Dianne Feinstein's Bid for a Fourth Term

http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/05/1819527.php

Over the last week there has been little change in the California Senatorial race. This news article from www.indybay.org reported that war protestor and self-proclaimed peace advocate Cindy Sheehan will be endorsing Green Party candidate Todd Chretien for Senator. I mentioned that this obscure candidate really has no chance, but this is a blow to Dianne Feinstein. Many Californians, including Sheehan, are furious with Feinstein's support of the war. In fact, Sheehan was very close to running against Feinstein, but bowed out a weeks ago. While Chretien has no real chance of winning, I like the fact that Feinstein maybe losing her overwhelming support she has had in years past. I wish there was more of a race in California, but there is not. Too much money and popularity has scared off any candidates. The GOP is pushing no one and really expects no one to upset Feinstein. She will probably win this race until she retires or passes away. While there is dissension in California about Feinstein, the fact is that it is not enough to bring her down. No one else has a name or is a viable candidate to replace her.

I have enjoyed this assignment and I hope everyone found these races interesting. Following politics is an emotional roller coaster. After reporting on Dianne Feinstein for the last couple of months, my opinion is still strongly opposed to her ideology. I was truly hoping for a race, but I was disappointed. The only race that means anything in California is the race for governor. Dianne Feinstein will win by a landslide.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/19/BAGIPIBA4K1.DTL
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_1107917.php

There has not been a significant amount of news in the past two weeks concerning the California Senatorial race between incumbent Dianne Feinstein and Former State Senator Richard Mountjoy. In fact, this article on SFGate.com from the San Francisco Chronicle mentions that Feinstein continues to have a sizeable lead on Mountjoy. A field poll determined that 59% of voters prefer Feinstein while only 31% support Mountjoy(According to Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle, April 19th , 2006). While Dianne Feinstein has been all over the place in the news, her Senatorial race has not. The Orange County register did report that Feinstein has raised $9 million for this campaign and has spent $2.9 million so far. Richard Mountjoy has not reported his campaign funds. Feinstein will also be contending against two democrats in the June 6th primary. Martin Luther Church (retired) and Colleen Fernald (artist) will be contending for the Democratic spot that Feinstein should sweep. Her campaign manager, Kam Kuwata, said "Whether or not her opponents raise and spend any money, the senator will be campaigning and running media ads (According to Dena Bunis of the Orange County Register, April 18th, 2006). Financially, Feinstein is in the driver's seat of this campaign and she seems pretty confident.

http://www.ksby.com/home/headlines/2655601.html

I found this article particularly interesting. Dianne Feinstein visited the Central coast and talked about what she plans to do if she wins her campaign reelection bid. She declared that she would fight all offshore oil drilling proposed by big oil companies. Inside she received huge ovations, but outside protestors were furious about her stance on immigration (According to Bryan Hahn of KSBY, April 18th, 2006). As mentioned in an earlier blog, Feinstein has flip-flopped on this issue and some are starting to take notice. Many of her supporters are upset with the stance she has taken and have decided to let her know. I am glad to see this happening. It is unfortunate that there is no one to contend with her in the Senatorial race, but at least her supporters are letting her have it.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14232357p-15054529c.html

I am going to fill you in on some brief articles that you may enjoy about the race and Dianne Feinstein. This article from the Sacramento Bee was about a anti-war rally that occurred in San Francisco on the eve of the third anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. Todd Chretien, the Green Party hopeful who is hoping to upset Feinstein in the senatorial race, was there in attendance trying to drum up support for his campaign. He used the rally as an opportunity to criticize Ms. Feinstein. "Senator Feinstein, in my opinion, does not represent anyone out here," Chretien said (According to Herbert Sample of the Sacramento Bee, March 19, 2006). He has criticized Feinstein for her support of the war in 2002 and her continued support for more funding. The far left is trying to use that 2002 decision to support the war against Feinstein. Will it work? Frankly, I do not think there is a candidate in this campaign with enough popularity or finances to defeat Feinstein. While her constituency is upset about her support of the war, there is not another option which they feel is better then her at the present time.

http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_080230321.html
Diane Feinstein has also been in the news recently for her call to remove Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. She has called for a reduction in troops and wants the United States to start pulling out of the war. She has called for President Bush to replace Rumsfeld and other leaders with those who will take these steps (According to the Associated Press via CBS 13, March 21, 2006). While there were many Democrats that Ms. Feinstein offended when she supported the war in 2002, it is clear that she is trying to reconcile with the Democratic voters of California. While I do not agree on this issue with Ms. Feinstein, I do think she is making a smart move. this is voting season and she needs to do whatever it takes to get the support she needs. It's the Democrat way.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27264552.shtml
http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/114355704845113.html

