Contributions to California congressional candidates disclosed

Campaign contributions are flowing briskly to candidates in some of California's hottest congressional races, including two of the most vocal proponents of getting money out of politics.

Incumbents in races in the Sacramento area, Central Valley, Bay Area and Riverside and Ventura counties each have raised more than $1 million to fend off vigorous challengers.

And in San Diego County, freshman Democratic Rep. Scott Peters and his main opponent, Republican Carl DeMaio, were nearly neck and neck, with Peters taking in nearly $1.8 million to DeMaio's almost $1.5 million.

Candidates and their operatives were busy scrutinizing their rivals' financial disclosures Wednesday, hours after the midnight Tuesday filing deadline at the Federal Election Commission.

Peters' campaign pounced on a $2,500 contribution to DeMaio from a Koch Industries Inc. political action committee, saying in a fundraising email that it upends DeMaio's claim of being a moderate.

Billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch — conservatives who were early backers of the small-government tea party movement in the GOP — have become a favorite target of Democrats in this year's campaign.

"Scott Peters has embraced the hypocrisy and double standards of Washington politics," Dave McCulloch, spokesman for the DeMaio campaign, responded in an email to The Times. "Scott Peters is just desperate to distract voters from the millions in big business and special interest money he has taken."

Peters' campaign spokeswoman MaryAnne Pintar retorted: "The Kochs bankroll the tea party, and they're bankrolling Carl DeMaio because he shares their extremist values."

The race is emerging as one of the nation's most expensive House contests this year. Another sure-to-be-costly race is the one to succeed Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). His Jan. 30 retirement announcement unleashed a crush of candidates for his coastal-Westside 33rd Congressional District seat.

Former Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel, a contestant in that race, reported raising $672,214 — less than the $964,385 collected by no-party-preference candidate Marianne Williamson. The spiritual teacher and bestselling author began raising money when she jumped into the race last fall.

Defense attorney and first-time candidate David Kanuth, a Democrat, also outraised Greuel, reporting $798,453 in contributions by the March 31 end of the accounting period.

But Greuel collected more than other prominent Democrats in the race: state Sen. Ted Lieu of Torrance, who raised $566,762, and author and radio talk show host Matt Miller, who took in $517,822. Businessman James Graf, also a Democrat, reported lending his campaign $1 million but spent little and does not appear to have done much campaigning.

Greuel's strategists picked apart the reports and issued their own detailed spin on the fundraising race, parsing debts and expenditures and calculating how much of each main candidate's take could be spent in the primary.

Because of limits on how much donors can contribute toward a given election, excess funds are set aside for possible use in the fall by any candidate who finishes first or second in the June 3 primary.

Greuel's campaign calculated that her main rivals all had significant amounts that they could not use in the primary, while she had the smallest amount ($10,400) of contributions that must be saved for a fall campaign.

Williamson and Miller both have made overhauling the nation's campaign finance system a central theme of their congressional bids. But both have acknowledged needing to raise money to be viable candidates. Once elected, they say, they can change the laws governing money and politics.

All of Williamson's listed contributions came from individuals, including entertainer Nancy Sinatra, who gave $1,100, and Leslie Sword of Naples, Fla., who gave $2,600 — the maximum allowed. Sword gave her occupation as "joy seeker."

Williamson's contributions ranged from $10 and $50 to the limit, and some donors also gave money that could be used only for a fall campaign.

The vast majority of Miller's contributions also are from individuals. And the day before Tuesday's filing deadline, he released a proposal for revising campaign finance rules. His proposals include barring lawmakers from taking contributions from industries they regulate and strengthening disclosure rules.

Significant campaign finance overhaul has proved to be a tough sell in Congress.

Prodigious fundraising was reported in other races as well. Among the candidates who have collected the most are Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove), with just over $2 million, and Rep. Michael M. Honda (D-San Jose). Honda has raised $1.9 million but faces a challenger from his own party, former Obama administration official Ro Khanna, who took in much more: $3.67 million.

Khanna reported $1.9 million in cash on hand, compared with Honda's slightly more than $1 million.

In an Inland Empire race to succeed Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-Rancho Cucamonga), Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar and Colton attorney Eloise Gomez Reyes, both Democrats, led in fundraising among the four Democrats and three Republicans who are running.

