Let me be the first to say JOEL ANGELES SHOULD BE FIRED!!! He was caught red-handed, his picture was in the paper and he has been nothing but trouble since then for both campaigns.

Are there any circumstances; in regards to the conflict of interest, that make this investigation any different than the investigation into the Strickland's fraud and money laundering? I can't think of any.

The State District Attorney needs to reopen the fraud and money laundering investigation against the Stricklands now Greg Totten finally admitted there is a conflict of interest.

Hannah-Beth pointed out in the debate that Strickland voted AGAINST her co-authored bills to provide incentives for alternative energy development. She asked him if he had even read the legislation which provided $270 million in tax credits. Finally he admitted that they did indeed provide tax credits.

All this from the guy who joined with oil companies in 2003 to try to stop the state's efforts to enforce global warming legislation.

She did great last night. She is a superior debater.

On Angeles: If the sheriff's deputies, after a thorough investigation, are recommending that charges be brought, hopefully you naysayers will believe what I saw with my own eyes (along with a dozen other witnesses). Mr. Phillips will need to keep his arm in a sling at least four more weeks following his surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.

I know it's a tiny little detail, but due process of law anyone?

I know it's a tiny little detail, but due process of law anyone?

The law will determine if he was acting in self defense, if it was a minor or major shoving incident, and if he should be punished for it.

What has already been determined is that a paid government employee, albeit on his own time, did push someone, that the police saw it happened, and that there are many witnesses, including reporters.

I don't believe that he should be dismissed from his job until the final decisions are made but I do think it is clear that something happened that negatively impacts his story.

The police, reporters, and other witnesses all agree. People that don't agree include people not there and the man himself. Is there a second witness in record defending his point of view that saw what happened?

It doesn't matter what the verdict is, Joel Angeles should not have been involved much less photographed. He is paid by all the citizens and should be respectful to all. He wasn't and that is not tolerable.

I'm sure he will get his due process but he is damaged goods regardless and should be fired. He should have quit months ago and saved the Stricklandsthe headache. Not sure why he didn't.

Acting in self-defense against a 67-year-old peace-loving former minister who was just walking on a sidewalk when this guy decided to run amok in a group of people?

Yes, let the attorney general's office decide what to do. But I know what I saw and so do at least 11 other people and the press.

You guys need to let it go. There is too much political partisanship involved here for this to be a straightforward case against Angeles. The AG's Office will recognize this and the case will be dropped.

But, since Katie has him tried and convicted already, maybe we should just march him straight to the gallows and string him up.

I want you to think for a moment here: How would you feel if a paid state employee knocked you flat while you were out on a sidewalk to exercise your guaranteed rights of free speech? How would you feel if you had to have expensive surgery on a fixed income, suffer pain and spend months in physical therapy? Would you let it go?

I am all for due process. But I don't think Jack should "let it go," especially not when a neutral newspaper photographer and reporter were witnesses.

I had never met Jack before it happened and I have had the chance to speak with him several times since and I will tell you he's peaceful and honorable.

People stand on street corners all the time with signs. The Strickland people are doing it all over the county. Nobody should've interfered.

As I have said before - would Elton Gallegly let his CHeif of Staff - Brian Miller behave that way? Would Pedro Nava let Jesus Torres behave that way? I don't think so. Quit making excuses for his behavior. It really doesn't matter what the AG says at this point. He was out of line.

Fortunately for all of us, the law says everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Period.

Unless you're afraid of the outcome of a fair and objective determination by the State Attorney General's Office, you should let it go until that decision has been rendered. Otherwise, it just looks like you're convicting the man because you don't like him, or the Strickands, or both, which we all know to be true anyway.

When a DA has to recuse himself in a case and a chief of staff to an Assembly person is involved, it's news. Fair game for the media and fair game for blog discussions, however inconvenient it may be for the Strcklands at this juncture.

Let it go? Due process?
Due process is the responsibility of the Court system, not the victims or witnesses. One of the victims has already had major surgery. Restitution will be made a part of the judicial process. If anyone else had committed the alleged crime, the District Attorney would have filed the case within three days of the referral. Instead, he sat on it until pressure was put upon him. Laura, perhaps you should read the sheriff's investigative report? The detectives conducted a three month investigation, talked to two dozen witness, met with Angeles and his attorney, reviewed medical records and came to the conclusion that crimes were committed and forwarded his report and complaint to the District Attorney. It is fantastic that you have the attitude you expressed, but I suggest your attitude may be somewhat different if you were having the surgery or laying in the thorny bushes when all you were doing is standing on a public sidewalk and attempting to peacefully protest the tobacco industry trying to influence a local election. In California, when you commit a battery against a victim who is over 65 years of age, the battery becomes a felony. I suggest Angeles has a lot to worry about.

