Politics

As GOP fiddles In D.C., Californians’ health coverage fears burn

More than half of Californians fear they or their loved ones will lose health coverage if the Affordable Care Act is repealed and replaced, a new statewide poll shows. A poll by the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California-Berkeley, released Tuesday, unmasks a deep sense of insecurity across the Golden State, especially among low-income residents and people enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the…


RSF GOP gov hopeful polls in single digits

Rancho Santa Fe businessman and self-financed candidate for governor John Cox barely registered a blip in the first major statewide polling on the race. Cox came in as the third-rated candidate with 9 percent support among likely voters in the latest Berkeley IGS Poll released today, Thursday, June 8. His fellow Republican gubernatorial wannabe former California Assembly member David Hadley did even worse, attracting 7…


Issa freaks out at Vista district office

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-49th District) on Tuesday confronted protestors at his Vista office, then climbed on the roof of his district office building and shot pictures of what was called the largest demonstration yet against his activities and policies in the embattled congressional district. He also reportedly threatened a reporter for being an alleged “operative” for his opponents. This came on the heels of Issa giving supporters…


Issa schedules 1-hour sham town hall

This round-up written by Doug Porter, Ocean Beach alternative press legend, and first appeared May 24 at San Diego Free Press. For more, visit http://sandiegofreepress.org/2017/05/darrell-issas-exclusive-town-hall-set-for-june-3. UPDATED: A fun trip through the mind of Issa’s press flack… By Doug Porter Nobody has ever accused Darrell Issa of being stupid. After initially promising a town hall for constituents on May 31st, the 49th District Congressman has announced a one-hour…


Hunter imperils Israel, Jordan, US soldiers

I am not sure Mr. Hunter would trust Jordan’s regime to keep his $600-flight-riding pet rabbit, let alone deadly American drones. — Mudar Zahran  Recently, Rep. Duncan Hunter, (R-50th District) relaunched congressional pressure on the White House to sell deadly drones to Jordan. Hunter has been lobbying for this deal for almost two years now. He wants Jordan to obtain Reaper and Predator drones. Obama’s administration…


Blue Shield CEO says GOP’s ‘flawed’ health bill would harm sicker consumers

The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state’s insurance marketplace, issued a blunt critique of the Republican health care bill, saying it would once more lock Americans with preexisting conditions out of affordable coverage. In an interview with California Healthline on Wednesday, Paul Markovich said the GOP’s American Health Care Act is “flawed” and “could return us to a…


Sessions wrongly tags Escondido

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions tags Escondido wrongly for immigrant crimes. Escondido last week entered the national dialogue over immigrant rights and Donald Trump’s big, bad border wall, but in an unexpected, and counterfactual way. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions highlighted Escondido to illustrate how jurisdictions that limit cooperation with immigration authorities jeopardize public safety. The only problem was Sessions got everything wrong. Speaking at…


Hunter vamping vaping legislation

Fighting a campaign finance criminal investigation, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-50th District) still has time, apparently, to battle for a vice he loves: Vaping. Hunter introduced legislation Thursday to roll back current regulations treating electronic cigarettes the same as tobacco products. Titled the Cigarette Smoking Reduction & Electronic Vapor Alternatives Act, HR 2194, Hunter’s ode to vaping, would undo the Obama administration’s “Deeming Rule” that put…


Capitol painting won’t prevail on appeal

A controversial painting that made headlines earlier this year is now the subject of a lawsuit in a federal court in Washington, D.C., but constitutional experts predict the plaintiff’s free speech arguments are doomed. The case hinges on whether an art competition held by members of Congress qualifies as “government speech,” which has less protection under the First Amendment. The legal feud has roiled emotions in Washington…


Judge rejects effort to reinstall painting taken down by Hunter at U.S. Capitol

A federal judge has rejected efforts to reinstall a painting in the Capitol that some lawmakers and police groups found offensive because it depicts police officers with animal heads. David Pulphus, a student artist from Missouri, and Rep. William Clay, his Democratic congressman, had sued Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers for removing the painting in January. They sought a preliminary injunction to have the…