Santa Monica Daily Press "Endorses" Henry Waxman

I love free speech! No one has to fear if someone spreads lies or distortions, because everyone has access to information from different sources, with many biases. The truth will out, and no one can put it out.

The Santa Monica Daily Press loves free speech, too. In the past year, the SMDP has generously afforded an out-of-towner like me some press space in their "Letters to the Editor". Here's one that I wrote about Waxman, the Fifth Street Post Office, and their striking similarities.

Sadly, I wish that Congressman Waxman shared my enthusiam for free speech, but unfortunately he shut me down in an "open forum" in Redondo Beach last week.














On a more recent note, the SMDP has just released their list of endorsements for local and national races. From the outset, the editorial board admitted a penchant for supporting Democratic candidates. Their endorsement of Congressman Henry Waxman sounded like a back-handed compliment. With the endorsement in its entirety, some of the finer points that stand deserve greater scrutiny:


Waxman has a long history of supporting liberal causes and holding those in power account
able.

I am glad to say that with the growing number of young voters and Santa Monicans, this view is not total. Independents in the region are skeptical of any man who has been in power for so long. I have run into open-minded voters throughout the region, even Republicans in Venice, who don't support another term of Henry Waxman.

As far as holding "those in power" accountable, how come he voted "No!" to the "No More Solyndras" Act? He said that he was "sorry that Solyndra happened". Where was he when the banking and check-kiting scandals broke in Washington in the early 1990's?

He’s an old-school progressive whose views mirror those of most Santa Monicans.

Unfortunately, Waxman has gone corporate, taking huge campaign donations. The real distinction of "old-school" progressive belongs to retiring Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich, a politician who was willing to charter private jets just to cast voters, a progressive presidential candidate who has also decried the growth of "big government" in Washington and who wanted to get our troops out of Afghanistan immediately.

That said, it has felt at times as if he has taken us for granted.

This admission is the most telling and the most damning. After 38 years in office, rarely running a campaign, and twice facing no major party challenger, a legislator grows complacent, even distant. From the moment he got elected, Waxman moved to Washington D.C. and never moved back. Even for his current campaign, the Electoral Commission lists his office in Bethesda, Maryland. What's he doing out there when he's supposed to be representing interests in the Santa Monica Bay?

No movement on building housing for homeless veterans.

Honestly, Waxman's lack of movement on this issue is also a damning indictment, once which cannot be overlooked. Granted, the city of Santa Monica has set up services to support homeless veterans. The Congressman who currently represents the Santa Monica Bay has failed to get in step with his ownn constituents. He had two years on the House Oversight and Government Reform committee. During his tenure, he went after lead in toys, but the status and abuse of the Brentwood VA was not a priority.

Letters sent but nothing accomplished in regards to limiting flights at Santa Monica Airport or saving the Downtown post office.

Writing letters does not a Congressman make. Anyone can write a letter, and having federal authority behind you, no matter how persuasive or penetrating one's prose, does not advance the cause of getting housing for our homeless veterans. As for the Post Office, a movie producer bought the Venice Post office; there must be someone else who can step in to care-take the Fifth Street Post Office, too.

But then again, there’s no guarantee that any of that would have been accomplished if his challenger, millionaire Bill Bloomfield, were in office.

Waxman already established a record of doing very little or not enough for these issues. "No guarantee" does not mean "no doubt", though, since a politician must keep good on his promises, or not get reelected. Bloomfield has taken no PAC or special interest money, so he has already signaled to voters that he represents them, not the political class, not the lobbyists. Bloomfield has invested in many causes including electoral reform, a documented record of assisting the community before he threw his hat in the ring!

We liked Bloomfield and believe his efforts to rid Washington of obstructionist forces are needed, but his disinterest in local issues concerned us, as well as his lack of a voting record.

Bloomfield's interests in a Congress that works is an interest that touches on everyone. A lack of a voting record does not impede evaluating the well-meaning and the presence of a Congressman in office.

We believe Waxman should be given another term, while Bloomfield should be supported in his efforts to reform politics from the outside.

Bloomfield can do more from inside Congress, and that’s where he belongs. Bloomfield for the 33^rd!

"Kissing Close Election" - Kiss the Incumbent Good-Bye

http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-11824/BloomfieldIsJustWhatWaxmanDreaded

Henry Waxman has canceled interviews in the past week and hunkered down for the long haul.

Ari Noonan of Culver City's "The Front Page Online" has reported, and wisely so, that Bloomfield is everything that Waxman feared:

- A well-funded challenger.

- An independent who represents the voters, not the special interests or the party bosses.

- A moderate who will leave along a woman's right to choose or two people's choice to live together.

- A fiscal conservative who is not afraid to talk about Simpson-Bowles, a bipartisan reform effort which Obama refused to stand by and Waxman has unwisely repudiated as "lacking detail".

-A native son who cares about other people, diverting time, energy and money into candidates and causes across the political spectrum and around the world. I am still learning a number of philanthropic efforts.

Henry Waxman has lost considerable support in Beverly Hills, his old haunt, since he blocked the Subway to the Sea.

Even the Santa Monica Daily Press gave him at best a lukewarm endorsement, more out of tradition than passion:

Waxman has a long history of supporting liberal causes and holding those in power accountable. He’s an old-school progressive whose views mirror those of most Santa Monicans. That said, it has felt at times as if he has taken us for granted. No movement on building housing for homeless veterans. Letters sent but nothing accomplished in regards to limiting flights at Santa Monica Airport or saving the Downtown post office. But then again, there’s no guarantee that any of that would have been accomplished if his challenger, millionaire Bill Bloomfield, were in office. We liked Bloomfield and believe his efforts to rid Washington of obstructionist forces are needed, but his disinterest in local issues concerned us, as well as his lack of a voting record. We believe Waxman should be given another term, while Bloomfield should be supported in his efforts to reform politics from the outside.

I  think that Mr. Waxman can kiss his reelection chances good-bye!

Go Bill Go!

To the Argonaut: Bloomfield for Congress

The Argonaut's column on Independent Bloomfield, candidate for the 33rd Congressional District against incumbent Henry Waxman, was free of hyperpartisanship, bias, and special interest influence, just like Mr. Bloomfield. Those reasons alone support sending him to Congress.