Let it go you need to give it a rest. As was commented under the article, not firing him reflects poorly on the ethics of the Stricklands. As Katie stated, it doesn't matter what the AG determines, Angeles is damaged goods. Who cares about the outcome? Hannah-Beth Jackson and Ferial Masry could have a field day with the fact that the state paid employee is involved in a fracas and photographed in the paper. The fact that it has been kicked up to the AG office is just icing on the cake. The senate race is too close to risk major SNAFUS and this is a MAJOR SNAFU!!!

Brian:

Regarding reports of more money flowing into Tony Strickland's campaign coffers from the tobacco companies.

Holy smoke-filled back-rooms Batman! I wonder how HBJ would feel if she found out that Barrack Obama may still be lighting-up cigarettes on the campaign trail, consciously out of view of even the most fawning reporters covering his campaign. After all, should he be doing so, Barrack is knowingly contributing to the profits earned by tobacco companies, which in turn are being funneled by their PAC’s to her opponent’s campaign and being used against her in the 19th SD election.

In a February 2007 Chicago Tribune News Article, using his own words, Barrack admitted that he began smoking back in 1979. However, he characterized himself as a "moderate" smoker. Care to guess what his definition of “moderate” was? He said that he “typically smoked four or five cigarettes a day, as many as 10 when he was either writing or campaigning.” This is moderate smoking!

Clearly, smoking so much for so many years was and is not good for Barrack’s health. And, based on actuarial statistics, the odds of a 47-year old African-American man with such a long history of intensive daily smoking being able to avoid smoke-related health risks in the future are not very good.

In an article entitled, "Tobacco Road: African Americans and Menthol Cigarettes,” posted on BETJ.com on July 9, 2008, Cynthia Robinson, Program Coordinator for the National African American Tobacco Education Network (NAATEN), a program of the Health Education Council, 45,000 African Americans die each year of smoking-related diseases. Check out the news article at: http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/07/tobacco-road-african-americans-000840.php for more shocking details.

In that news article, Ms. Robinson states that “smoking-related illnesses are the number one cause of death among African Americans.” Even though African Americans usually smoke less, 23 percent are current smokers, which is higher than the national rate of smoking at 20.8 percent. What's more interesting is that smoking among African American men is significantly higher than among African American women (27.6 percent compared to 19.2 percent).

Interestingly enough at the time Senator Obama announced for the Presidency in February of 2007 and was interviewed for the Chicago Tribune article mentioned above, he publicly pledged to his wife, family and the country that he would quit smoking. But he also admitted in that same news article that often his good intentions lapse, due to insufficient resolve. But as they say, “..the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

During a press conference in Saint Louis in July, when asked a direct question as to whether he had fallen off the wagon and smoked since he promised the American people that he had quit, he acknowledged that he had, but did not remember when his most recent fall from grace occurred, other than using the vague term, “months.”

It's pretty hard to believe that an adult man, who is as intelligent and savy as he is, and should willingly accept the consequences of his own personal health behaviors, doesn’t remember when he last smoked. And worse, he offers the lame excuse of insufficient resolve when it comes to nicotine and cotitine (the most common chemical produced by the body from nicotine) slowly and methodically poisoning his body every day - give me a break!

After all, unlike 40+ Million Americans, Barrack has free access to the best health care system in the Country, publicly funded by U.S. Taxpayers. And in spite of unrivaled free access to the best health professionals taxpayer money can buy, the junior Senator from the State of Illinois can’t marshal the personal resolve to kick the habit? What’s wrong with that picture?

Does he light up simply out of habit, after a good meal perhaps, or while kicking back to watch TV? Or do stressful situations cause the U.S. senator from Illinois to put a match to his Marlboro? Situations such as dealing with reporters, or more likely Senator McCaing lobbing him tough questions during a debate?

The point of my post on this thread is threefold. First, it is to question the character and judgment of a man who may well be the next President of the United States while he engages in such a deplorable personal habit in secret, and yet seemingly feigns the hypocrisy of public abstinence.

Second, is to underscore the unjust favoritism demonstrated by the MSM towards Senator Obama in letting him get a free pass on this one. In spite of his 30 year history of smoking, and the probable future health consequences of such deplorable health behavior on his future fitness as President, the Obama campaign has only released a scant one-page summary of his health during the past 21 years.

