Angelides Attack Ad Points Back at Him -- A TV ad by state Treasurer Phil Angelides excoriates Controller Steve Westly for raising campaign cash from "a corrupt Chicago businessman" — yet Angelides apparently sought fundraising aid from the same man. Dan Morain and Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Memory of '94 Ad Follows Angelides -- Former Senate leader David Roberti says, "I'm not sitting around with a 2-by-4 in hand waiting to hit Phil over the head." But many pols wouldn't fault him if he did. And, if anybody should ask, Roberti is supporting Controller Steve Westly over Treasurer Phil Angelides for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

2003 bank deal raises questions of possible conflict for Westly -- Shortly after he became state controller in 2003, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly faced a challenge: He needed to borrow $11 billion to keep the state treasury afloat. To sell the "revenue anticipation warrants" to large investors, Westly had to arrange for investment banks to sign agreements to step in if the wobbly state couldn't pay back its loans. John Hill in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/29/06

Dead heat minus steam -- The race for the Democratic nomination for governor enters its final stretch this week in a virtual tie, with a large chunk of voters still undecided - and unimpressed by their two choices in the June 6 primary. In part, analysts said, the two Democratic candidates - state Treasurer Phil Angelides and state Controller Steve Westly - have to overcome voter fatigue. With the recall in 2003 and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election last year, statewide voters have not had an off year from the barrage of TV ads and campaign rallies since 2001. HARRISON SHEPPARD in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 5/29/06

Governing as a Reelection Strategy -- As his Democratic opponents flail away at each other, incumbent Arnold Schwarzenegger is pursuing a simple strategy for keeping his job: being governor. In the last few months he has tackled such decidedly unglamorous issues as flood protection, immigration reform, fish farming and the crumbling state of California's roads, schools and bridges. Working with the Democratic-run Legislature, the Republican governor has won support for a bipartisan rebuilding program that voters will consider in November. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Schwarzenegger Tries New Script -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is attempting a political comeback as he faces reelection this year, courting Democrats and independent voters by distancing himself from President Bush and pushing an expensive bond proposal to rebuild California's levees, schools and highways. John Pomfret and Sonya Geis in the Washington Post -- 5/29/06

Getting Voters Fired Up Is Half the Battle -- Californians are grumpy over high gas prices, immigration and the state's troubled schools, yet candidates in next week's election are struggling just to gain voters' attention. In the Democratic primary for governor, the top race on the June 6 ballot, leading contenders state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly have made scant impression on the public, according to polls. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Doolittle stalls resort land sale -- The Homewood Mountain Resort's ski area occupies the largest piece of developable property remaining in the Lake Tahoe basin. With elevations reaching 1,600 feet above the lake's famed blue waters, the views from its slopes are spectacular. The property includes two lakes and crosses three watersheds. And it's for sale. David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/29/06

Prop 81: Measure Would Build, Fix Libraries -- Crafted to provide some relief for California's aging public libraries, Proposition 81 would authorize the state to borrow $600 million to help local jurisdictions build and renovate libraries statewide. The bond measure, the only one on the ballot this June, has the broad backing of teachers, businesses, organized labor and the state's major newspapers. Noam Levey in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Prop 81: Measure would aid libraries -- Libraries have evolved into the community's living room, offering patrons a place to e-mail far-flung family, paint a still life or take in a classic movie. But there is little room in many of the traditional, older branches where computers are squeezed between shelves, and dusty novels are regularly tossed out to make room for new arrivals. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/29/06