Congressman Waxman has been in office longer than I and many voters have been alive. For over three decades, Waxman has coasted into office, representing Santa Monica all the way to the Malibu coastline, as gerrymandered districts protected incumbents for years. 

The Santa Monica Daily Press commented: "It has felt at times as if he [Waxman] has taken us for granted." Congressman Waxman has written letters about the Fifth Street post office, the Santa Monica Airport, and the plight of homeless veterans, many of whom cannot find shelter or proper medical care because the Brentwood VA has been leased out in private land-share agreements. The men and women who fought for this country deserve more than their fair share of care from our country. Instead, former House Oversight Committee Chairman Waxman was investigating steroid abuse in baseball instead of the abuse and neglect of our veterans.

Bloomfield's business background, philanthropy, and advocacy in electoral reform define an experienced citizen who can bring more to Washington and bring more for us than Congressman Henry Waxman, an experienced politician with very little to run on except a record of previous legislation instead of current solutions for our future problems.

Thirty-eight years of Henry Waxman is enough for the Santa Monica Bay. On November 6th, vote for Bill Bloomfield for the 33rd Congressional District.

Rebuttal to Susan Cloke of the SM Mirror

Susan Cloke cloaked the record, rhetoric, and ridicule of liberal Congressman Henry Waxman in a fit of fulsome praise which takes liberties with the truth.

Waxman opposed the Subway to the Sea for decades, a move which would have decreased the toll of Wilshire traffic on or health and environment.

The Congressman has ignored the plight of the nine thousand homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area, offering up the Brentwood VA to private interests for "sharing agreements", yet the same companies have shared none of the profits toward renovating the property for the veterans to live on.

ObamaCare is a tax which will crush working families while increasing the cost of premiums and diminishing access. In fact, the rise in costs, plus the twenty new taxes, have discouraged job growth, hammered home owners, and forced more layoffs.

Waxman is the witness why we either need term limits or we need a more active and enlightened citizenry exposing the arrogant ignorance of legislators who get elected, move to Washington, and never look back.

"Now we see through a glass darkly" --  there is no mirror more distorted and obscured than the paper in Santa Monica.

Henry Waxman: Giving Politics a Bad Name

Mirror, Mirror. . .
Whose is the Brownest Nose
of them all!

Now I understand why the Santa Monica Mirror never bothered to print the letters that I submitted.

If any article more tellingly declares, exposes, explodes liberal bias, the Mirror takes the crack, er cake!

When people talk about Congressman Henry Waxman (henrywaxmanforcongress.com) we hear words like, “relentless, effective, hard working, caring, dedicated, smart, and savvy.”

Please explain why this Congressman did not feel obliged to answer a few questions from a constituent in the South Bay?

His actions show that he is in the job to find solutions and, if you’ll allow the expression, “make the world a better place.”

The world will be a better place when this guy is no longer in office.

And he has an impressive list of endorsers, headed by President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, California NOW, California Democratic Party, and the LA County Federation of Labor.

The American Federation of Labor? The unions in this country are in decline, and even "Hope and Change" Obama dropped them like a hot potato as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and his allies in the legislature and across the state withstood the public union plundering of the public coffers.

President Obama is going the way of Jimmy Carter. With Waxman receiving this endorsement, nothing says "Captain going down with the ship" louder or more forcefully.

As a protector of the environment and public health he has worked successfully to strengthen the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, reducing toxic pollutions and improving air quality.

Legislators are not god on earth, nor should the voters ever think of them that way. This man cannot claim that by his obsession with legislation, he can change the times, the seasons, the wind and the rain. MIT released a study which gave a muted evaluation of the Clean Air Act's efficacy to keep our air clean and clear. Waxman is full of hot air, and the Mirror  columnist is full of . . .you fill in the blank.

His focus on public health is broad and includes his leadership on the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the Ryan White CARE Act which provides care and treatment to people living with AIDS, and legislation which helped create the generic drug industry and has saved consumers billions on the cost of prescription drugs over the past decade.

All of this is yesterday's papers. What has Waxman done for us lately?

Henry Waxman sees the big picture and he sees the details of people’s lives.

It's too bad that he did not know the details of his own Cap and Trade Bill! It's too bad that the man could not be bothered to learn the basic laws regulating steroids in this country, yet he insisted on investigating steroid abuse in major league baseball.

Santa Monica, don't you think that you deserve better than 38-years of unaware, unaccountable, and practically unelected?

"Eliot Ness" Getting "Badgered"

Waxman's Old Reputation

Congressman Henry Waxman has quite a reputation in Washington. Some have called him “The Eliot Ness” of the House, while others call him “The Badger.”

As Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Waxman grilled major league sports players, executive officials under the Bush Administration, and disgraced CEOS like Richard Fuld of Lehman Brothers. He will forever be remembered for forcing the Seven major Tobacco executives to lie under oath. All who appeared before Waxman waxed fearful.

Now, for the first time in over forty years, Waxman has to campaign for his seat, and apparently he does not take too kindly to constituents who review and question him about his record. In a recent “open forum” in the Southern section of the newly-drawn 33^rd Congressional District, the Congressman debated his challenger, Independent Bill Bloomfield, in a local Jewish Community Center. From the outset, he appeared apprehensive, even frightened.

When this writer stood up to ask him a question, Waxman interrupted: “This Republican blogger has been writing nasty attacks about me!” Then the moderator and the leader of the congregation told me to sit down. Despite protesting my freedom of speech, I was not permitted to ask Waxman any questions.

Congressman Waxman threatened so many, yet now he feels threatened and entitled to not answer any questions. Waxman loves to attack, but now he cannot defend Himself. His record of taxes, spending, and bullying others has caught up with him.

"I Don't Want to Play Anymore!"

Doesn't the Santa Monica Bay deserve better than an entitled incumbent who can't stand the heat from prospective voters who want real answers from their representatives.

Waxman is either too weak to remain in office, or he feels that he does not have to earn his keep in Congress.

On November 6^th, vote for Bill Bloomfield for the 33^rd Congressional District.

Bloomfield within Striking Distance

This is what everyone wants to know, the news that Waxman is in big trouble, that the end of his 38-year reign of tenure (terror?) is coming to an end.

