News: POLITICO California Playbook: All eyes on VILLARAIGOSA — RECALL likely to qualify — ‘GAVIN MUSSOLINI’? The trio that could take down NEWSOM

Monday, March 22, 2021

POLITICO California Playbook: All eyes on VILLARAIGOSA — RECALL likely to qualify — ‘GAVIN MUSSOLINI’? The trio that could take down NEWSOM — McCARTHY’s revised history

Mar 22, 2021

By Jeremy B. White, Carla Marinucci, Graph Massara and Richard Tzul

THE BUZZ — Will another Democrat run in the recall?

It's a question that's preoccupying California's political class these days. Depending who you ask, putting another Democrat on the ballot is either an indispensable insurance policy or an inexcusable breach of unity. Whatever your opinion, a certain profile seems ideally suited. The candidate would have name recognition and a preexisting political network that could be activated to raise funds. They would be rooted in Southern California. They might not currently hold office, and thus would have less to lose.

TONY V'S TIME? — That description might remind a lot of people of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Gov. Gavin Newsom's Democratic opponent in the 2018 gubernatorial primary. Villaraigosa stoked a storm of speculation on Friday with some pointed tweets saying California must "open up our schools now." The former mayor has been vocal on education issues — which were a dividing line in the 2018 contest, as charter allies took a mighty swing-and-a-miss by spending big for Villaraigosa and against the union-backed Newsom. Closed schools have been one of Newsom's principal political liabilities.

Gavin Newsom, right, is joined by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a news conference on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, in downtown Los Angeles.

Gavin Newsom, right, is joined by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a news conference on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, in downtown Los Angeles. | AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Not long after those tweets set California politics-land abuzz, we heard from former Assembly Speaker and close Villaraigosa ally Fabian Núñez. He wanted to underscore that he is firmly in Newsom's camp and predicted that "at the end of the day, all of the Democratic establishment and Democratic activists are going to be on the side of Gov. Gavin Newsom," because "you're either with Gov. Gavin Newsom or you're with the pro-Trumpers who are trying to push him out of office."

The 2003 recall naturally influences how everyone is gaming out the 2003 version. And no one wants to be Cruz Bustamante , the then-lieutenant governor who was consigned to political oblivion after running as the Democratic backup to doomed Gov. Gray Davis. "We can't make the same mistake twice," Núñez told us, bringing up Bustamante before adding, "I don't see Democrats repeating that exercise again. I just don't see a strong Democrat running." Núñez stressed that he does not speak for Villaraigosa and declined to get into private conversations, but he predicted "there will be no Democrat of consequence on that ballot."

BOTTOM LINE: Newsom is in a far more solid position than Davis was. The sense out there is that any Democrat seriously contemplating a run will wait and see how the governor's poll numbers look closer to the filing deadline. While California is on an upward trajectory out of pandemic prison, you never know what might happen between now and September. But the risks would be high. As Newsom campaign hand Sean Clegg tweeted on Friday: "My old friend Antonio will embarrass himself and forever poison his legacy if he runs."

BY THE WAY: That recall is almost certainly going to qualify, per an official Friday night signature update. POLITICO's Jeremy B. White has the details.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Today is Willie Lewis Brown Jr. Day in Oakland, marking the former San Francisco mayor and Assembly Speaker's 87th birthday. Via Lee Houskeeper: "Mayor Libby Schaaf will be on the red carpet to present the proclamation at 12:30 p.m. the Art Deco classic building at 244 Lakeside Drive when Brown arrives in the legendary Formula 1 Champion Phil Hill's 1927 royal purple Packard. The San Francisco's North Beach Brass Band 4-piece ensemble will perform.''

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I don't want to turn away from Senate traditions, but I also don't believe one party should be able to prevent votes on important bills by abusing the filibuster." Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who's warming to the idea of changing filibuster rules.

TWEET OF THE DAY: @AVillaraigosa: "When we look back at the coronavirus pandemic decades from now, we may see the gravest catastrophe as a generation of schoolchildren whose formative years were irrevocably stunted."

