Cal Berkeley Democrats

Confirm Abel Maldonado

Following John Garamendi’s election to Congress, Governor Schwarzenegger has nominated State Senator Abel Maldonado for the post of Lieutenant Governor. However, the appointment is still subject to confirmation, and it’s unclear whether Democrats will play along. From a purely political perspective, they should. First, as far as Sacramento Republicans go, Maldonado isn’t that bad. He [...]

The High Cost of Minority Rule

What’s wrong with California? Many of us ponder this question with alarming regularity. Unfortunately, our concerns are well-founded. This summer, we saw our state fall over the fiscal precipice. We issued IOUs for the first time in years, damaging both our credit rating and our pride. We made drastic cuts to services, including K-12 education [...]

The GOP’s “Purity” Resolution

I thought the GOP couldn’t get any crazier. How wrong I was. This January, the Republican National Committee will consider a “purity” resolution for candidates. It would have ten planks, and candidates who violate three or more would be denied the party’s endorsement or funds: (1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits [...]

Bringing On the Crazy

Normally I don’t do partisan red meat, but today it seems Republicans are going out of their way to violate the First Law of Tropic Thunder. Let’s start with Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in NY-23. Today he un-conceded his race, claiming that “ACORN and labor unions” committed voter fraud. I really can’t do this justice, [...]

Great Debate Photos

Photos from the Great Debate are up! If you have any I haven’t included, please send them to me at nik@caldems.com.

The Great Debate 2009

The Individual Mandate

One of the biggest points of contention in our debate versus the Berkeley College Republicans was the so-called “individual mandate”. Under this provision, individuals would be required to either have insurance or pay a fine. The individual mandate wasn’t always controversial. It’s supported by a broad range of wonks and policy experts. In fact, until [...]

Public Option is Key to Reform

Cal Dems has a new op-ed in the Daily Cal! Titled, “Public Option is Key to Reform”, it explains the importance of the public option and the stakes of its fate in the Senate. To read our op-ed, click here. To see more of what Cal Dems has done for health care reform, visit our [...]

The Great Debate 2009: National Health Care Reform

Last Thursday, Cal Dems participated in its annual Great Debate versus the Berkeley College Republicans! The topic was national health reform, and it was a blast for all involved. The event could not have happened without the hard work of many other individuals and organizations. First, thanks to the Undergraduate Political Science Association, which put [...]

Post-Debate Thoughts

Last Thursday, Robbie and I participated in our annual Great Debate versus the Berkeley College Republicans. I’d like to thank both BCR debaters, Katelyn and Andrew, for appearing alongside us. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, Robbie and I did not get a chance to address some of Katelyn and Andrew’s policy proposals. Specifically, I’d like [...]