Free Republic

SACRAMENTO — Soon after taking office in January 2003, state Controller Steve Westly began helping three venture capital firms land multimillion-dollar investments from California's giant pension system, according to public records including e-mails and officials' calendars. Westly, now running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, received campaign donations from individuals associated with each of the funds, campaign finance records show. At any given time, hundreds of fund managers are angling for CalPERS investments. Westly is one of 13 members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System board, and as the state's chief financial officer, one of the most influential. The funds...

SACRAMENTO — State Controller and gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly steered California's giant pension system to invest in a fledgling venture capital fund whose politically connected partners helped him raise campaign cash. Before Westly's involvement, the pension board's outside advisors had rejected the fund as ill-suited for its portfolio. After the investment was made, one of the partners became enmeshed in an unrelated pension-fund scandal in Illinois, pleading guilty to attempted extortion. As New York-based Healthpoint Partners LP lobbied the California Public Employees Retirement System in 2003 and 2004 to invest in their fund, two managing directors, including the one in...

The D.C. Chapter of Free Republic invites all FReepers and lurkers in good standing to join us at the following demonstrations:Tuesday, October 15 from 7 p.m. until at least 8:30 p.m. - The D.C. premier of leftist Michael Moore's film, Bowling for Columbine, which is a benefit for the gun-grabbing Brady Campaign. This will be held at the Cineplex Odeon Cinema, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.Our demonstration will be pro-Second Amendment.Wednesday, October 16 from 5 p.m. until at least 7:30 p.m. - A Democrat fundraiser for Maryland Lt. Governor Kathleen Townsend's gubernatorial campaign featuring Senator Hillary Clinton at the Bethesda Marriott,...

Andrew Cuomo has trouble disguising his world-class ambition. Carl McCall has trouble disguising his lack of world-class ambition. Together, they make a sorry spectacle as New York’s Democrats prepare for what promises to be a bloody, disheartening primary campaign for the party’s gubernatorial nomination. Mr. Cuomo’s recent behavior suggests that he regards New York voters as rubes, naïfs and just plain dopes. On the eve of the party’s state convention, he announced with well-practiced seriousness that he would not compete for the delegates’ affections because, he said, their approval amounts to a "kiss of death." Nice words for his party’s...

<p>Gov. Pataki received great news at the start of the state Republican convention yesterday: a new poll giving him his highest job-approval rating ever.</p> <p>The Marist College survey showed Pataki with a record-high 72 percent statewide approval rating - up from 64 percent last month.</p>