Capturing Daily Life
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Candidate Insider
A Weblog by
David Scully
Jackie Speier
Seduces Gov Arnold !
The Democratic State Senator
November 19, 2003 (Wednesday)
I attended the Extraordinary Sessions
(that's what they're called), yesterday
and today. I decided to attend
the Senate Session, because
the Senate is a smaller body
(40 to the Assembly's 80),
and a more august, or at least
less rowdy body, by reputation.
I'm trying to get to know all
the state representatives, so
I figured it'd be easier to
master the Senate first.
Someone had advised me that
seating would be limited.
The session was scheduled for 4pm,
so I planned on arriving around 1 or 2
I settled in around 3:07 pm in the seat
the farthest to the right by the front wall.
The gallery is U-shaped and that seat gave me
the best angle of view, I felt. The place was
pretty empty. So much for rumors and advice.
Well, I had "The Bee" to read, and my coffee,
so I was content.
The guard cleared me out around 4:00
for a security sweep, and I had to check
my radio, camera and coffee with him.
I got back to my seat and finally
the session began at 4:30 with roll.
About four senators were present.
It's fashionable to be late, apparently.
Twenty minutes later, at 4:50, they took
roll again and four were absent.
They talked a bit about commemorations
for deceased individuals in various
districts, birthdays, and the upcoming
schedule. The speaker announced a
Democratic caucus in the Maddy lounge,
and a Republican caucus also.
Then they announced adjournment til 5:30.
I figured I'd wait til 5:30, but I was
told the chamber was closed, so I planned to
return the next day at 11:00 am, the time
I had heard the speaker announce.
The only other thing of note that
I remember was that a young fellow
was sitting a few seats from me
and he said he was running in the
Republican primary for State Senator
in the first district. He asked me
where I was from and told me that
I wasn't in his district. He made
a similar remark to some college
students, and I told him that it
made him seem small-minded to only
see people as possible votes, that
he should see himself as representing
the whole state. He didn't seem
to like that advice.
*****
Well, I had put in a lot of time
and didn't get much of a show,
so I sauntered over to the Assembly
side where things were quite different.
It was in session with the 80 members,
and a dozen or two of us in the gallery,
I guess. The action was fast-paced
and Madam Speaker had to use her gavel
several times, exhorting the Assembly
to order and to their seats. Some
just ignored her, though some did
go to their seats and it quieted
a bit each time she did so.
Well, apparently I had missed
a feisty beginning, when the
Republicans called for a vote
to repeal the AB 60 driver's
license law, and the Democrats
insisted on sending it to committee,
I think, and full debate.
By the time I got there
they were doing commemorations
and birthdays. I admired the respect
that the Assembly showed for the
firefighter who died in the
Southern Cal forest fires.
Two Assembly members spoke of him,
one from the district where he died,
and one from the district where he
lived and worked. Then the Speaker
asked for a moment of silence
and she got one. We all stood
still and quiet for about 10 seconds,
and a pin could have been heard
if it dropped, but none did.
Then I got a taste of the feistiness
as the Speaker gave five members
of each party 2 minutes each,
and the quarrelled, the Reps
saying the Dems were stalling
and that we should vote now on
repealing AB60. The Dems called
the Reps hypocrites because they
had always complained under Davis
that bills didn't get a full and
fair airing out and debate.
The Reps replied that there was
nothing to debate, that the debate
occurred before passage, and that
the only issue was to repeal it.
Most of them were quite contentious,
though one Dem at the end sounded
reasonable and conciliatory.
The attacks and responses seemed
coordinated, almost scripted,
like from a football playbook.
I noticed that the Senate Leader,
Democratic Burton, was wandering
around on the Assembly floor,
so that's just the way it is.
These people are locked into
the two-party contest and that's
all they know.
The one Democrats remarks that
they were aware of the recent election
and the people's demand for change,
and that they were aware that people
could go around them with initiatives
and propositions and so forth.
He argued that if the Reps really
thought the Dems were being
unreasonable that the Reps should
let them be so, because it would
make the people angry at the Dems.
So, stop your complaining, he argued.
They were all good speakers. It was
like going to "The Last Frontier"
in Anchorage on karaoke night and
being in a room where everyone
was an outstanding singer and
rise on a moment's notice and
be brilliant.
*****
Well, the next day, today, I was
downtown around noon, so I walked
over and found the Senate session
was over, but the school kids were there.
Senator Jackie Speier was there
escorting a group of kids and their
teachers from her district, and the kids
got to sit it the Senators' seats.
Jackie's sort of a vivacious younger
Senator, and she had Republican
Senate Leader Jim Brulte say a few words
to the kids and it was all enjoyable
and charming. Then I stayed and listened
as Jackie took the mike and talked to
the kids a few minutes about how
the Senate works and how bills
are processed and how her upcoming bill,
for example, was going to be processed.
She told the kids about her bill
which would require employers to provide
maternity insurance, because that's
not required now, and who does that
discriminate againt ? The kids said
everything but "women", the answer
Jackie wanted to brainwash the little
darlings with. Their most popular
answer was that it discriminated
against kids. Well, you know,
they're doing a good job of teaching
them that victim-mentality in the
public schools. Jackie Speier
obviously has it. So, anyway,
like any public school teacher,
Jackie Speier turned what could
have been a good lesson in government
to another PC progaganda event.
Well, Speier announced that they
were all going to the Governor's
office and they all knew who
the Governor is, and the kids
in the gallery were jealous.
And she made sure the kids knew
the name of the gov who was recalled
and I thought, well there's a politician
for you. She's dissing the old gov
and kissing up to the new.
And, as I was driving away,
thinking about how cute and
well behaved they were I started
to wonder how much planning
Speier had put into having
a cute bunch of kids go in
to fuss over the Kindergarten Cop
Governor and how pleased he
would be. It seemed rather
seductive and manipulative
to kiss up to the gov with
a sweet treat like that, and
of course it makes the gov
think how wonderful the kids
are and how wonderful education is
and how wonderful teachers are,
when the reality is this was
a special, privileged class.
What it's all about for Jackie
is Money, Money, Money for
the Democratic educrats. And
if she can charm the pro-child,
pro-education governor, soften
him up with some cute, well behaved
kids and a flattering and enjoyable
visit, well I guess
she's just doing her job.
These public school teachers
do a lousy job of educating
California's kids, and what
little they do teach is usually
shallow, trendy, politically correct,
liberal propaganda.
What the teachers ARE really good at
it PR, public relations, and that's
the display Speier was putting on
today - not good teaching, but
really good public relations,
using the kids to flatter the
egos of Brulte and gov Arnold.
What Jackie Speier did today
was a form of child abuse -
using children for her own
personal gratification, for
the gratification of her own
selfish ends.
I know the rotten carcass
of education from the inside.
When I drove up to a major
city's school district office
and saw that they had reserved
parking for the PRESS that had
higher priority at the front door
than parking for the handicapped,
I saw it clear as could be.
They're doing a very bad job
of teaching the children, but
they're very, very, very good
at public relations.
Watch out, gov, don't let them
seduce you !
Posted by dscully at 07:77 PM Top of Page
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David Scully
email
davidscully
@hotmail.com
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