Commence the poo flinging! With elections approaching, secrets and scandals about candidates are running wild.

So what can we dig up on McCain, the Republican front runner for the moment? Apparently he’s had a female lobbyist “turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet.” His advisers have warned him that this does not look good and have had to step in to “protect him from himself.” They have been blocking the woman’s access from McCain, privately warning her, and confronting McCain on the seriousness of the matter.

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• 15-year-old Oxnard boy was shot and wounded by classmate in computer class -  The shot came from another boy who he was fighting with over a personal matter subject which is still unknown. The victim was in critical condition earlier today but is now looking better. The attacker ran off immediately after the shooting at 8:30am but was caught minutes later by police. The school was locked down as parents waited nervously outside.
• 15-year old found in hotel room with 48 year-old Accountant - The young boy was found passed out due to alcohol consumption. Apparently, the two met over the Internet. Richard Willrodt was arrested on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Bail is set at $20,000. His computer was taken as evidence.
• Police need help finding hit and run driver that injured a 3-year old - The boy was in front of his house at the 1500 block or West 11th St at 1pm, when a truck with a shell, or an SUV hit him and continued driving. The young boy in currently unconscious and in critical condition.
• Writer’s have voted to go back to work! - Earlier today writer’s voted on whether or not to end strike - After the WGA members were informed of the deal, they had a chance to vote on whether or not they thought the deal was fair, and were given the chance to reject the offer and continue the strike. Apparently the writers thought it was fair, and off to work they go!

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• 15-year-old Oxnard boy was shot and wounded by classmate in computer class -  The shot came from another boy who he was fighting with over a personal matter subject which is still unknown. The victim was in critical condition earlier today but is now looking better. The attacker ran off immediately after the shooting at 8:30am but was caught minutes later by police. The school was locked down as parents waited nervously outside.
• 15-year old found in hotel room with 48 year-old Accountant - The young boy was found passed out due to alcohol consumption. Apparently, the two met over the Internet. Richard Willrodt was arrested on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Bail is set at $20,000. His computer was taken as evidence.
• Police need help finding hit and run driver that injured a 3-year old - The boy was in front of his house at the 1500 block or West 11th St at 1pm, when a truck with a shell, or an SUV hit him and continued driving. The young boy in currently unconscious and in critical condition.
• Writer’s have voted to go back to work! - Earlier today writer’s voted on whether or not to end strike - After the WGA members were informed of the deal, they had a chance to vote on whether or not they thought the deal was fair, and were given the chance to reject the offer and continue the strike. Apparently the writers thought it was fair, and off to work they go!

[ Read The Full Story -> ]

For many voters, last Tuesday was a complete disaster in Los Angeles. Voters who belonged to no party or (the “decline-to-state” voters) were unable to vote for the Deomcratic candidate of their choice.

Where most counties simply give nonpartisan voters a party ballot at their request, Los Angeles County gives nonpartisan voters a separate ballot that requires voters to fill out a bubble for the presidential candidate of their choice – and a second bubble for a political party.

Many voters do not see and do not fill out the second bubble – and, thus, their votes do not count.

[ Read The Full Story -> ]

For many voters, last Tuesday was a complete disaster in Los Angeles. Voters who belonged to no party or (the “decline-to-state” voters) were unable to vote for the Deomcratic candidate of their choice.

Where most counties simply give nonpartisan voters a party ballot at their request, Los Angeles County gives nonpartisan voters a separate ballot that requires voters to fill out a bubble for the presidential candidate of their choice – and a second bubble for a political party.

Many voters do not see and do not fill out the second bubble – and, thus, their votes do not count.

[ Read The Full Story -> ]

Well Obama and Clinton continue to go at it, who will win, or more importantly, who is winning?

Everyone seems to think something different:

• CNN has Clinton leading with 1033 and Obama with 937
• MSNBC had Obama leading with 861 and Clinton with 855
• APNews has Clinton leading with 1055 and Obama trailing with 998
• NYTimes has Clinton leading with 912 and Obama with 755

Well Clinton wins the majority, but I don’t know who you should trust.

** Photo of Hillary by VictoryNH: Protect Our Primary and photo of Barack VictoryNH: Protect Our Primary

Well Obama and Clinton continue to go at it, who will win, or more importantly, who is winning?

