No statement has been issued by either California Senator regarding the announcement by North Korea that it has successfully tested a nuclear bomb.

The latest news releases from Senator Feinstein talk about an incident on the Mexican border and wild lands preservation.

The latest news releases from Senator Boxer are about school safety and that same wild lands preservation.

At least Senator Feinstein is showing interest in the security of the southern border.

Senator Boxer shows no interest at all in an area that should legitimately be a federal responsibility. I don't want the federal government usurping local control over schools in the guise of providing federal tax dollars for security. Schools are a local responsibility.

[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.]

From today's OpinionJournal Political Diary:


Democratic smugness and Republican laxity will not play a role in the outcome of California's Senate election. Dianne Feinstein will be re-elected. But it might play a role in Jon Kyl's campaign in Arizona, or Rick Santorum's campaign in Pennsylvania.

The Blogging Caesar at Election Project has changed a weak GOP hold to a weak Dem gain for the Tennessee Senate seat opened by the retirement of Majority Leader Bill Frist. Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, a Republican,  is running against Democratic Congressman Harold Ford. If you are a frustrated Californian looking for a campaign where your financial contribution would make a difference, any of these three would be worth consideration.

[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.]

Just in from the Sacramento Bee:


[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.]

On ending debate on S.403, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, both Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer voted Nay.

The vote to end debate and bring the measure to a vote was 57 Yeas, 42 Nays, and 1 Not Voting. Three more votes were needed to end debate.

[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.]

On the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which among other items authorizes the building of a 700-mile fence along our southern border, Senator Feinstein (running for re-election against Richard Mountjoy) voted Aye and Senator Boxer (recently re-elected) voted Nay.

Senator Feinstein had previously voted Aye to end debate on the bill. Senator Boxer had voted Nay on ending debate.

[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.]

Richard Mountjoy is running in opposition to Dianne Feinstein in this Fall's election, not that anyone notices him. His campaign website has the following statement regarding a fence along our southern border:


The America First Contract is supported by the Alamo Alliance.

[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.]

On closing the debate about the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which among other items authorizes the building of a 700-mile fence along our southern border, Senator Feinstein (running for re-election against Richard Mountjoy) voted Aye and Senator Boxer (recently re-elected) voted Nay.

[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 Barbara Boxer issued the following press release:

“I view this bill as a weak plan that will lead to delay after delay in convicting terrorists, endanger our troops on the field, and surrender one of the bedrock constitutional principles of our justice system – habeas corpus.

“We had a chance to improve this bill with amendments, but this rubber stamp Senate defeated them one after another, leaving us with a flawed plan that will face a serious court challenge, and that makes us less safe.

“The Republicans even voted against a bipartisan bill that came out of the Senate Armed Services Committee.”

[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.]

Both Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer voted "Nay" on S. 3930, the  Military Commissions Act of 2006. This bill was drafted in response to the Supreme Court's ruling in Hamdan, and clarifies the conditions for United States military commissions to try enemy combatants who are not soldiers as understood by the Geneva Conventions.

Jonah Goldberg has posted an email clarifying a point about habeus corpus.

UPDATE: Orin Kerr at The Volokh Conspiracy discusses S. 3930.

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

Yesterday's mail contained a flyer from the Santorum campaign. Rick Santorum is a Republican Senator running for re-election in Pennsylvania, one of Hugh Hewitt's "big four" campaigns to support.

Here is part of the text of the Santorum campaign flyer:


The campaign flyer asserts that out-of-state money is financing Santorum's Democratic opponent. If true (I haven't verified it), that's hardly surprising.

A recent poll reported by the Philadelphia Daily News shows Santorum trailing Bob Casey by 7 percentage points amoung all voters, 5 percentage points among likely voters. Money supporting campaign advertising would likely be quite effective in narrowing that gap.

The Blogging Caesar at Election Projection currently predicts that the Democrats will win the Pennsylvania Senate seat.

In earlier posts, I have suggested that rather than support the doomed campaign of Dianne Feinstein's opponent, Richard Mountjoy, you should pick a worthy Republican in a tight race in another state. My own pick was John Kyl of Arizona, neighbor to California. (The Blogging Caesar currently predicts a win for Kyl.)

Rick Santorum is another candidate worthy of consideration.

[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.]

Earlier, I sent email to both Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Barbara Boxer expressing my support of the border fence initiative now before Congress and requesting her position.

Today, I received the following email from Senator Feinstein:



Translation: "No comment. It's an election year, and no matter what position I take, somebody will get mad."

It is interesting to note that Senator Feinstein's interest seems to center on environmental impact rather than national security.