Contrast that with the fact that Senator McCain’s campaign released thousands of pages of medical records detailing all of his medical procedures, and which gave him a clean bill of health. And, by the way, while they are poking around McCain’s medical records, the media ought to remember an incontrevertible fact. Senator McCain’s Mother is a spry, lucid, and healthy as a bull 96 years young!

Third, as a matter of pure sporting interest, particularly “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” I hasten to point out to all those Obamacrats out their who support HBJ so strongly and are so upset, rightly so, with Strickland’s receipt of scores of thousands of dollars in political contributions from the tobacco companies, that their very own candidate for Presideny may still be an inveterate smoker, hiding in the closet. Deal with it!

NostraDemus

The above discussion might explain why my mailer today from the Ca. Dem. Party has a positive excerpt from Greg Totten to Hannah-Beth. There is a nice quote from Sheriff Bill Brown of Santa Barbara, a nice quote from Police Chief Pat Miller followed by a quote from a letter written by Greg Totten. She sure seems to have the local public safety people behind her. I thought since Totten was a Republican he was behind Strickland but maybe he supports Hannah-Beth too?

NostraDemus, you've been at this for 500 years and you still babble and babble, but say very little. After that long, one would have hoped you would have gotten a life. Are you that lonely?

ND,

I don't see the same connection between taking money from a group that is trying to influence legislation and smoking.

I guess it sounds like anyone that drives does the exact same thing as a politician that takes money from an oil company that wants to push for their policy preferences. It isn't the same thing.

Why are you spending time attacking your party's nominee if you support him?

Joel was caught red handed because his picture was in the paper? The only photo I saw in the paper was some dude's elbow buried into the side of Joel's head! You're full of crap Katie.

Also, I don't recall seeing anywhere that the police saw him push someone.

You are all pulling facts out of your rearends!

I guess you don't trust our Sheriff's Department, Ishy. You would probably be shocked to read the Sheriff's investigative report that was sent to the District Attorney and recommends prosecution of Jose Angeles. You may also be shocked to learn that there is a recommendation to charge the case as a felony due to certain applicable statutes.

Keep hoping Ishy. But when you get serious, you should consider sending Jose soap-on-a-rope. He is going down.

Babble:

Why given my cyber nom de plume, I would thought that should have been obvious. Simple - visionaries and prophets must suffer. And, no, I'm not at all lonely, are you?

Brian:

Again, the connection should be obvious. John Mitchell, Nixon's Campaign Manager used to say, "Watch what we do, not what we say!"

I'm not attacking anyone, I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy between what politicians say and what they actually do.

In this case, the apparent hypocrisy between Barrack Obama's public promise to quit smoking, and his private behavior to continue to do so. These are Barrack's words and actions, not mine.

Brian:

The last time I checked, all Americans still had a Constitutional right to a secret ballot, and the election had not been held yet. I have yet to make-up my mind, and am following the campaigns closely.

Be careful of un-thinking and subliminal hyper-partisan loyalty. History is littered with the unintended consequences of millions of good folks blindly marching down that path, only to finally open their eyes when it became too late, as they faced their own destruction, as well as the destruction of others.

In any event, glad to see you're reading my posts. Have a wonderful Sunday.

NostraDemus

Goodness. Tony Strickland is bought and paid for by TOCACCO DOLLARS. This is clear and this isn’t a political party issue. It is about honesty, truth and integrity. Today more than ever we need a 19th State Senator who is not afraid to take on corporate greed from Wall Street to Sacramento to all the corporate lobbyist in Sacramento. Decline to State voters will be voting for Hannah-Beth Jackson as will moderate, intelligent Republicans!

Speaking of subliminal. Some of the Obama's crude propoganda is starting to really irk me.

Funny youtube.

ND,

I get you are saying he might smoke even after he said he was quitting.

But I don't get the connection between that and getting donations from a tobacco company. You have anything more to add to the local campaign instead of a conversation about Barack Obama?

As far as partisan thinking, your name looks pretty partisan to me. I assumed if you chose a name w/ Dem in it you would support the Democratic candidate. Are you writing in Hillary's name or something? If your core values support the principles behind the Democratic Party, I don't see you supporting another party.

I am not supporting Barack Obama solely because he is the nominee of the Democratic Party. I supported him in the primaries also. He is a flawed, imperfect person but he recognizes this reality and has said so many times.

Defund the left,

It isn't Barack Obama's propaganda, it is a song by children of his supporters. What about children singing bothers you?

Is it that they are getting involved politically at such a young age? I would assume you would be offended at the same thing from both sides then.

