As Kash reports, the California voters pitched a shut-out at the polls yesterday. Among the various Propositions that I voted no on was Proposition 73: Should the California Constitution be amended to require notification of the parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated, pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on the […]

In general, the election results yesterday were good for Democrats, liberals, and progressives, and bad for conservatives. Democrats won the governorships of both New Jersey (unsurprising) and Virginia (a bit more remarkable). Democrats apparently even picked up seats in the VA state legislature; In California, Schwartzenegger’s ballot initiatives were defeated; And in a very rare […]

From USA Today: Democrats won hotly contested governor’s races Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey on an Election Day closely watched for hints of how the 2006 races might shape up. The victory in Virginia by Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine over Republican Jerry Kilgore came despite an appearance by President Bush at a last-minute […]

I have yet to read Gene Sperling’s new book but how can I resist something with this title. The TPMCare is providing us with some interesting reviews and discussions including David Sirota’s “Do Free Traders Think the American Public is Stupid”.

Laura Rozen warns us of what Senator Roberts has in mind for that belated Phase II of the investigation in regards the intelligence failures preceding our invasion of Iraq: Roberts will leak to the White House and the GOP the pre-war statements by Democrats about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein … But unfortunately, this […]

Paul Gessing is not happy with Bill Frist: Bill Frist and Judd Gregg are the latest Republican senators to accuse oil companies of “gouging” consumers and to call for new tax or regulatory clampdowns as “remedies.” Although the populist stance against “big oil” might appeal to some beleaguered motorists, these Republicans – and most congressional […]

Kash supports Proposition 77 and expresses his reasoning why this move may be good for Democrats. Mark Kleiman disagrees. Several leading Californian Democrats and Republicans were on show last night at the The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to debate the various propositions. All agree on two points. Reform of the redistricting process would […]

In my earlier post I made the argument that, whatever its other drawbacks and merits, the California redistricting proposal is unlikely to cost the Democrats seats, and may actually win them some additional ones. My reasoning, in brief, is that Democratic voters are already so highly concentrated into safe Democratic seats that redistricting can only […]

Writing in the Lowell Sun, Dan O’Brien reports that a number of towns in Middlesex County are reporting year-over-year median price declines. O’Brien provides details for Dracut and Lowell, and then writes: Other Middlesex County communities showing year-over-year price drops (among those with at least 20 sales) include Arlington, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lexington, Natick, Newton, Reading […]

Today’s Washington Post notes that both of the major initiatives to reorganize the way in which Congressional districts are drawn up, one in Ohio and one in California, look headed for defeat. In both states it seems likely that partisan gerrymandering will remain the process by which Congressional boundaries are drawn in those states. A […]