The Congressman bullies colleagues, he intimidates businesses and witnesses who are summoned by subpeona before his committees.

Yet now he runs in fear of. . . . .

"The Republican blogger who makes nasty attacks" about him.

Bill Bloomfield has run a credible, qualified, and carefully measured campaign, the first major candidate in the South Bay to refuse to run as either a Republican or a Democrat. Perhaps in the next two years we will see other independents stand up to Maxine Waters and Janice Hahn, forcing them to pay attention their voters as opposed to special interests, or whatever interests interest them exclusively.

To all of you who want to know the polling information on the Bloomfield-Waxman race:

I do know that Bloomfield is within striking distance of his challenger, Henry Waxman. We have got to stop the Overwhelming and overburdening former chairman from rising again. Let this be his last election for federal office.

No more Waxman! Bill Bloomfield for the 33rd!

Henry Waxman: "Oh, How the Mighty are Fallen!"

Congressman Henry Waxman:

Waxman on the Take Down

You used to run committees driving fear into the hearts of any whom you subpeoned to appear before you and testify.

You went after the "Seven Dwarves", you took on the Bush administration.

You threatened to remove Congressman Darrell Issa because he demanded that you pursue regular order.

You took down former Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld for taking home millions in severance.

You sparred with Ed Whifield, who refused to let you run his committee.

Congressman Mick Mulvaney told you off in a June 2012 budget hearing.

And now a "Republican Blogger who makes nasty attacks" is scaring you?

Oh, how the Mighty are fallen!


How Do You Like it?

"Open Forum?" -- What is Waxman Worried About?

"I ask the questions!"

To the voters in the 33rd Congressional District:

It would appear that free speech is under attack in the South Bay, and unfortunately so. I will allow you to decide your response.

As a voter and a constituent in this district, I attended  an advertised "Open Forum", scheduled for October 27, at the Jewish Community Center of the Beach Cities. This forum was advertised in the Beach Reporter. I was really surprised and enthusiastic, as I would have a chance to ask Mr. Waxman  some questions about his record, so that the voters in this region will have a full appraisal of this incumbent.

Two days before the event, I  called ahead asking if I had to reserve a space. The secretary who answered my call informed me that there was no need to reserve a space or pay a fee. I was impressed and appreciative. Every Congressman is expected to receive questions and feedback from prospective voters, and now was my chance.

When I arrived that morning, I was fortunate enough to run into Independent Candidate Bill Bloomfield. He is running a spirited campaign throughout the district. Very soon, a number of other  voters congregated with him to share their support.

"Let Me Do the Talking!"

As we had arrived just before the Shabbat service was about to end, a number of the congregants were coming out of the main synagogue. I met with many of them, who turned out to be very kind and welcoming. Visitors from throughout the region also came to visit and hear the two candidates discuss their views on Israel, Iran, and the future of America. These constituents did not tell me if they were members of the congregation or not.

Sitting near the front of the synagogue, I also had the opportunity to share what I had learned about the Congressman with a prospective voter who had not yet cast her vote. When I mentioned that Bloomfield has a plan as well as a record for balancing budgets, the voter seemed more interested in supporting the Independent.

At the outset of the open question and answer forum, Head Rabbi Yossi Mintz announced a few terms for the debate. He requested that the audience refrain from applause during the debate. He also requested no photos in the Synagogue. He further asked that there be no personal attacks against either candidate.

All well and good. Decorum and respect are the order of the day. Free speech is not license to attack or demean.

The two candidates then outlined their platforms and proposals in two ten-minute speeches, just like at the Venice Neighborhood Council this past Tuesday. Mr. Bloomfield touched on his humanitarian efforts in the Middle East, I record which I am now learning about more fully. Mr. Waxman talked about his efforts in supporting Jewish families to make"Aliyah" or to immigrate to the Jewish homeland, Israel. After their ten minute presentations, the audience clapped, and the moderator began taking questions.

The first questioned offered by a member of the Congregation touched on the growing tensions between the United States and Israel, with growing concerns about US Government resistance to Israeli housing in the West Bank. The two candidates offered their views on this matter. Mr. Bloomfield's simple message needs to be heard around the country, a message which properly criticized President Obama's poor treatment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Praise your friends in public; criticize your friends in private." Good advice which our President needs to heed in regards to Israel.

The moderator then called on me, and I was about to ask my question, when Mr. Waxman interrupted me.

"This is a Republican blogger who has been writing nasty attacks about me."

With that, Rabbi Yossi in charge of the synagogue told me to sit down, since I was not a member of the community.

I protested that as a voter and a constituent in the district, I had every right and interest to participate and ask questions. The advertisement informed all readers that it was an "open forum". The Rabbi then interrupted me again, saying that he wanted the questions to come from those who were in the community who attended the Synagogue.

I could not believe what was happening. I intended to ask a simply question relating to Mr. Waxman's record of 'I don't know!" "I'm sorry!" and "We're not broke!" I was told to sit.

"What? I actually
have to answer
Your questions?

Bloomfield pointed out that the "Open Forum" was advertised for everyone to attend.

I approach the Rabbi at the back of the synagogue. I was upset and confused to say the least. I told him that the meeting was for members of the community. He then said we would talk about it later.

I sat down and raised me hand again -- twice more I was passed over. One of the constituents tapped me on the shoulder: "So they're not going to let you speak?"

That was the impression that I received. I then spoke to Mr. Waxman:

"I thought this was an open forum? What are you afraid of Mr. Waxman? That your record will come out. This is disgraceful."

Mr. Waxman labeled me the same in turn, then I left the proceedings.

As I was about to leave, the Rabbi approached me. He informed me that he had seen my blog. He was worried about  personal attacks. He did not want personal attacks. I responded that everything in my blog is based on public records and research. I would have added that I do not need to engage in personal attacks, for Waxman's record indicts him without any assistance from me or others.

The Rabbi kept telling me to "calm down" and then he charged me with "you're being hostile." I did not raise my voice or impugn anyone, but understandably I was offended  by their scandalous refusal  not to permit someone to ask questions at an open forum.

He then told me to leave, that I had lost my chance to share, claiming that he was going to let me share, but that I had "jumped up" and left. Outrageous.

