Checking Off all the Lefty Issues

Those of you outside of California are fortunate that you do not have to watch the political ads that are starting to run here for the governor's race. We now have two Democrats running to replace Arnold (who is also running ads now), and the Dem ads read like a checklist of lefty issues.

First we have Controller Steve Westly whose ads literally could have been lifted from the MoveOn.org website. He proceeds to give his top agenda items which include:

1. Fighting against President Bush on the issue of offshore oil drilling
2. Fighting to save the environment
3. Strengthening clean air standards (can you say gasoline at $5 a gallon?)
4. Invest in clean energy (with whose money?)
5. Fighting for the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered, eunochs, gnomes, leprechauns and mythical beasts (okay, I made part of that up).
6. Pro-choice (no surprise there)
7. Formed the global warming watch coalition (whatever that is)

He also makes a big deal of his past activism, including standing up against apartheid and working for Jimmy Carter on solar energy and conservation. I'm not sure how either one of those is a winner, mainly because few people even remember apartheid, and to most younger people, Jimmy Carter is either a cranky old man who builds houses, or was a failed president.

Now on to our next contestant - Treasurer Phil Angelides. All you need to know about this guy is that he's endorsed by both Sen. Barbara Boxer and Sen. Diane Feinstein, and his ads include an on-camera endorsement from Boxer. Only in California could that be considered helpful.

Thank the good Lord for TiVo and the ability to skip through commercials.