Aguilar raised $910,730 and had $683,236 in the bank. Reyes collected $710,503 and reported $534,824 in the bank.

Others in hot races who have raised at least $1 million are incumbent Reps. David Valadao (R-Hanford) and Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village).

jean.merl@latimes.com

richard.simon@latimes.com

Merl reported from Los Angeles and Simon from Washington.

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Joe Kennedy III Wins Primary for Barney Frank's Congressional Seat

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Days after Joseph P. Kennedy III stood in front of the Democratic National Convention to offer a tribute to his great-uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, he found himself on a smaller platform just outside Boston, shaking hands with commuters at a public transit station here on the first day of his general election campaign in the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts.

Mr. Kennedy, 31, handily won his primary election Thursday, taking 90 percent of the vote in a contest with two relatively unknown rivals, Rachel Brown and Herb Robinson, and once again keeping the Kennedy name prominent in Massachusetts politics.

A former assistant district attorney and Peace Corps volunteer, Mr. Kennedy is hoping to take the seat occupied by Barney Frank, who announced last fall that he would retire after representing the district for more than 30 years.

“Those are very, very, very big shoes to fill,” said Bobbi Fox, 58, a software engineer who, like Mr. Frank, lives in Newton, Mass., and was chatting with Mr. Kennedy on Friday evening. She said that she planned to vote for Mr. Kennedy but that he still needed to prove himself to voters who probably knew more about his family than about him.

Mr. Kennedy’s challenger, Sean Bielat, shares the sentiment.

“Based on what I’ve seen from his résumé, it’s pretty thin,” said Mr. Bielat, who defeated Elizabeth Childs, a former state health commissioner, and David Steinhof, a dentist, in the Republican primary.

Mr. Bielat, 37, a businessman and a former Marine, ran an aggressive race against Mr. Frank in 2010.

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Judges Impose New Congressional Map for New York

The redistricting order, which came after the State Assembly and Senate gave up trying to draw new Congressional lines, reduced the number of districts in New York to 27 from 29, as was required as a result of the 2010 census.

The judges acted with a sense of urgency because Tuesday is the first day that New York candidates for Congress can collect signatures to qualify for a spot on the state’s primary ballot. The primary was previously moved up to June 26 by order of another federal judge, who acted to ensure that New Yorkers serving overseas in the military would have enough time to vote by mail.

New York was among the last states in the nation to confront the redistricting process. The judges in the redistricting case, Reena Raggi and Gerard E. Lynch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Dora L. Irizarry of Federal District Court in Brooklyn, noted that the magistrate judge they assigned to draw the new map managed to do in just two weeks what lawmakers “have been unable, or unwilling, to provide New York State voters in more than a year.”

“New York has been willing to let even the last minute pass and to abdicate the whole of its redistricting power to a reluctant federal court,” the judges wrote.

The map imposed by the court eliminated the mid-Hudson Valley district represented by Maurice D. Hinchey, a Democrat not seeking re-election, and split its territory among several surrounding districts. It also carved up the district in Brooklyn and Queens represented by Bob Turner, a Republican who won an upset victory in the special election last fall for the unexpired term of Anthony D. Weiner, a Democrat. Mr. Turner is now seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, a Democrat.

The plan is largely the same as that proposed by the magistrate judge, Roanne L. Mann.

Judge Mann produced her map with assistance from a redistricting expert at Columbia Law School, Nathaniel Persily. They did not take into account the residences of incumbent lawmakers, and their proposal drew praise from government watchdog groups for its compact, common-sense districts.

The lawyers who brought a lawsuit on behalf of a group of civic leaders and urged the federal courts to take over the process praised the judges’ order.

“Through this well-reasoned decision, the court has adeptly responded to the exigent circumstances caused by the Legislature’s failure to enact its own Congressional redistricting plan,” said the lawyers, Richard Mancino and Daniel M. Burstein of Willkie Farr & Gallagher. “Our clients wish that an independent redistricting commission could have drawn these districts, but we are grateful that the independent judiciary stepped in to fill this void and create its own principled plan.”