I have never felt so at peace in my life. No matter what may happen, I know that voters are learning about the Congressman's record, and they see Bloomfield as a welcome and worthy alternative. Thank you to everyone who has visited and has spread the word about Congressman Henry Waxman. After thirty-eight  years in office, his record of raising taxes, spending time on issues either not paramount to the needs, and his unacceptable conduct with colleagues and inattention to detail  have gotten much needed attention.

Please defend free speech. Spread the Word. Send the message to your country that we elect the legislators, not the other way around. Vote for Bill Bloomfield for the 33rd!

Another Shout Out Against Waxman

For the first time in his 38-year incumbency, Congressman Henry Waxman is facing a real challenge to his re-election prospects. Throughout his lengthy career, Waxman coasted into victory by running in districts that were gerrymandered with a 60% Democratic advantage. Twice in his career he ran unopposed by a major party.

On June 6^th 2012, Independent Bill Bloomfield, co-founder of "No Labels", mounted a moneyed challenge to win the top-two spot to challenge Waxman in the new 33rd Congressional District, a new constituency which takes in the entire Santa Monica Bay, from Palos Verdes to Malibu. In this district, a real race is taking place in spite of the prognosticators who claim the district is “Safe Democratic.”

Congressman Waxman's tenure is marked with unaccountability and unpreparedness.

When Waxman was confronted about the basic laws regulating steroids and alcohol in this country, he admitted “I don’t know!”. He also admitted his ignorance about $15 million in stimulus dollars on steroid education. The only problem with this admission is that he was conducted heavy oversight hearings into steroid abuse at the time.

About the details of his own signature legislation, Cap and Trade, he also admitted in open committee that he did not know what was in his own bill, then he attempted to add a 300-page amendment to the legislation at the last minute.

Earlier this year, he declared: “I’m sorry that Solyndra happened!”,  a wasteful failure stemming from the failed federal loan guarantee program for green tech companies – authorized by President Obama. However, Waxman voted “No!” on the “No More Solyndras” Act.

In a recent budget committee hearing, Congressman Waxman admitted that he did not know that General Motors went bankrupt. This kind of ignorance has grown habitual with the Congressman, perhaps due to the arrogance of running in a safe district after all these years.

In open committee, not once by twice Waxman declared "We're not broke!" even though this country is facing multi-trillion dollar debt. He has voted against every working class and middle class tax cut since 2000. His neglect of the Brentwood VA is inexcusable, with thousands of homeless vets still waiting for adequate care and housing.

Bill Bloomfield is an Independent businessman from Manhattan Beach. He has refused party backing or special interest money. A fiscal conservative and moderate on social issues, Bloomfield deserves to serve in Congress.

Vote for Bill Bloomfield for the 33^rd!

Venice Hosts Waxman and Bloomfield

The Venice Neighborhood Council held its monthly meeting last night at Westminster Elementary on Abbot Kinney Road. That was my first time attending an LA Neighborhood Council Meeting. I love Venice, and I acknowledge the active involvement of those LA residents. When I saw the line of fifty-five people who wanted to join the Neighborhood Council, I almost jumped in line just for fun. I was really impressed with the former principal of Venice High, whose factual basis for joining the Neighborhood Council merits more attention.

As I am not a Venice resident, I was not particularly interested in the welfare or the future of the Ballona Wetlands -- just for that evening, mind you – but I was disappointed that the Sierra Club representatives did not receive more time to share their findings and support for the Wetlands. My biggest interest, though, was hearing from the two Congressional candidates running for the 33rd Congressional district, which now includes Venice all the way to the South Bay, including West Torrance, where I live. As far as that issue was concerned, I had a "factual" interest in what goes on in Venice!

I got to meet Bill Bloomfield and Congressman Waxman again -- Mr. Waxmanshook my hand and said "My blogger!" I was impressed, the guy is starting to pay attention. (visit "WaxmanWatch" -- waxmnwatch.blogspot.com -- to learn more about Waxman's rhetoric and record, and why he should not be running for office.) The two candidates gave ten-minute speeches to the Venice Neighborhood Council and the Venice community who attended, a large and billowing group, politically active yet respectable and respectful of differing interests. Bloomfield went first. He decried the hyperpartisanship eating at Congress and eating away our country's future. The Constitution requires Congress to pass a budget every ear, yet for three years Congress has refused to do even that. As a leader in the "No Labels" movement, Bloomfield supports "No Budget, No Pay" for members of Congress. Perhaps we could start by stripping Waxman of his income, as he is one of the most hyperpartisan members in Congress (Just ask Congressman Darrell Issa!).

Mr. Waxman came up next, and judging by the temper of the crowd, he did receive a warmer reception, yet tight crowds do not elect Congressmen; voters do, yet after thirty-eight years in a safe Democratic seat, Waxman would easily have forgotten that. As in previous meetings, Waxman outlined a number of legislative accomplishments that he has enacted in his thirty-eight year tenure: Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Ryan White Act. Yet all of this remembrance of things past is an act in itself.

Waxman has also claimed that he has frequently invested his time in the well-being and upkeep of the Brentwood VA, a sore issue which the New York Times and the LA Times has reported on. Time and again, Waxmanclaims that he has "written letters" to investigate, and he stopped "Republicans" from selling off the land. Yet upon a closer look at Waxman's tenure while he was chairman of The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2007 to 2009, what did Congressman Waxman investigate? Thanks to Waxman, we no longer have to worry about. . .lead in toys? He helped cut funds to the Drug Czar, but the President should not be appointing any non-accountable deputies in his administration in the first place, yet Waxman said nothing about this abuse of power.

Waxman investigated Hurricane Katrina, but the partisan theatrics was a party ploy: just disgraceful. I have commented and commended the Congressman for investigating waste in Iraq, yet following the establishment of an Embassy which rivaled the Vatican in size, Waxman sent more inspectors to investigate. After more government, and more waste, do the voters really want more Waxman?

Conspicuously missing form his list of "Oversight Accomplishments" was his foray into steroid abuse in baseball, a subject which he did not address at the Venice Neighborhood Council, either. In early 2008, Waxman "invited" Roger Clemens and other major league figures to testify. He was later acquitted of wrong-doing. A constituent confronted Waxman about steroid abuse and steroid education, but Waxman knew nothing about any of it.

