This is a sampling from Bay Area News Group's Political Blotterblog. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/politics.
April 28
Demonstrating why U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is likely to keepher job as long as she wants it, the California Farm BureauFederation today announced it's endorsing her for re-election in2012.
He noted Feinstein's work to free additional water supplies forfarmers during recent drought years and her consistent support forlong-term water solutions that include increased storage. He saidthe senator has authored legislation to ease the estate-tax burdenon farmers and ranchers, and to reform federal immigration laws tocreate an effective guest-worker program for agriculture.
Is it unusual for the CFBF -- or any other major organization --to endorse so early in the cycle, long before there are even anyreal opponents in the field? You betcha.
"The only other time I can think of was six years ago, when weendorsed Senator Feinstein's previous re-election campaign," Wengersaid. "That's a measure of how strongly we feel about her work onbehalf of California and how much farmers and ranchers will benefitfrom her continued service in Washington."
This endorsement also is significant for its crossover appeal.The CFBF last year endorsed Republican nominee Carly Fiorina overincumbent U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, as well as Republicans MegWhitman for governor, Abel Maldonado for lieutenant governor, andSteve Cooley for attorney general. The farm bureau did endorse someDemocrats in state legislative races.
Feinstein, who'll turn 78 in June, was first elected to theSenate in 1992 and in 2006 defeated Republican challenger DickMountjoy with almost 60 percent of the vote. A Public Policy Pollingsurvey released in February showed her trouncing any of severalpossible GOP nominees in 2012. The only Republicans who've formedcommittees so far are Keith Holbrook, a senior chemical planttechnician from Sacramento County; perpetual candidate TimothyKalemkarian of Westlake Village, who's also running for Congress andPresident next year; and Michael Stollery of Studio City.
-- Josh Richman
April 28
In the latest case of a former public official going to work forthe industry he or she used to regulate, Comcast today named formerFederal Communications Commission member and California PublicUtilities Commission member Rachelle Chong as its regional vicepresident of government affairs for California.
Chong will oversee all aspects of Comcast's governmental affairsactivities, as well as all cable and telecommunications policymatters, throughout the state. She will be based in the company'sLivermore office.
"Rachelle has a proven track record as a prominenttelecommunications lawyer, fair regulator and a motivationalleader," Curt Henninger, regional senior vice president for ComcastCalifornia, said in a news release. "Her understanding of technologyand 'hands on' management style, combined with her creative approachto the ever-evolving world of communications and her lifelong tiesto California, make her the perfect choice for this role."
Chong was the first Asian-American to serve on the FCC, and holdsthe same distinction with the CPUC.
She was appointed to the FCC by President Bill Clinton in May1994, and served until November 1997, working on implementation ofthe Telecommunications Act of 1996, digital television transitionrules, children's television, the first spectrum auction rules, andservices rules for many new wireless services.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her to the CPUC in January2006 and reappointed her in December 2008; there, she led broadbandinitiatives and regulatory reform in the communications area,including implementation of the state's first video franchise law.She also led the CPUC's smart grid, electric vehicle, demandresponse and dynamic pricing energy initiatives.
In between the two regulatory stints, Chong was a partner atCoudert Brothers in San Francisco and Palo Alto, leading the firms'West Coast Telecommunications and Internet Practice Group. Later,she was general counsel and vice president for government relationsof Broadband Office, Inc., a Kleiner Perkins-funded broadband,communications, and applications service provider start up.
After her CPUC service, Chong was appointed by the governor to bespecial counsel for advanced information and communicationstechnologies at the California Technology Agency, leading broadband,digital literacy, and public safety communications initiatives forthe state and advocating before the FCC, Commerce Department andCongress on communications policy matters.
A Stockton native and San Francisco resident, Chong holds anundergraduate degree from Cal and a law degree from UC HastingsCollege of the Law.
-- Josh RichmanInfobox1
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