Breaking on CNN.

[dgibby]

Unions to spend millions in Calif. to defeat Meg Whitman. Will run ads in English and Spanish, focusing on her treatment of her undocumented housekeeper.

This just crossed the wires, more to follow, according to CNN.

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

Thanks for this.

Union activism is democracy manifested.

[spanone]

25. yes it is.

[mike_c]

2. my union already is-- we have been focused on defeating NutMeg for months now....

Solidarity!

[pleah]

3. K&R!!!!!!!!!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Scurrilous]

4. K & R

:thumbsup:

[JNelson6563]

5. Solidarity!

W00T!!

[tularetom]

6. She's a nasty piece of work that's for sure

And there's so much there to be exposed.

Not just the housekeeper, but the physical abuse of an employee, and the gold mine that is her family.

Google "Meg Whitman Racist Sons" if you want an hour of entertainment.

[tpsbmam]

21. I knew her growing up

Didn't know her well but knew her. Thought then that she was a "nasty piece of work" and still think so. I'm sorry she's been so (monetarily) successful -- she's too big a POS to have good things come her way. I hope at least to see her soundly trounced come election night.

[mnhtnbb]

27. What a surprise. Nasty, entitled kids. How very Republican.

[The Wielding Truth]

7. Hooray.. It's a shame it takes 2 cents to convince anyone that any candidate

touting the right-wing agenda should be considered responsible enough to lead.

[political_Dem]

8. I hope they do. California does not need Brewer's doppelgänger.

[jobycom]

9. Knowing little of California, could this backfire or is it a winning strategy?

I'm thinking that in places like Arizona accusing a candidate of being mean to undocumented workers might win support for that candidate. Any chance that this could backfire with independents (who are the only real undecideds at this point, I would think), or are independents in CA more likely to be decent people?

Not stating an opinion through a question, I'm honestly asking because I don't know. Being in Texas, I've learned never to trust rationality and compassion in an election. :(

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. The independents in California tend to lean left...

I think this campaign against NutMeg will be a good one.

:hi:

[jobycom]

15. I hope so.

Heck, even your Republican governors tend to be flaming liberals by Texas standards.

[mitchtv]

12. I just saw the spanish language one

I think from Seiu very very good. Now they need the quotes of her promising to make CA more like TX.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/30/5208817-seiu-seizes-on-whitman-housekeeper-story-

[jobycom]

14. That's kind of funny. Here in TX they use CA that way.

I've heard Republicans accuse Democrats of being more California than Texas. :rofl: In Austin, that is a plus, but elsewhere, not so much.

[JDPriestly]

28. So many Californians are immigrants that I would say close to a majority

if not a majority of voters would frown on this kind of disrespectful treatment of an immigrant. We are a state of immigrants -- especially in Southern California.

[sce56]

52. Yes we are imigrants! My fathers male DNA came here from Spain back in the days when California was

part of Spain! And his maternal DNA immigrated here back in the ice age from Siberia! I have the National Geographic Geno-graphic project results to prove that! My family can indeed say we did not cross the border the border crossed us.

[lunatica]

40. 37% of Californians are Hispanic. Nationally it's 15.8%

From the US Census Bureau

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html

[PJPhreak]

10. Yes! A solid K&R! nt

[aquart]

13. Good.

[Supersedeas]

16. Odd how CNN doesn't have breaking news whenever the Oil or Insurance Industry decides to run ads

CNN has to make a point about Union money in politics though.

CNN and that legendary mythical liberal media bias.

[mahina]

48. you beat me to it.

[JNelson6563]

60. Astounding, isn't it?

[Kind of Blue]

17. Oh, Happy Day!

KnR.
Got criminal Issa as my Rep. I think I'd go a little crazy if Whitman won.

[uncommon]

18. AMEN! Now the rest of the country needs to follow suit!

[femrap]

19. It's a happy news day!

Gee, if Jerry wins, I could move back to CA. He was Governor when I first moved out there.

I really admire and like this man.