Another missing topic from Waxman's"accomplishments": the misuse and abuse of the BrentwoodVA. For all of his time, tenure, and temper as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, surely the Congressman could have dragged the head of the VA before his committee to investigate the poor use and transfer of funds from private rentals and "sharing" taking place on the property. His "frustration" on the issues is contemptible posturing, at best.

Congressman Waxman may have assumed a "homecourt" advantage in Venice, but voters are waking up across the Santa Monica Bay. Thanks again to the Venice Neighborhood Council for sponsoring the two candidates' appearance at the meeting. I only hope that voters spend more time looking at the record, not just the rhetoric, of the two candidates and commit their district to a new contender, Bill Bloomfield. Our country and our veterans deserve better.

Henry Waxman: "Consistently Inconsistent'

"Come Again?"

The Venice Neighborhood Council held their October meeting at Westminster Elementary School on Abbot Kinney road. The highlight of the evening, two ten-minute presentations from the candidates running for election in the new 33rd Congressional district, took precedence in the early part of the meeting. Independent Bill Bloomfield outline his positions, policies, and platform, followed by Congressman Henry Waxman.

The only line of attack that Congressman Henry Waxman has left against Independent Bill Bloomfield is that he has been a registered Republican for the last twenty years, and that he contributed to Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

First, this matter of "Republican wolf in Independent sheep's clothing" needs to be addressed once and for all. Bloomfield has supported Democratic LA Councilmembers Jan Perry, Laura Lake, and even Eric Garcetti. I almost choke to think that he stood by Treasurer Phil Angelides, whose abortive run for governor in 2006 was forever marred and mocked by his walking amongst a crowd of cardboard-characters, stationary figures who appeared more like-like than he. Coincidentally enough, Democratic Assemblyman Mike Fueur was present at the Neighborhood Council meeting, touting his run for City Attorney -- another Democrat supported by Bill Bloomfield.

On another note, the prominent Republicans who have endorsed Bloomfield include moderate-liberal former LA Mayor Richard Riordian (and Bill supported Mayor Villaraigosa!). Point of fact, there would not be Neighborhood councils in the first place if it were not for the initiative of Mayor Riordan!

Bloomfield has supported his share of independents, as well, including former Maine Governor Angus King and retiring US Senator from Connecticut Joe Lieberman. What does Mr. Waxman say to that?

 After beating the same empty drum about Bloomfield's former party, Waxman proudly declared during the Venice Neighborhood Council Meeting October 23: "I am consistent. I am a proud Democrat."

Waxman Consistent? (I won't go into the inconsistency of "proud" and "Democrat")

Waxman wanted a single-payer public option for the Affordable Care Act, yet he ran away from that.

He admitted earlier this year:  "I'm sorry that Solyndra happened", then vote against the "No More Solyndras" Act. What?

He hammered the Koch Brothers conspiracy earlier this year, only to back off at the last minute, since the Koch Brothers have nothing to do with anything in Congress - aside from supporting candidates who support free markets and less government intrusion. Of course Congressman Waxman opposes their interests. -- "I love to legislate" is his mantra, and nothing says" "more government" and "more spending" like more legislation.

He wants to foster energy independence. Why has he opposed the XL Keystone extension?

Waxman oversaw oversight hearings on steroid abuse in baseball, only to admit to a constituent that you do not have the  slightest knowledge about this country's steroid or drinking laws? One oversight too many, it would seem.

Waxman went after waste in the Bush Administration's invasion and nation-building in Iraq. His response was to send more government to investigate. Really?

For decades, Waxman  blocked the "Subway to the Sea" along Wilshire, from Downtown to Santa Monica, yet now he is coming out  all in favor of it. For all of his claims that he cares about the health and well-being of the environment, the toll of traffic along all seventeen miles of Wilshire is still hurting our cars, our streets, our air, and Waxman did nothing about it.

In a July 2012  interview with CNN, Waxman said that this country is in a depression, than a recession, apparently unable to make up his mind. Inconsistent in the same interview.

He claims to be bipartisan, yet with ObamaCare and Cap and Trade, Waxman advanced both laws and pushed them through the House along the slimmest of margins. A majority of Americans still want ObamaCare repealed. As for "Cap and Trade",  Democratic US Senator Joe Manchin -- one of the many Democrats whom Bill Bloomfield has sponsored throughout his public life -- pledged during his campaign that he would shoot a bullet through Cap and Trade. The Bill died in the Senate following a close vote in the House, after a three hundred page amendment was added to the bill at the last minute. And I am sure he wants very few to hear about his ill treatment of colleagues  as chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

Waxman  says not once but twice in open committee  "We're not broke!" , and the national debt gets bigger.

Waxman -- Consistent? Hardly!

Bloomfield: Way Better than Mike Castle

To disaffected or unsure Republicans in the 33rd Congressional District:

I am well aware of the acrimony which staunch and stalwart conservatives have about Bill Bloomfield, a Republican turned Independent from Manhattan Beach.

He supports a number of policies which I do not entirely agree with.

He wants to repeal parts of ObamaCare -- the whole thing needs to be repealed, followed by proper reforms implemented without the extra two thousand pages which no one in Congress bothered to read, but every concerned voter got their hands on.

He supports Cap and Trade -- that is a Cap on Trade, a  program that will bust a Cap on any trade in this country.

He is pro-choice and he will not stand in the way of gay marriage. He voted "No!' on Prop 8.

In many ways, he reminds me of the liberal Republican from Delaware, Mike Castle, the one at-large House Rep from the First state. He had at best a 54% rating from the American Conservative Union, which some pundits argued was too liberal, too kind an estimate. He voted against the 2009 stimulus, he voted against ObamaCare, but on almost any other issue, including the social issues, he voted in line with the liberals in Congress.

So, what makes Bill Bloomfield better than Mike Castle, since they have many of the same views?

Bill had the integrity to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent, while Mike Castles insisted on staying the GOP, yet drifted from the party's clearly outlined platform on a number of issues. Because he refused to leave the party, the party was certainly leaving him, and for that reason he lost the fraught primary in September 2010 against Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell, who was neither competent nor competitive, but gave one gift of gaffe after another up until she lost the race by ten points.

