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NOTE The following text is a quote: Superseding Indictment Charges Two Men with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization BOSTON, MA—Two men were charged today in a superseding indictment with one count each of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, announced today that TAREK MEHANNA, 27, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, and AHMAD ABOUSAMRA, 28, who currently resides in Syria, were charged in a superseding indictment with one...

California GOP rejects divisive open primary plan SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California Republicans on Sunday approved a compromise that leaves in place the current nominating system for GOP candidates in 2012 and will let party members use mail-in balloting to endorse candidates for office starting in 2014. The party was beset by infighting at its weekend spring convention in Sacramento over how to respond to Proposition 14, the voter-approved ballot measure that was intended to produce more moderate candidates for office from both political parties. Under that system, the top two candidates advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. The GOP...

Sparks flew on the opening day of the California Republican Party convention Friday as party officials and delegates debated competing proposals to address the party's role in candidate nominations under the new top-two primary system. Outgoing party Chairman Ron Nehring is pushing a proposal to force pre-primary candidate endorsements under the new election system created by voter-approved Proposition 14. Instead of party primaries, the top two vote-getters in an all-party primary now advance to a runoff election.

State GOP convention: Blowup, outgoing chair accused of "thuggery" Republican State Sen. Sam Blaskeslee of San Luis Obispo, leading the charge against a conservative move to revise the party's endorsement of candidates, sharply criticized the outgoing GOP chair Saturday as a failed leader who has "resorted to thuggery." Blakeslee made the comment after walking out of a heated meeting of the state GOP Rules Committee at the start of a 3-day day statewide Republican Convention which brought 1,000 delegates to the Sacramento Hyatt. His comments come on the heels of efforts by outgoing GOP chair Ron Nehring, who has lead...

Former Republican lieutenant governor and state legislator Abel Maldonado may run for Congress next year against longtime incumbent Democrat Lois Capps of Santa Barbara. The Federal Elections Commission confirmed Friday that Maldonado, who represented Monterey County as state senator from 2004-10, has filed the paperwork that will allow him to form a committee and collect money. The contest between the two veteran state politicians should ensure a lively race in a district that has been safely Democratic. Capps is "prepared for a competitive race regardless of who her opponents will be," said her spokeswoman, Ashley Schapitl. Capps will run on...

Californians approved a measure Tuesday that will dramatically change how voters choose candidates in elections - and could mean that two Republicans or two Democrats would end up as voters' only choices in a general election. Proposition 14, known as the open primary measure, will give every voter the same ballot in primary elections for most state and federal races, except the presidential contest. The two candidates with the most votes would advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. Prop. 14 had the strong backing of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, who said it could...

If only this were a coalition of the left and the right working out differences. But alas, it’s just a coalition of mostly liberal politicians who used to label themselves by a political party and now would rather fly stealth. Sigh. If you are not familiar with “No Lables”, no worries, it’s brand new and they certainly deserve a Hat Tip for brevity. Here’s their declaration: We are not labels – we are people. We care deeply about our country. We are frustrated and concerned about the tone of politics. We are passionate about addressing America’s challenges. We are Democrats,...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court allowed California on Wednesday to go ahead with a voter-approved overhaul of primary elections, putting all candidates on the same ballot in the first round and matching the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, in the runoff. The justices unanimously denied a request to block the measure, Proposition 14, which takes effect in January.Prop. 14, which passed with a 54 percent majority in June, eliminates party primaries and instead requires all state and federal candidates, except those for president, to run in a single primary for each office. The top two finishers, who...

Outgoing Republican Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said today that he has contacted GOP members of California's congressional delegation and urged them to vote for a bill that would offer a path to legal status for undocumented youth. "Don't make this a political football. Get it done. California needs it," Maldonado, one of California's few high profile Republican Latinos said he told members. Maldonado, who is Mexican American and owns a farm, was appointed lieutenant governor this year but lost his bid for election in November. . . .

alifornia Republicans woke up Wednesday with a political hangover. Nationally, they celebrated the GOP's taking control of Congress, but their dismal showing in California gave them a lingering headache. Many of them wondered how they missed the national wave - and differed on which direction to go next. They lost nearly every statewide office, drubbed by double digits in most of the races. Meg Whitman couldn't win the governorship despite straddling the political middle and spending a record $160 million. Carly Fiorina couldn't roust Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, despite tacking right and exploiting Boxer's low approval ratings.For months, party officials...

