Gloria Allred, the infamous ambulance-chasing, attention-whoring attorney - who most recently gained notice for her efforts to undermine Meg Whitman's campaign for governor of California - explains why she thinks invasive TSA searches are OK...
Here's the exchange (from Nov. 19):
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: "Did they touch your body parts?"
GLORIA ALLRED: "Yeah, they did and it was a first time anybody touched them in a long time and frankly, I liked it."
Allred, the self- (and TSA-) satisfied watchdog...
NannyGate/Meg Whitman housekeeper Nicky Diaz (left) and Allred: Because Gloria cares...
Note: To see the entire segment from the Hannity show (7:13 in length), go here...
Last night's third and final California gubernatorial debate between Meg Whitman (R) and Jerry Brown (D) had its highs and lows -- for both candidates.
The 800-lb. gorilla that everyone knew would be in the room did rear its head: Brown's campaign calling Whitman a "whore." (See last week's Bliss Index post...) Veteran television journalist Tom Brokaw, the debate's moderator, put the question to Brown about the slur.
The Los Angeles Timesreports that Whitman answered a related question on the matter during a post-debate news conference. "Meg Whitman said she was 'stunned' by Jerry Brown's nonchalance when asked about someone close to Brown being caught on tape using the word 'whore.' 'The first thing I need to say is I was stunned by Gov. Brown's insensitivity to what that word means to women,' she said. 'Boy, all Californians, and especially women, know exactly what's going on here. When you use that term about women, that's highly insensitive.' Whitman's comments came in a brief question-and-answer session with reporters after the debate."
Below is a clip featuring that segment of the debate. Watch and decide...
From NBC News:"Republicans Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina having a little fun and downing shots a tequila Friday night, going along with tradition during a Hispanic 100 award gala in California. Fiorina was very animated at the beginning of her speech, calling for shots of tequila before every speech and then even let out a high-pitched trill of the tongue."
On the heels of California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown (D) and/or the Brown campaign calling his opponent, Meg Whitman, a "whore" comes this clip - below - from the archives.
Reported on by Politico,"The comment about mammograms came during an episode of 'Firing Line' in October 1995, when Brown was a guest on the William F. Buckley Jr. show. He sat alongside feminist and commentator Susan Estrich during a discussion about government regulations that dealt with the death of the Clinton administration health reform proposal.Estrich discussed the component of the plan that had dealt with mammograms.
'Can we get off of mammograms?' Brown interjected. 'I mean, first of all, if you read the Lancet Magazine in July, there's no statistical evidence that mammograms help anyone at any age. 'So it's July 1995, Lancet Magazine. Okay? It's there. Now I don't want to argue that case,' he added, as Estrich started to object. 'I just want to throw it out there.'
Former Delaware Gov. Pete du Pont interrupted, 'But you ought to have the option — if you think they're going to help you, if you think they're going to help you, you ought to have the option of having one.'
Brown replied, 'Ten thousand women, three women will be saved for one year.'
The abstract from the Lancet Magazine article Brown mentioned discussed a studyquestioning the efficacy of mammograms,mostly in the context of a push for public funding."
As Politico points out, this "comes as Whitman is making an aggressive play for the female vote, who some of her supporters see as turned off by the 'whore' flap."
So two major hits against the Brown campaign within one week, both touching on issues likely to resonate with women voters. It might do Jerry Brown well to remember that larger percentages of women vote in most California elections.
P.S. A bit of advice/perspective from Mrs. Bliss Index: "Apparently, Jerry has never had a woman in his life who has suffered from or died as a result of breast cancer."
Last night during its opening skit, "Saturday Night Live" lampooned the ambulance-chasing, attention-craving political operative Gloria Allred.
It says a lot about the awareness of California's gubernatorial race - outside the state's borders - and the (correct) perception of Allred...everywhere.
To paraphrase a famous quote, "If Jerry Brown and Gloria Allred have lost "SNL," then they've lost the middle."
(The clip begins after a brief/random commercial message...)
The latest chapter in the fun that is known as the California gubernatorial race, Democratic candidate Jerry Brown has been tagged with another gaffe. How it will register with voters is anyone's guess, but it will serve to take the former two-time governor and current state attorney general off-message for a bit.
According to the Los Angeles Times, "In a private conversation that was inadvertently taped by a voicemail machine, an associate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown can be heard referring to his Republican opponent Meg Whitman as a 'whore' for cutting a deal protecting law enforcement pensions as the two candidates competed for police endorsements."
The tape, released by the Los Angeles Police Union, is here.
