Wow.  Over at Kos they have all the info on Mickey Kaus' failure to deny that Kaus blows goats.  Check it out.  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/15 /122633/03

I was in Iowa this weekend for John Edwards, and I saw as many Biden signs as Hillary signs in Dubuque, for what it's worth.  But, they are the only two campaigns working yard signs in Iowa yet that I know of.

And who'd do yard signs before Halloween?

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/ 2007/10/schwarzenegger_58.html

October 15, 2007

Schwarzenegger Vetoes Pro-Family Bills as Corporate Interests Trump Family Values

By Julius Young

The blizzard of vetoes issued by Governor Schwarzenegger this past weekend highlight the fact this is not a family-values governor. In almost every instance Schwarzenegger sided with the corporate lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce rather than family values activists.

Over the last few decades the Republican Party has attempted to portray itself as pro-family values. But as New York Times columnist David Brooks recently observed, the party has recently been unable to connect with the concerns and aspirations of middle class voters. Voters who work two jobs so they can pay the bills. Voters who need some flexibility in their lives so they can balance the needs of work, home and extended family. Voters who are an injury away from losing a grip on their finances and homes. Even the vaunted "soccer moms" so key in many legislative races share family concerns.

Some thought Arnold might show an independent streak by signing some of the pro-family bills that survived legislative scrutiny this year. Any hope for that died over the weekend. The overall picture that emerges is a Governor who does not put family values first.

Examples of the pro-family bills vetoed by Schwarzenegger include the following:

* SB 549 (Corbett)-this bill would have protected the job of a worker taking time off to attend to the funeral of a family member.

* SB 727 (Kuehl)-this bill provided that employees covered by family temporary disability insurance (FTDI) could take the leave to care for a grandparent, siblings, grandchildren and parent-in-law.

* AB 537 (Swanson)-this bill expanded the definition of family under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to allow eligible workers to take job-protected leave to care for a seriously ill adult child, sibling, grandchild, or parent in law.

As with many of the vetoed bills, Schwarzenegger's veto message cited concerns about the perception that California has a bad business climate.

No solid evidence has ever been produced that pro-family measures of this type drive businesses out of California; yet, this continues to be an "urban legend" cited against such measures.

But there's more:

* AB 435 (Brownley)-this bill would have addressed harsh limitation periods on bringing certain wage discrimination claims. These claims are frequently brought by working women who have been underpaid relative to their male counterparts, and many of these women are struggling to raise kids in single parent situations

* AB 1636 (Mendoza)-this bill would have expedited a job retraining voucher to disabled workers unable to return to their former jobs; workers such as these are struggling to adapt to replace the income needed for the family to survive.

* SB 936 (Perata)-this bill would have increased the benefits paid to permanently disabled workers over a 3 year period. Since 2004 these workers have seen their benefits slashed by 50% or more according to studies by University of California researchers. At the same time, insurer profits have exceeded all benefits paid to or on behalf of disabled workers; it's a concept that is clearly not family-friendly. The families and kids of disabled workers suffer as they struggle to keep pace with the financial devastation of injuries

These are but a few examples of the bills torpedoed by the Governor on the last few days he had available to act. A clear picture emerges of a Governor unwilling to take on the business interests that have backed his campaigns.

It's a wake up call for individuals and groups who had hoped that his administration would move beyond family-values rhetoric, blowing up some boxes in the process.