Here are a couple of articles about Richard Mountjoy and what he has been doing in order to prove he is a worthy opponent of Dianne Feinstein. Mountjoy understands that he does not have the money Dianne Feinstein has. He is trying to bring a conservative agenda to California. He is pro-life, anti-homosexual and supports tough legislation on immigration. "I cannot beat her with our dollar bills. I need to beat her with grassroots (campaigning)," Mountjoy said. "I need to get my message out"(According to Tracie Troha of the Daily Press, March 28, 2006). He is trying to get his message out by visiting as much of the state of California as possible. While it looks bleak for the former State Senator, he is giving it all he can. According to Debra Saunders of the National Ledger, Mountjoy is doing what he can and is not siphoning off millions of campaign dollars sorely needed for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign. He realizes his own party knows he has little chance, but he is not giving up. I like that attitude. It is sad that Feinstein will easily win this race. She has flipped on two major issues this year alone. She is now against the war she supported in 2002. She also supports immigrants becoming citizens, something she opposed not long ago. It must be nice to be in a race that you know you are going to win no matter what you do or say or change.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-election11mar11,1,1567474.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/14037150.htm


Two weeks has passed and the deadline to file for the senatorial race in California has come and gone. No Cindy Sheehan, no real democratic threat and still no race for this Feinstein dominated position. Richard Mountjoy, a Republican candidate, is the only threat to Feinstein and many think she has no need to worry. According to Michael Finnegan of the L.A. Times, Mountjoy has no chance of defeating the incumbent Senator. "That race is over," said Republican Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book election guide (The L.A. Times according to Michael Finnegan, March 11, 2006). Those are strong words from a member of your own party. It looks as if money and popularity are the key ingredients to a reelection in this country. Feinstein has been all over the news lately fighting immigrants, meth and working on levees. Money is no obstacle for the senator who is one of the highest grossing senators out there. According to the article I read in the L.A. Times, it seems as if all familiar names will fare well in this upcoming election. For a decade, California has strongly favored the democratic party. Will the GOP ever regain its footing?

"Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has a 2-to-1 lead over her likely Republican challenger, a Southern California conservative with little name recognition statewide, according to a Field Poll released today"(The Mercury News according to Jim Puzzanghera, March 7, 2006). There seems to be little hope for the former State Senator. Feinstein is likely to coast with poll results this strong in her favor. Most people are unfamiliar with Mountjoy even though he helped pass an important immigration proposition (187) in 1994 (The Mercury News according to Jim Puzzanghera, March 7, 2006).

I once again come with no good tidings to my blog. This race continues to look like a lock for Dianne Feinstein. There is no competitive threats to her seat. Richard Mountjoy will probably fare as well as 2000 GOP candidate Tom Campbell. He was blown out and it looks as if Mountjoy may join him. Money, popularity and being a republican in California work against any opponent to Dianne Feinstein. I hope he puts up a fight over the next few weeks. Most articles that I read are not biased, just true. The facts are pretty clear that it will take a miracle to defeat Feinstein this upcoming election. Happy ST. Patrick's day. I'll keep you posted.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/114001208968371.html

Former State Senator, Richard Mountjoy, lashed out at opponent Dianne Feinstein recently. He believes that Feinstein is wrong on every issue out there. According to Mountjoy, "She's wrong on many, many issues, you name the issue. She's wrong on the moral issues, she's wrong on the issue of marriage"(The Daily Press according to Tracie Troha, February 15, 2006). Mountjoy is the only Republican running against Feinstein. Her overall popularity and financial situation have made it very difficult for any opponents, republican or democrat, to contest her. Mountjoy's spokeswoman, Peggy Mew, said "Somebody needs to run against her (Feinstein). She doesn't believe what the rest of us believe"(The Dail Press according to Tracie Troha, February 15, 2006). Mountjoy was very upset with Feinstein's opposition of Proposition 22, an initiative to define marriage as between a man and a woman. While Feinstein has considered herself a moderate, many feel that she has become too liberal. Feinstein has not had a real threat since she lost the race for Governor to Republican Pete Wilson back in 1992.