Prop 82: Plan for Free Preschool Divide Old Allies -- Beyond the scores of primary races that dominate the June 6 election, California voters will decide whether to tax the rich to provide free preschool to all the state's 4-year-olds. Proposition 82 would raise an estimated $2.4 billion annually by taxing individuals who earn more than $400,000 and couples who earn more than $800,000. By 2010, that would fund a free year of voluntary, half-day preschool at public schools and private learning centers for all children, regardless of family income. Classes would be limited to 20 children, tended by a credentialed teacher with a bachelor's degree and an assistant. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Prop 82: Preschool measure has California in spotlight -- An initiative on the June 6 ballot that would give all 4-year-olds the right to attend preschool is casting California once again in the role of possible national trendsetter. A drive to give all children the chance to begin school a year before kindergarten, with the aim of helping them become better readers and learners later on, has begun in Oklahoma, Georgia and Florida. Ed Mendel in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/29/06

TREASURER: A Lock for Lockyer; 2 Vie for GOP Nod -- Two GOP officeholders want the right to challenge Democratic state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer in November for the job as California's treasurer — in effect, the state's head banker, charged with overseeing tens of billions of dollars in borrowing every year. Lockyer, forced out of his current office by term limits, is unchallenged. Other Democrats cleared the field when he decided not to run for governor, and to use his sizable war chest for a treasurer run instead. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

TREASURER: Pair of Republicans vying for treasurer differ on bond sales -- Two Republican officeholders are running for state treasurer, battling for the chance in November to face a well-funded Democrat, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who has no challenger in the June 6 primary. Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Chatsworth, and state Board of Equalization member Claude Parrish share core Republican values but have different views on selling bonds. Ed Mendel in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/29/06

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Drama Enlivens What's Usually a Quiet Contest -- Three established Capitol Democrats are trying to win their party's nomination for lieutenant governor, normally an office that attracts little drama. While state Sen. Jackie Speier of Hillsborough has been racking up newspaper endorsements — 13 so far — Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has garnered attention for his allegation that insurance companies are trying to sink his candidacy. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Would-Be Governors Vie For Lieutenant Governorship -- The June 6th primaries for lieutenant governor feature two candidates who have already run for governor and a third who would love to be governor. Tom McClintock is unopposed for the Republican nomination; he ran for governor in the 2003 recall. John Garamendi is the Democratic frontrunner; he ran for governor in 1982 and 1994, and pulled out of the 1986 race. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 5/29/06

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Democrats Brown and Delgadillo have long resumes, but the former governor is ahead in polls -- They both have names shackled to a bit of history, and they share a past of precocious achievement. But there the story lines diverge for Rocky Delgadillo and Jerry Brown, Democratic rivals for state attorney general in the June 6 primary. Bearing a prizefighter's name, Delgadillo went from East Los Angeles to Harvard, played football, became a successful entertainment lawyer, helped rebuild riot-torn Los Angeles and became the city attorney. Eric Bailey in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

O'Connell Is Champion of Exit Exam -- Whatever else he has done for the last 3 1/2 years, state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell heads into his reelection bid with a reputation as the leading proponent and defender of the high school exit exam. As a state senator, O'Connell sponsored the 1999 legislation creating the test, and as the state's top education official, he has resisted political and legal pressure to let students graduate from high school this year despite failing it. Mitchell Landsberg in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Secretary of State: 2 Democratic State Senators Vie to Unseat McPherson -- Two Democratic lawmakers are competing in the June 6 primary to take on Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, the only Republican running for that office, in November. McPherson was appointed to the job last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after his predecessor, Democrat Kevin Shelley, resigned in a fundraising scandal. Jean O. Pasco in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

CONTROLLER: State, Local Offices on the Line -- As the primary campaign nears its end, the race for the Republican nomination for state controller has grown testy. The main candidates are former state Assemblyman Tony Strickland of Moorpark, an anti-tax crusader who hopes to rally the party's core conservatives, and state Sen. Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria, a moderate who has been known to reach across party lines. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Two Democrats Face Off to Face Poizner in Fall -- In next week's primary, voters can choose between two Democrats for insurance commissioner, a regulatory office charged with policing the state's $119-billion insurance industry and signing off on rate changes proposed by carriers. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and John Kraft, a South Pasadena businessman who ran unsuccessfully in 1994 and has yet to show he has the money to offset Bustamante's name recognition, will vie to face Republican candidate Steve Poizner, a Los Gatos technology millionaire who has never held public office. Several minor-party candidates are also running. Jennifer Oldham in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Oakland Mayor -- Eight years ago, this city was captivated by a political celebrity -- a former governor and presidential candidate who wanted to be mayor by promising 10,000 new residents and a revitalized city. Now another celebrity politician is captivating large swaths of the city in a bid to win the mayor's office by calling for 100,000 new residents and workers and a revitalized city. Herbert A. Sample in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/29/06

