Schwarzenegger Presses Obama on Auto Emissions

In only his first full day on the job, President Barack Obama was expecting to hear from a famous governor.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, sent a letter Wednesday to Obama requesting he give California and other states permission to implement tough tailpipe-emission standards.

Schwarzenegger believes Obama's backing would help move America toward global leadership on addressing climate change. If granted, the decision would change a 2007 conclusion by the Bush administration.

The letter details the fact that states do not have authority to impose greenhouse gas standards for new cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

According to the Bush administration, such goals can only be met by regulating fuel-efficiency standards, something that falls under the auspices of the federal government.

Get Out and Vote Today

Whether you are for Barack Obama or John McCain, permitting gay marriage or banning it in California, approving or disapproving of your local Congressman, remember to go out and vote today.

Too many of us take that right for granted. All we need to do is look at places around the world where elections are pre-determined, there is no voting, etc.

While we support Sen. McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, win or lose tonight, we need to come together as a country.

So please, go out and vote!

Courtesy of CNN, the following map will provide you with closing times for the polls in your area.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/poll.closing/

Is L.A. Times Covering for Obama?

The Los Angeles Times continues to say no to the release of a reported video that depicts Barack Obama celebrating with a former PLO operative at a dinner in Chicago five years ago.

Reports say the tape shows Obama toasting Rashid Khalidi, a well-known PLO backer who has made anti-Israeli remarks over the years. The newspaper did a story about this very matter back in April, but says it will not release video of the gathering that Obama attended or comment on who else attended. Reports say that radical Bill Ayers was also in attendance.

Obama, who has denied any close associations with Ayers, has also denied any formal relationship with Khalidi.

Reports say that Obama noted during the 2003 event his talks with Khalidi and his wife, stating the discussions had been "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases... It's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation -- a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid's dinner table," but around "this entire world."

While the economy is surely number one on the minds of Americans, it is legitimate to question some of Obama's associations over the years.

The refusal of The Los Angeles Times to release the video only adds more fuel to the fire. If there is nothing to hide, simply put the tape out there for everyone to see. Then again, maybe the hierachy at the newspaper has a vested interest in just who wins next Tuesday?

Editor's note: Readers interested in seeing the tape should call the newspaper at: 1 800 528 4637 ext. 73464.

WFTV Takes on Biden; Obama Camp Cries Foul

Editor's note: Although this site is primarily geared towards California news, we from time to time step outside the state and see what is going on around the nation and the rest of the world.

Is the heat finally being turned up on the Obama campaign?

A Florida TV station threw some tough questions (www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7EUeJa45kc) at Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden the other day as the race for the White House winds down. It appears the questions were too tough for the longtime senator, as the Obama campaign has said no more interviews with WFTV.

Anchor Barbara West quoted Karl Marx and asked Biden how Obama's remark in Ohio to "Joe the Plumber," about spreading the wealth wasn't being Marxist.

"Are you joking?," Biden asked.

West replied, "No."

West questioned also Biden about his comments that if Obama wins the election Nov. 4, he would be tested early on as president and wanted to know if Biden was implying America was no longer the world's leading power.

"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden responded.

The Obama camp then said no to a WFTV interview with Biden's wife Jill, according to an Orlando Sentinel blog.

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign, according to the Sentinel.

Maybe all the media after all isn't in the tank for Obama....

Babs for Obama Night in Beverly Hills

As only Babs can, Barbra Streisand, a hero to those on the far left, welcomed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Tuesday evening at a star-studded fund-raiser in Beverly Hills.

Or as many of us would call it...A 'Bash the Republicans and Blame Them for All the Problems' get-together of the far left. The evening was not cheap, well at least in most our eyes, with each person shelling out $28,500 to attend.

Streisand, who is a darling of the Democratic Party in the entertainment world, reportedly sang four songs on the evening. They were: "When the Sun Comes Out," "Make Someone Happy," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" and "Shining Hour." No word on if neighborhood dogs were warned ahead of time.

Streisand reportedly noted in between songs, "I'm not here to make a political speech... Tonight my thoughts are only personal... I can't wait for the morning on November 5th when the people who said 'Yes we can' wake up and say 'Yes we did.'"

The scene was reportedly packed with celebrities that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.

Many of us hope and pray that Streisand will awaken on the morning of Nov. 5 and sing her newest hit..."I Got Yet Another Election Wrong."

Now that would be sweet music to many ears.

Photo: The Grosby Group (www.grosbygroup.com)

Obama Supporter Stoops to New Low on Palin

Editor's note: As many of you who read this site know, the menu on here is often California news. From time to time, we look at national and world events, such as in the case of John McCain's pick for VP. This is another story on the current race for the White House.