It is wrong for you to equate patriotic Americans with the criminal leader and his cult of personality he has built in North Korea.

But what can we expect from someone that doesn't want to defend Tony Strickland? Feel free to post on the many entries about Barack Obama. Or continue to try to switch subjects away from the state senate race.

Is that state senate race boring for you?

Why isn't the State Attorney looking into ALL the Strickland investigations? All Greg Totten is doing is stalling until after the election. If he thinks the Stricklands are guilty he should tell it to the judge. (Hopefully not "Mighty Whitey").

Greg Totten tampered with the Strickland fraud and money laundering investigation. Greg Totten and his group called the Ventura County Republican Central Committee is showing no remorse for what I see as their attacks on the American people.

So where is this report that you've read CAP?

Is any republican besides me sick of the Stricklands and their minions? I am so tired of these two. This incident regarding tthe pushing is just another example of the people that they choose to surround themselves with.

Is any republican besides me sick of the Stricklands and their minions? I am so tired of these two. This incident regarding tthe pushing is just another example of the people that they choose to surround themselves with.

There are lots of Republicans that are going to be voting for Jackson. Do your part and get the word out. That it is OK for a Republican to support a Democrat. Sitting out of the election isn't going to be enough.

I would think if you're at all concerned about paying higher taxes in a down economy you would not want to vote for Hannah-Beth Jackson. She has practically promised that she would raise taxes. Yikes!

Don't let these guys intimidate you, NostraDamus. Keep speaking your mind. It is your constitutional right.

Don't let these guys intimidate you, JesusMalverde. Keep speaking your mind. It is your constitutional right.

I posted this elsewhere, but I'll post it here, too:

I heard her say at the forum and I quote -- since I was taking very good notes -- "I have no interest and will not support a middle class tax increase."

She only talked about ending tax loopholes for multinational corporations that send jobs out of the country and adding oil extraction taxes, like all the other oil-producing states do.

I know Strickland is pushing this line but it just isn't so.

Strickland & Company were instrumental in raising electricity rates for CA homeowners by a factor of 4 and those rates are still rising. At this rate we'll be paying over $400/MWH by 2015, instead of $70/MWH, as we should be.

At $70/MWH CA would be a mecca for businesses and jobs. Now it's got the highest rates in the country and businesses and jobs are fleeing to save money.

Get it from your buddy Jose, Ishy. He and his lawyer tried like heck to get the Sheriff to recommend charges against the victims, but they were told to take a hike. Twelve witnesses, video, still photos and two reporter eye witnesses? The evidence was more than enough for the Sheriff, and he was at the event and has endorsed Phony Tony. Ishy,hang in there. Your buddy Jose is going to be handcuffed and finger printed before you know it. This wasn't just some street fun like one might have during frat rush at UCLA. This was a government employee knocking down people who were lawfully exercising their Constitutionally granted rights. Jose may have thought it was funny when he was doing it, but he is going to have a lot of time to think that maybe, just maybe, he made one hell of a mistake.

Most academic sources maintain that the associations made between world events and Nostradamus's quatrains are largely the result of misinterpretations or mistranslations (sometimes deliberate) or else are so tenuous as to render them useless as evidence of any genuine predictive power.

Nostradamus sounds factual, but his babbles are just that; too long, too negative and usually just plain wrong. Nostradamus is great in his own mind. After 500 years, one would hope he would have found peace of mind and a place in society into which he fits. He is indeed a very miserable chap. His only friend appears to be Mongo-Gibson. With a friend like that, Nostradamus should prefer to finally let his bones rest in peace.

Brian,

I have a problem with the supporters of any political candidate indoctrinating their children to sing songs of praise to a political leader. That is just plain creepy, and eerily similar to the songs of the Hitler Youth. Check out the attached video for a comparison.

There is a difference between patriotism and using children as a tool to disseminate political propaganda. What is on this video more closely compares to what you might see from the supporters of Hitler, Stalin, Castro, or Kim Jong-Il. Interestingly enough, the web site that originally published this song has now been quietly taken down. If these folks are so proud of their work then why are they now trying to hide it?

This is an official gopher alert from the Ventura County Vector Control Division. Gopher is out from under a rock. Grab your poison and traps. Gophers squeak and squeal as they run out from their holes to grab garden weeds. Exterminate gophers when ever you can. They serve no useful function on earth.

Bubba Kidd,

The link you sent was created by someone that is using race baiting tactics to attack Barack Obama. It is surprising that they would then try to link a group of children singing to a Hitler Youth program, being that they have no problem race baiting. Why is it that people don't refer to John McCain's middle name? Or Joe Biden's middle name? Of all the photos they chose, why a picture of him visiting Africa and dressing up as part of his meeting local people there? Yet another attempt to make him look foreign and maybe a secret Muslim.