The races for lieutenant governor and attorney general are too close to suggest that any candidate has a firm edge going into Tuesday's election, according to the latest Field Poll released Friday. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is hanging onto a slim five-point edge of 42 percent to 37 percent over Republican Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado. The survey also found that Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley – the GOP candidate for attorney general – has dipped to a one-point lead over Democratic rival Kamala Harris, San Francisco's district attorney. The latest survey, which was conducted Oct....

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, announced Friday the endorsement of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- a former Democrat and former Republican who's now an independent. "I've admired Mayor Bloomberg's approach to governing for many years -- .. " Newsom said in a prepared statement from his campaign committee.

It's November 3, 2010. You think you are waking up to a sunny California morning only to realize it's a dark, dark day. Jerry Brown is governor, Gavin Newsom is lieutenant governor, Kamala Harris is attorney general, and the rest of the Democrat ticket has prevailed. California is going to be controlled by San Francisco politics. Got your attention now? Tea Party folks have brought a refreshing candor to the conservative scene, demanding from conservative candidates a return to conservative principles. But we don't live in a perfect world. And in California, we live in a deeply skewed political landscape...

Cassandra Lieurance runs a home-based business using eBay. But, she’s no fan of Meg Whitman , a former CEO of eBay and Republican candidate for governor. Frustrated with Whitman and Democratic rival Jerry Brown, Lieurance decided to run herself. On Friday, the Escondido mother was certified by the secretary of state as an official write-in candidate for governor of California. She is one of eight hoping voters pencil in their name next to the governor’s spot. “It seems to me like no regular people run for anything. I am tired of having poor choices,” said Lieurance, who is making her...

Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado is running a radio ad criticizing Democratic rival Gavin Newsom, San Francisco's mayor, for a city policy to try to rehabilitate and release undocumented minors being held for crimes – without reporting them to federal officials for possible deportation. Following is an analysis by Susan Ferriss of The Bee Capitol Bureau: Text Narrator: It took a triple murder for Mayor Gavin Newsom to admit San Francisco's sanctuary city policies were a misguided and costly mistake. Second narrator: For four years while Newsom was mayor, San Francisco refused to turn dangerous illegal immigrant criminals over to authorities...

In statewide elections in California today 10/04/10, as early voting begins, 3 high-profile contests are fiercely fought, separated by 5 or fewer points, according to this latest exclusive SurveyUSA polling for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno. In the race for US Senator, incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer clings today to a narrow 46% to 43% advantage. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released 12 days ago, Boxer is down 3 points; Republican Carly Fiorina is flat. Seniors are moving toward Boxer; voters under age 50 are giving Fiorina another look. In the race for...

If Tuesday's opening debate in the lieutenant governor's race is a sign of things to come, buckle up. Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado may be the incumbent, but he was on the attack early against Mayor Gavin Newsom, needling the mayor for his handling of the Cosco Busan oil spill, his wife's investments in oil companies and San Francisco's sanctuary city policy in a roughly 50-minute radio debate on KQED's Forum program. The mayor, for his part, tried to paint Maldonado as out of touch with the state on environmental issues and the embodiment of Sacramento political gridlock. Host Scott Shafer...

I began the week, along with many of you, urging acting governor Abel Maldonado to file the State’s appeal in the federal case involving Proposition 8. I end the week as his opponent and a candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor. To some this may seem extreme or be dismissed as a publicity stunt. It is neither. It is the proper response when we find the two front runners for the office of Lieutenant Governor do not share our principles, our values or our respect for the legal system. The democratic nominee and mayor of San Francisco is the...

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, considered famously liberal by many, released a radio ad Thursday attacking his GOP rival for lieutenant governor for voting to raise taxes.

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is Asia, a conservative law professor is trying to cajole acting Gov. Abel Maldonado to appeal to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in court. John Eastman, who lost a bid in June to become the Republican nominee for attorney general, is calling on Proposition 8 supporters to "help Abel Maldonado do the right thing. Call him TODAY to say you support him filing the Notice of Appeal. . . . Call Now. Call Every Hour." Eastman, on his website today and in emails, is supplying office phone numbers and cell phone numbers for Maldonado, who is...