Mike Castle was the better candidate, in part because he would win, yet because he was out of step with much of the Republican brand, he faced less and less of a chance of advancing his career. Bloomfield knew when it was time to leave the GOP, and so he did.

Bloomfield -- way better than Mike Castle, just right for the 33rd Congressional District.

Letter to "Yo Venice!"

Venice, California has remained a hot-spot for outspoken, liberal politics, yet I refused to believe that someone like me would not have the chance to make the case for getting rid of one of the most illiberal liberals in Congress, House Rep. Henry Waxman.

The LA-Congressman, for the first time in his 38-year tenure, is facing a real challenge, from Independent Bill Bloomfield of Massachusetts, a Manhattan Beach businessman and co-founder of No Labels. Taking advantage of the new Open Primary law, along with the Citizens’ Redistricting Efforts, Bloomfield is set to topple one of the longest serving incumbents in Washington. The new district where they are facing off, the 33^rd, takes in the entire Santa Monica Bay, from Palos Verdes to Malibu, from Agoura Hills to Beverly Hills. A wide constituency dominated by wealth and whiteness, the diverse elements in the Venice-Mar Vista area now have the chance to influence the outcome of an election which many pundits considered “safe Democratic.”

One GOP operative had told me that Venice, CA is a foregone conclusion for any conservative or non-Democratic candidate, so there was  no point in reaching out to the Democratic stronghold covered with alternative artisans and bums and marijuana clinics. I was also surprised when one campaign advocate reported that Venice residents consider Henry Waxman "right-wing". That sounds a lot like advocates for the single-payer junta, a measure which Waxman had pledged to pursue, yet failed to bring to the table in the discussions over ObamaCare. The more liberal as well as subtle conservative elements in the Venice area should not turn a blind eye to a Congressman who is on the PAC-dole with Big Pharma and who sides with the interests of public sector unions vs. public schools and taxpayers (Waxman opposes Prop 32, which Bloomfield sponsors and supports)

I do not condone going after Henry Waxman because he has not been "leftist" enough. He is one of the most left-leaning Congressman in the country, a politician who has voted out of step with his own party, voting down tax cuts over and over again. I do believe that voters throughout the new 33^rd Congressional District should know that this legislator bullies colleagues while admitting open ignorance on some of the most basic and essential issues facing this country today. Not even four months ago, he admitted in a House budget committee hearing that he did not know that GM went bankrupt. Three years prior, as the chairman of the House Energy Committee, he acknowledged that he did not know what was in his own Cap and Trade bill! No matter what one’s political affiliation, the voters in the Santa Monica Bay deserve competence, not just seniority.

I had an interesting excursion in Venice a few months ago, notwithstanding the "People's Republic" rhetoric which sand-bags some areas of Los Angeles as a no-man's-land for Congressional challengers who do not have a (D) in front of their name.

I was pleased by the warm reception which I received from a number of prospective voters. The younger people whom I spoke with liked the idea of getting rid of a long-termed incumbent. I even spoke with  a Jewish Republican who warmed up to the idea of getting rid of Henry Waxman.

Another voter in the area told me that he loves Waxman because he sticks up for the little guy, one of the last honest politicians left in Washington. When I told him that Waxman declared in open committee twice “We’re not broke!” in the face of crippling trillion dollar deficits, he started listening. When I shared with the voter that Waxman ran Oversight hearings on steroid abuse in baseball, yet at the same time he did not know the legal drinking age, or  the medical exceptions which exist for steroids or testosterone, I knew that I had his attention. After we discussed the issues, he told me that he would check out the information I shared with him.

One voter who had just moved from Oklahoma expressed his support for President Obama because he did not care for the "trickle down" theory of economics. "It's not trickling down fast enough," he shared with me. When I talked about the partisan gridlock in Congress, he admitted that he believed that was a big part of the problem. After establishing Bloomfield's "No Labels'" background, he was singing a different tune. "Well, at least you got me to think about it."

And sometimes that's all it takes.  Instead of labeling voters because of their location, I can reach out to independents throughout the Beach scene. The mood is anti-incumbent in Southern California, with junior Congressman Brad Sherman not just giving elder  “statesman” Howard Berman” a run for his money, but is now polling ahead of the long-term incumbent in the new 30^th Congressional district.

The mood that conservative voters in the South Bay, or in any part of the 33rd, should give  comfort in and take advantage of in taking down Henry Waxman the Taxman.

To the voters of Venice -- tell Washington that We the People, not "They the Politicians" choose our leaders. Vote out Waxman on November 6th!

"Grandma's Bottom Line" -- Misses the Mark

http://www.thewritedeal.org/grandma_story.php?id=51

I cannot believe that anyone would believe that the Top-Two Open Primary system is worse for wear.

We have not seen the final effects on our state and national political dramas yet, and someone is already taking the election reforms to task.

To say the least, I do not agree with their opinion regarding the results of the Open Primary and the top-two finishers.

Henry Waxman has avoided a real challenge since he came into office in 1974. It's time that he was no longer permitted to choose his own district and his own voters.

Ditto for Howard Berman. The Berman-Waxman machine is going down!

Frankly, to see two incumbent Democrats tussle for the same seat in the Valley is a win for everyone. Now the Valley voters can absorb the full brunt of an election which manifestly exposes the Democratic Party's agendas on social and fiscal issues. The personal attacks waging back and forth between these two Congressmen may be enough to tempt more Valley voters to go independent. Imagine a more fiscally conservative Democrat or independent running against the winner in this year's race!

Thomas Elias of Santa Monica pointed out that minority parties now cannot tweak general election results, which often times forced districts with a conservative majority to settle for a liberal winner, and vice versa. Minor party candidates can still shape the discussion on key issues, as they always have, but now for the first time they will not shift elections against like-minded majority party candidates.

Still, everyone of us should reserve judgment on the long-term efficacies of the new reforms

"The Veteran Vote" in the LA Times

Linda Bilmes of Harvard University claims that the veteran vote is crucial yet undecided for this year’s presidential election.

First, I want every veteran, every voter, to remember that our President announced the timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan while they are still stationed there.

Second, Obama has done nothing to expedite their return stateside.