VIDEO OF THE DAY: On Elex Michaelson's "The Issue Is.." show, impressionist Matthew Friend nails it with his Newsom impression, and then does Howard Stern's, Johnny Carson's and John Oliver's takes on Newsom.

WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION : Power dynamics are shifting in Washington and across the country, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy, and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops, and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

TOP TALKERS

SKELTON ON RISKY STRATEGY — "How trying to recall Newsom could backfire on California Republican," by the LA Times' George Skelton: "A stronger Newsom could mean an even weaker California Republican Party, which will have tried to topple the Democratic governor and failed, squandering energy, money and what's left of its influence."

SUBURBAN RADICALS — "Inside the resurgence of right-wing extremism in Orange County," by the LA Times' Paige St. John, Anita Chabria, Hannah Fry and Michael Finnegan: "They held 'Curfew Breaker' street parties that became a magnet for white nationalists. And one of their members started a 'Patriot' group whose efforts to patrol Black Lives Matter events became a source of worry for families wrestling with increased racism on their own streets."

BOMBS AWAY — "California woman finds secret 1950s bomb shelter in bedroom," by the NY Post's Paula Froelich: "Jennifer Little was moving furniture around her home when she found a manhole under the carpet in her bedroom. Little's husband investigated and found an underground bomb shelter from the 1950's complete with two bunk beds, urinals, a bunch of junk and a lot of spiders."

GOTH GONE — "L.A. Goth nightclub known for rituals and secrecy has closed amid sexual misconduct claims," by the LA Times' August Brown: "Libertinism was an accepted part of the culture, though the scene has begun reckoning with sexual abuse accusations against Goth's most famous figure, Marilyn Manson."

DOYLE MCMANUS via the LA Times: " Half of Republican men say they don't want the vaccine. They're mooching off the rest of us."

BONUS VOTD: "Elephant charges dad who carried 2-year-old inside zoo habitat, California video shows," by the Sac Bee's Don Sweeney.

ROAD TO RECALL

MUST-READ ORIGIN STORY — "'Gavin Mussolini," the 'Superhero Pirate' and the Ragtag Campaign that Could Take Down California's Governor, by POLITICO's David Siders: To look at how it rose, and grew, and hit the point that it might take down the powerful, connected, immaculately groomed governor of the nation's most populous state is either a triumph of democracy — or a confirmation that there are no rules anymore.

— "Campaign to recall Newsom criticized for 'Chinese' virus rhetoric," by the SF Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "The language appeared among a list of reasons to recall Newsom, along with an apparent reference to immigrant-owned businesses that have received stimulus money during the pandemic."

CENTER OF ATTENTION — "This former Yolo deputy compared immigrants to animals. Now he's leading the Newsom recall," by the Sac Bee's editorial board: "First, [Orrin] Heatlie — who has said he won't get the COVID vaccine — suggests implanting microchips into immigrants in violation of their human rights. He also goes out of his way to slam them as 'illegal aliens,' which is the outdated term for undocumented immigrants preferred by bigots everywhere."

GAVINLAND

MILESTONE MOMENTS — "Gavin Newsom's pandemic year: Mistakes, progress and political jeopardy," by the WaPo's Scott Wilson: "In the interview this week about the challenges of governing during the time of covid-19, Newsom looked back at some milestone moments of the past year, crisis points many of his fellow governors also had to mark with decisions seeking to balance political demands, economic interests and public health in ways they had never faced before."

— "Blue Shield Spent Years Cultivating a Relationship with Newsom. It Got the State Vaccine Contract ," by California Healthline's Samantha Young and Angela Hart: "It contributed nearly $23 million to Newsom's campaigns and special causes, according to a California Healthline analysis of political and charitable contributions. Of that, nearly 90% has funded the homelessness initiatives that critics and allies say are dearest to Newsom's heart."

BONUS POTD — "KCBS In Depth": Keith Menconi chats with our very own Carla about the recall.

OPINION — "The real reason some Californians want to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom," by Lanhee J. Chen in CNN: "Voters don't want to recall Newsom because of his stances on climate change, race relations or cultural wedge issues. Instead, much of the public disaffection is rooted in Newsom's mismanagement and inadequate leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic."