We thought we had heard most of the trash the liberal media and others on the left would throw at Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin over the last week. Well, the garbage keeps coming.

On Friday, an original member of Barack Obama’s finance committee said that Palin is placing her career above her family by accepting the nomination as John McCain’s running mate.

According to FOX News, (www.foxnews.com) Howard Gutman made the case on “The Laura Ingraham Show,” telling Ingraham that the Alaska governor should focus her time and efforts on her unwed, pregnant teenage daughter.

“If my daughter had just come home at 17 years old and said, ‘Mom, Dad, I’m pregnant, we have a family problem,’ I wouldn’t say, ‘You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to take this private family problem … I’m going to go on the international stage and broadcast it to the world’,” he said.

Gutman later said: “If you take a daughter who’s got this emotional strife and subject her to the most intense scrutiny of the world at this time in her life, I think you’ve put your career above your family.”

The Obama campaign had the smarts and decency to reject Gutman’s comments.

“Obviously these comments do not reflect our frequently stated, crystal-clear view that families of the candidates should be off limits, and we hope that supporters on both sides will act accordingly,” Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in an e-mail, pointing out that Gutman has apologized in a statement to ABC News.

Earlier in the week, Obama said anyone passing along rumors about Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy would be fired.

“I think people’s families are off limits, and people’s children are especially off limits,” Obama said. “This shouldn’t be part of our politics.”

We commend Obama for doing the right thing and saying Palin's family is off limits, as should be Obama's.

The left is looking for anything to sink its teeth into on Palin because she is a threat to their way of life. The irony here is that McCain, not Palin, is at the top of the Republican ticket. Perhaps, the left sees Palin being a force in the Republican Party for years to come and wants to neutralize her now?

Stick to the records if you want to criticize someone and get on with it.

We are still amazed how so few women on the left have come out in support of Palin. You certainly don't have to agree with her record and views, but you would think the Democratic Party, which has championed women's rights and causes for decades, would be a little more supportive.

Then again, this is the left we're talking about.

Obama Sports 24-Point Lead over McCain

While November may be months away, Democratic candidate Barack Obama holds a comfortable lead over Republican rival John McCain, according to the latest Field Poll.

As of this month, Obama holds a large 24-point lead over the Arizona senator, doubling his lead from a year ago.

Despite fears he would not reel them in, Obama has acquired many of Hillary Clinton's supporters, therefore boosting his support. Obama also has a 2-to-1 lead among California's likely female voters.

The latest Field Poll, run July 8-14, surveyed 672 probable California voters for the November presidential election.

Some of the poll highlights show:

-- Democrats back Obama 78 to 9 percent, compared with the softer support for McCain in his own party - 65 to 16 percent.

-- Three times as many Obama supporters as McCain voters describe themselves as "very enthusiastic" for their candidate - 51 to 17 percent; a full 27 percent of McCain's supporters describe themselves as "not enthusiastic," compared with just 5 percent of Obama's supporters.

-- Obama has a nearly 4-to-1 lead - 64 to 18 percent - among independent and decline-to-state voters in California, and he also leads by more than 2-to-1 among those Californians who describe themselves as holding "middle of the road" political philosophies.

-- In geographic areas, the Illinois senator has a 6-to-1 lead over McCain in the Bay Area and leads 61 to 27 percent in Los Angeles - two areas that make up 44 percent of the state's population. McCain leads Obama in one geographic area of the state, the Central Valley - but only by 40 to 39 percent. Finally, McCain leads Obama 44 to 35 percent in inland counties, but Obama leads McCain 62 to 24 percent in coastal counties.

-- Among Latino voters, Obama enjoys a huge edge - 64 to 21 percent - and he is widely preferred over McCain by Asians (59 to 23 percent) and by African Americans (89 to 5 percent).

The Field Poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points overall.

Obama Tries to Win All on Gay Marriage Issue

We cannot say we fell off our chair when we read this one.

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama is against a California ballot measure that seeks to outlaw same-sex marriage. The November measure looks to outlaw the recently Supreme Court approved right of gays and lesbians to marry in the Golden State. Republican nominee John McCain supports the measure.

Obama has called the proposed constitutional amendment “divisive and discriminatory.” He also extended congratulations to gay and lesbian newlyweds who have gotten married statewide over the last two weeks.

Obama said that while he is personally opposed to same-sex marriage, he thinks the issue should be left to states to decide. Well how convenient an opinion to take.

Editor's Take: Obama coming out saying he supports the right of gays and lesbians to marry, yet saying he is opposed to same-sex marriage, is a simple way to pander and try and have it both ways. We are not against gays and lesbians, but we support the belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. Nice try Mr. Obama.

So what do you think on this issue? Should the state ban gay marriage?