Long Island native Meg Whitman has spent millions to run hundreds of ads telling Californians to "Talk to Meg," but the real question is, why bother if she won't talk back?

Whitman's "buy it now" campaign held a disastrous event in Oakland Tuesday, where the consultant-coached candidate banned the press from a tour and refused to answer questions. Eventually her staff blocked the windows to keep cameras from capturing even a glimpse of the reclusive Republican.

"A candidate who won't talk to the press is a candidate who won't be honest with the people of California," said California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton. "Meg Whitman continues to live in a billion-dollar bubble. California deserves a governor who understands and will fight for everyday Californians."

Worse yet for the Whitman campaign, the candidate, her staff and her supporters couldn't agree on who shut out the media. Sarah Pompei says they were running late, but Meg stayed for half an hour to talk to a friendly Republican columnist.

Whitman says they were “surprised” by the number of reporters, but they had plenty of room for journalists - as long as no one spoke to Meg. The campaign claimed Union Pacific officials banned cameras on the tour, but Union Pacific says they expected press.

"Is this the new leadership Whitman promises?" Burton asked. "She passes the buck and ducks out the back door when nobody is looking. Californians deserve better." 

The California Democratic Party today released a video commemorating Meg Whitman’s disastrous series of press “non-appearances.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/cademorg#p/a/u/0/bRWnGlnAFSE

CDP today launched a website to introduce U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina to California voters. The site, www.carlyfailorina.com, highlights the worst business failures of the candidate that Portfolio Magazine named the “19th Worst CEO of All Time” after a disastrous run at Silicon Valley-based Hewlett-Packard.

The website, first in a series of websites the CDP plans to launch this year profiling Republican candidates, is a parody of Fiorina’s own campaign website that aims to paint her as a competent CEO and business leader, despite her numerous failures.

“Carly Fiorina would be an unmitigated disaster for California,” said California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton. “But just don’t take our word for it. Talk to any of the 28,000 people she fired while she was busy sending jobs overseas and running Hewlett-Packard right into the ground.”

The site also features an introductory video of Fiorina and invites visitors to submit their own “Carly Fail” stories.

For more, visit: www.carlyfailorina.com.    

Since mid-September the CDP has operated a targeted voter registration drive with dedicated Democrats working full-swing in the overlap areas of Assembly District 5 and Congressional District 3.    

In just four short months, this band of precinct-walking, comfy shoe-wearing Dems has been going door to door registering thousands of new Democratic voters and signing up registered Democrats to vote by mail.  

On Wednesday, January 13, Kenneth Burt from Sacramento registered our 5,000th new Democratic voter, a terrific start for the 2010 election year! And what’s more, 92% of those new Democratic voter are registered to vote by mail which almost doubles their chances of voting in November!  

     
 

Photo: 
Kenneth Burt from the California Federation of Teachers registers Mark Norris as the 5,000th new Democrat in the 5th Assembly District in suburban Sacramento. Mr. Norris, who is deaf, said he was looking forward to voting in 2010.

These new voters and vote-by-mail voters can make such a huge difference in November -- we have a real opportunity to send Dan Lungren home for good and replace Roger Niello with a Democrat who represents our values and not another right-wing politician. 
Everyone at the CDP would like to acknowledge the hard work of our incredible VR team who have met and succeeded all their goals, and helped the Party mold a lean yet successful registration effort that can be duplicated in many other areas around the state for the 2010 election.

These targeted, ongoing voter registration efforts are making a real difference in the voter rolls. It’s a great example of what the Party can do when we organize, mobilize and Democraticize!

The 2010 Census begins on April 1. Census forms will be mailed or delivered beginning in March.   You can get updated information, including a preview of the 10 questions being asked at www.census.gov.

Today, December 1st, people in California and across the globe recognize World AIDS Day, which was established to raise awareness and support for those living with HIV/AIDS and to commemorate those who have lost their lives. To honor this day, California Democratic Party Chair John Burton released the following statement: 

"Today, we remember those whose lives were taken by HIV/AIDS, and we commit our support to those who are still fighting the battle.

"In the United States alone, there are more than 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and more than 33 million people around the world.  With so many people affected, we must act here in California and across the globe to improve treatment and prevention. 

"Since taking office, President Obama has done just that, making critical investments in combating HIV/AIDS.  More than half a million Americans will now receive medical treatment and support services under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act signed into law this October.   

The President and Congress also took an important step towards reducing fear and discrimination by ending the HIV entry ban, which prohibited those with HIV from entering the United States.  This was a major step forward and long overdue.

"We have made significant progress since the first World AIDS Day in 1988—increasing prevention, improving treatment and reducing discrimination.  But much work remains to be done.  Today and every day we stand with Californians as they continue the fight against HIV/AIDS."

