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The Buzz: No one's trying hard for these votesDate: 17.07.2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team United States
For the California Republican Assembly, the word is one of the harshest insults one can deliver: "nanny." Any good conservative knows what it means -- a politician who views government as a baby sitter.
And so it is that the group is turning against five Republicans in the Legislature. On its Web site, the Republican Assembly announces a vote to answer the question: "Who is your GOP Nanny?"
The nominees it offers include state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, who "achieved distinction for nannyism" for sponsoring legislation the GOP Assembly says would create "car pool snitch lines" for nabbing unlawful intruders in the diamond lanes.
The group also nannyizes Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, R-San Diego, for supporting "Nanny State" bills for low-energy light bulbs and low-flush urinals. It takes Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, to task for supporting required vaccinations to prevent a cervical cancer linked to a sexually transmitted virus. And while pointing out that Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, is called "hot-blooded" by the governor, it calls her bill to ban trans fats in California foods nannyism to the max.
The GOP Assembly says votes are due by Sept. 7.
The punch line
With Sly Stallone, Bob Barker, Joe Weider and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the state Senate all at once Monday, lawmakers seemed giddy trying to decide which celebrity to approach for a handshake and photograph.
For Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núnez, the choice was pretty clear: Stallone.
Upon spying the "Rocky" star, Perata directed his house's attention over to "one of my countrymen," a reference to their shared Italian American heritage. Stallone was on hand to celebrate a Senate resolution for Weider, the bodybuilding magazine magnate who helped launch Schwarzenegger's career.
After the Weider ceremony, Perata and Núnez made a beeline for Stallone. Núnez, a former amateur boxer, seemed particularly intent on chatting with Stallone for as long as he would allow.
State Sen. Gil Cedillo, standing nearby, advised the actor, "He's a real boxer."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Stallone said.
Laddie shows up a Barker
First off, it was a big week for Laddie the Lobbyist.
The ninth-generation offspring of Lassie, the world's most famous collie, Laddie came to a state Senate committee to show up retired game show host Bob Barker, who earlier barked up a bill to mandate spaying and neutering. So Laddie poignantly yawned on the plush Capitol carpet to lead the opposition.
Bill author Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, complained about opponents stirring "fear and confusion." But the confusion may have been his own: The assemblyman's bill vowed civil penalties to fund "spay and neuter programs for low-income individuals."
Levine insisted he meant their pets. But he shelved the bill. Laddie got the last woof.
Setting it straight: On Page A3 Monday, an item in the Buzz column incorrectly said state Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, was criticized by the California Republican Assembly organization for supporting legislation to require vaccinations to prevent a cervical cancer linked to a sexually transmitted virus. Harman hasn't supported the legislation. The lawmaker the CRA mentioned was Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands. |
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