When the governor's away, the lite gov will play ... the role of governor. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was wheels up for Asia yesterday, where he's spending six days promoting California's trade partnerships in China, Japan and South Korea. While Schwarzenegger is out of the country, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado gets the job of acting governor. And act he will. Today, Maldonado will put his John Hancock on legislation providing school funding and a land agreement touted as a job creator.

Laird vs. Blakeslee-California 15th Senate District Special Election I couldn't find a thread for this race so I decided to create one. I feel so empowered.The race is tight so far at 0% to 0%

The IRS files a lien against Abel Maldonado's Santa Barbara County farm. It is the ninth time since 1992 that tax collectors have filed liens against him to compel payments totaling more than $240,000. Federal officials filed the lien April 13, two weeks before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger swore in Maldonado as the state's second highest-ranking public official. The single-page IRS lien indicates that Maldonado owes the government $111,146 for underpaying a category of taxes that include Social Security, Medicare and federal withholding contributions for employees on his 6,000-acre farm in Santa Barbara County.

It didn't take long for Mayor Gavin Newsom's opponent in the lieutenant governors race to tag the country's "greenest mayor" with setting "some sort of record for political hypocrisy" after our colleagues revealed his wife had hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in oil companies, including the owner of the deepwater rig that exploded in the gulf oil disaster. "Though Gavin claims to oppose offshore drilling when the cameras are rolling, his bank account has been swelling due to multiple investments in what he calls 'dirty' energy companies who make billions of dollars from off-shore drilling," said Brandon Gesicki, a...

SACRAMENTO — The stakes are high and contrasts stark in Tuesday's special election to fill a vacant state Senate seat for a district that stretches from San Jose to Santa Maria, in Santa Barbara County. Democrats can inch closer to a two-thirds majority in the Senate with a victory, a prospect that has pitted powerful interests against each other in a bruising and costly battle over who controls the Capitol. The race features two candidates who represent the opposite ends of the partisan spectrum: former Assemblyman John Laird, an openly gay and liberal Democrat who is backed by labor unions...

San Francisco bashing is about to intensify. Three Democratic politicians with strong ties to San Francisco - Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris - are engaged in tough statewide election battles and political experts say the GOP will probably seize on the city's reputation as a bastion of left-wing politics to attack them.Gubernatorial candidate Brown was born in San Francisco, served as Oakland's mayor and lives in the East Bay city while serving as the state attorney general; Newsom, vying for lieutenant governor, was born in San Francisco and is the city's mayor; and Attorney General candidate Harris was...

So much for the undeserved stereotype of California Republicans voting lemming-like for the most conservative, unelectable contenders. Tuesday, GOP voters rejected the most conservative candidates in favor of moderate hopefuls generally deemed to be more likely to win in November. Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman trounced Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina beat two skilled opponents. Like Whitman, most candidates endorsed by former Gov. Pete Wilson won big. Most endorsed by conservative demigod Tom McClintock tanked. It wasn't even close. Down ticket, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, a GOP moderate, fended off more conservative competition. In the attorney...

Proposition 14, modeled on a similar law in Washington state, was approved by 8 percentage points. The measure will create a single, open primary in which the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election runoff, paving the way for Republican - vs. -Democrat, Democrat - vs. - Democrat or Republican -vs -Republican contests. The campaign was spearheaded by Schwarzenegger and his moderate new lieutenant governor, Abel Maldonado. Maldonado, a former state senator, secured the ballot measure as part of an agreement to vote for the stalemated Democratic budget last year.

An energized state Republican party launched the general election campaign this morning at a victory rally at the Hilton hotel in Anaheim. The theme of the day and perhaps of the campaign: The GOP nominees represent new blood while the Democratic ticket is dominated by career politicians. Without a doubt, the GOP ticket is its most diverse in years in ethnicity and gender. It's led by two women - gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman and U.S. Senate nominee Carly Fiorina; a Latino - Lt. Gov. nominee Abel Maldonado; and an African-American - Secretary of State nominee Damon Dunn. Fiorina drove home...

