• The Cal State University faculty authorized a strike this week due to stalled contract negotiations. Contract negotiations have been ongoing for over twenty months. CSU faculty, on average, are paid less than community college professors and in some cases less than high school teachers. Their salaries have been rising at a rate lower than inflation. Not to worry, CSU executive salaries continue to rise; in some cases, they are paid as they leave. Want the breakdown? The CSU faculty strike will be the first CSU strike ever and the largest university strike in US history.
• In similar education news, we forgot to tell you last week that the UC Regents voted to raise student fees in accordance with the UC Compact. Remember four years ago when fees were almost half of what they will be next year?
• John Edwards’ wife’s cancer has returned. Edwards is staying in the race.
• Al Gore lobbies Congress to take action to prevent (further?) global warming. Rep. Joe Burton remains convinced that global warming does not exist.
• Karl Rove, among others, has been subpoenaed.
• In more important news, it seems that the key to success is a British accent.

On Sunday John Edwards came to Berkeley to give a campaign speech. The audience—a mixture of students and community members—packed the auditorium in the YWCA across the street from campus, and hundreds more listened to his speech on loudspeakers outside. Organizers estimated that 1000 (!) people were in attendance. Cal Dems president Michelle Wasserman introduced Edwards, identifying Cal as the perfect venue thanks to its tradition of political activism and committment to civil rights.

What Edwards talked about, in brief:

more »

Ann Coulter calls John Edwards a “faggot” at CPAC.

“I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I — so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.”

We already know she’s deranged, but her outstanding record of labeling Democrats as “fags” and “faggots” goes too far. I don’t know what’s worse: that her words are so violent and therefore are so denigrating the public discourse, or that Republicans and CPAC attendees are eating this shit up and loving it.

More here.

• Tonight’s debate, Cal Dems vs. Berkeley College Republicans! The topics are immigration and healthcare. 7pm, 2060 VLSB.
• Former Senator, vice presidential nominee and ‘08 presidential hopeful John Edwards is visiting Cal this Sunday! He’ll be speaking to students at 2:30pm at the YWCA on Bancroft. For more info see the Facebook event.