The Times continues: "The comment came after Brown called the Los Angeles Police Protective League in early September to ask for its endorsement. He left a voicemail message for Scott Rate, a union official. Brown apparently believed he had hung up the phone, but the connection remained intact and the voice mail machine captured an ensuing conversation between Brown and his aides. With evident frustration, Brown discussed the pressure he was under to refuse to reduce public safety pensions or lose law enforcement endorsements to Whitman. Months earlier, Whitman had agreed to exempt public safety officials from key parts of her pension reform plan."
“Do we want to put an ad out? … That I have been warned if I crack down on pensions, I will be – that they’ll go to Whitman, and that’s where they’ll go because they know Whitman will give ‘em, will cut them a deal, but I won’t,” Brown said.
At that point, what appears to be a second voice interjects: “What about saying she’s a whore?”
“Well, I’m going to use that,” Brown responds. “It proves you’ve cut a secret deal to protect the pensions.”
The campaign has confirmed that is the Democratic candidate's voice on the tape, but said it is still trying to ascertain who the staff member was on the tape with Brown.
A round-up of "Meg Whitman-employed-an-illegal-alien-as-a-housekeeper"-related stories...
How quickly things change:Here's a strategy: Tear apart the candidate on the front page and then bury the exculpatory follow-up on page 11. How's that unbiased journalism working for you? Bonus quote: "In fact, had she gone ahead and fired Nicandra Diaz Santillan based on such a letter, she would have exposed herself to potential anti-discrimination violations, lawyers said."
From Gateway Pundit: "This [below] was beautiful. Greta Van Susteren destroyed far left hack and attorney Gloria Allred on her show tonight. Great blasted Allred for her despicable hit on Meg Whitman and for using an illegal alien to smear the Whitman family. Greta ate her lunch. Gloria Allred did not see this coming– watch Gloria’s smile melt away about 15 seconds into the segment. 'Gloria, this is almost delusional!'”
From the esteemed blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion,"Gloria Allred is doing more to drive illegal immigrants underground and to target Latinos for racial profiling than anything the State of Arizona has even thought of doing."
So, how is this (meaning smears) and all of the other "the GOP hate Spanish-speaking folks" efforts playing with Hispanic voters? Put it this way, the dial is moving - in the wrong direction for Democrats. A recent Gallup Poll finds "Hispanic voters' support for Democratic candidates waned in August and September. As a result, Hispanics in September favored Democrats by a 13-point margin (51% to 38%), compared with 32-point margins in June and July."
Sure, it's a cheap play on the old "Sound of Music" number, but things could have been much worse for Meg Whitman today when legal beagle/(insert derogatory adjectives here) Gloria Allred trotted out Whitman's former housekeeper...who just happens to be an illegal alien.
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Flanked by attorney Gloria Allred, former Whitman employee Nicandra Diaz made the accusations at a tearful Los Angeles press conference Wednesday. Diaz said she asked Whitman for help with her immigration status in 2009 and Whitman refused. 'I felt like she was throwing me away like a piece of garbage,' Diaz said."
Gloria Allred: she never met a camera she didn't like...(photo: rybanz.blogspot.com)
Ben Smith at Politicoobserves, "Allred said her client 'alleges that Ms. Whitman was aware of her status.' She provided no direct evidence for that but suggested Whitman should have known because of the nanny's references to her inability to travel outside the country and by alleged letters from the Social Security Administration reporting that her social security number did not match her name. Her employment and firing were a 'nightmare' said Allred, who cast the case in the most politically inflammatory terms possible, and said her client had been 'exploited, disrespected, humiliated, and emotionally and financially abused' and that she was filing a claim in state court for damages included unreimbursed mileage on the nanny's car. Allred then coached the nanny through a tearful press conference in which she recounted an argument between Whitman and her husband when they learned that she was in the country illegally, in which -- she claimed -- Whitman said the family was 'at fault' because they 'never asked' if she was in the country legally. 'I hope no one else has to suffer the way that I did,' she said. 'She treated me as if I was not a human being.'"
Below is video from an impromptu Q&A Whitman had following an appearance at Cisco today. (h/t: Shaky Hand Productions/SF Gate). The former eBay CEO does a credible - and very humane - job of explaining what happened.
From Politico: "Whitman said in a statement that she's 'worried' about Diaz and that she is being 'manipulated' by Allred. 'Nicky told me that she was admitting her deception now because she was aware that her lie might come out during the campaign. Nicky said she was concerned about hurting my family and me,' Whitman said. 'As required by law, once we learned she was an illegal worker, I immediately terminated Nicky’s employment. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I considered Nicky a friend and a part of our extended family.'"
The GOP/Whitman mailer on illegal immigration: Dems were hoping to hit an artery today...
