Your hunch at the gas pump was right. In advance of recent federal elections, oil companies seemed to have lowered gas prices--a move that's benefited the party in power: Republicans. But now there's conclusive evidence that you weren't nuts.

Last week, the good folks over at The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights released data demonstrating that oil companies sharply reduced gas prices in the months before the last three federal elections. After the Republicans retained their political power in the 2002 and 2004 elections our gas prices rose, according to the data.

"This pattern of the last three election years is an indication that motorists who smell something fishy in the rollercoaster prices they've endured this year may be on to something," said FTCR President Jamie Court. "The rise to record high gasoline prices this spring unleashed a wave of justified criticism of bloated oil company profits. Now the price drop in the pre-election period, by a percentage well beyond reductions in the price of oil, smells just as bad."

Oil industry lobbyists--fearful that Democrats might launch probes into price fixing allegations--have made no secret of their desire for Republicans to retain power of Congress. The industry has given a whopping $80 million to national Republican candidates in just the last six years. In current races for Congress, nearly 85 percent of oil bidness (sorry, it's from my Texas past) money has been funneled to GOP lawmakers.

But the biggest gift to Republicans was at the pumps.

Wall Street oil analyst Andy LaPerriere admitted to a national TV audience last week, "You see what appears to be almost a perfect correlation that the president's approval is really driven by gas prices."

Still, LaPerriere says it's "preposterous" for anyone to believe the lower prices are anything more than a coincidence.

Uh-huh.

Who's willing to bet that gas prices won't rise again in the weeks following this election?

Here is the letter in English that was sent to people with Latino surnames in the central Orange County congressional district represented by Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), who is opposed in the November election by Republican Tan Nguyen. The California Attorney General's office reportedly suspects Nguyen's campaign was behind the letter, which has been chastised by leaders of both parties.

Greetings [NAME WITHHELD],

You are being sent this letter because you were recently registered to vote. If you are a citizen of the United States, we ask that you participate in the democratic process of voting.

You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time, and you will be deported for voting without having a right to do so.

At the same time, you are advised that the government of the United States is installing a new computer system to verify the names of all new registered voters that vote in the October and November elections. Anti-immigration organizations can ask for information from this new computer system.

Unlike Mexico, here there is no incentive to vote. There is not a voter registration card in the United States. Therefore, it is useless and dangerous to vote in any election if you are not a citizen of the United States.

Do not listen to any politician that tells you the opposite. They are only looking out for their own interests. They only want to win elections without any regard to what happens to you.

Sincerely,

Sergio Ramirez

Someone from the Chapman U Federalist Society asked that we notify our readers about the event we're going to notify you about in a couple secs. But, as we explained to the chap/chapette, we will not be able to notify readers in the print edition about this event because we got the notice from the Federalists a few minutes ago--and the hard copy this would appear in was printed the night before due to the early Best of OC deadlines. Of course, getting it to us Wednesday afternoon would be too late during a regular week as well. Remember, kiddies: two weeks before an event date. It's not like we sit around here, twiddling our thumbs, going, "Gee, wouldn't it be nice if someone would send us one more political-event notice so we can finish filling up our paper so we can take it to the printer?" Homey don't play that way.

Most weeks.

Here's that deal the Federalists--who we don't mean to disrespect; it's hard cranking out press releases long hand on parchment paper--wanted for you to know about:

This Friday: Proposition 90 Debate in Orange County

What: Symposium on eminent domain issues and DEBATE ON PROPOSITION 90 (initiative that would restrict eminent domain) . Free to general public. Attorneys may receive 3 CLE units for $15 ($10 for current Federalist Society members). Co-sponsored by Chapman University Federalist Society and Pacific Legal Foundation.

More information at PLF's website: www.pacificlegal.org

Where: Chapman Law School, Room 237, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866.

When: Friday, October 20 1:00 p.m.

Panel One: History of Eminent Domain and Current Controversies. 3:30 p.m.

Panel Two: DEBATE on Prop. 90, which, if passed, would restrict eminent domain and other regulation. "Yes on 90": Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Riverside; Professor Gideon Kanner, Loyola Law School "No on 90": Gary Patton, Planning and Conservation League; Ken MacVey, Best Best Krieger Moderator: Dave Stirling, Pacific Legal Foundation 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Reception.

You are invited to a discussion and debate on property rights and eminent domain this Friday afternoon, October 20, at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, California. Co-sponsored by PLF, the event is entitled, "Eminent Domain: An Imminent Danger?" Lead-off speaker will be PLF attorney Timothy Sandefur, whose new book, "Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in 21st Century America," has just been published by the Cato Institute. Another highlight will be a DEBATE on Proposition 90, the California statewide initiative that would bar eminent domain for private projects and impose other restrictions on land use regulations. David Stirling, PLF's vice president and a Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, will moderate the debate. Speaking in support of Proposition 90 will be Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Riverside, and Loyola Law School Professor Gideon Kanner, one of the nation's leading authorities on property rights law. The "no" side will be represented by prominent eminent domain attorney Ken MacVey, and Gary Patton, executive director of the Planning and Conservation League. Along with Pacific Legal Foundation, the event is co-sponsored by the law firm of Nossaman Gunther Knox Elliot, and the Chapman University Federalist Society. Admission is free, but attorneys may receive three units of CLE credit for $15 ($10 for current Federalist Society members). The first presentation starts at 1:00 p.m.; the debate commences at 3:30 p.m.; and a cheese and wine reception follows at 5:00 p.m. Chapman University School of Law is at One University Drive, Orange CA 92866. For more information, visit PLF's website: www.pacificlegal.org. For directions, visit Chapman's web page.