— "Inside Gavin Newsom's fateful decision to lock down California," by the LA Times' Taryn Luna.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

SHIELD STORM — "Cost to vaccinate Californians rises amid changes to Blue Shield oversight," by the LA Times' Melody Gutierrez: "In a letter sent by the California Government Operations Agency to counties this week, the state said it would give some decision-making powers back to local public health officials by requiring Blue Shield to consult with a county before making recommendations about how many vaccine doses a jurisdiction should receive."

— "AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine found to be 79% effective, with no safety issues, in U.S. trial," by the LA Times' Henry Chu: "The results of the trials involving 32,449 people pave the way for AstraZeneca to apply for emergency-use authorization in the United States. The vaccine is already being administered widely in other countries around the world, such as Britain, on the strength of testing conducted outside the U.S."

SLACK BLOWBACK — "Slack messages between Bay Area health officers show early COVID chaos, confusion," by the Mercury News' Fiona Kelliher and Solomon Moore: "As the necessity of limiting contagion became clear, officers debated the numbers. Some local counties banned gatherings of over 100 people, while others went further, counseling people not to meet in groups of over 35."

DEADLY REALITY— "By almost every metric, COVID-19 is proving much worse for Latinos than Whites," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff McDonald

— "LA County: Caseloads turn increasingly younger while death toll continues to skew older," via City News Service.

THE 46TH

— "Biden inauguration priest under investigation in California," from the AP: "The Jesuit priest who presided over an inaugural Mass for President Joe Biden is under investigation for unspecified allegations and is on leave from his position as president of Santa Clara University in Northern California, according to a statement from the college's board of trustees."

MADAM VP

KAMALA'S WAY — "Harris seeks her own unique path at White House,'' via The Hill's Amie Parnis: "Asked last month in an Axios interview what her signature issue would be in the administration, Harris replied that her focus would be 'making sure Joe Biden is a success.' Still, Democrats say it would be good for her to develop a portfolio, especially if she wants to take the reins from Biden in 2024. That's considered a strong possibility given that Biden is 78."

— "Kamala Harris condemns 'heinous act of violence' in Atlanta speech after shooting ," by the Independent's Josh Marcus.

CAMPAIGN MODE

— CNN ROLLS THE TAPE ON KEVIN MCCARTHY, via CNN's Manu Raju: "McCarthy claims he never backed Trump's effort to overturn election, but the GOP Leader appears to want it both ways regarding Iowa election."

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

BAD BOYS? — "What secret files on police officers tell us about law enforcement misconduct," by the LA Times' Alene Tchekmedyian and Ben Poston: "One deputy, the records show, was suspended for making false statements to investigators after he was caught in a car with a prostitute. Another was disciplined for lying about brandishing a gun during a road rage incident."

LEGACY IN OC — "From the KKK to skinheads, a century of fighting hate in Orange County," by the LA Times' Paige St. John and Hannah Fry: "The far right remains a force. And it is building on a long history of extremism. Here is a rundown."

PODCAST OF THE DAY: "Capitol Weekly Podcast": John Howard and Tim Foster talk to Democratic strategist Garry South on the recall effort.

MAY'S THE MONTH— "Newsom: California will make vaccines available to everyone within 5 1/2 weeks," by the Mercury News' Emily Deruy and Leonardo Castañeda.

FRONTERA FIASCO — "Border crosser faces awful waits, long days," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Wendy Fry: "After coronavirus-related travel restrictions went into effect on March 21, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection tightened access at ports of entry along the California-Mexico border."

SF BOARD'S LATEST — "San Francisco school board member criticized for racist tweets in 2016 aimed at Asian Americans," by the SF Chronicle's Jill Tucker: "Board Vice President Alison Collins, elected in 2018, said in a thread of tweets on Dec. 4, 2016, that Asian Americans had used 'white supremacist thinking to assimilate and 'get ahead.''"

— "San Jose's Japantown to form community patrols amid surge in anti-Asian violence," by the Mercury News' Robert Salonga.

