A blog on progressive news and politics on both the California and Nevada sides of Lake Tahoe which aims at helping to elect Democrats and Turn Tahoe Blue. The blog is written from Germany by a former German exchange student at George Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Wednesday News Roundup

  • The North Lake Tahoe News has Tsunami news of a different kind. They report on a team of scientists aiming to find out more about the lake's geography and history. (Link)
  • The Tahoe Daily Tribune reports on the first El Dorado County Supervisor debate taking place yesterday: "Both claim to be Democrats and in favor of protecting the environment. But the similarities stop there." (Link)
  • Well, boxing is just not my thing. At all. So, personally, I can't quite understand why Harry Reid went to a boxing match after all. Now, he has to defend himself for it. The Reno Gazette-Journal has the latest. (Link)
  • And the Nevada Appeal has an online vote on whether or not Reid should have taken those tickets. (Link)
  • What does Minden have in common with Sparks and Las Vegas? In the Record-Courier's "Tale of Three Cities" you'll find out. (Link)
  • The Las Vegas Sun reports on DNC Chairman Howard Dean's trip to Nevada as part of his applaudable 50-state strategy. (Link)
  • $1.1 million. That is how much Rep. John Doolittle has raised for his reelection campaign. The latest chunk of that thanks in large part to VP Dick Cheney. However, this might just be a race where John Doolittle's tarnished reputation is more important than the amount of donations he receives. The Sacramento Bee has the numbers. (Link)
  • Today, the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at über-donor Angelo Tsakopoulos and how he and gubernatorial candidate Angelides were supposedly involved in a Tahoe condo deal many years ago. (Link)
  • The LA Times' Ron Brownstein looks at the arguements within the Democratic Party on how to best beat Republicans in November. (Link)

Jack Carter in Tahoe this Weekend!


The Democratic candidate for the US Senate from Nevada, Jack Carter, will be in the Tahoe area this weekend:

On Friday evening, June 2nd, he'll be the guest speaker at the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in the state capital, Carson City. On Saturday, Jack joins volunteers as they knock on doors in a Reno neighborhood. On Sunday morning, they'll be attending church services in Reno before heading up to Lake Tahoe for a fundraising cruise in the late afternoon.

Bright and early on Monday morning (June 5th), Jack will be meeting people from the Stateline/South Lake Tahoe area. He'll be at the coffee shop in the Round Hill Mall in Zephyr Cove from 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. At lunchtime, he speaks to Kiwanians in Reno. That evening, he attends the scholarship awards banquet for members of the Class of 2006 from Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove.


There will also be a fundraiser in Incline Village on the 3rd. The cruise will take place on the MS Dixie. If you're interested in the campaign or if you want more information about the events go to Carter for Nevada. Wish I could be there!

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Daily News Roundup

  • "Is Bush the worst ever?" asks Andrew Whyman in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza. Is that a rhetorial question? Furthermore, worst what? Mr. Whyman leaves that to our imagination. (Link)
  • Meanwhile the Tahoe Daily Tribune carries the AP story on Rep. Doolittle's intervention in a ski resort sale. It's one of today's examples on how inherently wrong the campaign finance system still is. (Link)
  • Maybe the Tribune knows this and that's why they give El Dorado District Attorney candidates Gary Lacy and Vern Pierson some free (I presume) space on its opinion page. (Link) and (Link)
  • The Record-Courier explains the importance of turnout in Douglas County in the CD-2 Republican primary. (Link)
  • The Nevada Appeal takes a look at the new Interior Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, and takes issue with the President: "Unfortunately, Bush's policies have succeeded in bringing shallow partisanship to the public lands debate ... you're either a bleeding heart environmentalist or you're an off-roader chasing wildlife across the landscape.That's demeaning to real Westerners, who care deeply about the land and believe in common sense when it comes to its management." Boy, when papers in the good old west call Bush demeaning you really know Republicans are in trouble this fall. (Link)
  • Blogging goes town hall meeting. With the usual side effects. The Las Vegas Sun reports that "Boulder City officials have mixed emotions about Internet chat on public issues". (Link)
  • Example number two of all that is wrong with campaign finance. The Sacramento Bee writes on why a big Democratic donor switches sides. (Link)
  • Last, but not least, the LA Times looks at Westly and Angelides in their more naughty than nice campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for Governor. (Link)