I don't see the difference between having kids sing songs in support of a candidate or wave signs at a rally for a candidate. What is the difference? If you dislike the first, I would assume the second offends you to a degree also, yes?

Can't the victims of this assault file civil charges against the Strickland campaign in addition to filing criminal charges? I know campaign's have insurance for such things.

Sure the victims can file a civil complaint. They can also bring an action in Federal Court for violation of their rights of assembly or speech, as example. Everything happens in a particular order. Right now, the next step is to watch for the filing of the criminal charges. Don't be surprised if a felony raises its head as well. If I was Jose, I wouldn't be looking forward to the year ahead. I hope he learned a lesson. As far as I know, it doesn't look like he ever said he was sorry to any of the victims. It might have made a difference to the outcome.

Brian, parents should never use young children as pawns for political propaganda. They are too young to make informed decisions or have political beliefs of any kind. I think it is repulsive when the teachers unions trucks hundreds of children up to Sacramento to fight for more money to support their education bureaucracy. I also think it is disgusting to watch young children being indoctrinated by singing songs of praise to a political candidate. I would bet that you and a lot of the regular bloggers around here would feel very different if there was a video of young children being manipulated into singing songs of praise about Tony Strickland.

I've got no problem with kids singing songs about America, Abe Lincoln, MLK, or George Washington, since all of these are historic figures that had a large impact on this nation. It is way to premature to have children singing for Obama as if he is one of our founding fathers. Had McCain supporters done such a thing liberals would have pounced all over it. Which is why the only groups that seem to do this sort of thing are extremist groups and rogue nations.

Bubba's made some good points. These poor kids appear to be drinking out of the big, smily glass pitcher. Unfortunately, they haven't reached the age where they can make well-reasoned decisions. They're simply the hand puppets of the left.

The rantings of a gopher always sound the same. How about the 500 people marching at the end of the Moorpark parade on Saturday, comprised of about 1/2 children, chanting for Prop. 8? If anyone looked like marching Nazis, it was this group.

Grab your traps and poison. This is an official gopher alert.

Somebody is going to have to potty train you so that you stop stinking up these threads.

Grab you air freshener and bowl cleaner. This is an official CRAP alert.

Don't take our word for it. Take German commentators and bloggers word for it. They found it creepy even though polls in Germany show stronger support for Obama.

I find it disturbing Brian didn't find this strange and, in fact, defended it.

The Obama campaign with it's classic O insignia has used crude propoganda from the start.

His campaign reminds of the movie "the wave" where students feel a sense of belonging by joining and giving each other a secret salute.

The Obama salute is when you put both hands together creating a circle for Obama. You can even buy them in T Shirt format.

Whatever happened to just putting your hand over your heart?

The Prop 8 supporters at the parade were surreal, it was so strange to see so many children participating.

I wonder what the children actually understood about being involved in this rally.

I wonder how it will affect them one day when or if they struggle with their own sexual orientation.

I wonder if families in Port Hueneme would participate in such a rally after the tragic murder of Larry King buy his homo-phobic peer.

How do we teach our children tolerance and acceptance?

Bubba Kidd,

You made my point for me. This is nothing more than selective outrage.

Do you need photos of young people brought to rallies waving signs for both political parties?

Both sides do it, and when taken to the extreme it is both funny and weird.

You do agree that the video you linked to used race baiting tactics to make their point, yes?

As far as defending it goes, I suggest that "defund " should use their reading comprehension skills more. I attacked the video makers for using race baiting tactics of the sort that the McCain campaign has many times distanced themselves from.

I also pointed out that both sides do the same thing. The comment above this about local Proposition 8 supporters including their children is another example. I expect both of you to condemn that too.

Brian
Do you and your buddies give each other the Obama salute?

Ah shucks crap666, can't you explain away the sick behavior of your Evangelicals marching with little children chanting hate toward gays in a parade? If anyone looks like little Hitler Brown Shirts, it was this band of societal misfits.

I think the Obama kids are creepier, Brian. Granted, the Pro Prop. 8 kids were put up to the march by their parents, but, you must admit, at least there's some relevant symbolism there. With the Obama kids chanting and so forth, it almost seems as if they're in a hypnotic state. Very worrisome, indeed...

Dream on, Mongo-Gibson. The Evangelicals marching in the parade looked like brain washed hate mongers to which Hitler would have looked with pride.