Photo I took of Barbara Boxer during her 1992 campaign for U.S. Senate in front of the Van Nuys Federal Bldg at SFV/NELA NOW’s “Rally in the Valley” for Roe v Wade Day
It’s going to be hard to replace Senator Barbara Boxer. She’s been one of the best representatives California has ever had in Congress. Wikipedia points out that:
She previously held the record for the most popular votes in any U.S. Senate election in history, having received 6.96 million votes in her 2004 re-election, until her colleague, Dianne Feinstein, the senior Senator from California, surpassed that number in her 2012 re-election
For more photos from her legendary 1992 election to the Senate go to: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206596539853986.1073741886.1286600320&type=1&l=647555f4ff
While I go way back with Boxer from that 1992 campaign I have had some disagreements with her. Once, at a Pacific Palisades private gathering, leftist activist actor David Clennon, standing next to me, asked her, “what about Palestinian rights?” Her response: a long rambling response about the Holocaust, the historical suffering of Jews, and why Israel was created….then: “….and Palestinian rights? Of course, of course.” ????? Well, that wasn’t a real answer then and it takes on more significance today in the light of Bernie Sanders-her landesman (Ashkenazic Yiddish term for a fellow Jew)-strong and forthright support for Palestinian rights and his courageous appointment of James Zogby and Cornel West to the Democratic platform committee.
In 1998 for precisely these kinds of reasons, I managed Ophie Beltran’s Peace & Freedom Party campaign against Boxer for U.S. Senate while I was running for State Treasurer.
Now Californians are faced with a field of candidates longer than my arm:
For those who want my wisdom and more or less share my politics I can narrow this down to four (4) candidates for you:
Kamala Harris explaining why she wouldn’t intervene to bring justice in Sonoma County over Deputy Erick Gelhaus killing of Andy Lopez who had a toy gun
First, why not Kamala Harris? In 2012 I wrote the Attorney General the following letter and it pretty much explains why I’ve soured on her:
Honorable Kamala Harris:
I personally endorsed your candidacy in 2012 for Attorney, breaking with my own party to do so (http://janbtucker.com/blog/2010/10/26/jan-tuckers-november-2-2010-california-endorsements-recommendations/], writing:
“KAMALA HARRIS’s election is imperative because LGBTI rights are not trivial and same-sex marriage is a very important issue. Harris will not appeal decisions striking down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional; Republican Steve Cooley is committed to doing so.”
Were I writing today, to be fair, I would have to point out that while I substantively disagree with Steve Cooley on most issues, at least his administration as District Attorney has been far more accessible and communicative than your administration has been since taking office. As State Director of the California League of Latin American Citizens (CALLAC) I can say definitively that we (and our national organization, NLLAC) have been at best dismayed at the efforts of a coalition of most major civil rights organizations to (a) enlist your support to oppose the expiration of Hate Crime reporting requirements as proposed by Governor Brown and (b) to have a sit-down meeting with you and your staff regarding civil rights issues in California.
As was the case for many other civil rights leaders in California, I was at first extremely hopeful and inspired by your decision to have us forward our concerns to Bill Lann Lee as a part of your transition. Since then, it seems that the only thing that gets your staff to even respond to formal requests for follow up are threats to go public with this dispute. I do not relish the thought of undermining public confidence in your administration, but as a leader of an organization, my legal duties of loyalty, of care, of reasonable inquiry, and my fiduciary duty may soon dictate that I have no other way of advancing our organizational mission and purpose.
Why Sanchez, Parker, Stokes or Elizondo:
1. If you want a decent human being who can win, vote for Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez. She voted against the Iraq war. She’s tried her darndest for Dream Act children. Her father has Alzheimer’s and is very much in tune with what we need to do as a society to cope with the biggest looming health care disaster this nation has ever faced.
John Parker, PFP for U.S. Senate
2. John Parker is running as a Peace & Freedom Party candidate although he is primarily an activist with the Workers World Party. He has a creditable activist record and a platform and emphasis I appreciate, but is obviously not going to make it into the runoff.
Steven Stokes for U.S. Senator
3. Steve Stokes is running as a Bernie Sanders supporter, saying: “Although I have been a longtime activist for non-partisan politics and independent candidates, I am joining Senator Bernie Sanders as a Democrat, determined to restore democratic principles and processes to the Democratic Party and to our Nation.”
Pam Elizondo was PFP, then Reform, now Green
4. In past elections, Pam Elizondo started as a Peace & Freedom Party candidate, went briefly into the Reform Party, and is now in the Green Party, saying that “the Green Party is international, the only way to solve worldwide problems is convince the rich of the profit of spending taxpayer’s money restoring Earth & Inhabitants greening it everywhere growing marijuana to produce water & be used for all it’s uses.” Sounds too cool and it may be just that, too cool, because as a reliable source tells the Detective’s Diary:
A cursory examination of nomination signatures (and the respective residential addresses) for several previous candidacies of Pam Elizondo appeared to show that the sigs and other info was done in the same handwriting on certain petitions circulated by the candidate herself. The papers were viewed at the Mendocino County elections department. Don’t know what the county archive there is like, but I understand the original petitions may be on file at the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento, California. Elizondo is currently running as you point out in your blog for the U.S. Senate seat as a Green Party candidate.
Great but like Parker and Stokes, she can’t get into the runoff. Loretta Sanchez can.
PRESIDENTIAL & DOWN BALLOT RACES:
For President see my commentary at: http://janbtucker.com/blog/2016/06/04/i-like-bill-but-i-back-bernie-feeling-the-bern-since-1972/
Los Angeles County District Attorney
CAST NO VOTE
Los Angeles County, Judge of Superior Court
Office No. 11 – Debra R. Archuleta
Office No. 42 – E. Matthew Aceves
Office No. 60 – Stepan W. Baghdassarian
Office No. 84 – Susan Jung Townsend
Office No. 120 – Ray Santana
Office No. 158 – Kim L. Nguyen
Office No. 165 – Kathryn Ann Solorzano
LA Supervisorial Seat 2
MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS
LA Supervisorial Seat 4
JANICE HAHN
LA Supervisorial Seat 5
ARA JAMES NAJARIAN or DARRELL PARK
Torrance City Council (vote for 3)
MIKE GRIFFITHS
LEILANI A. KIMMEL-DAGOSTINO
GENGHMUN ENG
Proposition 50
YES
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