whitman Waffles: I'll Pull Negative Ads -- Except The Ones Attacking Jerry Brown's Positions (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2010, 10:46AM

Meg Whitman (R), and Jerry Brown (D)

The candidates for Governor of California had a fun moment at a joint appearance yesterday, when they were cajoled by Matt Lauer, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), and a very energetic audience to drop their negative ads. Republican nominee Meg Whitman agreed that she would indeed stop her ads attacking Democratic nominee Jerry Brown -- but only any ads attacking him personally, and not the ones hitting him on the issues.

At the state's annual Women's Conference, Lauer challenged the candidates to drop their negatives ads, with the audience enthusiastically applauding and even Schwarzenegger, who was on stage between the candidates, joining in on the clapping.

Brown briefly said there can be argument over what constitutes a negative ad, but ultimately agreed on the condition that it be done through a bilateral agreement: "Well, there's a spectrum. But I'll be glad. If Meg wants to do that, I'll be glad to do that. We could have a little discussion, and I"m sure we could work something out.

Whitman, who has faced intense attacks in the press and from her political opponents over a story involving her having hired an illegal immigrant housekeeper, gave a more equivocal answer, differentiating personal attacks from issue-based ones.

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CA-GOV

Jerry Brown Ad: Arnold And Whitman Use The Same Clichés (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 19, 2010, 3:14PM

Democrat Jerry Brown has a new ad in the California gubernatorial race, tying his Republican opponent Meg Whitman to the unpopular GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- by showing them separately repeating the same slogans.

Although he was previously elected to two terms (counting that 2003 recall) Schwarzenegger's approval rating now stands at only 30%-66.6% in the TPM Poll Average.

The ad shows clips of Schwarzenegger and Whitman alternatively repeating the same clichés, such as: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results," "I have built businesses," "met a payroll," "I don't owe anyone anything," and, "we do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem." And the kicker: "What's the worst thing that can happen?"

Unfortunately the Brown campaign couldn't find any matching video of Whitman saying the following line: "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

The TPM Poll Average gives Brown a lead of 47.6%-43.7%.

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Political movies

In Anti-Spending Flick Cartoon Bill Clinton Chases Sarah Palin, Obama Smokes In Oval Office

Christina Bellantoni | October 7, 2010, 12:19PM

A scene from "I Want Your Money"

A new conservative anti-spending film starring Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee aimed at influencing the midterm elections paints President Clinton as chasing Sarah Palin's skirt and includes a scene where a cartoon Ronald Reagan K.O.'s President Obama in a boxing ring.

Filmmaker Ray Griggs has told TPM in an interview he used animation in "I Want Your Money" because he wanted to educate young people about the deficit. Problem is, the facts he uses are skewed to make Obama and Nancy Pelosi look like spending bandits -- and, while he canonizes Reagan, he fails to mention that the Gipper also raised taxes.

TPM obtained a copy of the film, which includes interviews with Gingrich, Huckabee, Andrew Breitbart and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Griggs' narration about the good 'ol days under Reagan, interviews with tea partiers, man-on-the-street clips from New York's Times Square about the definition of socialism and several cringe-worthy animated scenes of Obama interacting with former presidents dead and living.

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CA-GOV

PPP Poll: CA Now Prefers Gray Davis Over Arnold (And Still Loves Ballot Initiatives)

Eric Kleefeld | July 29, 2010, 12:58PM

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) and former Gov. Gray Davis (D-CA)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), who ousted Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in a stunning 2003 recall election, has now suffered all the natural consequences of actually being governor of California -- in fact, he's so unpopular that voters might actually prefer having Gray Davis back. But beyond that, the state's systemic problems that have ruined the both of them are here to stay.

The new survey by Public Policy Polling (D) gives Arnold an approval rating of only 19%, with a whopping 71% disapproval. By contrast, Gray Davis's personal favorable rating is a much healthier (but still awful) 32%, with an unfavorable rating of 44%. Respondents were asked: "Who would you rather have as Governor now, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Gray Davis?" The answer turned out to be Davis 44%, Schwarzenegger 38%. The survey of registered voters has a ±3.95% margin of error.

This same batch of polling also gave Democratic former Governor and current state Attorney General Jerry Brown a 46%-40% lead over Republican former eBay CEO Meg Whitman -- the same six-point margin between Davis and Schwarzenegger. PPP's Tom Jensen writes: "The Davis/Schwarzenegger breakdown is actually a pretty good proxy for this year's Governor's race. Voters in the state don't like Jerry Brown (or Davis) but they like Whitman (or Schwarzenegger) even less and that drives a Democratic lead."