We told you about how American Hardcore--the documentary about hardcore punk rock that Orange County helped spawn--was the No. 1 film at Regal/Edwards University across from UCI the week it opened. That film was based on producer Steven Blush's book of the same title, as we mentioned in our chat with the former hardcore promoter. So what's Blush's page-turning encore? Why, American Hair Metal, of course. Now, before you get your Spandex all in a bunch, let Bluth's publisher, Feral House, explain:

Perhaps you hated it, maybe you loved it. Grunge chased it into
seeming oblivion, but Feral House has it back in full spandex,
lipstick and Aqua Net glory. Yes, that's right: the extravagant and
often hilarious surfaces of AMERICAN HAIR METAL by Steven Blush, with
amazing photo contributions from William Hames, Eddie Malluk and
Frank White.

Kevin Naff raises an interesting observation in his New York Blade editorial "Gay Republicans in the Hot Seat":

WITH THE MAINSTREAM media engaged in wall-to-wall Mark Foley scandal coverage for a solid week, attention turned awkwardly (and predictably) to the subject of gay Republicans.

Who are these people? How can they work for a party that demonizes them? Is D.C. controlled by a Velvet Mafia? And, most importantly, what about "The List," a compendium of closeted Republicans that is rumored to be circulating on the Hill?

The salacious story of "The List" emerges every year or two, usually before an election, to vex the Hill's closet cases. The ironic twist this time around concerns the strange bedfellows seeking to out those closeted Republicans.

Some conservative Christian activists last week were pushing to expose gay Republicans, who they view as damaging the party by conspiring to protect one of their own -- Foley. Meanwhile, some decidedly left-of-center gay rights activists, most notably Mike Rogers of blogactive.com, have been working for years to out closeted Hill Republicans. Strange bedfellows, indeed.

"Rep. David Dreier of California--who incidentally was voted the best-dressed Congressman on the Hill in September's Washingtonian magazine with Foley finishing second--was outed in the alternative publication L.A. Weekly after he stringed together a record of anti-gay votes on DOMA, gay adoption, hate crimes and employment discrimination. Bloggers have been sniping ever since, but mainstream outlets haven't touched it." A different New York Blade article

"Mike Rogers, president of Proud of Who We Are and the nation's top gay activist blogger, last night reported that U.S. Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) is a gay hypocrite, during an evening drive-time radio interview on KABC in Los Angeles." U.S. Newswire

"It is in the closet where people like Rep. David Dreier, Mark Foley, ex-Rep. Ed Schrock and Sen. Lindsey Graham all reside, where morals and values are corrupted." WorldNetDaily letter

"The mainstream American press (and a good portion of the blogoshpere) has played a huge role in supporting this coalition by refusing to discuss the homosexuality of Republican Party leaders like Ken Mehlman, head of the Republican National Committee; Lindsay Graham, Senator from South Carolina and one of the prosecutors in the Clinton impeachment trial; and David Dreier, Representative from California and head of the House Rules Committee." Xavier, commenting on "Barney Frank: Gay GOP Like Secret Jews" on Towleroad ("a blog with homosexual tendacies")

Pat Buchanan "gets hysterical about Republican congressmen David Dreier and Michael Huffington both being pole-smokers, accuses Rove and Mehlman of being a homos and goes off on Jeff Gannon." Howie Klein's DownWithTryanny! blog

* * *

After class was over, Dreier took us out back and banged us good. Ah, those were the days ...

We keep waiting for Arnold Schwarzenegger to show his true colors, especially with the media reports over the weekend indicating that while the country may swing left in the next election, California may swing back to the right. Surely, then, Schwarzenegger is just biding his time, waiting for more Republicans to get into office so that he can ditch this moderate/left-of-center shit and be the goose-stepping Reaganite he's always dreamed of being.

Well, if that's the future that awaits us, ol' Schwarzy sure is making it interesting. With the environment, especially, Schwarzenegger seems to be setting California on an irreversible road to eco-responsibility. Today, he announced that Caleefohneeyuh will participate in the carbon cap-and-trade program being established in seven Northeast states. "Governor Schwarzenegger wants to build a large, robust carbon trading market that will dramatically reduce emissions," said a spokesman. "The more robust the market, the more effective we will be." But business and industry--the forces then-candidate Ahnuld demanded must be massaged, un-regulated and groped if need be to prevent their Cali-flight--ain't exactly as excited as the big lunk on this one, although a California Manufacturers and Technology Association rep did grudgingly agree that "implementing a cap-and-trade and allowing manufacturers to offset some of the substantial costs will help manufacturers deal with the greenhouse-gas mandate."

Until the GOP wins back the Legislature, that is.

