May 13, 2008
UPDATE: Mark Leno Loaned His Campaign $100K On Saturday?
This is for all your political fetishists out there: why is Mark Leno donating this sum of cash to his own campaign? (Go here, type "leno" in "Name of Filer," "10000" or so in the "Contribution Amount" minimum box, and then click the search button to generate the above info.)
We're dipping into the M&R-y whirlpool here, but isn't it bad to put your own money into your campaign? Isn't it easier to raise $100k by fundraising at swank parties than actually working, making a salary, and then donating to yourself? Local readers who actually find this Critical stuff remotely interesting, feel free to chime in and educate us. We're missing something here. Clearly.
Then again, maybe the money was lent by a different Mark Leno? Who also lives in California? And is a state assemblyman?
Update: One of Mark Leno's minions responds to little ol', silly SFist -- along with a delicious pun on your Editor's name! -- after the jump.
from: Shannan Velayas xxxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
to: brock@sfist.com
date: Tue, May 13, 2008 at 1:18 PM
subject: Re: 3rd Senate District
Hi Broke--
I saw your piece just come through online--
Why did Mark donate to his campaign? Because of the corporate interests that have just dumped 100K into the race for Joe Nation.
Here is a link to the Independent Expenditure site for Joe showing CJAC's dump of 100K into the race for Joe Nation:
http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Candidates/Detail.aspx?id=1005654&view=lateexpn
Who is CJAC? This is CJAC: http://www.cjac.org/about/board.cfm
As you can see, CJAC represents pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and oil companies. They are desperately pouring money into this race because they know Mark Leno will stand up for consumers, patients, and workers. Leno is not going to stand by while these corporate interests try to buy this election so Joe Nation can carry their water in the Senate just as he did in the Assembly.
He did it for the shirtless ones, folks; to outshine the enemy. He won't disappoint them.
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Those postage increases are a bitch .... just kidding.
How many folks have already voted via mail? (raised hand)
Never mind "who is CJAC" -- who the hell is "Joe Nation"?
i don't know! but i bet he's just as droll.
I already voted. And I would like to express my irritation that Permanent Absentee Voters don't get the "I Voted!" sticker to wear on election day, because nothing pleases me more than being able to flaunt my civic superiority.
Why can't we have someone brand new and different (with not even a not-totally-"Progressive"-but-still-left-of-those-EEEVIL-Republicans record) to vote for?
I've already received a couple pieces of "Say It Ain't So Joe" mud slinging mailers. Negative campaigns like this make me want to vote for Joe Nation just to spite both Leno and Midgen. I already know full well how those two would represent San Francisco.
bluecanary: Get it on a tattoo!
Leno lackey: Way to not answer the question. Which was, for your convenience, "why was it necessary/prudent for Leno to donate his own money, given the reasons Brock listed above why it's generally a bad idea?" No part of that actually said "tell me about your thoughts on Joe Nation."
"Hi Broke--"
Hrmm. I think that's called a Freudian slip.
By the way, along with the word "awesome", the phrase "corporate interests" should be tossed upon the ash heap. It's like you just know your intelligence is about to be insulted following the utterance of that term. "Corporate interests" is about as meaningless as "the terrorists."
I think I really will vote for Joe Nation, despite the fact that he's from Marin. What possible harm could it do? I mean, what? He'll fail to stand up for the porno companies or push Zinfandel as the state wine? Oooh. Big issues there...
as always, awesome response, TAYM. those are empty buzz words.
Until now, I hadn't mentally gamed out what would happen if Joe Nation actually won the race.
Jeez.
Think of the SF-wide finger-point-apalooza that would ensue. Rioting in the streets.
Am I the only one annoyed that Leno and Migden have both acted as if they "deserve" the job, rather than taking the noble approach that they are ASKING the public for the opportunity to serve.
Maybe it is just their respective supporters and handlers that make me feel this way. But it seems like career politicians too often feel owed their next election/job.
New to SFist:
Leno is putting his money where his mouth is... Too bad his mouth is speaking the same gibberish Migden's is.