Nothing yet heard from Senator Boxer.

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

Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) filed for cloture on Secure Fence Act of 2006 (H.R. 6061), and made the following statement:

[L]ast week we passed the Port Security Improvement Act. Indeed, that means we are one step closer to plugging the hole in our port security. We are one step closer to securing America’s more than 300 maritime ports of entry. That is progress.

This port security bill that we passed was about vigilance. We are in the midst of a war with radical ideologues, militant extremists who will stop at nothing to destroy our Nation. They search for our weak spots and they seek ways to exploit them. On 9/11 we learned just how creative our enemy can be. Just last month we saw it again with the plot in Great Britain among terrorists to carry out what has become known as Gatorade bombing; that is, the destruction of aircraft and human life by using liquids.

We share a 1,951-mile border with Mexico. It doesn’t take much creativity to imagine how terrorists might seek to exploit that border. It is time to secure that border with Mexico. That is why just a few moments ago I filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the Secure Fence Act of 2006.

The overwhelming majority of people who violate our borders do so in search of jobs–but not all of them. Some cross to deal drugs and commit crimes. Intelligence reports show that even al-Qaida considers our borders a key vulnerability. Without effective border control, we can’t tell those looking for honest work from those bent on mayhem. Under the Secure Fence Act, Customs and Border Protection will take responsibility for securing every inch of our border with Mexico. Engineers and construction workers will erect two-layer reinforced fencing along the entire border. Hundreds of new cameras and sensors will be installed. Unmanned aircraft will supplement existing air and ground patrols.

The resulting finished network will give us complete operational control over our entire border, and it will go a
long way toward stopping illegal immigration altogether.

But border barriers alone won’t solve our problems. Congress still needs to address the illegal immigrants already in the country and provide a viable means to meet our Nation’s labor needs. While I would have preferred coming to an agreement on a comprehensive solution this year, I have always said we need an enforcement-first approach to immigration reform–not enforcement only but enforcement first. This bill is that next step in strengthening our national security and the next step in making America safer and more secure.

In particular, H.R. 6061 calls for:

• achieving operational control of the border;
• construction of fencing and security improvements in the border area from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico;
• study of the northern (Canadian) border;

Email your senator indicating your position on the bill. If your senator does not support passage of the bill, your senator is not serious about national security. If that same senator is up for re-election in November, and you would prefer a senator that is serious about national security, you should clearly state that in your email.

I have myself emailed both Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer. I will post any response that I receive here.

[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.]

Senator Dianne Feinstein addressed the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, presenting her environmental legislative agenda for the new Congress that will convene in January. The assumption, of course, was that she would be a member of that new Congress. The environmental legislative agenda assumed the validity of global warming, demanded drastic controls on carbon dioxide emissions and increase in mileage for cars, trucks and SUVs and did not address economic impact beyond airy waves at an emissions trading market and praise of California's innovation market as an example for the rest of the country.

The only response at the Mountjoy campaign website was the announcement that Dr. James Dobson has endorsed Mountjoy.

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

The latest anonymous hold S. 2590 evaporated, Senator Frist set it up for a vote, and shazzam! It passed.

S. 2590, the Porkbusters bill, is more formally titled the "Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006."

Mark Tapscott shows restrained glee, and points out that the bill now goes to a  committee to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

K-Lo simply notes that it passed.

Porkbusters is happy, including NZ Bear and Glenn Reynolds.

Everybody needs to keep an eye on the conference committee. Inattention may still allow the bill to quietly die.

Follow up to a previous post: I have not yet heard back from Senator Feinstein regarding my inquiry on the identiy of the Senator who placed the anonymous hold. Timely response, eh?

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

Yesterday's first day back from summer break yielded a single record vote, on S.Amdt. 4882, an amendment to the military operations appropriations bill currently under consideration. The amendment called for withholding money until Pentagon rules of operation blocked the use of cluster bombs in areas of high civilian concentrations. The amendment was sponsored by Senator Feinstein and Senator Leahy (D-VT).

The amendment was rejected. Good.

No, I am not in favor of blowing limbs off children.

Neither am I in favor of Congress micromanaging Pentagon rules of engagement.

If you look closely at the statistics thrown out by Senator Feinstein's statement on the amendment, you can see that the damage done by unexploded cluster bombs, while deplorable in individual and personal terms, is statistically minor.

The Pentagon, by definition, is in the business of causing death and destruction. By conviction and tradition, members of the American armed forces would not deliberately target civilians — in stark contrast to tactics used by Islamic terrorists. Oversight of military operations by civilian government should be vigorous and ongoing.  Micromanagement by self-righteous politicans is uncalled for.

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