Free Republic

The City Ethics Commission has violated the law for a decade by failing to notify city agencies of sanctions against dozens of people who money-laundered tens of thousands of dollars to political candidates, the Daily News has learned. The notification failure means leaders of city agencies - who award millions of dollars in contracts - may have been unaware that some bidders who laundered campaign funds should be ineligible for city business under the four-year-ban rule. As investigations of possible City Hall corruption continue, the breach in ethics enforcement rules raises new questions about whether effective measures are in place....

SACRAMENTO - State Education Secretary Richard Riordan said Wednesday he will resign from his position in June, ending a sometimes bumpy term in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration. The former two-term Los Angeles mayor and wealthy businessman gave no reason for his decision. Riordan was an uncomfortable fit in the Schwarzenegger administration whose efforts to change public school funding and management were largely stymied by opponents. His resignation was not a surprise to many in the Capitol who have anticipated him leaving after an incident last summer in Santa Barbara when Riordan jokingly told a child named Isis that her name...

On Friday, 67 days before the Oct. 7 recall election of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, 258 Californians have picked up the necessary paperwork to run for governor. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer joins California's congressional Democrats in suggesting the party may need a backup candidate in case Davis loses. Fellow Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein remains mum on entering the race. ----- FOLLOW THE MONEY: Campaign finance reports show Republican candidate Bill Simon enters the recall campaign Davis still $9.5 million in debt from his unsuccessful 2002 race. Simon lent the money to his campaign and has not been repaid. California Secretary...

It's certainly distressing that the Golden State was unable to scrape Gray Davis off its shoe last night. Challenger Bill Simon did well everywhere except the big cities and limousine-liberal counties: For much of the night he was ahead of Davis. That was fun, but I kept reminding folks that the big metro areas hadn't spoken. Then L.A. County's numbers came in, well after the agricultural areas and suburbs had shot their wad (agriculture is California's largest industry, but it doesn't count for squat electorally), and that gave Davis all his margin:  Los Angeles County Returns County Returns | Statewide...

quot;Which means the argument over the White House's role in the primary could look very different in November. Today, it's the White House's judgment under fire. But if Simon loses and prompts Bush to bail on California in 2004, the conservatives who rejected Riordan may face the toughest questions.quot;