Considering Whitman's quick, clear and strong denial of wrongdoing, it doesn't seem that this episode is likely to cut into her efforts. If anything - if what she asserts is true - it could even show that she "walks the walk." As Whitman and her team noted, the timing of Allred's allegations were suspicious. Any bets on who Allred works for? Who she's voting for?
Back to the original question:How do you handle a problem like Nicandra? Exactly the way Meg Whitman did today...
Tonight's early scorecard from the Whitman vs. Brown gubernatorial debate...
Overall, I score Meg the winner.
Neither one scored a decisive blow/knockout...tough for either to maximize their answers - or their opponent's - in the campaign.
Brown was much more energetic (someone cut off that guy's coffee intake, please) and Whitman came out of the box sounding like she was over-rehearsed.
There were 10 questions plus a closing statement (1 hr.)...
Round by round scoring, courtesy of this ringside judge...
1 - Budget: Brown 2 - Death penalty/crime: Whitman 3 - Jobs: Whitman 4- Public employee pensions/unions: Whitman 5- Experience: SPLIT 6 - Holding the line on cuts/funding for higher education: SPLIT 7- Campaign ads (misleading?): SPLIT 8- Immigration: BROWN 9 - Campaign funding (self vs. special interests): Whitman 10- Water: Whitman CLOSING: Whitman
My scorecard: Whitman 4, plus closing; Brown 2; SPLIT 4.
The event, held at UC Davis (not far from Sacramento), was staffed by Sacto area media. The questioning was pretty predictable and weak. At least one question was a direct jab at Whitman.
Both had funny lines. Brown, taken to task by Whitman for his own stake in the state's pension system, said that his longevity (which precludes him tapping into it until he "retires") was a plus...joking that he's "best pension buy California's ever had" since if he wins, he won't collect till 76..or even into his 80s. Whitman's most memorable line: "Putting Brown in charge of pension reform like letting Dracula run blood bank."
Heavyweight bout: In this corner, GOP challenger Meg Whitman, and in the other Gov. Moonbeam... (photo: Fresno Bee)
Tonight on the John Batchelor Show, I’ll give a quick rundown on the California gubernatorial debate between Meg Whitman (D) and Jerry Brown (D). If you don’t already know, Whitman is the former CEO of eBay (who has “invested” more than $120 million of her own money into her campaign), and Brown is the former two-term governor, three-time Democratic presidential primaries candidate, and current state attorney general. The debate, the first of three scheduled meetings between the two candidates, will be held at UC Davis. The “festivities” are scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. PDT
According to the Los Angeles Times, “Each side has been actively trying to lower expectations for their candidate's performance Tuesday night. Whitman's campaign has pointed to Brown's debate experience dating back to his days on the debate team at St. Ignatius high school in San Francisco. ‘Jerry proved his oratorical abilities by winning the Freshman Elocution and Sophomore Oratorical contests, being chosen on the Silver and Gold Medal Debates,’ reads the text under his yearbook photo. Whitman's only debates were during the Republican primary against Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.”
Jerry Brown, from the 1955 St. Ignatius high school yearbook (via LA Times)...
Most experts aren't expecting much - neither one is stellar when it comes to public oratory (these days) and both are in desperate need of charisma. One wrong word, stumble or major inaccuracy, however, could come back to haunt the candidate. The media will be, of course, looking to pounce on whomever goes off-script or can't handle the line of questioning. But since most of these affairs run according to note, little is likely to be accomplished tonight...
I’ll be on the John Batchelor Show at 9:50 p.m. PDT. Check the show's website or local listings for details...
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman gave her campaign another $15 million Tuesday. The latest contribution brings Whitman's personal spending in the race to $119 million, shattering the record for most money ever spent by one political candidate on a single election in American history. Whitman's latest cash infusion comes just one month after writing a $13-million check to her campaign last month. Whitman has now surpassed New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as the most prolific spender on any one campaign. Bloomberg spent $109 millionon his 2009 reelection as mayor of New York.”
Ms. Whitman should pay attention. History - and recent events - have not been kind to big self-funders...
From Taegan Goddard'sPolitical Wire - "How Did the Wealthy Candidates Fare?With the primary season nearly complete, the Wall Street Journal notes that 'of the 10 top self-funders who competed for the House, only three made it through the primaries, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit research group. It's the same story in the race for the Senate: Of the 10 biggest self-donors, only three are still running.'"
Whitman has a slight lead in most polls over former governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown (D), but for $119 million most people (especially CEOs) would expect the dial to move a bit more than it has...
It’s turning out to be a busy week here at Broadcast Central®…
Carly Fiorina...