The court redrew only the Congressional map. The Legislature approved new Senate and Assembly district boundaries last week, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed them into law as part of a deal that included an agreement on a constitutional amendment to modify the redistricting process after the 2020 census. The state’s legislative primary is scheduled for September.

The new legislative maps must be approved by the Justice Department to ensure that they do not disenfranchise minority voters. Democrats in the State Senate are also suing in state court to challenge the addition of a 63rd seat to the Senate, a move that Republicans say is required by the Constitution but that Democrats say is a ploy by Republicans to improve their odds of keeping a majority in the chamber.

The judicial panel’s imposition of the new Congressional lines capped a day of jockeying among prospective candidates, with the bulk of the attention falling on a Queens district, much of which is currently represented by Gary L. Ackerman, a Democrat, who unexpectedly announced his retirement last week.

At least three elected officials in Queens have decided to compete in the Democratic primary in June to fill Mr. Ackerman’s seat, and they announced their bids in succession on Monday.

First, the Queens Democratic Party confirmed that it had chosen Assemblywoman Grace Meng as its nominee. Next, Assemblyman Rory I. Lancman, who had been hoping for the nod, said he would run anyway. Then, in a family twist, a city councilwoman, Elizabeth Crowley — a cousin of Representative Joseph Crowley, the Queens Democratic chairman — announced that she, too, was jumping in.

David W. Chen contributed reporting from New York.

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Democrats Shun Kesha Rogers in Texas Congressional Race

One of them, K. P. George, has a background that makes him an improbable candidate — he was born in a village in India that still has no electricity or running water. For his opponent, Kesha Rogers, it is her political positions that stand out — she is best known for demanding President Obama’s impeachment.

In light of Ms. Rogers’s candidacy, the Fort Bend County Democratic Party’s executive committee has issued a rare primary endorsement, backing Mr. George in the 22nd District.

“If I can figure out what that silver bullet is to make sure that she is not on my slate after May, then I’ll definitely do that,” said Steve Brown, chairman of the Fort Bend Democratic Party. “I don’t think the endorsement alone is going to do it. It’s going to take work.”

Party officials worry that if Ms. Rogers prevails, Democrats will not be able to encourage voters to cast straight-ticket ballots for their party in the general election — already an uphill battle in the Houston suburbs. But Ms. Rogers, a follower of the controversial activist Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr., says she is in the race “to restore the principles of Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy to the Democratic Party.”

In addition to seeking Mr. Obama’s impeachment “for gross violations of the Constitution in the service of Wall Street imperialism,” Ms. Rogers is calling for significant investment in manned space exploration to avoid “mass extinction of the human species” and for the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which prohibited commercial banks from conducting investment business.

There is a precedent for the concern about Ms. Rogers’s candidacy. In 2010, she won the Democratic nomination in the 22nd District with 52 percent of the vote in a three-way primary. In retrospect, party leaders said, voters did not know enough about her positions before they cast their ballots.

She was soundly defeated in the general election by the incumbent, Pete Olson of Sugar Land, and she received no organizational support from the Democratic Party. The state party’s executive committee even approved a resolution releasing party officers from having to back a LaRouche-affiliated candidate. That resolution remains in effect.

“It’s my burden now to make sure voters in Fort Bend County know clear and well that Kesha is no Democrat,” Mr. Brown said.

But Ms. Rogers said, “If the only policy of my opponent is the ‘Stop Kesha’ campaign, I don’t see that as something that’s really going to inspire the population.”

Mr. George, who is running on a more establishment-friendly platform of investing in education and protecting Medicare and Social Security, said he is not taking Ms. Rogers lightly. He even agrees that financing needs to be restored for manned space exploration, saying it is the one issue on which he strongly differs from Mr. Obama.

It is a safe stance to take in the district that, until recent the recent redistricting, included NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Still, he said, “I’d rather worry about how I can get a job for you before I go and try to colonize Mars.”

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Texas asks top court to stop congressional map (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Texas asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to stop implementation of an interim Texas map for congressional districts that was crafted by a panel of federal judges and could favor minorities and Democrats in 2012 elections.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott made the emergency request in opposing the court-drawn congressional redistricting plan. Abbott, a Republican, asked the Supreme Court on Monday to suspend maps created by the judges for 2012 state Legislature elections.

