Mark Leno Talks to Bloggers

This morning, Assemblymember Mark Leno California was the guest of the premiere episode of the Politics Chat Show with Brian Leubitz of Calitics and Frank Russo of the California Progress Report.

You can listen to the show here.

Mark Leno on Budget Reform and the Internet

If he sounds a little tired, it is because this was recorded Friday night and he hadn’t slept in 40 hours due to the all night budget session (but he’s tireless).

Blogosphere Day: Candidate’s Perspective

On Blogosphere Day, I would like to discuss blogs from the view of an elected official and candidate for higher office. When I first announced I was challenging State Senator Carole Migden in the 2008 Democratic Primary, I knew that there would be serious resistance. That is why it was so gratifying for me to be added to the Calitics ActBlue page within hours of my announcement.

But when I think of the blogs, I don’t think of an ATM. And my race has already proven why.

Within 48 hours of my announcement, there was an outrageous blog post using Fox News talking points against me.

Yet the self correcting blogosphere pushed back hard. The post was condemned online to the point it made the papers and ten days later my opponent called upon her close confidant to take down the post.

A short time later, billboards using my opponents campaign website art began appearing on Clear Channel billboards across the district – without a disclaimer. Again, the blogs called upon her to do the right thing and it made the papers and just yesterday the San Francisco Bay Guardian editorialized against the “Billboard Sleaze”.

And now, yet another emerging scandal about my opponent having three times as much unitemized expenditures as Joe Lieberman began moving on Calitics and was picked up by liberal radio yesterday morning.

So yes, win or lose I’ll always be proud that my campaign raised more on ActBlue than any non-federal campaign last quarter. But I’m prouder still that the blogs are fighting to ensure we have a clean race, because that is what every Democrat deserves in a primary campaign.

Please celebrate Blogosphere Day and Act Blue.

 

Marriage as a Fundamental Right

Dan Chmielewski writes:

My wife and I are about six weeks away from our 24th wedding anniversary; I don’t see how allowing gays and lesbians to marry will damage our marriage or our family. The only people who matter in a marriage are the two people in it.

Or, as the Washington Post recently editorialized: The Sky Isn’t Falling.

Inequality for at least 36,000 same-sex binational couples

Teresa Watanabe has a moving piece in today’s LA Times about Americans who cannot live in our country with those they love due to discrimination.

A Free Press is a Cornerstone of Our Democracy

Recently, a Reuters photographer took a picture of George Bush’s speech for the opening of the new White House Press Room. As you can see from the picture, Bush crossed out the line, about a free press being one of the “cornerstones” of our democracy.

Assemblyman Mark Leno, on the other hand, strongly disagrees. Upon Assembly passage of legislation to provide journalists greater access to prisoners, the Associated Press reported:

The news media would be given greater access to interview prison inmates under legislation approved earlier this week by the state Assembly, setting the stage for a showdown with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“All it does is bring some transparency to the operation of state prisons,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. “It’s about time the taxpayers get to know how the dollars are being spent within our prison system.”

Additionally Assemblyman Leno is fighting for a federal shield law for journalists.

The state Assembly on Thursday urged Congress to provide legal protections for journalists who seek to keep their sources confidential when judges or federal authorities ask for them.

It was the second time in two years lawmakers endorsed a nonbinding resolution urging Congress to enact a federal shield law.

“The federal government has yet to pay attention to us. We want to keep our voice clear and strong,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, a co-author of the resolution. “Without it, the government is in a position to make use of reporters as their personal investigators. That does not serve Democracy well.”

The resolution passed 73-0 in the 80-member chamber.

This is a very important issue for democracy:

“The framers of the Constitution understood very well that a truly free society demands a press without government obstruction,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). “In an age when our cherished freedoms are vanishing at the hand of our own Federal Government, we must do everything in our power to uphold the democratic principles our country was founded on. Without a federal shield law, I worry about a dramatic and chilling effect on our freedom of the press and journalistic integrity in America.”

Indeed.

Take the Live Earth Pledge

To follow up on yesterday’s post with Live Earth stats and video of Assemblyman Mark Leno discussing Carbon Footprints, here is how you can join the billions worldwide working together to combat Global Warming.

Live Earth is asking people make a commitment today and sign the pledge:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;
2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;"
3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;
4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;
5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;
6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,
7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Pictures of Mark Leno

It really is amazing how many people have uploaded pictures of Mark Leno (right now, 197 on Flickr).

Pictures of Mark Leno

It really is amazing how many people have uploaded pictures of Mark Leno (right now, 197 on Flickr).

Looking Back at Live Earth

There is a remarkable convergence of forces all coming together and working together to stop global warming. There are now solid numbers out on the Live Earth 7.7.07 worldwide events that were so far beyond huge that your humble editor lacks the words to describe the magnitude of the event. So let me just give you some numbers:

• 2,000,000,000 – Number of participants worldwide
• 30,000,000 – Number of Live Earth videos streamed online
• 10,000,000 – Number of people who watched Live Earth on MSN
• 1,000,000 – Number of participants in 10,000 Friends of Live Earth Events in 131 Countries
• 100,000 – Number of participants at over 1,300 MoveOn house parties across America

So go calculate your Carbon Footprint today and then take steps to lower it.