Tonight, it’s a special edition of the John Batchelor Show’s “Hotel California” as we interview Carly Fiorina (R), U.S. Senate candidate, from 6-6:30 p.m. PDT. The “we” includes John Batchelor, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA 21) and me. I’ll be broadcasting out of KSFO 560 AM in San Francisco (so if you’re outside the reach of its powerful antennas and catapults, you can listen to the show via its website).
At 6:35 p.m., I’ll shift over to the Central Coast’s favorite station, KVEC 920 AM, to chat with host Dave Congalton about the surging Tea Party movement and the results of recent elections (including last night’s surprising results in Delaware and New York). If you’re not in the broadcast area, you can listen online via KVEC’s website.
And tomorrow morning (Thursday), I'll join Brian Sussman, Officer Vic and Sheri Yee for another "adventure" on the KSFO-AM 560 morning show beginning around 8 a.m. PDT. If you’re in the Bay Area, you can tune in (it’s still a free country…I think) or listen anywhere in the world via the web.
Who would have imagined that former president Bill Clinton would one day do the bidding of a GOP California gubernatorial candidate?
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire runs the "oh, that's gotta hurt" clip (below) being used by gov's mansion hopeful/former eBay CEO Meg Whitman's campaign.
"Meg Whitman released a very effective new ad using footage of Bill Clinton in 1992 to attack Jerry Brown, her rival," Goddard writes.
I'll be joiningJohn Batchelor tonight (around 6:20 p.m., Pac Time) for a quick look at the economy, the national mid-term elections polls and the California election campaigns.
Republican candidates Carly Fiorina (left), U.S. Senate; Meg Whitman, governor...
Topics tonight are slated to include:
-- GOP concerns that Meg Whitman has "gone soft" in an effort to win over independents, moderates and ethnic voting blocs...
--The worsening economy: what it means for us and for the mid-term elections...
Earlier today, the Orange County Register (a newspaper I actually "threw" back in the early '70s as a substitute paperboy) broke a story that could have significant impact on California's gubernatorial race between current state Attorney General/former two-term Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R).
California, which is drowning in debt (some say as much as $600 billion-plus when all unfunded liabilities are counted) is coming apart at the seams. One of the largest aspects of those liabilities is the ever-growing mountain of obligations to state employee pensions.
As public resentment has grown and become more vociferous, the opportunity to capitalize on citizens' collective anger has not been lost on politicians. Notably, Brown - never one to pass up a good photo opp or media dog-and-pony show - has come out in recent weeks as standing foursquare against the problem. As the public's awareness of the Bell scandal and the burdensome pension schemes has increased, so has Brown's campaigning (on it) - despite the fact that he as former governor helped enable the system now destroying the Golden State.
Until today...
Thanks to the OC Register's Sacramento correspondent, Brian Joseph, California voters now know that Brown not only feels their pain when it comes to these pensions but he also has enjoyed cashing pension checks. Brown as a lifelong public employee, has collected a pension. This isn't hard to imagine since he's been Secretary of State as well as Governor (and now Attorney General).
According to Joseph, writing in the paper's Watchdog blog, "Campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford did tell the Watchdog that Brown started receiving an annual pension of about $20,000 when he turned 60 in 1998 and pocketed it every year until he assumed the attorney general’s office, when it was suspended. That means Brown’s received a pension on top of his $115,000 salary as Oakland mayor [prior to serving as AG]."
One of the questions surrounding all this has to do with time. Brown's pension (and, by the way, it appears he was double-dipping) appears to be significant: about $110,580 annually, which is what someone who has been a member of the select Legislators’ Retirement System(LRS)receives if they've been part of the system for a period between 25-29 years. The problem is that Brown, after he has completed his latest term as AG, will have only served a total of 16 years (which is only$73,720 annually). Quite a difference and until we all started hearing about this today, Brown didn't seem to be doing much - and certainly not doing much - about the crucial 9-year discrepancy (a discrepancy that could be worth hundreds and hundreds of extra dollars).
The other question connected to this problem for Brown is that the LRS is somewhat of a secret. Only a few select state employees are eligible and the system, which voters typically think they dismantled with Proposition 140 back in 1990, still pays out...handsomely. (Read the story for more information.)
Brown's team, however, doesn't seem to get how bad these latest revelations could be for "Governor Moonbeam," who has made a career out of appearing frugal.
In an email to Joseph, Brown spokesman Clifford wrote, "He concluded his brief email with this reminder: “And of course if you are worried about paying out Jerry’s pension, the best thing to do is elect him Governor so he doesn’t collect it.”
In these tough economic times, much due to the incompetence, willful negligence and criminality of public officials, that's probably not a message that will resonate with a large number of voters.
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