I believe this article was aimed at building support for Richard Mountjoy. It allows him to have a voice, one he so desperately needs if he is going to have a chance against Feinstein. While the article bashes Feinstein, it is not anything the public does not know. Feinstein is hard to read. Her democratic counterparts feel she veers right too often and most republicans label her a radical left winger. The problem for anyone who competes with her is getting past the popularity and financial issues. Can anyone muster up enough votes without being afraid to drop $15 million? This is the reality of politics I cannot stand. Unless someone has a huge amount of money, they will be unable to generate the support it takes to defeat a wealthy incumbent. Sadly, Feinstein is a household name in California. While Richard Mountjoy is not obscure by any means, he does not have the means to defeat Feinstein. As reported earlier, Feinstein is cruising along and will most likely regain her seat in 2006. I will keep you posted.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-sheehan10feb10,0,5666082.story?coll=la-headlines-politics
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-02-09T194058Z_01_N09355253_RTRUKOC_0_US-CALIFORNIA-SHEEHAN.xml

The speculation is over! What could have been an interesting story is dead! According to the L.A. Times, Cindy Sheehan will not run against Senator Dianne Feinstein in the 2006 election. The avid anti-war protestor said that she will not run, but will "continue to criticize" Feinstein (L.A. Times according to Michael Finnegan, February 10, 2006). While Sheehan remains furious that Feinstein has supported George Bush's war efforts, she felt that her candidacy would not bring the troops home any sooner. " "I am not running against Sen. Feinstein, but I will continue to be a thorn in her side," said Sheehan (L.A. Times according to Michael Finnegan, February 10, 2006). Many Democratic leaders, including Sen. Barbara Boxer, had urged Sheehan not to run. Fienstein's camp made no significant comments regarding the news, but it is clear that the Senator should easily gain the Democratic nomination. Feinstein campaign consultant Kam Kuwata said "Sen. Feinstein is a strong representative for California, I'll leave it at that" (L.A. Times according to Michael Finnegan, February 10th, 2006). Only retired state Sen. Richard Mountjoy, a republican candidate, remains in this race. Republicans are trying to mount an attack, but have no other established opponents who they can turn to for a bid.

I am disappointed with the news that Cindy Sheehan will not run. I believe it would have sparked some energy into this race. Would she have won? I do not think she would have won, but I believe she could have tested Ms. Feinstein. Any anti-war protestor with her recognition would have had some chance in a state like California. So now we are back to the drawing board. The republicans need to do something. Their only candidate will probably be blown away. Pierre Prosper, a former prosecutor now running for attorney general, is the only other name that has been mentioned. I'll keep you posted.

http://winnipegsun.com/News/World/2006/01/29/1416363-sun.html
http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_031094915.html


Huge news came out of the California Senatorial race this week. Cindy "Mother" Sheehan, the war protesting mother of an American soldier who lost his life in Iraq, announced that she may try to challenge Democratic incumbent Dianne Feinstein for her seat in the Senate this 2006 election year. Feinstein has not commented on the speculation and will not until Sheehan officially files as a candidate. Sheehan is upset with Feinstein for her support of the war and her continued support of funding the war that lead to the loss of her son. According to the Winnipeg Sun, Sheehan said that she was tired of Feinstein's support of the war and felt she was out of touch with Californians on the Iraq issue (The Winnipeg Sun as reported by Associated Press, January 29th, 2006). Sheehan threatened to enter the race if Feinstein did not support the Democratic filibuster of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Feinstein flip-flopped on the filibuster, but eventually supported it. While Sheehan's decision to run is still speculation, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, Todd Chretien, said he welcomes Sheehan as a candidate. He also insists that this is a sign that Feinstein's popularity is declining (CBS 5 as reported by the Associated Press, January 31st, 2006). This election would be very interesting if Sheehan entered the race.

These articles were unbiased and accurately reported the story. Dianne Feinstein has been the overwhelming choice for Senator for three terms now. This would be the most unlikely candidate she would ever have to defeat. Sheehan has taken on a "Mother Theresa" role as of late and she will do anything to stop the war. Democratic challengers are going to go after Feinstein's war record. She has supported the war and has supported funding. Leftists are furious about it. While I have no clue if Cindy Sheehan will challenge Feinstein, I think it would be entertaining to follow. We have to wait and see, but I wonder if these circumstances will cause Feinstein to rethink her war stance. She claims to be against Bush's policies, but her voting record does not show it. I'll keep you posted!