Check out this comment to the long-ago post Funniest Line of the Year--about a reputed white supremacist who punched a black man in a wheelchair--from a friend of the suspect who claims to have witnessed the incident. Enlightening.

The Southern California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has accused two politicos of smear campaigning and fear mongering in separate Orange County races.

Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the CAIR office based in Anaheim, cited the remarks by former California Republican Party chairman Shawn Steel, who in a letter called Anaheim City Council candidate Bill Dalati, who is of Arab descent, a "Manchurian candidate." He also questioned Dalati's patriotism for supporting political candidates opposed to George W. Bush's Iraq policies, and criticized Dalati for participating in a rally--attended by Christians, Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths--that called for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East. Steel, who supports the candidacy of Dalati's incumbent opponent Bob Hernandez, "has a history of Islamophobia," and "he once claimed Islam is a diseased religion," reports CAIR.

Meanwhile, CAIR is also lashing out against Tan Nguyen, the Republican seeking to upset popular Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove). Nguyen has angered local Muslims with "his offensive and inflammatory use of a photograph of a Middle Eastern terrorist to link the hot-button issues of illegal immigration and terrorism," claims CAIR, which notes that Sanchez has worked closely with all religious groups, including Muslims.

"We call on all Californians to repudiate attempts to spread fear of Islam and Muslims by falsely labeling Arab-American and Muslim candidates seeking office as extremists," Ayloush says. "It is disturbing to see public officials exploit growing anti-Muslim prejudice and bias within our society by using smear campaigns and fear mongering."

Read all about it in UCI's New University.

Nikki Finke, who's all over the changing of the top guard at the LA Times, has a follow-up on a profile on their new publisher David Hiller soft-peddling his past, which included him being part of a controversial Reagan Administration U.S. immigration policy calling for "concentration camps."

Nikki Finke at our sistah paper LA Weekly gets the scoop you won't read in the LA Times about their high-level shake-up, where the current publisher has been fired, a Tribune toadie has been hired and editor Dean Baquet has shown himself to be a gutless wonder.

Longtime readers of Dan Savage's sex-advice column in the Weekly and scores of other alternative publications (including the one Dan edits, The Stranger of Seattle) may recall the direct hit he took at Sen. Rick Santorum three years ago after the Pennsylvania Republican publicly equated homosexuality and bestiality. For you newbie readers, Savage organized a contest to name a sex act after the Republican senator, and the winning reader response involved a frothy substance produced after anal sex. A recent Daily Show bit even made a shout out to that substance, something Jon Stewart tried to rush through quickly due to basic-cable content protocols, but for the loud laughter of his knowing audience.

Now Savage is squaring off against Santorum--the senator, not the goo--on the religious right winger's home turf. Savage recently talked to Philadelphia Weekly about efforts to defeat Santorum's midterm re-election bid. When questioned about his take-no-prisoners crusade, Savage says, "I really feel that it's an all-hands-on-deck sort of fucking moment."

As everyone surely now knows, The Drudge Report has solved the Mark Foley mystery. As you know, Republicans are all about taking responsibility for one's actions. As they demonstrate here, they are indeed taking responsibility--for having an innocent "prank" about pedophilia (nice sense of humor, guys) fall into the hands of evil Democrats (oxymoron?). We just just picture Bill and Hill and Monica, hunched over the computer, copying, pasting and sending Foley's prank out to the masses.

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU OCT 5 2006 2:53:48 ET XXXXX

CLAIM: FILTHY FOLEY ONLINE MESSAGES WERE PAGE PRANK GONE AWRY
**World Exclusive**
**Must Credit the DRUDGE REPORT**

According to two people close to former congressional page Jordan Edmund, the now famous lurid AOL Instant Message exchanges that led to the resignation of Mark Foley were part of an online prank that by mistake got into the hands of enemy political operatives, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

According to one Oklahoma source who knows the former page very well, Edmund, a conservative Republican, goaded Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos. The prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats. This source, an ally of Edmund, also adamantly proclaims that the former page is not a homosexual. The prank scenario was confirmed by a second associate of Edmund.

The news come on the heels that former FBI Chief Louis Freeh has been named to investigate the mess.

Developing...---------------------------------------------------

Hi all!
I'm sure you've heard about the latest Republican hypocrite, Florida congressman Mark Foley. He is a Right Wing "Family Values" Republican who chaired a committee to fight child predators. It seems this "Family Values" congressman actually pursued sex with teenage boys over the Internet. The irony is that these Conservatives who preach morality and family values are the very ones committing the acts they rail against.

And for those of you who think this is an isolated incident for Right Wing Republicans, check out the list below. I copied this list from a newsgroup. Each entry can be verified through an Internet search.

(Warning: I apologize in advance for sending you something that will make you sick to your stomach, but I think it is important that people be aware of this pattern of hypocrisy)

Republican Florida Congressman Mark Foley, who was co- chair of the House Caucus on Exploited Children, is alleged to have pursued sex with teenage male Congressional pages via the Internet.

Republican and Christian Conservative Orange County, CA activist Jeffrey Ray Nielsen has been charged with having sex with a 14-year old boy and owning a large collection of child pornography. The case is currently being prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney.