Third, I ask voters in the 33^rd Congressional district to remember that incumbent Henry Waxman, for all of his seniority and authority, never bothered to investigate the private use and abuse of the Brentwood VA, while thousands of homeless veterans  have been struggling to survive on the street.

Not just the Presidential election, but Congressional candidates should pay attention the needs of our veterans. To learn more about the neglect and incompetence of Congressman Henry Waxman, who despite some token legislation, has failed to instigate reform and recovery at the Brentwood VA, visit “Waxman Watch” – waxmanwatch.blogspot.com.

Daily Breeze Praises Waxman -- Again?

Re "Waxman a valuable presence for area in D.C." (Editorial, Oct. 14):
I was pleased to read that the newspaper is endorsing Henry Waxman for re-election to Congress. Unfortunately, the endorsement article only made passing mention of the work he has done to protect our health and environment. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat are all safer because of his leadership in Congress. Congressman Waxman was one of the primary authors of the Clean Air Act amendments, saving tens of thousands of American lives every year by reducing toxic air pollution. Congressman Waxman sponsored the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, keeping dangerous pollutants out of our drinking water. Congressman Waxman provided leadership to establish the Food Quality Act, keeping the most dangerous pesticides out of our food. We need to re-elect Henry Waxman so he can continue working to protect our health and environment.

"We need to re-elect Henry Waxman so he can continue working to protect our health and environment."

Then why did he block the "Subway to the Sea?" The traffic congestion along Wilshire is hurting our health and the environment.

Obama-WaxmanCare has increased premiums, decreased access, and has forced more hospitals to close -- not to mention the huge tax increase on struggling families.

Waxman refused to amend the Clean Water Act, a vague statute twice struck down by the SCOTUS.

We need to elect Bill Bloomfield -- visit "Waxman Watch" -- waxmanwatch.blogspot.com

End the reign of Waxman the Taxman!

Another Take on the Effects of Obama-WaxmanCare

Twice in the past few months, the “Argonaut” has published a few articles about the effects of the “Affordable Care Act” (otherwise known as“ObamaCare”) on Venice and Santa Monica Clinics.

Congressman Henry Waxman, the law’s chief sponsor, paid a visit to the Venice Family Clinic Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center to tout the benefits of the new law (September 24).

I wish that I could have told him about the major corporations (Sears and The Olive Garden ) who are pushing employees off their health coverage because the Affordable Care Act has made health care unaffordable. I wish I had been there to share the frustrating testimony of a retired teacher who has had four doctors in the last month because each doctor is retiring because of the extra paperwork from Obama's legislation. It's too bad that he did not mention the hospitals that are closing our suffering from lack of funds because of the raid on Medicare. The New York Times reported that the IRS recently interpreted the statute to exclude family members if the primary income earner is receiving health coverage from the employer.

ObamaCare puts a tax on medical equipment and on homeowners once they sell their homes. How many families will be smiling when they find huge tax increases hammering them in the next few years, the enforcing part of the individual mandate/tax?

Mr. Waxman's bill was ill-conceived then and remains so now,and all of the photo-ops will do nothing to amend the crippling financial and medical losses that this country will sustain because of this law. Health insurance purchased across state lines, an end to licensure laws for physicians, and Health Savings Accounts (which Waxman voted against), would do more to bring down costs and expand access in this country.

Waxman Trumpets the Affordable Care Act

http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2012/09/28/news_-_features/top_stories/2.txt

I love the "Argonaut" Newspaper.

Champion of the "Un-Affordable Care Act"

This was one of the first Southern California newspapers that printed my articles, outside of the generally understood South Bay area!

I loved their local pieces on education, especially, but I found myself finding a real platform for taking down the "cottage industry" legislation of State Senator Ted Lieu. To this day, I do not understand why our local representatives spend more time protecting sharks' fins from going into people's soup, or why we must protect minors from tanning salons, or why pet owners should microchip their pets.

Yet like Senator Lieu, Congressman Henry Waxman has advanced legislation which has done nothing for the well-being of his constituents here in Southern California, aside from granting him more press, I suppose, or shoring up the liberal-progressive base which believes that more government is good government.

From Cap and Trade to ObamaCare, Waxman thinks that more regulation, more oversight is what we need. "I love to legislate" he declared proudly in one interview, yet the truth is that we need less legislation, less regulation, less strangulation

Waxman paid a visit to the Venice Family Clinic Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center to tout the benefits of the new law (September 24).

I wish that I could have been there to tell him about the major corporations who are pushing employees off their health coverage because the Affordable Care Act has made health care all the more unaffordable. I wish I had been there to share the frustrating testimony of a retired teacher who  has had four doctors in the last month because each doctor is retiring because of the extra paperwork from Obama's legislation. It's too bad that he did not mention the hospitals that are closing are suffering from lack of funds because of the raid on Medicare. The New York times reported that the IRS recently interpreted the statute to exclude family members if the primary income earner is receiving health coverage from the employer.

Health coverage exists right now for people who can thank Waxman for avoiding a heart-attack or for being able to stay on their parents' plan until they are twenty-six. Yet how many families will be smiling when they find huge tax increases hammering them in the next few years, a big part of the individual mandate/tax?

Mr. Waxman's bill was ill-conceived then and remains so now, and all of the photo-ops along Lincoln Blvd. will do nothing to amend the crippling financial and medical losses that this country will sustain because of this law.

Independent Voice Endorses Bill Bloomfield

Free Us From the Bondage of Waxman!

http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-11724/ IndependentGroupEndorsesBloomfieldOverWaxman

Waxman is wearing thing when it comes to endorsements.

Another independent group has stepped out to stump for Bloomfield.

With the sad endorsement of The Daily Breeze for Bloomfield, one would think that this race would be locked up.

Of course, The Daily Breeze editorial board has also endorsed Al Muratsuchi for Assembly, even though the union-backed Democrat, with hundreds of thousands of dollars to burn, cannot edge out Craig Huey, the small businessman who wants to make government small and make the voice of the voter big!

With union-bought Muratsuchi and career-politician Waxman running phone banks in the same building (in Torrance, CA), the voters do not have to guess but can affirm that these two politicians are not independent in the slightest.

Every independent voice, Republican, Democrat, or Decline to State -- say "No!" to one more term of Congressman Henry Waxman!