My parents in Sonoma say that nobody really cares about Leno or Migden, It's all Nation up there. Honestly, I am not a Nation Fanboy, but he seems to be the only candidate to differentiate himself from the likes of Leno+Migden.
Looking at the board of CJAC... They are slimy, but this is a slimy race...and bringing up CJAC feels like poisoning the well to me. When was the last time in politics that a candidate for anything more important than City Council not take some slimy money. Leno I'm sure has taken some, Migden too.
Let's all just agree:
Leno is bailing out his ship. It is sinking. Hopefully it wont take voters down with it.
He's just setting you up for a Brockback Mountain pun.
@ken Kells, congrats on your first post, hmmmmmmm, but "lets not all agree" shall we? It is good to see Joe Nation supporters monitoring the board, but CJAC are the biggest bunch of slime balls to come out of Sacramento. If Nation is throwing in his lot with them, it is telling me a lot about him, and I was neutral in this race until now, so "Lets all agree" not to vote for the guy who is taking the slimes cash. Say hi to your folks for me,
I like the trolls. They're fun! Don't scare them away. They're like delicate orchids; to be cultivated, then sliced when the time is right.
With them comes brio --and web traffic!
Why is "corporate interests" a meaningless phrase? Because you think corporations don't have any interests in common?
That's news to the US Chamber of Commerce (and its local affiliates), who have more position papers up on their website than, say, John McCain.
I can't think of a single corporation that doesn't back the idea that it should be harder for you, a consumer, to sue them in court. That's what the CJAC is about -- corporations working together to screw you out of your legal rights.
Yeah, Brock, I've heard the phrase "corporate interests" used by hippie idiots too. But, unlike you and TAYM, I don't automatically get knee-jerk reactionary about it. In this case, especially, it's on the money.
hippies -- who i don't think are idiots, btw, even though it's chic to say so these days -- i would listen to if were to cry "corporate interests." more so than leno.
(not that i have a problem with corporations, mind you.)
"Yeah, Brock, I've heard the phrase "corporate interests" used by hippie idiots too. But, unlike you and TAYM, I don't automatically get knee-jerk reactionary about it. In this case, especially, it's on the money."
Theo, you miss the point entirely. Too often "corporate interests" gets lobbed about as a way of getting someone upset about something without requiring any actual explanation. It's an effectively meaningless catch phrase and, frankly, lazy.
All this unfortunate Velayas creature had to do was explain that Nation has accepted $100,000 from a lobbying group that's committed to limiting corporate liability in the courts for injury arising from their services and products and then explain why that's a bad, bad thing.
Instead, she links to some page full of corporate logos (Oooh, the horror! Corporations! Am I even living in America?) and spews forth some tedious, left over 20th century style propaganda that tries to paint Nation as a tool of the oligarachy and Leno as some kind of champion of the downtrodden. How easy it would be were this portrayal even close to being accurate. Unfortunately, the truth is a bit more varied and both these guys are tools. Of course, it's a lot easier to just stamp "corporate interests" on top of it all and hope that keeps things tidy.
I don't live in the district so sadly I cannot vote in this race. But the Joe Nation campaign was kind enough to buy some ads on my site, which is now paying my way to Comic Con.
Let the campaign cash flow!
I just voted for Nation just for the ginormous shitstorm that will happen if he wins.
Also it would be great to see Leno AND Migden have to get real jobs.
my heart just involuntarily swelled. then i puked in my mouth a little.
Daithi,
Give us all a break. Your precious Leno is the beneficiary of an IE funded by tobacco money (Philip Morris. If whining about Nation getting an IE from some group that you think is slimy, but not saying a word about PM, doesn't make you and Leno a hypocrite, nothing does.
Oh and Shannan, give us a break with your spin. As an employee of Assemblyman Leno, you wrote your email during business hours. Did you do this on your own (vacation) time, or on the State's dime, illegally? Please advise.
Hi, Jacksonfol:
I am very interested in learning more about Leno taking money from an IE funded by tobacco money. Can you point me to a source? Thanks