Matthew Glavin, President of the Conservative Legal Foundation (which attempted
to destroy Clinton for his sexual conduct), was arrested in Atlanta, GA in
2000. He was arrested for masturbating in front of an undercover male police
officer, and trying to fondle him. He plead no contest to a similar charge in
1996.

Republican fund-raiser and president of the Conservative Legal Affairs Council, Richard Delgaudio, pleaded guilty in Baltimore, Maryland to production of child pornography. During the 1990's Delgaudio called Clinton "a lawbreaker and a terrible example to our nation's young people." Delgaudio pleaded guilty to committing a lewd sexual act with a child on film.

Republican California Assemblyman Steve Samuelian who ran as a "conservative's conservative," has been caught a second time (first time in 1998) by police attempting to solicit sex from prostitutes in Fresno, California. He is married.

Conservative Christian leader Randall Terry, most notable for his leadership of
the radical anti-abortion organization "Operation Rescue," and the traditional
marriage Christian group "Loyal Opposition," has left his wife Cindy, after
allegations of extramarital affairs with several women, both married and
unmarried. Terry's own pastor at Landmark Church in Binghamton, NY, Daniel J.
Little, said he is "shocked and bewildered" at Terry's actions.

John Schmitz (R-Orange County, CA), former congressman (1970's) and one-time
presidential candidate (one of the original family values conservatives): had
his career ended when it was discovered that he had two out-of-wedlock
children. His daughter Mary Kay LeTourneau, made national headlines when as a
school teacher, she was arrested twice for having sex with an underage boy (13
years old), of which she had two children by. She is currently in jail.

Conservative "Family Values" Republican Congressman Henry Hyde (R-Illinois): had a five-year affair with a married woman with kids, eventually breaking up her family.

Bob Barr (R-Georgia): the principal sponsor of the 1996 Defense of Marriage
Act, has been married three times.

Former Republican Speaker of the House Bob Livingston (R-Louisiana): admitted
to having several adulterous affairs. Had to resign because of it.

Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia): divorced wife as she recovered from cancer surgery.
Also allegedly had oral sex in the driveway of his wife's home with a woman not
his wife.

Dick Armey (R-Texas): as an economics professor before entering Congress, was
accused of sexually harassing female students, according to the Dallas
Observer.

John Peterson (R-Pennsylvania): has been accused of sexual harassment and
hostile-work-environment claims by six women.

Dan Burton (R-Indiana):had illegitimate child. Never kept in contact with
child and refused to give child his last name.

Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho): one of first to condemn Clinton, admitted to having
an extramarital affair herself.

J.C. Watts (R-Oklahoma): has said "Character is simply doing right when no one
is looking." Watts has tried to cover up his out-of-wedlock child.

Republican Far Right Segregationist, U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.

Conservative pastor Terry Smith of Canyon Creek Baptist Church in Texas, was
issued a Notice to Appear in court for stealing condoms from the local Skaggs
Alpha Beta store in Plano, Texas. Two co-workers at the church, Mary Miller and
Debbie Coleman, said Smith made unwanted sexual advances to them, possibly
explaining his need for condoms.

Conservative Christian preacher Stephen White was arrested after allegedly offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy to perform oral sex on him.

Former Conservative Christian Television Evangelist Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker
were relinquished of their pastoral positions after Bakker was found guilty and
jailed for financial improprieties. He was also known for bizarre sexual
practices including alleged "group sex" activities with several male staffers
and a female staffer.

Former Conservative Christian Television Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, had to
resign from his TV ministry after being caught masturbating with a prostitute.

Paul Crouch of Conservative Christian Trinity Broadcasting paid $425,000 in "Hush" money to cover up a Gay affair he was having.

Ken Calvert (R-California): said this of Clinton: "We can't forgive what
occurred between the President and Lewinsky." Calvert, a Christian Coalition ally, was
caught by police in 1993 receiving oral sex from a prostitute. His ex-wife also
sued him for failure to pay alimony.

Republican mouthpiece Rush Limbaugh talks about "the sanctity of marriage," but has been married three times himself.

Republican talk show host Jon Matthews of Houston was indicted for indecency with a child, including exposing his genitals to a girl under the age of 17.

Republican Sussex County Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for possession of child pornography of a 5 year-old girl being raped.

Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.

Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.

Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a minor and sentenced to one month in jail. .

Republican Seminole County GOP Chair Jim Stelling is a "family values" Republican who has been married 5 times.

Former Spokane Republican Mayor Jim West, railed against homosexuality and supported a bill to ban Gays from working in schools and daycare centers. His political career came crashing down when it was found that he had an affair with an 18 year-old boy.

Director of the Young Republican Federation, Nicholas Elizondo, was convicted and sentenced to 6 years in prison for molesting his 6 year-old daughter.

Religious Right Anti Abortion activist Nicholas Morency, who set up a bounty to "kill abortion doctors," plead guilty to child pornography on his computer.

Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.

Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child.

Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.

Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a juvenile and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks, an advisor to a California assemblyman, was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.

Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.
Republican former Tennessee State Senator Jeff Miller sponsored the "Tennessee Marriage Protection Act," and was divorced because he had an affair while married.

Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling confessed to molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.

Republican Party leader Paul Ingram of Thurston County, Washington, pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

Republican St. Louis Election Board official Kevin Coan was arrested and charged with trying to buy sex from a 14-year-old girl whom he met on the Internet.

Former Republican committeeman for Hadley Township Missouri, Andrew Buhr, was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.

Republican Tennessee State Representative, Keith Westmoreland, was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to minors under 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).

Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15 year old girl.

Republican Nevada State Representative, Richard Gardner, admitted to molesting his two daughters.

Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

Republican parole board officer and former Colorado State Representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

Republican strategist Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the Internet
Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a minor working as a congressional page.

Most cases are detailed in: Stanley Hilton and Anne-Renee Testa's field guide from St. Martin's, Glass Houses: Shocking Profiles of Congressional Sex Scandals and Other Unofficial Misconduct; the Los Angeles Times; and the Washington Post.

The Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the Environment presents its 9th annual Caring for Creation Interfaith Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Tustin. The event, which is open to all, explores "the moral imperative of all people of faith to address the urgent environmental problems facing humankind." Creation Spirituality leader Matthew Fox gives the keynote address, an Earth Celebration with Native American dance and music will be presented and representatives of the world's faiths give environment-tinged readings. Workshops give tips on integrating a commitment to the environment into daily life. For admission charges and to make reservations, call co-chairs Sherri Loveland at (714) 552-0333 or Margaret Henke at (714) 731-6775, or visit here.

Faith and the environment is a hot topic right now--particularly as the world you know who created in seven days is getting hotter. Check this out from the Grist online environmental magazine:

A surge of ecological concern among evangelical Christians could invigorate the fight against climate change, and even the environmental movement as a whole. Renowned journalist Bill Moyers investigates this trend in the PBS special Is God Green?, which airs on Oct. 11; watch an exclusive preview on the Grist website. And Grist will delve into the topic more deeply in a special series that begins today, which includes an interview with Moyers, a report from Bill McKibben, and a chat with evangelical author J. Matthew Sleeth. Stay tuned for more over the coming days, including an interview with famed biologist E. O. Wilson about his new book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth.

The Environmental Defense online magazine has a story on Weekly contributing photographer Russ Roca, who manages to ply his trade without the use of an automobile, instead relying on a specially rigged bicycle. It's been a great arrangement for us, too, since instead of cold-hard cash, Russ accepts payment in the form of bubble-gum cards in his spokes.

All this crap on the tele and the funny papers about ex-Florida Congressman Mark Foley has got Clockwork mighty jealous. See, mostly years ago, not so much lately, we often found ourselves completely blotto on the booze. There were times when we said stupid things, did stupid things and spewed stupid things. There was the time we blacked out after a wedding and awoke on a couch in a puddle of re-rendered Kamikaze shots, not remembering climbing in the car, driving home and arriving at our final, vomitous destination.

Now, in all those incidents--except perhaps the blackout; who knows what we did on the drive home--at no time did we feel the need to turn on a computer, open IM and start engaging in pedophilic talk with a boy. How one could type such a long, involved, thought-out exchange, with near perfect punctuation, while, as Foley and his mouthpiece are now saying, he was secretly drunk . . . well, that's just amazing. Hats off to you, ex-Mr. Congressman! The thought of even READING an IM while totally toasted would be enough to make us short out the keyboard and monitor with our up-chucked gimlets. Mark Foley, you are our new superstar.

But there's another part of what Foley and his high-priced shark are saying that's got us confused. His lawyer also admitted that Foley is gay--and the journos on the tele and in the funny papers immediately reported that this was some huge surprise. But our own new sister paper, the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, reported way back in May 2003 that Foley's queer. And that reporting was apparently chastised in South Florida as so much rubbish and how dare the New Times put forth such a story. (Reminds me of another certain alternative weekly and the reception it gets when it breaks a story and everyone calls it rubbish--until the mainstream dailies re-write the same story months later. Such is life.). There are people in the New Times story--SUPPORTERS OF FOLEY--who said it was common knowledge Foley is gay, something Foley, a champion of same-sex marriage--had every opportunity to confirm but never did . . . because he was obviously three fabulous Martha Stewart silk sheets to the wind at the time.

