Free Republic

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was in southern California last night, attending a pair of fundraisers in Beverly Hills. In attendance was the usual crop of Hollywood political activists, but also former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan. He told KPCC’s Special Correspondent Kitty Felde why he’s not supporting fellow Republican John McCain. Richard Riordan: “We want the best person to be president of the United States, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, and now I think clearly Obama is the best candidate. But I’m still basically a Republican, I’m supporting Republicans in the Senate and Assembly, everywhere else.” Kitty Felde: “Well, it...

Capping a five-week trial that grew out of a sweeping investigation into City Hall corruption, a federal jury on Tuesday found two former Fleishman-Hillard executives guilty of padding bills to the DWP by more than $300,000. Doug Dowie, a power broker who headed the Los Angeles office of the prestigious public relations firm, and John Stodder, his right-hand man, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read by U.S. District Judge Gary Allen Feess. The jury deliberated 51/2 days before finding Dowie, 58, and Stodder, 50, guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Dowie faces up to 240 years in...

'Parlor Maid' tarnishes FBI Details of Leung-Smith spy case throw bureau's handling of investigation into question Details of Leung-Smith spy case throw bureau's handling By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER Twelve years ago, a team of U.S. counterintelligence operatives flew into frigid southern Manchuria to assess Chinese spying on American diplomats. Instead, the U.S. agents came to believe their own team was tracked by China's Ministry of State Security every step of their mission, which is still classified today. The first clue was an odd elevator encounter in remote northeast China, an FBI agent bumping into a California nuclear-weapons scientist suspected...

The state teachers union immediately balked at the Riordan appointment, having wanted the governor-elect to abolish the position of education secretary outright. John Hein, an official with the California Teachers Assn., resigned from his seat on Schwarzenegger's transition team Monday, partly to signal the union's unhappiness over what it portrayed as a snub.... Conservatives were pleased by Schwarzenegger's choice. Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. and one of many advisors to Schwarzenegger on transition issues, called Arduin "no nonsense and willing to make some tough recommendations." As for Riordan, he comes to the job with a power...

It is truly shocking that the 9th Circuit could simply ignore what the Supreme Court had already said on this issue, in order to upset an election process that is already divisive. In reaching its result, the 9th Circuit ignored well-settled law. The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized the need to give individual localities the flexibility to adopt voting systems that are best tailored to their unique circumstances, even though some counties will inevitably be better than other counties at counting. This has never been considered a constitutional problem by Supreme Court justices on either side of the ideological...

The following AP story is excerpted from this morning's Washington Post: 'Terminator' in Calif. Recall Race By ERICA WERNER The Associated Press Thursday, August 7, 2003; 7:55 AM LOS ANGELES - With a surprise jump into California's recall race, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger touched off the heaviest tremors in the state's political earthquake to date, saying he wasn't afraid of attacks sure to come from Democrats and conservative Republicans alike. But the aftershock from a day of topsy-turvy developments in the drive to recall Gov. Gray Davis came just hours later, when Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante broke party ranks to...

<p>Former Los Angeles Mayor RichardRiordan on Wednesday announced his endorsement of a November ballot initiative that would allow voters to register to vote on Election Day.</p> <p>Proposition 52 proponents said Riordan's endorsement is further evidence of bipartisan support for election-day voter registration.</p>

Published: Sunday, June 23, 2002 Hundreds rally for united L.A. By Susan Abram Staff Writer VALLEY GLEN -- Kicking off one of the largest movements yet to keep Los Angeles whole, Mayor James Hahn, former Mayor Richard Riordan, and religious and community leaders rallied more than 1,000 labor union workers and others Saturday against San Fernando Valley secession. There was a large turn out at a rally at Valley College in opposition to secession. (Gene Blevins / Daily News) With banners proclaiming "United We Stand," janitors, restaurant employees and other union members joined forces with those already committed to the...

During Ronald Reagan's 1966 campaign for governor of California, Republicans established the so-called Eleventh Commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."It was proposed by State Republican Chairman Gaylord Parkinson to help prevent a repeat of the liberal Republican assault on Barry Goldwater that laid the foundation for Goldwater's trouncing in the 1964 presidential election. Just as Nelson Rockefeller and his East Coast cronies had branded Goldwater as an "extremist" who was unfit to hold office, so candidate George Christopher and California's liberal Republicans were leveling similar personal attacks on Reagan. Party liberals eventually followed Parkinson's advice, and...