[COLGATE4]

20. Excellent. Make sure all the Latino (and teabaggers) know about it!

[valerief]

22. Terrific news! nt

[laughingliberal]

23. K & R nt

[Hepburn]

24. Yay!!!!!

:applause:

Meg may have millions of her own to spend, but the Unions stand with the People! :patriot:

[MadMaddie]

26. I hope Gloria Alred kicks Whitmans ass....

[avaistheone1]

31. I think she's kicked it badly.

Meg Whitman has been shown to be a liar.

[The Uncola]

29. Big K&R..

.. smoke that #!*t!

[myrna minx]

30. K&R n/t

[Techn0Girl]

32. Good om the Unions !

[Whisp]

33. toast.

poor meggie thought she could buy her way. Well it does and can happen but too bad not for her.

Ill have to see how CNN is handling this. Probably shitting their pantaloons. What? The Dems are not Doomed? huh? but we've been reporting that for weeks how the losses will be Massive!

I hate those creeps with a bush-like passion

[veganlush]

34. Praise! K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!n/t

[Oceansaway]

35. wooooohoooooo !!...nt

[LawnKorn]

36. The election is over for Governor of California. Whitman might as well pack it in now, she can't win

Whitman is toast.

[LawnKorn]

37. K&R

[bloomington-lib]

38. Im so sick of ANYONE spending millions to get elected

I wish politicians would get a certain amount allotted to them and may the best ideas win.

[Divine Discontent]

39. it really is ridiculous. we oughta just have 3 or 4 debates for all these offices &

a limit based on how much the job pays... lol

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

41. Folks from California: I'm curious as to how the local media is treating this story.

Are they ignoring it?

[huskerlaw]

43. They're not ignoring it...

but the type of coverage varies. Interestingly, TMZ (the celebrity gossip website) is covering it A LOT. Gets a different audience, anyway! People who would never have known or cared are aware of it, and it's big water cooler fodder.

But for example, the "front page" of the Sacramento Bee online has the following headlines:
"Whitman's husband says he doesn't recall getting letter"
"Allred: Whitman's husband saw, wrote note to housekeeper in 'no-match' letter"
"Whitman blames Brown; TV ads on housekeeper controversy appear"
"Multimedia: Video, audio from Whitman, Santillan; read the letter"

The first one is the main story, with a picture. The others are links underneath it.

Meanwhile, the LA Times online has the headline "Whitman campaign calls housekeeper issue a 'coordinated political attack'". And there's a section near the top where they list things that are "in the news" and Whitman is the first listed (right before Rahm Emanuel and Tony Curtis).

It looks like it's on the main page of all of the local news websites as well, though I have no idea how they're covering it on the TV news.

Anyway, no it's definitely not being ignored.

[opihimoimoi]

42. Whitless is in DISTRESS.....WHAT A MESS

[MrMickeysMom]

44. Make Meg spend lots of money first to try to save her ass...

It's only right that California get something out of this assholes' race.

[xxqqqzme]

56. Too bad all those millions

are going to PR firms, consultants and advertising. None of that money will be circulating among the masses.

[MrMickeysMom]

62. True...

Perhaps she can hire some Americans who are out of work though to clean up.

[lonestarnot]

45. K & R!!!!!!!

[Arkana]

46. Whitman's a wounded fish in a pool of sharks--she's toast.

[AtomicKitten]

47. Thank you, unions!! Your fighting spirit is an inspiration. nt

[proud patriot]

49. woohoo

:woohoo:

[earcandle]

50. yes,please.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

51. Gloria Allred is a celebutard

who loves the spotlight, but you don't wanna mess with her. The video with the oversized letter was great!

K&R

[robdogbucky]

57. It's called a graphic blowup

and is actually somewhat obsolete for today's legal industry, as they were supplanted by ELMO and projectors w/Power Point and other courtroom software. But some attorneys are wed to the old ways and feel comfortable horsing around with those big foam boards and pointers. Having done courtroom graphics in a long career as a trial paralegal, she would have been better off, turning out the lights, firing up a projector/ELMO and highlighting with a laser pointer. That can be very dramatic, as all focus is forced on the illuminated images projected. She could also save time by simply switching back to any page there were questions about, as happened yesterday when she was questioned about the notice letter and the Whitman responses when reporters asked to see them again.