LESSONS FROM STOCKTON — " A deranged white man aiming his bullets at Asians: The urgent lesson of 1989 Stockton massacre," via LA Times' Gustavo Arellano: "Then and now, initial media accounts reported the ethnicity of victims as incidental instead of intentional."

— " It's official: Sacramento City Unified and teachers union finalize school reopening plan," by the Sac Bee's Sawsan Morrar: "Sacramento City Unified students will begin returning to campus April 8, according to a long-awaited and finalized pact between the district and its teachers union."

— "San Diego judge's ruling, new CDC distancing guidelines offer schools more reopening freedom ," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kristen Taketa: "Parents have argued that the state's 4-foot distance rule has prevented school districts from offering more days of in-person instruction to students, particularly in middle and high schools."

— "Mayor Breed calls for S.F. school board member to resign over racist tweets directed at Asian Americans," by the SF Chronicle's Jill Tucker.

— "Female Former Staffer Sues State Senator Archuleta For Sexual Harassment," by Los Cerritos News' Brian Hews: "A former employee, and a woman who will not identify herself, is suing Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, alleging she was forced to quit due to his continuing sexual harassment and discriminatory treatment by other male staff members."

OP-ED— " Will the Supreme Court stand up for the meager rights of farmworkers?" by the LA Times' Bethany Berger: "To protect this vulnerable group, California law gives unions a limited right to enter growing sites. … In 2016, two California growers sued the state, arguing that the regulation unconstitutionally 'takes' their property because it prevents them from excluding the unions from their land."

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— "LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman on diversity in Silicon Valley: 'It's top of mind, change is coming,'" by Yahoo! Finance's Brian Sozzi: "More than 80% of executives are white male across all large Silicon Valley firms, according to a recent research paper out of University of Massachusetts Amherst. Black men are a mere 3% of executives at 16 firms studied by the University."

BONUS TOTD: World's richest human @ElonMusk: "I am accumulating resources to help make life multiplanetary & extend the light of consciousness to the stars"

FULL OF IT? — "Couple who ran poop-testing firm in Silicon Valley charged with fraud," by the SF Chronicle's Lauren Hernández.

BAY AREA ATTORNEY HITS THE JACKPOT — "Attys Get $80.6M In Apple IPhone Slowdown Settlement," via Law360.

— "Tahoe's last holdout is about to pass new rules on Airbnb, Vrbo rentals. Residents aren't happy," by the SF Chronicle's Gregory Thomas

HOLLYWOODLAND

—"JOHNNY DEPP: Home Intruder Gets Comfy ... MAKES A DRINK, TAKES A SHOWER!!!" via TMZ.

— " A long overdue exhale at Disney California Adventure before Disneyland's reopening," by the LA Times' Todd Martens: "Disneyland's two Anaheim parks are now scheduled to reopen April 30."

CANNABIS COUNTRY

OP-ED — "Biden has a golden opportunity to change how we approach marijuana," by the WaPo's Paul Waldman.

MIXTAPE

— "In swift reversal, California will allow cheerleaders at prep football games," by the Mercury News' Evan Webeck.

HUGE! — " Oakland's Grand Bakery has finally revealed its famous macaroons recipe, just in time for Passover," by the SF Chronicle's Deb Wandell.

— "He was unjustly imprisoned for 19 years. Now he's getting almost $1 million from the state of California," by the SF Chronicle's Raheem Hosseini.

— " Marin County mall to be converted into 1,345 housing units, movie theater," by the SF Chronicle's J.K. Dineen.

— "How CA Compares In U.S. News Ranking Of Best Places To Live," by Patch's Courtney Teague.

— "Mills College students, alumnae fight to save their school. 'There's not another place like Mills in the world,'" by the SF Chronicle's Nanette Asimov.

— "Bay Area should lead effort to end 'poverty tows,'" by the SF Chronicle's Justin Phillips.

EVENTS

SAC PRESS CLUB TODAY: Tune in for "Meet the Rookies,'' a conversation with California's newest legislators, at noon.

Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

Follow us on Twitter