"A new analysis by a leading MIT economist provides new ammunition for Democrats as the Senate begins formally debating the historic health-reform bill being pushed by President Barack Obama.

The report concludes that under the Senate’s health-reform bill, Americans buying individual coverage will pay less than they do for today's typical individual market coverage, and would be protected from high out-of-pocket costs."

Read the story: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29959.html

Planned to Campaign for Candidate Who Wrote Working Women Were "Detrimental to the Family" -- Will Whitman Renounce McDonnell's Antiquated Views?   

Meg Whitman is already struggling to answer why she’s qualified to be California governor if she didn’t have the time or inclination to vote here for years.

Now another troubling question demands an answer: Does Whitman have the judgment to be governor?

Just days ago, Whitman was poised to raise funds and throw her support behind far-right candidate Bob McDonnell, who is running for governor in Virginia.  As a 34-year-old graduate student, McDonnell wrote a thesis in which he espoused an ultra-conservative government agenda targeting working women, contraception for married couples – even child care. McDonnell worked to put his plan into action once elected to the Virginia legislature. 

Despite the fact that McDonnell’s views fall far outside the mainstream in California and the nation, Whitman agreed to raise money for this far-right candidate. After her fundraiser attracted attention, Whitman canceled her trip.

"Every day, Meg Whitman shows California voters that she is not ready for prime time. Bob McDonnell advocates far-right positions that, if implemented, would hurt all women, including Meg Whitman. If Whitman supports someone like Bob McDonnell enough to raise money for him, voters deserve to know: Does Whitman support McDonnell’s antiquated ideas? Is she as out of touch as he is? As the election draws near, the people of California need to know who Meg Whitman is and where she really stands  Will the real Meg Whitman please stand up?"  -- CDP Chairman John Burton 

Message from San Bernardino County Chair Carol Robb 

San Bernardino County, with a growing population of more than two million, is geographically the largest county in the United States. In fact, it is larger than each of the nine smallest states! Six years ago, there was a sizeable Republican advantage in voter registration. Dedicated Democratic clubs have focused on registering new Democrats, and in October 2008, we celebrated "San Blue-nardino" as Democratic registration at last outnumbered Republican registration and just recently our registration advantage topped 20,000!

San Bernardino County Democrats have 18 active clubs throughout the county. These clubs are the backbone of our successful effort to take back San Bernardino County. In 2008, President Barack Obama carried San Bernardino County, and the voter turnout (74.28%) was the largest on record for the county.

It is an honor to serve as chairperson of the San Bernardino County Democratic Party. We have a dedicated, hardworking core of folks who are not shy about standing up for Democratic values. For the last five years we have maintained a year-round headquarters in San Bernardino, which is used for central committee meetings, club meetings and community activities. Over the last several years we have established a tradition of events and activities that engage and involve an ever-widening circle of Democrats, and like-minded organizations.

Successful events have included the annual Congressman George E. Brown, Jr. Awards Banquet in May, honoring grassroots volunteers from throughout the county.  CDP Chairman John Burton was the speaker for this year’s event. Looking ahead to 2010 we have our annual awards banquet scheduled for March 6, 2010 and a wine and beer tasting festival on May 22, 2010. 

Dates are tentative - go to www.sanbernardinodemocrats.org for more information.  

In case you missed it - sounds like Carly and Meg's voting record (or lack thereof) were among the "highlights" of last weekend's GOP-fest.  

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/convention-whitman-gop-2585184-poizner-weekend

Over the weekend the California Republican Party hunkered down in the desert heat for its annual Fall Convention. The event was held at an Indian Wells resort, where hopeful GOP candidates, activists and donors looked to 2010 as a chance to make tremendous electoral strides and potentially rebound – starting with races for governor and U.S. Senate. 

But it wasn't the blistering heat in the Coachella Valley that left some GOP candidates sweating – or activists steaming – it was the action on the convention floor.

Since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is termed out – delighting many of his fellow Republicans – the battle for the GOP nomination for governor is well under way. Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman had the roughest weekend among the candidates for governor. She was slammed with a barrage of questions about her voting record – or lack thereof – at a news conference. Ms. Whitman was criticized for not voting – or even being registered to vote – for 28 years. (Audio of the exchange is available at our Web site www.freedompolitics.com <http://www.freedompolitics.com> .)

Ms. Whitman's Silicon Valley neighbor and gubernatorial opponent, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, was leading the charge against her. Mr. Poizner, addressing a large crowd, berated Ms. Whitman for dereliction of duty as a voter and called for her to drop out of the race. The weekend seemed to be good overall for Mr. Poizner, who, up until then, had been overshadowed by Ms. Whitman's campaign, which has raised more money and to generally have more energy and gravitas.