Perhaps preoccupied by the GOP man-boy love case in the lower house, the U.S. Senate over the weekend failed to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act and with it about $6 million annually that helps Orange County deal with a growing HIV population and increasing number of AIDS cases, alerts the AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County. The foundation notes that federal funding patterns typically show Orange County getting less dollars as more is diverted to regions with higher HIV/AIDS rates. Extending Ryan White would have at least maintained OC's $6 million--which still would have been stretched ever more thinly due to the higher population/case numbers mentioned earlier. The Senate was considering a House-approved bill sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono (R-Palm Springs) that re-jiggered the funding formulas to help rural areas experiencing increasing numbers of HIV/AIDS cases. That initially caused alarm among California's Senate delegation, as it was thought increases for rural areas would come at the expense of urban areas where HIV has traditionally been most prevalent. After being assured that the Golden State would not be harmed under the new funding formulas, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer dropped their opposition. However, their sister in left-leaning arms from the Big Apple, Sen. Hillary "I'm With Stupid" Clinton, continued her opposition, saying, "A bill that devastates the ability of high-prevalence communities to deal with cases is unacceptable. . . . You want to take money away from my 100,000 people living with HIV/AIDS and give it to worthy people in other parts of the country because this administration and this Congress won't put more money into funding treatment programs for HIV and AIDS." Okay, she has a point, but now she has assured no funding from this lame-duck Senate session. It is expected Ryan White will have to be reintroduced and, hopefully, reauthorized next year. "Low-income and uninsured people with HIV depend on Ryan White programs as their only source of medical care, support services and prescriptions," Thomas Peterson, director of public policy for AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County says in press statement. "This delay places their care at risk and threatens the stability of systems of care, which are absorbing increasing numbers of people every year."

Thanks, Hill

American Hardcore, the documentary about the rapid-fire aggro punk that exploded in Orange County circa 1980 (we just wrote about the film here and here), was last week's No. 1 movie at Edwards University in Irvine. That, of course, means it'll be sticking around awhile longer for you tatted, jack-booted, leather-jacketed, chain-dangling, orange-spiked, tackle-box pierced captains of industry who have not seen it. Go already!

Five days after we pointed you to a Washington Post story on two ethically challenged local congressman, both got a curtain call for being among the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress. For their eyebrow-raising, borderline illegal land dealings, Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Riverside, but his district includes parts of South Orange County) and Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar, whose district also takes in a chunk of North County) are ranked alongside such scoundrels as Katherine Harris (R-Florida), Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) and Senator Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) in the rankings curated by the nonprofit Beyond Delay. Delay, of course, is a play on that most corrupt of recent congressional crooks, Tom DeLay, and you've no doubt noticed that everyone mentioned above is a Republican. But Beyond Delay spreads the scorn around, also including as most corrupt Democratic reps William Jefferson (D-Louisiana), Allan Mollohan (D-West Virginia) and Maxine Waters (D-California). And Beyond Delay's list of 5 congresspeople to watch includes darling of the anti-war movement, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania). The 17-term congressman's "ethics issues stem from abuse of his position as Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee to benefit clients of his brother, Robert 'Kit' Murtha, a registered lobbyist," report the watchdogs.

It says right here that our Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger has sold his eight Hummers after converting to the cause to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You'll recall that then-action star Schwarzenegger was the one who convinced Hummer's manufacturer to sell the all-terrain military vehicles to civilians, becoming the first person to purchase one in 1992.

First off, behold the new look of the UC Irvine student newspaper New University's website. Much improved. Second, take a gander at Linda Domingo's story on social science professor David Neumark's recent address to the all-new Social Science Dinner Club gathered in the University Club. Neumark essentially argued against increases in the minimum wage and for the return of state-sponsored slavery. Okay, so we're making up the slavery part (we think), but Neumark does contend that a higher minimum wage makes it harder for the working poor to find work, making them the pooring poor, we suppose.

"If you think about firms that have some choice about how to produce things [by using low-skilled or high-skilled labor], when you make whatever you're talking about more expensive, they are going to use less of it. If you raise the price of low-skilled labor, they are going to substitute away from that low-skilled input toward other inputs," said Neumark, according to Domingo's reporting.

Neumark pointed to stats that show as the price of gasoline and cigarettes have gone up, people have used them less. It follows that the same holds true for businesses who must dole out more for labor, he said.
Lucky for him, the same does not hold true for the UC system, which no doubt doles out a comfortable salary to Mr. Smarty Pants.

For good measure, we also received this link to a Washington Post article on Orange County congressman Ken Calvert (R-Riverside; his district includes southernmost Orange County) and Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar; his district includes northernmost Orange County), along with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, making millions off the sale of separate land parcels they own near government projects overseen by the House. Here is the relevant section on our local reps:

Last year, Calvert, the California Republican congressman, and a business partner bought a four-acre parcel near the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, Calif., for $550,000. He then secured $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away, an additional $1.5 million to support commercial development around the airfield, and sold the property less than a year later for almost $1 million.

Calvert spokesman Bob Carretta pointed to the findings of a Los Angeles-based watchdog group that concluded that Calvert's profit was in line with the rise in market values in the area.

Miller, the other California Republican, helped secure $1.28 million in last year's highway bill for street improvements near a planned residential and commercial development in Diamond Bar, Calif., that he co-owns with a top campaign contributor.

Kevin McKee, a Miller spokesman, said the road improvement was a mile away from the development and had been designated by Diamond Bar officials as their top priority.

We'd just hit the send button on that last post when we received this concerning the county's "reluctancy to let sunshine in" on their Aliso Creek clean-up project. It's an email exchange between local do-gooder group Iris Project and county Supervisor Tom Wilson, whose district includes Aliso Creek:

From: Iris Adam [mailto:iris@uci.edu]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 7:17 AM
To: Thomas Wilson

Dear Supervisor Wilson,

The Iris Forum looks for commonalities -- this is where solutions lie.

