Free Republic

Those who have suspected that Barack Obama sees himself more in the role of a King than a President will not be surprised to learn that his most Serene Highness President-King Obama will not eat food unless he has a taster. When the President attended a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill, despite the healthy and delicious lobster salad placed before him, the absence of “a taster” meant that the president refused to eat a single bite. The Daily Caller reports that Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins was responsible for the lobster dish, and was disappointed that Obama...

OAKLAND -- The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has decided not to file charges against Oakland City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente for drunken driving, claiming there was not enough evidence to pursue criminal charges. De La Fuente was arrested and booked into jail last month by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving under the influence. The CHP said at the time that De La Fuente was driving erratically and failed a sobriety test. We will bring you updates as more information becomes available.

Nothing in California law says legislators have to sink with the ship of state – and a forced pay cut this year is unconstitutional, so sacrifice is a person-by-person decision. Most say no, state records show. Four of every five lawmakers are accepting full pay of $116,208 in a year of multibillion-dollar deficit, major program cuts and mandatory salary reductions for state workers. Larry Gerston, a political science professor at San Jose State University, said voters want lawmakers to look in the mirror as they tackle a $24.3 billion shortfall. "The perception is that legislators aren't doing their job," Gerston...

It's looks like state Treasurer Bill Lockyer is going to be the next governor of California – at least for a day. With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other top office holders heading to Washington, D.C., to witness the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, California's affairs of state will be left to the man who stands sixth in line to the Governor's Office under the state constitution. Lockyer will be riding high because – in order of succession – Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Attorney General Jerry...

The city of Oakland no longer operates under a representative democracy - it's now a monarchy. And within the confines of that form of government, any criticism or disloyalty directed at the king - whether real or imagined - is dealt with. Consider the case of Anne Campbell Washington, an assistant city administrator who resigned her position last week under unrelenting pressure from the mayor's office. Her crime: She gave an affectionate hug to an elderly woman who spoke at a City Council meeting against a Dellums appointment to the city's housing authority commission in early October. When word of...

The girlfriend of former State Senator and convicted felon John Ford is working for the city. Connie Mathews, who has two children by Ford, is an assistant library cataloger at the Memphis Public Library and Information Center. Mathews, who began her job Nov. 10, works at the Central Library on Poplar and has an annual salary of $28,580. Mathews, who has a background in banking and finance, is known locally for her run-ins with Ford’s ex-wife, Tamara Mitchell Ford. In 2001, Mitchell-Ford drove her silver Jaguar into the Collierville home Mathews shared with Ford. Ford was the marquee defendant in...

New York (AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to extend New York's term-limits law was put on the fast track for a vote Thursday in City Council, even though some members are still undecided about bypassing voters to give themselves and the mayor a chance at third terms. Opposition to Bloomberg's plan has gained momentum this week, and the failure of council Speaker Christine Quinn to schedule the vote Monday was seen as a sign the bill lacked support. On Tuesday afternoon, the bill was put on the agenda for Thursday's council meeting.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is thinking big -- a big $1 million-plus increase in his own office budget next year. Dellums is asking the City Council to give him seven new or redefined staff positions, including a $130,000 chief of staff, two $100,000-plus senior deputies and both a full-time bodyguard and a driver. (The 71-year-old former congressman doesn't drive, and hasn't for some time.) In all, Dellums' budget calls for 24 positions in the mayor's office, compared with the 17 positions his predecessor Jerry Brown had in his final year of office. Dellums' budget director, Dan Lindheim, said about half...