Attempting to keep criticism focused on the policy issues, the third announced GOP candidate for governor, former Rep. Tom Campbell (also from the Silicon Valley) criticized both Mr. Poizner and Ms. Whitman for their plans on dealing with California's biggest issue: the budget.

The biggest loser at the convention was almost-candidate for U.S. Senate, Carly Fiorina – and she didn't even attend. The former Hewlett-Packard CEO was ridiculed going into the convention for her embarrassing Web site, which her campaign launched just prior to the weekend. And things got even worse at the convention when a Rasmussen poll showed her primary opponent, Irvine Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, performing better in the general election against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer – despite Ms. Fiorina's higher name identification and personal wealth.

It was clear from the convention that the GOP in California has some bright candidates with some unique political flaws.

This op-ed from Chairman John Burton was published in today's Sacramento Bee:

A flurry of new reports from the Treasury Department, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation underscore something we've known in California for a long time: We can't wait another year for health insurance reform.

According to recent national data from the U.S. Census, the number of uninsured Americans increased from 39.8 million in 2001 to 46.3 million in 2008. Most of them are in the middle class - people who work hard and pay their bills, but don't get health benefits through their jobs or can't afford to buy it on the private market. Closer to home, there are now 6.8 million Californians living without insurance - one accident or illness away from financial disaster.

Those with insurance aren't necessarily better off. New analysis from the Treasury Department found that nearly half of all Americans under the age of 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next decade.

Bottom line: Each of us could suddenly find ourselves without health coverage, and we all stand to benefit from health insurance reform. It's been about 100 years since President Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform. Almost every president since has tried to reform our system without success - piling more burdens on American families and businesses with each missed opportunity.

Now, we're closer than ever to passing comprehensive reform - four out of five Congressional committees have completed their work and an unprecedented coalition of doctors, nurses, hospitals, seniors and even drug companies are backing action this year.

But if opponents of reform have their way, we'll fall short again. Premiums will continue to rise three times faster than wages, or deficits will increase until the United States spends more on Medicare and Medicaid than every other government program combined.

President Barack Obama's health insurance reform plan takes the best ideas from Democratic and Republican proposals to address three goals: providing more security and stability for people with insurance; offering affordable, quality choices to those without it; and lowering health care costs for American families, businesses and our government.

For the majority of Americans who already have insurance - through an employer, Medicare, Medicaid or the Veterans Administration - nothing in the president's plan would require them to change anything about their coverage.

Reform will make their coverage better by outlawing some of the insurance companies' worst practices. It'll be against the law to deny coverage based on a pre-existing condition, cancel your coverage when you get sick or limit the amount of coverage you can receive. Reform will also limit what insurance companies can charge for out-of-pocket costs and will require them to fully cover preventive care such as routine checkups and mammograms.

For the tens of millions of Americans without insurance, Obama's plan offers quality, affordable choices.

It would create a new insurance exchange where individuals and small businesses could band together and leverage their purchasing power for better prices. People or small businesses that still couldn't afford coverage would be eligible for subsidies and tax credits to reduce costs even further.

The president's plan also calls for the creation of a public insurance option, an invaluable tool that has been inaccurately maligned during the heated health care debate. Here are the facts: The public option isn't a "government takeover," not even close. No one would be forced to choose it. Only those who lack insurance would be able to get it.

As the president has said, the public option is simply the best idea he's seen to inject more competition into the market and ensure that everyone has an affordable choice. Doctors agree - according to a new survey from the New England Journal of Medicine, more than 60 percent of physicians support a public plan.

Obama vows not to sign a bill that adds "one dime" to our deficits. In fact, most of his plan will be paid for wringing savings from the existing system - money that's either being used inefficiently or abused.

California Democrats back the president's plan for reform. They aren't fooled by the distortion and the lies that the president's plan will create "death panels" (a thoroughly debunked claim) or grant coverage to illegal immigrants (also untrue).

And seniors certainly aren't falling for bogus Republican claims that health insurance reform will cut Medicare benefits. That's completely wrong - reform will simply end overpayments to insurance companies and eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud that pad insurance company profits without improving care for seniors.

California Democrats have heard enough from Republicans who think it's better politics to kill reform than come up with a plan of their own.

Obama inherited an economy in shambles and escalating deficits, but he's taken bold and necessary actions to rescue our economy from the brink and start to rebuild it. Health insurance reform is critical to that effort.

The time for partisan bickering is over -now is the time for action. California Democrats will continue to support Obama's efforts to pass health insurance reform this year.