The first results posted by the California Secretary of State show Dianne Feinstein gaining re-election over Dick Mountjoy by a 2-to-1 margin.

For more information about the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate, visit the California Delegation Squidoo Lens.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

My poor tired answering machine has recorded dozens of calls supporting (or slandering) candidates and propositions on tomorrow's ballot in California. My front porch has to be swept daily to enable safe passage, or small children and pets might disappear in the drifted banks of campaign literature.

One campaign is conspicuous by its absence from all this activity, electronic and deadtree. The California Senate race might as well not be taking place.

Never-the-less, Dianne Feinstein will gain re-election tomorrow without my vote, which will be uselessly cast for her Republican opponent, Dick Mountjoy. (The Blogging Caesar at Election Projection calls it for DiFi +22.7.)

I figure that I have six years to post about how I disagree with DiFi, and the California GOP has six years to come up with a viable opponent.

More likely, the California GOP might come up with a viable opponent for Barbara Boxer. I have four more years to post about how I disagree with every word she speaks, and every piece of legislation she sponsors.

So there's a bright side to having Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer as the two members of the California delegation to the United States Senate. I won't lack for topics to post about.

All y'all get out and vote tomorrow.

For more information on the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate, visit the California Senate Delegation Squidoo Lens.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Strange bedfellows: a YouTube video of an ad in favor of Propositions 1A through 1E featuring both The Governator and Senator Dianne Feinstein — who never actually stand side-by-side, mind you.

For my own thoughts on Propositions 1A through 1E, you are invited to visit Red County, California.

(Hat tip: Daniel Weintraub of the California Insider.)

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Of all the candidates for United States Senate from California this year, only our current senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein, has no video statement filed with Video Voter, a  resource for short understandable explanations of what's on the ballot.

Not that she's confident of re-election, mind you.

(Hat tip: California State Senator Tom Harman, who included a link to Video Voter in his latest constituent e-newsletter.)

For more information about the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate, please visit the California Senate Delegation Squidoo Lens.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

A complimentary article about Senator Feinstein in yesterday's deadtree edition of the Los Angeles Times included this near the end:


That would be election procedures nationwide, not just within the Senate. Back to the article:


Please, please save us from further regulation of campaign financing. More from the article:


That patchwork is federalism, Senator Feinstein. Setting national standards is arrogating still more local authority to the centralized national government. Bad Idea, with capital letters.

It is highly unlikely that Senator Feinstein will be defeated on Tuesday. So, to keep our senior Senator from excercising authority as new chairwoman of the Rules committee, we need to see Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania re-elected, for instance.

For more information about the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate, please visit the California Senate Delegation Squidoo Lens.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

I have heard nothing from the senior Senator from California regarding her position in regards to John Kerry's unfunny unjoke at Pasadena City College,  and a google search produced nothing pairing Senator Feinstein with Senator Kerry except for an article by Susan Estrich that throws Kerry under the bus for the good of the Democratic Party.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write about many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Yesterday, while campaigning in support of the gubernatiorial campaign of Phil Angelides, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) put both left feet in his mouth while speaking to a group of students at Pasadena City College. He said:


Since then, Senator Kerry has done everything but apologize.

I checked the official campaign website for Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Nothing. I have sent an email asking for her reaction. No response as yet.

(Her official Senate website, as per Senate rules, is silent until after the election.)

Democratic websites (such as the Democratic Daily) are supporting Kerry's later insistence that the remark was a misfired joke at President Bush (an unenthusiastic student), not a smear against members of the armed forces, and applauding his take-no-prisoners presser in Seattle defending the remark.

I am inclined to believe that the junior fossil from Massachusetts got his feet tangled his tongue and fell on his face while betraying ossified attitudes shaped forty years ago and unchanged since.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

John Podhoretz speculates on the implications of the difference between two time zones: Blog Time and Mainstream Media Time.

Which will correctly predict the outcome of next month's election?

Stay tuned!

(Unfortunately, both time zones show Dianne Feinstein winning re-election.)

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics besides the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Before the Senate adjourned for the Fall campaign season, it was to have considered the nomination of John R. Bolton as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Bolton is already serving in that capacity through a recess appointment by President Bush because of a prior delay by the Senate in considering his appointment.

The Senate failed again to bring Mr. Bolton's nomination to a floor vote.

Here is Senator Feinstein's response to my inquiry on her position on confirming John R. Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations:



Senator Feinstein should rethink her insistence on limiting American foreign policy actions to only those that will receive multilateral cooperation. That places American interests at the whim of foreign powers, hamstrings foreign policy, and takes no notice of conflicting foreign interests. Further, it disallows judging foreign policy on its merits rather than on whether other countries support the policy. Some things need doing whether anybody else agrees or not.

Senator Feinstein should read Mark Steyn's new book, America Alone. You should, too.

For more information on the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate, visit the California Senators Squidoo Lens.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

I apologize for being AFK ("away from keyboard") lately. A new project has kept me otherwise busy: creating a website for a special edition of the Carnival of Hurricane Relief to help spark the recovery of the Gulf Coast's economy.



You are invited to visit the CoHR, Christmas shopping edition. "CoHR" is the Carnival of Hurricane Relief, a grassroots online effort to maintain awareness of the Gulf Coast as its people work towards recovery from the 2005 hurricane season.

If you are an individual, small business or non-profit directly and adversely affected by the 2005 hurricane season, you may request a listing free.

If you are shopping for Christmas, you are encouraged to find one item from your Christmas list from among the items and services available from Gulf Coast individuals, small businesses and non-profits.


[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Senator Dianne Feinstein responds to an email inquiring about her position on the southern border fence:


Translated, she wants to be loved by everybody.  She wants to appear strong on security but winks at environmentalists so they know she's more concerned about their issues. She wants security moms to vote for her, but waves at immigration activists so they know she cares about illegals crossing the desert. Her priorities seem to put environmental impact and illegal immigrants ahead of border security.

Just so you know when you vote next month.

For more information on California's senators, visit the Squidoo Lens on the California delegation to the United States Senate.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Senator Feinstein's response to an email sent asking about her position on the Federal Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006 (S. 2590):


Note that in expressing her support for S. 2590, the Senator was not transparent about the identity of the Senators who initially blocked the bill.

For more information, visit the Squidoo Lens on the the California delegation to the United States Senate.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the esteemed members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Hugh Hewitt offers an interesting suggestion: establishment of an academy, analogous to West Point or Annapolis, to educate agents for the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security and other civilian organizations in need of specific skill sets — in particular, language and cultural — that aren't taught elsewhere as a matter of course.

Perhaps Senator Feinstein might introduce a bill to establish such an academy, after her more high priority items such as the slate of bills on global warming.

To learn more about the Senators from California, visit the Squidoo Lens.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write about many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]

Just to be sure, I checked at Senator Feinstein's official campaign website to see if there were a statement posted expressing her position on the North Korean claim to have conducted a successful low-yield nuclear bomb test.

Crickets.

The press release section has links to an endorsement by the League of Conservation Voters, another endorsement by law enforcement organizations (read: unions), and Senator Feinstein's endorsement of Ned Lamont in the Connecticut Senate race.

An article highlighted on the front page hails Senator Feinstein's legislative agenda on global warming.

But there is nothing to explain how warmly she feels towards Kim Jong-Il, or whether she thinks it's a good idea to proceed apace with a missile defense shield.

Check out the CoHR Squidoo Lens for the California Delegation to the U.S. Senate for more information and links.

[You are invited to visit www.cehwiedel.com, where I write on many topics other than the members of the California delegation to the United States Senate.]