The Iris Forum is a diversified portfolio of opinions on a single issue resulting in an ongoing intentional shift toward finding commonalities in issue of the day. The Iris Forum is the first multipartisan environmental think tank dedicated to an on going dialogue regarding the biological, social and economic effects of human activities on our environment.

A single topic (the Aliso Creek Corridor), six political parties (a Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, and an Independent), along with the experts, sit down together for a conversation. The Iris Forum is known for inspiring dialogue from diverse perspectives, resulting in broadened awareness of humanity's relationship with the environment.

Ideally, for an Iris Forum on Aliso Creek, we would like to see three experts brought in:
1. A neutral party who can briefly explain the proposed dams on the creek and proposed watershed issues
2. A representative from The Athens Group
2. A representative from the Voices of Wilderness

Schedule for an Iris Forum:
1. Welcome and Statement of Purpose (10-15 minutes)
2. Neutral expert (10-15 minutes)
3. The Athens Group (10-15 minutes)
4. The Voices of Wilderness (10-15 minutes)
5. Iris Forum with Republican, Democrat, Natural Law, Green, Libertarian, Independent, and a Facilitator
a. Conversation (30 minutes)
b. Commonalities (30 minutes)

Please let me know if the Iris Forum can be of service to you at the Aliso Creek Watershed Stakeholder Meeting.
Tuesday, October 3,
4:00-5:30 PM
Laguna Hills Community Center
25555 Alicia Parkway, Meeting Room C, Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Sincerely,
Iris
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Iris Adam, Founder
Iris Forum
http://www.irisforum.org/

From: "Wilson, Thomas"
Date: September 15, 2006 1:42:12 PM PDT
To: 'Iris Adam' , "Wilson, Thomas"
Dear Iris,

I certainly appreciate your offer to assist us in our efforts to address the on-going issues in Aliso Creek; however, I am confident that we have already launched a viable, success-oriented approach which includes many of the components you reference in your recent memo to me.

I thank you for your interest and your proposal of service but I sincerely believe we have a strategy in place that will produce the positive results expected.

Thank you,

TWW

You know how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency announced recently they are joining forces to clean up stinky Aliso Creek (finally), which spews its filth into South Laguna's Aliso Beach? Yeah, when have we heard that before? Oh, yeah, eight years ago. Anyway, you'd think such an announcement would be embraced by the local environmentalists who have worked tirelessly to clean that cesspool up. But, in the LA Times story on the agreement, Penny Elia, who chairs a Sierra Club task force dedicated to cleaning up the waterway, was skeptical.

"They promised us we would have an opportunity to bring in our own scientists for a second opinion or a peer review for this super project. And--wham, bam we have a press conference announcing it."

Meanwhile, Roger von Butow, the Laguna Beach activist who has most closely monitored the work (or, more accurately, lack thereof) just sent this to us. He's pissed over the composition of a county designated Aliso Creek Technical Review Committee, and especially it being headed up by his most dreaded enviro-foe, Garry Brown of the Orange County Coastkeepers. Roger ticks off his problems:

--Neither Garry Brown nor his CoastKeepers ever attended a single Aliso Creek Watershed Study Meeting, the ones held monthly from late 1998-2004, hosted by the USACE & County of Orange.
--Aliso Creek is in Region 9, Cal EPA.
--CoastKeepers is in fact a Region 8, Cal EPA group out of New Porsche, with little effect, engagement & zero eco-product (history or success) in Region 9.
--Miraculously, he has been picked to head up the Aliso Creek Technical Review Committee.
--This is an outrage, to pass over legitimate Region 9 leaders with local grass roots involvement.
--Is this what the Sierra Club & South Laguna Civic Association intended by dragging in a Region 9 MIA with a questionable personal background?
--Shouldn't long term Region 9 groups be allowed to be part of this selection or appointment?

More Roger:

--It was Clean Water Now! who "outed" GB regarding his double-dipping employment: One check from CoastKeepers, one check from the "loyal opposition" at IGER a while back.
--So why HAS GB been chosen by Larry McKenney (County of Orange) to head up the most critical committee in this new series of Aliso Creek meetings?
--Is GB going to "green wash" or fast track controversial projects by invoking the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sacred & hollowed name (Keepers Alliance)?
--Where's a good investigative reporter when you need them?

The funniest moment at a recent Hollywood press screening for The U.S. vs. John Lennon came when the mug of a certain despised newsmaker--who was at the height of his evil powers in the early 1970s--filled the screen and the attending media responded with a loud, sustained hiss. Here's a hint: the newsmaker WAS NOT Richard M. Nixon; his craggily, misshapen, sweat-stained fright mask would flash onscreen immediately after the solicitor of the hiss to indifferent entertainment journalist silence. Nope, the talking head that got the universally applied snake impression was none other than Geraldo Rivera. Ironically, Rivera, in this documentary, testified for the main figure defying authority--white knight John Lennon--and not the criminal Republican administration then in power that was trying to silence the peacenik Beatle. That Fox newsman Geraldo cheerleads for the criminal Republican administration now in power obviously was lost on Geraldo, but not this smirking crowd of scribes.