In case anyone missed the tea leaves scattered around the country, California’s primary results offer more evidence of voters’ dislike for political parties. The Golden State on Tuesday passed Proposition 14, creating a so-called open primary in which any voter is allowed to cast their vote for any candidate in the primary, regardless of party affiliation. The top two vote-getters would face each other in the general election, even if they were from the same party. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a big backer of the change, arguing that it would push politics away from the polarized extremes and toward a...

California voters approve open primaries measure

Secretary of State Debra Bowen said today there will be an "army of lawyers" looking at the constitutionality of Proposition 14 if the measure is approved today. Under the "top two" primary system, candidates of all party affiliations would run on one primary ballot. Only the top two vote-getters would advance to a general run-off election. The change does not impact presidential contests. Proponents, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, say the change would increase voter choice and turnout in primary contests. They also argue that more moderate politicians would be elected because candidates would have to...

GOP bad dream: Birther on ticket By: Kasie Hunt June 7, 2010 03:53 PM EDT California Republicans optimistic about their prospects in November could find themselves with a bit of a problem after the votes are counted in Tuesday’s primaries - a statewide ticket with the so-called “Birther Queen” as one of their candidates. Orly Taitz is an Israeli émigré who has spent the last two years filing lawsuits challenging President Barack Obama’s right to be president on the grounds that he was born in Kenya. In the process, she has earned herself $20,000 in court fines. Now she’s running...

Yesterday the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation bestowed four California state legislators – Senator Dave Cogdill, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Assemblyman Mike Villines, and former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass – with the JFK Profile in Courage Award. It turns out it’s “courageous” for politicians, despite a recession and rising unemployment, to impose the largest state-level tax increase in history. At least, that is what the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation would have you believe, as the instrumental role played by the aforementioned four in passing last year’s tax-hike laden budget was the cause for their award. It also...

Sixty percent of voters support a proposed overhaul California's primary system, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. Proposition 14, placed on the June 8 ballot by the Legislature as part of last year's budget deal, would replace the current party primaries with a system where candidates of all party affiliations run on the same primary ballot. The two candidates who receive the most votes, regardless of party, would advance to the general election. Twenty-seven percent of voters said they did not support the measure, and 13 percent are undecided. The results show a...

SNIPPET: "HOUSTON -- A Homeland Security Alert is asking Houston police and Harris County Sheriff’s deputies to keep their eyes open for a potential terrorist. The alert focuses on Mohamed Ali, a suspected member of the terrorist group Al Shabaab. It indicates he may be traveling to the U.S. through Mexico." SNIPPET: "In 2007, former Houstonian Daniel Joseph Maldonado was brought back to Houston by the U.S Attorney in the Southern District after he was captured in Somalia reportedly training with terrorist groups. “He had initially been on the frontlines of Al Shabaab, but when they realized he was an...

On the Propositions: Prop. 13. Seismic Retrofits. YES: Earthquake proofing your house shouldn’t trigger a tax increase until you’re ready to sell. Any questions? Prop. 14. Distorted Primary. NO: This was the result of the corrupt deal for the tax increase engineered by Abel Maldonado that included this measure to by-pass party primaries in a manner Maldonado believed would enhance his future election prospects. Instead of voters of each party putting their best candidate forward, this jerry-rigged system is designed to disguise the difference between the parties and force those pesky third parties off the general election ballot entirely. Prop....

Diehard Democrats certainly don't like Abel Maldonado at election time. He is a Republican with centrist sensibilities, easygoing charisma and an endearing family story that add up to crossover appeal. Within the state Capitol, however, Democrats widely appreciate his charm and willingness to work with them on tough issues that require bipartisan solutions. These were among the characteristics that prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to tap Maldonado for lieutenant governor when John Garamendi left for the U.S. House of Representatives. Sacramento needs more problem solvers like Maldonado, a former mayor of Santa Maria who served 12 years in the Legislature. Maldonado...

How bad do the Democrats want to win the Senate seat vacated by newly crowned Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado?First they strung out Republican Maldo's confirmation in the Assembly to force – they thought – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to make the special election for the Senate seat the same day as the general election in November. That, the Dems figured, would let them take advantage of the largest possible voter turnout and give them the best chance to capture the Central Coast Senate seat.But the Republican governor is still a Republican, and he called for a special election in the dead...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called an Aug. 17 special election to fill the 15th Senate District seat vacated by Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado's appointment to that post. Schwarzenegger's move bucks both legislative Democrats and county election officials, who urged the governor to consolidate the contest with the November general election to save costs. Democrats, of course, also wanted a consolidation because they believe the higher turnout in a general election will boost their shots at picking up the seat.