Feedback from juries indicate that they like to study an exhibit as long as possible, especially so with text, so it is a judgment call as to which method is more effective and how long you spend on each such blowup. I once was able to place the "boards," as they are known, our side's graphic portrayal of the evidence as we saw it, right next to the judge's bench, in line of sight for the jury. I would artfully re-arrange them as the situation allowed during breaks when the courtroom was empty, to put in front those that might pertain to a specific point of testimony coming up, etc. This type of sublimal suggestion works and I was appalled that the opposing counsel did not catch on. It didn't work every time and indeed there were counsel that was convinced we were trying to cheat and raid their documents, etc. They would leave a counterpart to me, an assistant in the courtroom at all times just to monitor my activity.

The boards are expensive to create, but if you don't/can't adjust your PowerPoint presentation to fit what has transpired with the evidence during the trial, then you are stuck with what you have ready on the PowerPoint. At least if you have prepared enough boards (and wealthy clients like corporations can afford a lot of boards, I could tell you stories) you can shift the emphasis of your presentation with astute narration and make your points. I have seen counsel that had PowerPoint prepared, but then the day's testimony/events made the presentation moot. Then that client has to rely on the skill of counsel to be able to think on their feet and not make matters worse.

I worked with one attorney that had me prepare two sets of everything, the exhibits, documents, etc. One a set to be disclosed and admitted and used as our exhibits, the second set was assembled specifically if and when a specific point of testimony or other evidence became impeachable. That was usually one of my biggest responsibilities, tracking the evidence as it came in and square it with all of the other data we had access to for that case and loaded on laptops ready to go with a devastating cross-examination script, etc.

Allred appears to fall into the old school group. Nonetheless, facts can be profound when presented dramatically.



Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

[DURHAM D]

65. Good grief - she wasn't in court. It was a press conference.

Further - the room was tiny and Nicky, Gloria and the press were seated in chairs at a conference table pretty much on top of each other.

[WeekendWarrior]

64. Allred used to have a radio show in LA

They did a left and right kind of thing and the guy she was up against was the biggest conservative douchebag you've ever met, and she used to mop the floor with him. The funny thing was, he didn't even know it. He thought he was the voice of reason and intelligence when anyone with a real brain was laughing at the guy.

Allred was great. I liked her then. But she has pretty much turned into an attention whore.

[DURHAM D]

66. For the most part men hate her and women thank god she takes the tough cases.

There are not enough female attorneys that will take the cases she does. I, for one, appreciate it. Her high profile is the result of being one of the few that will take the cases that cause notoriety. Now her daughter is another matter...

[dotymed]

53. I hope it works.

The sad thing is that this money could be spent on members and organizing. I know that it is a separate account. Political donations are voluntary, but most Union members understand that we have to donate to the political fund in order to exist.
I always assigned a (small) portion of my earnings to our PAC.
We used to have so many more benefits and pay much less for them.
Now Unions have to spend so much for elections and Health Insurance that almost all other benefits are gone or almost so.
At one time, we had "legal insurance." It was practical and a great benefit to many members.

[blondeatlast]

54. w00t! Soli-effin'-darity! nt

[SHRED]

55. She is a corporate mouthpiece

[Xenotime]

58. Anything effort that gets her out of the election is good.

THe last thing we need is more rethugs in office.

[4lbs]

59. Whitman's campaign, or she herself, doesn't realize how strong both the union and Latino voting bloc

are in California, compared to nationally.

In California, more than 17 percent of the employed population was in a union last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

http://www.bls.gov/ro9/unionca.htm

That's 5 percent higher than the national average.
Add in another 1.1% represented by unions in their jobs, and you have about 18.3% or 2.6 million employed Californians affiliated with unions. It's in the top 4 states for union percentages.

Then add in all the voting family members of those in a union and you approach about 25% of the voting population affiliated with a union.

As someone else stated in this thread, California is 37% Latino, compared to just under 16% nationally.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html


Piss off both groups and you can pretty much kiss your campaign hopes goodbye.

[TK421]

61. All right....this chick is TOAST!

[WeekendWarrior]

63. SWEET nt