Monday, May 29, 2006

First News Roundup

  • The North Lake Tahoe Bonanza has a story on 300 local students taking part in a Youth Symposium on Climate Change. Can't start early enough! (Link)
  • There will be a debate on Tuesday in the race for El Dorado County district 5 supervisor and another one on Wednesday that also features District Attorney candidates. The Tahoe Daily Tribune has more. (Link)
  • It's Memorial Day Weekend. All the papers are covering it. The Record Courier remembers a Marine from Walker, CA, who was shot in combat in Afghanistan on May 17. (Link)
  • An Auburn Journal report on a mother's effort to keep the memory of her fallen son alive. (Link)
  • First Republican quits in Nevada Lieutenant Governor race reports the Las Vegas Sun. That leaves five Republicans still battling it out in the primary. (Link)
  • The Las Vegas Review-Journal has a profile on Republican gubernatorial candidate Lorraine Hunt. (Link) Here are the other profiles. (Link)
  • The Sacramento Bee on a UCD student who cares enough about the hardships in Africa that she's actually going there. Kudos. (Link)
  • California Democratic gubernatorial candidate gives $1.5 million of his own money to his campaign ahead of the June 6 primary. (Link)
  • Finally, the LA Times analyzes good old Arnold's new found election strategy: governing. Who would have thought... (Link)

Hope you like this first roundup. Will try to do this on a daily basis though I cannot guarantee it. Maybe it will also be a little more polished in the future.

Links, News, etc.

I've gotten quite far with the links now. I will add further links to Nevada and California campaigns (for state office and state legislature) later. If you know of further blog and news links, please drop a comment or an e-mail. Thank you.

Today, I will start with a little news roundup and hope to do so on a regular basis. From time to time I'll take a closer look at single campaigns and try to profile them.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Keep Tahoe Blue

This blog should not be mistaken with the efforts of "The League to Safe Lake Tahoe" and their campaign to Keep Tahoe Blue. This is solely a political blog. That said environmental causes are a part of politics, now more than ever. Because I like what they do to preserve Lake Tahoe I would encourage you to go their site, get informed and help out if you can.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Turn Tahoe Blue - What? Why? Who? How?




For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by politics. I have read about it in the paper, watched it on TV and recently interacted in the blogosphere. That said I have very seldomly become active myself.


Ten years ago I was an exchange student at George Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Back then the Governor of Nevada, Bob Miller, as well as both Senators representing Nevada in the U.S. Congress, Harry Reid and Richard Bryant, were Democrats. Today there is only Harry Reid.

In California the situation is similar to ten years ago. The state is still represented in Congress by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and the Governor's office is again occupied by a Republican. Ten years ago it was Pete Wilson, today it's Arnold Schwarzenegger.
There are Governor's races in both California and Nevada this year, with Nevada being an open seat. Also Republican Senator John Ensign, who won Richard Bryant's seat in 2000, is up for re-election and has a very good challenger in Jack Carter, son of former President Jimmy Carter.

In somewhat of a coincidence for the first time in years it could be possible that both the California and the Nevada site of Tahoe could see Democrats representing them in the House of Representatives after the midterms. Republican Jim Gibbons is retiring in the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada to run for Governor. Recent polls have shown that Democrat and Nevada native Jill Derby has a chance to win this seat. In California's 4th Congressional District incumbent Republican John Doolittle has viable competition both from within his own party and from Democratic candidates due to his ties to indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

This site is trying to gear attention towards these and other very important political races and trying to help elect Democrats in the Lake Tahoe area. I will first focus on federal and state wide races and later also turn to local races. Since I am not a U.S. citizen and I do not live in the United States I won't be able to contribute to the efforts of Democrats in the Lake Tahoe area running for office this year. All I have is my laptop and this blog and I will do my best to Turn Tahoe Blue this election year.

 

Haftungsausschluss