All Politics Is Local

You're going to see a lot more local and state stories on this website as we move toward the midterm elections. Local blogging has proven to be a force in state politics, in Montana, in Virginia, in Connecticut, in Ohio, and generally across the country. For a variety of reasons, I feel the need to jump in with both feet and support this effort.

And that starts right at the top of the state ticket. A group of California bloggers have started Governor Phil, dedicated to blogging the Angelides-Schwarzenegger race in California. I've made it well known that I have not been entirely optimistic about Phil's chances in this one. Arnold has successfully tacked back to the left, and he has starpower that a State Treasurer can only dream about. Holywood fundraisers have endorsed him, mainly because this is a company town.

But Arnold took a relentless pounding last year that was generated largely from the grassroots, and I think the netroots can only add to this effort. In Phil Angelides we have a candidate that is accepting the mantle of reform after years of being a state party insider. This could be seen as opportunistic, but here's the thing. The California Democratic Party is in fact terribly broken, and state lobbyists do take advantage of inexperienced legislators and a practically ungovernable state constitution to practically run the government. I support anybody who recognizes that problem and seeks to change it.

Angelides also said state ethical standards have slipped on Schwarzenegger's watch. In particular, he noted Schwarzenegger's moonlighting until last year in a multimillion dollar deal with a bodybuilding magazine and a practice in which some of his top staff members draw paychecks from state taxpayers at the same time they are being paid for campaign activities.

"Never in our history, except when the Southern Pacific Railroad had a grip on this state, have we had a state government so in a stranglehold of money interests," Angelides said. "It's costing us. HMO's are making billions, oil companies are making record profits ... the era of cover up is over when I take office."

I believe Phil is being genuine when he talks about his support for Prop. 89, the clean money initiative that is the linchpin to breaking the stranglehold Big Money has on Sacramento. He's supported campaign finance reform fairly consistently. His use of massive indepdendent expenditures in the primary were outrageous, but when faced with a self-funded candidate raising millions, I don't know what he was supposed to do. I'd like to see Angelides spend less IE money. I'd like to see a level playing field for all candidates. Prop. 89 is the way to do that. Angelides supports it. Arnold doesn't.

The other issues in his reform agenda are smart and well-founded (read them here). Frank Russo at the California Progress Report writes:

Yesterday’s event was full of symbolism—the giant railroad trains were the backdrop for what he had to say, harkening back to the days when the railroad barons controlled the state of California, leading to the great progressive movement around the turn of the century. Hiram Johnson, the great progressive governor from a century ago, who freed this state in a courageous battle against the powerful railroads and brought us much of the democracy we know today, including the initiative, referendum, and the recall itself, was feted. Angelides joked that he wanted to be the first Sacramentan since Hiram Johnson to be elected to the governorship.

In an anti-incumbent year, the outsider theme is good politics. Angelides is obviously no outsider. But he represents a hope for progressives that a reform agenda could be more than just election-year talk.