November 30, 2007

Friday roundup

• Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner stopped by the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, where he spoke about disclosing the source of U.S. Term Limits' $1.5 million donation.

U-T blogger Chris Reed has the details.

"I would rather all 501(c)4s disclose" the source of their money, he said. Poizner said he has "no idea" who gave the $1.5 million to U.S. Term Limits.

• Maybe the state shouldn't lease the lottery, it should sell bonds bet against future revenues. John Myers of KQED has posted the letter sent by Treasurer Bill Lockyer's office to Sen. Dean Florez.

• Could there be a leadership change at SEIU? Possibly as soon as today, the Los Angeles Times' Jordan Rau reports. It stems from the fight over the shape of health care reform.

While enthusiastic about the goal of securing coverage for the 5 million Californians who now are uninsured, Sal Rosselli -- the president of an Oakland-based SEIU local as well as the state council -- has insisted that any deal fully protect middle-class residents from having to pay premiums they may not be able to afford or forcing them to buy bare-bones policies.

But through a labor fight that has been more than a year in the making, Rosselli may be removed as president of the state council as early as this morning, two years before his term is scheduled to expire, according to union officials.

Many of the issues involved in the action have more to do with internal union politics about labor's direction than with the healthcare battle, but the leadership change could have substantial consequences. The potential new leaders are more eager than Rosselli and longtime Executive Director Dean Tipps to cut a deal with Schwarzenegger -- in part to help advance their campaign to overhaul healthcare nationally.

That has been the view of Andy Stern, the president of the international union, who has personally expressed to the governor's office his frustration with the stance of California SEIU leaders, according to people familiar with the discussions.

• Evangelical Christians give Hillary Clinton a standing ovation. It happened in California.

• Another candidate has dropped out of the race for Assembly District 2, currently held by Assemblyman Doug La Malfa. First, it was past Rep. John Doolittle staffer Jason Larrabee. Now it's Sam Wakim.

Earlier this year, Wakim resigned his seat on a regional water board after the Bee made inquires about his Internet postings.

Former Sen. Jim Nielsen, a Republican, remains in the race and has racked up the endorsements of most of the Assembly GOP caucus.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on November 30, 2007 10:22 AM