Waxman Making Robo Calls -- Really?

http://amyalkon.mensnewsdaily.com/2012/10/18/i-dont-maintain-a-phone-line-to-make-sleazy-politicians-sales-efforts-cheaper/

I would have thought that Congressman Waxman would not have to resort to robots to make pitches on his behalf to the voters.

I thought that he had quite a following to begin with.

It seems that Waxman's support is dwindling considerably, after all.

Despite the fact that he has four phone banks, it seems as if no one is willing to make calls on his behalf.

This is looking more and more like Bloomfield's election to win. At least he does not have to break telemarketer laws to get the word out on his candidacy.

Robocalls are illegal in the state of California. Then again, I do not expect  Congressman Waxman to be aware of that, since he has not lived in this state ever since he went to Congress in 1974.

Bernman-Waxman "Unraveling"

http://www.dailybreeze.com/columnists/ci_21666050/dan-walters-berman-waxman-grip-loosening

Thank goodness for the reporting of Dan Walters.

I cannot say that I share some of his sobering cynicism on the state of California politics.

I will say, however, that I wish that I had read his article sooner on the Berman-Waxman machine.

Some in the new CA-30th had chided me because I wanted to end the Berman-Waxman machine, telling met that it no longer exists.

After this election, without a doubt it will no longer be running. Berman has poured millions into his own - not his "won" -- reelection fight! Waxman, for the first time EVER has to defend his seat.

Prop 11 and Prop 14 should have been passed decades ago. Never again should machines dominate politics in any region of the state. That is just contrary to the best interests of republicanism.

Every term, every legislator must compete for his seat. Berman-Waxman are going down!

"I Love Henry Waxman" (I just can't say why!)

"I Love You, Mr. Waxman"
(But Don't Ask Me Why!)

Congressman Henry Waxman, he is the gift who keeps on giving. He is the primary reason why the state of California needed electoral reform, for over three decades he chose his own district, his own voters, and never had to campaign. Instead, he and his partner in politics  Howard Berman funded other races as part of their machine. He and other career politicians pushed reformers like Bill Bloomfield to advance Open Primaries and Citizens’ Redistricting Commissions, and we got them! You are the reason why machine politicians have seen their sway cut short. Berman is in big trouble, and so are you.

Even though I openly despise your progressive, liberal views, even though I cannot think of living in a country which maintains a decent standard of living once Cap and Trade is enacted. Nor do I think that the voters in this district should settle for a candidate who never met a tax cut he liked,  but loves to spend and divest money from entitlement to another.

Still, I have to hand it to you – you have generated quite a following with the voters in your previous constituencies. Now, whether that’s good thing or not, that’s another story – not that there’s anything wrong with that!

“I love Henry Waxman” – this is what I hear from voters in the 33^rd, but for some reason, they cannot say why.

Well, at least that’s what voters throughout the 33^rd Congressional District have told me.

One Santa Monica resident told me flat out: “I love Henry Waxman. He’s really tough!” Don’t get me wrong. I liked this guy. He was willing to listen to a South Bay 33^rd like me.

When  I asked him about what policies he supports, the older  man grew kind of quiet and perplexed. “Well, it’s hard to explain. . .” Interesting. He could not gush more about his man-crash on Waxman, yet the reasons just escaped him. Now, if this was some private bromance, I would not have cared any less. But Waxman wants to represent the entire Santa Monica Bay, and a lot of hoopla about “I Like Him!” just doesn’t cut it.

Still, this guy was willing to listen. When I told him about the Dingell-Waxman dust-up over the Energy Committee Chairmanship, he was surprised. “All right, I’ll look into it. You can’t change my mind, it’s up to me, but at least you were willing to talk to me.”

I wish I could say the same about Congressman Waxman. If he had sat down with Senate Democrats, like West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, Waxman would have drafter a bill that would have dealt with carbon pollution without killing businesses. Manchin pledged in one campaign ad that he would shoot a bullet through Cap and Trade, refuse to let it become law. Waxman had the change to craft something bipartisan, yet chose not to.

A few minutes later, I approached another elderly gentleman,  who was reading the Sunday newspaper. He was a quite type, more grave than gregarious. When I told him about the upcoming election, and about the contest between Bloomfield and Waxman, he gruffly replied, “I like Waxman.” When I asked him to explain why, he just got scared, then buried his face in his paper. For whatever reason, he was not willing to tell me anything.

Sometimes I run into people from Santa Monica running around in the South Bay. One guy, an athletic type who was cycling around in the Lomita area, was willing to trade some tales about Waxman. “He’s great! He helped somebody who needed help with Social Security.”

I am not at all against a Congressman stick up for his constituents. But when  I told the man about the trillions of dollars of debt, he fired back – “Then raise taxes.” Of course, he did not care that raising taxes on high income earners, businesses and billionaires, would do nothing about our government’s spending problem.  Waxman does favors here and there for individual voters, but he has to represent everyone.

Happily, I have met other Democrats who are open-minded. One guy in Venice told me: “I love Waxman. He’s the last honest politician we have left.” When I told him that he did not know what was in his own bill, that he says “We’re Not Broke!” in the face of trillions of dollars of debt, he signaled: “I’ll check it out.” No matter what your affiliation, competence and constitutionality count, and Waxman has neither.

Now The Daily Breeze loves Waxman. In their editorial (also published in their sister paper the “LA Daily News” ), they endorse his seniority. Yet Waxman’s influence did nothing to aid our veterans in the Brentwood-Greater Los Angeles area. His influence pushed on this country an unpopular mandate-tax (ObamaCare) which raided Medicare while driving up costs, which a majority of voters still want repealed. By his influence, he blocked the Subway to the Sea, which would have decreased traffic and protected the environment and the roads from Downtown to Santa Monica. I love clean water, yet Waxman  did nothing to amend the poorly written Clean Water Act, twice in six years struck down by the Supreme Court.

The Daily Breeze editorial board wrote that Waxman is the “better fit” for the 33^rd District – in other words: “We Love Henry Waxman – We just can’t say why!”

"I love Henry Waxman" -- a nice sentiment, yet not sensible policy. Vote for Bill Bloomfield for the 33rd!