Sacramento, Calif. (AP) -- Former lawmaker Abel Maldonado has been sworn in as California's lieutenant governor, becoming the only Hispanic in statewide office.

The state Senate this afternoon voted 25-7 to confirm Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger’s nomination of state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, as lieutenant governor; the governor will swear him into office tomorrow. As I’d said Friday on KQED Channel 9’s “This Week in Northern California,” don’t mistake this for an instance of politics being put aside. Democrats supported Maldonado only because they want him out of the Senate so they can try to win his 15th State Senate District seat, and only now because confirming him earlier wouldn’t have allowed the SD-15 special election to be consolidated with November’s general election,...

Maldonado gets the OK as lieutenant governor The Senate voted 25-7 this afternoon to confirm Sen. Abel Maldonado's lieutenant governor nomination, clearing the way for the embattled pick to finally fill the vacant post. (SNIP) UPDATE 2:43 p.m.: The governor's office says Maldonado will be sworn in tomorrow in Sacramento.

California hasn't had a lieutenant governor for several months, ever since Democrat John Garamendi resigned to take a seat in Congress.California has suffered no ill effects from having that vacancy. Like some other states, it could get along quite nicely without having a lieutenant governor.That should be kept in mind as the Senate votes on – and probably confirms – the nomination of Republican state Sen. Abel Maldonado as Garamendi's successor for the remainder of this year, following the Assembly's confirmation vote last week. The months-long Democratic stall on confirming Maldonado was pure politics that had nothing to do with...

DeVore Slams Backroom Deals, Only Republican To Oppose Maldonado Confirmation FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- (SACRAMENTO) – California State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, (R-70-Irvine), today spoke out against the backroom deals involved in the effort to confirm state Senator Abel Maldonado as California’s Lieutenant Governor. He then voted against the motion to confirm Maldonado and urged other lawmakers to do the same. DeVore cited Maldonado’s vote for the higher taxes included in 2009’s Proposition 1A in exchange for an agreement by the Governor and Democrat leaders to place Proposition 14, the open primary measure that infringes upon the rights of partisan voters...

The Assembly voted 51-18 to approve GOP Sen. Abel Maldonado's lieutenant governor nomination today. The vote signals an end to a five month confirmation saga.

Ready for round two? Sen. Abel Maldonado, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pick for the vacant lieutenant governor post, is heading back to the Assembly Rules Committee tomorrow for another confirmation hearing. The 11 a.m. hearing paves the way for the lower house to vote on the nomination as soon as Thursday's 9 a.m. floor session.

It's traditionally a job of limited power for a politician, more of a handy springboard to something grander in California politics. But this year's contest for lieutenant governor has taken on new meaning, at least among Republicans. It's become a proxy war inside the party over the kind of image the GOP should nurture to win in a state that's gone more Democratic and is more ethnically diverse than the GOP. As the June primary to nominate candidates heats up, two top GOP rival candidates personify this internal friction. Sen. Abel Maldonado of the coastal community of Santa Maria, 42,...

State Sen. Abel Maldonado, the moderate Santa Maria Republican running for lieutenant governor, opened his speech to party convention delegates Saturday afternoon by acknowledging the discomfort many of them have with him for supporting new taxes, among other votes he has taken. When he walked into the room, he said, a delegate greeted him by saying, "Hey Abel, I think you're with the wrong party." "And I looked at him, and I said, 'I'm not with the wrong party, I'm with the right party. Let me tell you why.' " Maldonado, who spoke after the room had somewhat emptied following...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested Tuesday that Assembly Democrats are losing a public relations war by resisting the nomination of his choice for lieutenant governor. At a news conference, the governor read from editorials and columns published in California newspapers that called the Assembly "shameful" and "infantile" for voting Thursday against state Sen. Abel Maldonado, a Republican from Santa Maria. Schwarzenegger announced Friday he would withdraw and then resubmit Maldonado's nomination. He made it official Tuesday. "I challenge the Assembly Democrats to set aside the partisan bickering and confirm Sen. Maldonado once and for all," Schwarzenegger said. Asked why he thought...