In our current New Film Reviews, you'll find Robert Abele's take on Mike Judge's new film Idiocracy. It's not exactly a rave, but we've slammed other films much harder 'round here:

IDIOCRACY
The strange irony of Fox off-loading the new (yet long-completed) Mike Judge comedy without screenings, trailers, posters, or marketing is that in the IQ-obliterated future Judge's movie envisions, the biggest evil in the collective sanding of our brains is arguably advertising. Luke Wilson plays a present-day average joe experimentally frozen by the Army and forgotten about until he's accidentally awakened in 2505, where he discovers a slovenly, sophomoric, masturbatory, junk food-engorged world of mental midgets who first imprison him, then make him Secretary of the Interior once they realize he's probably the smartest man in the world. It's an eat-your-cake-and-have-it-too concept--stupid humor as dystopian satire--but this low-boil affair from the Office Space auteur wears out its dumb-and-dumbest playbook early on. When we see CGI cityscapes of neglected, barren skyscrapers and monuments tilting, it's somehow appropriate: the movie just feels off. If you crave a lively and funny trek through the farcical possibilities of unchecked dimwit power, Judge is still your guy. Just go rent Beavis and Butt-Head Do America instead.

And so, our intrepid film writer Greg Stacy sashayed into his local ginormoplex, caught the picture in a clearly un-packed house and--lo and behold--loved it just as much as Will's friend. You can read his reconsideration of the film here and in this week's print edition.

But, funny story about that piece appearing in a paper designed to tell Orange Countians what to do and see and hear and smell and eat this weekend: Idiocracy will already be gone from Orange County and Long Beach theaters by then. As Greg writes, "Fox is dumping this thing like a radioactive turd, releasing it to but a handful of cities, with no TV or radio ads, no posters, no media press kits . . . basically, the only way you'll know this movie exists is if you happen to run into Judge somewhere and ask him what he's been up to lately." And Fox's strategy seems to have worked.

Informed of this development, Greg had this to say: "Sweet mother Mcree... those Fox borstords! There's an idiocracy running that place."

The Inconvenient Truth is on its way to becoming the box-office champeen of documentaries (pound sand, Michael Moore!). Orders are already brisk for the DVDs that won't be out until November. However, because Truth starred Satan's spawn Al Gore, there's a good chance many holy rollers skipped it and headed into whatever anti-Semitic Mel Gibson "Christian" movie was playing at the time. Well, fear not, Samson and Delilah: there is a new global-warming documentary coming that's especially for lovers of the Good Book. Evangelicals--yep, the same folks credited for putting Bush in the White House and keeping gays out of the wedding chapel--are behind this month's screenings of The Great Warming, which is intended to mobilize religious groups around climate change in time for midterm elections. The environmental Grist online magazine pointed us to this quote by pastor Joel Hunter: "[T]here is no doubt about the mandate of scripture here. We need to do what we can to care for the Earth." Hunter's views are supported by a July Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey that found that more than 70 percent of people of faith polled believed that global warming is a real danger. Reuters has the full Great Warming story.

Meanwhile, a separate Grist item links to reports (here and here, too) on a stunning conclusion by scientists: man-made global warming is the cause of rising ocean temperatures, which are the cause of ever-more killer hurricanes. Who woulda thunk it!?! And here we were certain that G-d was the one cooking the seas and churning up hurricanes to get back at us for Janet Jackson's televised boobage.

Check it out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dopey/190585237/

This was sent by our pal Mark Mauer at LA Weekly. As we informed him, this Coker fellow has certainly been called Dick. Tracy? Not so much. But Dick: definitely.

Besides spam for our riches locked in a Nigerian prince's bank vault, a better head of hair and just plain better head,
Clockwork's virtual mailbox has been filling lately with messages from the Committee to Renew Measure M. Now, normally when PR maven Meg Waters, Congressman John Campbell (R-Newport Beach) and the Orange County Business Council have a meeting of the minds on something, we RUN FOR THE HILLS! AIIIIEEEEEE!!!! Just kidding. These moral high horsers most certainly stand against raising taxes if those funds give poor folks a hand up. But corporate welfare? Start filling the public trough, Skippy! County voters years ago approved Measure M, which raised the county sales tax a fraction to fund specific, direly needed transportation projects. Now, with "major funding" from the Auto Club of Southern California and the Business Council (which itself gets major funding from the GOP-controlled Orange County Board of Supervisors, which itself gets major funding from--uh--you!; can you say "slush fund"?), the Committee to Renew Measure M is spreading its virus online, crowing about Campbell's support and repeating the lie, over and over, that extending the measure will create another $11.86 billion in OC transportation improvements "without raising taxes." Bullshit, we say. If you let a tax scheduled to end do just that--end--then you are not raising taxes. Having county voters vote to extend a tax that would otherwise end IS MOST DEFINITELY raising taxes. So give yourself a pat on the back, Orange Countians, thanks to your taxes paying for a Board of Supervisors that is paying for a Business Council that is paying for a "non-partisan" campaign, you may soon vote to tax yourselves by being told you're not taxing youself, even though you are. It's the Circle of Life, my friends.

I'm on vacation but will be back the Tuesday after Labor Day.