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | February 21, 2010, 1:01PM

Gen. David Petraeus, Head of U.S. Central Command

Petraeus Calls For 'Living Our Values,' Rejects 'Expedient Measures' In Interrogations
Appearing on Meet The Press, Gen. David Petraeus was asked by David Gregory whether he wished he had the interrogation methods that were available under the Bush administration. Petraeus appeared to say no: " I have always been on the record, in fact, since 2003, with the concept of living our values. And I think that whenever we have, perhaps, taken expedient measures, they have turned around and bitten us in the backside. We decided early on in the 101st Airborne Division we're just going to--look, we just said we'd decide to obey the Geneva Convention, to, to move forward with that. That has, I think, stood elements in good stead. "

Petraeus: 'I'm Not Sure' That Soldiers Care About Gays In The Military
Also during his appearance on Meet The Press, Gen. David Petraeus was asked whether soldiers in the field care one way or the other about the issue of gays in the military. "I'm not sure that they do. We'll see," said Petraeus. "Again, that's why this review panel. You know, all we have are, are personal soundings to go on, and I've certainly done some of that myself... I served in fact in combat with individuals who were gay and who were lesbian in combat situations and, frankly, you know, over time you said, 'Hey, how's, how's this guy's shooting?' Or 'How is her analysis,' or what have you."

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Sarah Palin

Schwarzenegger And Palin In Global Warming Feud

Eric Kleefeld | December 16, 2009, 10:06AM

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) now appears to be in a public feud with Sarah Palin, after he broke with other Republicans by calling for the United States to take action on global warming -- and specifically criticized Palin.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Schwarzenegger dismissed Palin's recent denunciation of climate-change science, and her call for President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference. "You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" said Schwarzenegger. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the [Republican] nomination [for president]? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

Last night, Palin fired back at Schwarzenegger on her Facebook page, with a post entitled "Greener Than Thou?":

Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment? Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation's only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change. While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can't primarily blame man's activities for those changes. And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn't do was hamstring Alaska's job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act "greener than thou" when talking to reporters.

Stimulus

VP Biden, Schwarzenegger Laud Jobs Saved With Stimulus Cash

Christina Bellantoni | October 30, 2009, 2:45PM

Gov. Schwarzenegger (R-CA), Vice Pres. Biden, Gov. O'Malley (D-MD)

Vice President Joe Biden this afternoon outlined a report collecting the jobs saved or created across the country, the product of states sending in their data.

As TPMDC reported this morning, he was joined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), who was a key ally when President Obama was selling the stimulus to the American people this winter.

Biden said the report shows the $787 billion economic stimulus plan has created or saved 642,239 jobs through the federal government and an estimated "at least" another 400,000 jobs. He said it is only a third of the way through.

"So far we have created over a million jobs," Biden said. "We know that more jobs are on the way as we continue to spend out these dollars."

Biden said the detailed Recovery.gov site is "quite simply something that has never happened before in the federal government."

He bemoaned worries that millions would go to polar bears and frisbee parks, adding, "So far, thank god, that's a dog that has not bitten yet."

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FL-SEN

Crist Holding Fundraiser With Convicted (And Later Pardoned) Governor

Christina Bellantoni | October 7, 2009, 3:34PM

Frmr. Gov. Fife Symington (R-AZ) and Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL)

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is about to embark on a major fundraising push, with several top dollar events scheduled in the coming weeks, but one in particular caught TPMDC's eye.

That's an Oct. 30 fundraiser hosted by former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington in the state's Camelback Mountain. Symington was convicted of bank and wire fraud and resigned in 1997, but the conviction was overturned and President Clinton pardoned him in 2001.

The event is listed on a document circulated among donors and obtained by TPMDC listing several upcoming fundraisers for Republican Senate candidates.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger

White House Urges High Profile GOPers To Wax Positive About Health Care Reform

Brian Beutler | October 7, 2009, 9:07AM

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)

You know the recent spate of outside-the-Beltway GOPers saying positive things about health care reform? Bill Frist? Arnold Schwarzenegger? Tommy Thompson? Republican-turned-Independent Michael Bloomberg?

Well, it turns out the White House may have been nudging them a little.

That could resonate well with pockets of constituents around the country. But according to the Washington Post, the real target of the push was a single person from one of the smallest states in the country: "The White House lobbying campaign was aimed, in part, at the one Republican who has indicated she may vote for reform legislation, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), and she said Tuesday that she hopes the comments from her GOP colleagues will resonate," the Post reports.

So did it work? Snowe seemed pleased: "I think it is important to hear all voices in the party," Snowe said. "The more we hear, the more we learn, the better job we can do in the final analysis."