Abbott argued the federal district court panel in San Antonio erred by refusing to defer to the Legislature's plan, and that the wholesale revisions of the maps were unjustified.

The maps, which could lead to greater representation for minorities and Democrats, were drafted earlier this month after minority groups challenged the original plans adopted by the Republican-dominated state Legislature.

Rewriting the Texas districts has become a major political and legal issue because of sharp growth over the past decade in the state's population.

Texas received four new congressional seats after the 2010 U.S. census, largely because of the rapidly growing Hispanic population. The state Legislature's plan created only one new heavily Hispanic district.

The U.S. Justice Department, which determines whether new maps in some states comply with federal civil rights laws, opposed the state's congressional redistricting plan.

Abbott said the court-drawn plan dramatically changed more than half of the 150 districts in the Texas House of Representatives, altered five of 31 state Senate districts and changed all 36 congressional districts from the state's plan.

Candidates for the 2012 elections must file by December 15, 2011. The primary elections are scheduled for March 6.

"Legal, delayed elections are preferable to legally flawed, timely elections," Abbott said in asking the Supreme Court to put on hold the primary elections if necessary.

The interim maps drawn by the judges were designed to remain in place until the legal battle over the redistricting plans has been resolved.

A separate three-judge panel in Washington is expected to hold a trial in considering whether to approve or reject the redistricting plans.

The Supreme Court cases are Perry v. Perez, No 11-A520, Perry v. Davis, No. 11-A521, and Perry v. Perez, No. 11-A536.

(Reporting by James Vicini; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Congressional Democrats Are Missing the OWS Boat (ContributorNetwork)

The Democratic Party is missing the boat with the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. The OWS ideals of equality and fair treatment are shared by the Democrats. The Democrats seem reluctant to get involved, says an AP story, and offer widespread, public support of OWS. They seem afraid to connect themselves to a movement that clashes with police and local ordinances. The Democrats are missing the point.

The reason the OWS movement looks disorganized and lacks a formal structure is that no one person or group is really leading it. Democrats should be supporting OWS by offering assistance and organizational help. They could help direct it, use their public standing to get better treatment for protesters, and link themselves to the ideals on which OWS rests. Instead they look at the protesters as a raggedy mob to be kept at a distance.

Congressional Democrats are missing a huge opportunity. Next year is a critical election year. The Democrats need public support and are struggling to keep it. The problem is that the American people don't see them as supporting the little guy any more.

Democrats don't unite to pass legislation that benefits the public. The Republicans can rally to enact tax breaks for the rich. Democrats should be able to unite to push agendas that benefit the poor and middle classes.

Many Democrats were worried about things like the USA-PATRIOT ACT but failed to vote against it. It's becoming apparent that is is being used against the citizenry. The Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies are helping organize crackdowns on OWS protests. The American people don't see the Democrats standing against that abuse of power.

Senators and Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party should take advantage of the opportunity before them. Support the OWS movement. It really does represent the interests of most American citizens. Help them organize. Go on record with support. Offer guidance. Help them and the American people will help you. The poor and middle classes will remember who helps them the most next time Election Day rolls around.

To the elected Democrats I say this: If you want us to watch your back in November of 2012 you need to watch our backs today. Stop being so moderate. Get in there and fight for the little guy. We need you and you need us.

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Michigan Democrats switch congressional districts to circumvent redistricting woes (The Ticket)

Conyers (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

A Republican-led congressional redistricting plan in Michigan has complicated the re-election plans of John Conyers and Hansen Clarke, two Democratic representatives from the state. But the lawmakers have found a novel way to avoid that challenge: they're switching their Detroit-area districts.

"Rep. Hansen Clarke looks forward to running for reelection in the new 14th congressional district of Michigan!," freshman Clarke tweeted Sunday.

The 14th district is currently represented by Conyers, a longtime member of the House. Clarke represents the neighboring 13th District. But their newly-drawn districts are much different, meaning they would have to introduce themselves to a host of new constituents and possibly face primary challenges from Democrats.

The switch benefits both men, but more significantly Conyers, whose base is located in the new 13th and who would have faced a primary against Clarke or outside challenges in the 14th.

Conyers, who has been serving since 1965, made no public statement regarding the switch, though sources tell Politico he supports the maneuver.

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