Everyone seems to think something different:

• CNN has Clinton leading with 1033 and Obama with 937
• MSNBC had Obama leading with 861 and Clinton with 855
• APNews has Clinton leading with 1055 and Obama trailing with 998
• NYTimes has Clinton leading with 912 and Obama with 755

Well Clinton wins the majority, but I don’t know who you should trust.

** Photo of Hillary by VictoryNH: Protect Our Primary and photo of Barack VictoryNH: Protect Our Primary

What do we have today? Oh LA! You may have fallen victim to crappy polls but at least you know how to protect your beaches! With the recent primary elections, Romney has decided to drop out of the competition, in order to keep Hillary from winning, although it appears the ladies and the Latinos seem to be caring her along. And taking it out of the country, there is also more information on the assassination of Bhutto and Amy Winehouse will not be allowed in the country for the Grammy’s. Maybe that’ll keep the kiddies from adapting a serious drug habit…no? Oh well.

• Environmentalists win! Panel rules against road through San Onofre State Beach (featured): “The California Coastal Commission handed environmentalists a major victory and rejected the pleas of motorists Wednesday, voting down plans to build a six-lane toll road through San Onofre State Beach.”
• Romney ends his campaign for Presidency today: “If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I’d forestall the launch of a national campaign and, frankly, I’d be making it possible for Sens. [Hillary Rodham] Clinton or [Barack] Obama to win,” said Romney in an appearance before CPAC.
• (Not LA but hey…) Two more arrested in connection to the with assassination of Bhutto - “Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said the two men were arrested in Rawalpindi where Bhutto died in a gun and bomb attack on Dec. 27. He identified them only by the single names Rafaqat and Husnain, and provided no details on their role in the attack that also killed 20 other people.”

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Like many others here in southern California I got up early on Tuesday morning to give myself some extra time to go by and vote. My usual polling trip takes only minutes and has never been crowded. As I approached the check in table I heard the person at the table tell the woman in front of me “you’re at the wrong place”. At that point all three people at the table tried to tell her where to go to vote. She finally left and I walked up and presented my Official Voter Information Pamphlet. They looked and looked and could not find my name on the books. I was asked if I had moved or changed anything to which I replied no. This is the place where I have voted on every Election Day for the past four years. They asked me what street I lived on and finally located my residence on a map. At that point I was told they rearranged the area and I no longer voted at the church.

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Now this is a pretty interesting landscape that our National Politics are painting for us. Specifically in the Democratic Party, where Barack Obama and Hillary Rodman Clinton, it seems, are going to have to slug it out to see who’s going to get their party’s nomination.

What drew my interest into writing this article is Barack Obama’s promises of “change.” I mean, that is his theme, isn’t it? It makes me cringe to hear someone preach the way Obama has been preaching. It sounds good but, really, is change part of the American Politic landscape? I don’t think so and I’m going to give my reason why.

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John Edwards said this morning that he will abandon his bid for the 2008 Presidential race. This afternoon in New Orleans he will make his announcement speech. John Edwards has constantly fallen behind Clinton and Obama in recent polls. He finished third in South Carolina on Saturday, after having won that primary in 2004, when he was running for Vice President. Neither Obama or Clinton are expected to benefit from Edward’s exiting the race. Edwards position had always been one of stopping poverty and helping the working class.

 Edwards had announced his candidacy last year in New Orleans, highlighting the city’s poverty and its difficulties in recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

Obama issued a statement saying that Edwards had “spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn’t popular to do or covered in the news.” Praising both Edwards and his wife Elizabeth for their activism, Obama said, “While his campaign may end today, the cause of their lives endures for all of us who still believe that we can achieve that dream of one America.”

Photo by John Edwards 2008 vis Flickr

Romney, McCain, and Giuliani, took a moment from their debate to agree on one thing, they don’t like Hillary.

Republican presidential contenders depicted Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as weak on Iraq and certain to raise taxes Thursday night, setting aside their own campaign debate squabbles long enough to agree that she is unworthy of the White House. “She is so out of step with the American people,” said former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney”

They then went back to their usual arguments and criticisms, stating that they will cut taxes and help the possibility of recession.

Are any of their allegations true? Are they merely picking on who they believe is their strongest contender (when really it’s still a complete toss up)? Or is it possible that Hillary is intimidating enough it takes all three men together to say anything against her? All of them seemed to need to back one another up on the claim, which either means they all have a point or they’re all full of…

Photo by Llima via Flikcr