Candidate's health care plan creates ill will -- State Sen. Sheila Kuehl has accused Assembly candidate Janet Reilly of legislative plagiarism. In a letter sent earlier this month to Reilly, Kuehl said the San Francisco Democrat took parts of her universal health care legislation and passed it off as original. Kuehl said her proposal was the product of health care advocates working together the past few years. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/29/06

Political group on the attack -- In its quest to get chosen candidates into the state Legislature, a year-old Republican group is spending much of its money to block opponents from reaching Sacramento. The West Valley Young Republicans has a bankroll of about $200,000 from business and political leaders. Now those targets are criticizing the group for introducing negative tactics. Andrew Edwards in the San Bernardino Sun -- 5/29/06

East Bay sheriffs find gold mine in lavish double-dip deal -- It pays to stay in law enforcement, even when you retire. Just ask the elected sheriffs in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, each of whom is pulling in more than $300,000 a year in pay and retirement benefits while working full time. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/29/06

L.A. Mayor Dislikes English Edict -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa criticized the Senate on Sunday for voting to declare English the "national language," calling it an unnecessary addition to immigration legislation that provides no money for teaching nonnative speakers. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

UC Berkeley Janitors say pay dispute is on parity -- UC Berkeley may be the finest public university in the nation, but the toilets have to be cleaned the same as anyplace else. The 300 custodians who do the university's scrubbing pointed up this household reality during their recent picketing of graduation ceremonies. Their message: They work for the top-rated public institution of higher learning but earn a below-average wage. Rick DelVecchio in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/29/06

Concordia kicks off tae kwon do program -- Irvine university launches the nation's first fully academic program in the martial art, school officials say. MARLA JO FISHER in the Orange County Register -- 5/29/06

Tension Over FBI Raid Triggers Hints of Quitting -- As Congress and the Bush administration argued publicly last week over the extraordinary raid of a congressman's office, a high-stakes dispute simmered behind the scenes — top Justice Department officials indicated they'd resign if ordered to turn over documents seized in the search, administration officials said. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Unlikely Center of Latest Political Storm -- Recent disputes have turned House Speaker Hastert from Bush loyalist to critic, and reflect growing GOP dissent. Janet Hook and Faye Fiore in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

With more choice has come resegregation -- A school-assignment system established in 2001 to give San Francisco parents more choice has resegregated many schools across San Francisco. After years of warnings that the assignment system was unsuccessful in its attempt to comply with a court order mandating integrated schools, the Board of Education now wants to fix that problem without angering parents of all ethnicities who want good schools close to home. Leslie Fulbright, Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/29/06

State Could Lose AIDS Funds Under New Plan -- Millions of dollars for HIV and AIDS treatment for California could be at risk because of a proposal in Congress that would direct more federal money to rural and Southern states, local health officials are warning. A Senate health committee, by a 19-1 vote earlier this month, approved the proposal, which would renew and revise the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Medical school changing face -- Quietly, almost imperceptibly, the UCSD School of Medicine has been undergoing a personality transplant. Historically erudite, the school has traditionally focused more on research and teaching the next generation of medical students. The third leg of its tripod – patient care – has been far too short, officials at the University of California San Diego acknowledge. Cheryl Clark in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/29/06

What will it take to get us out of our cars? -- It is often said that pain and improvement go hand in hand. The athlete must endure it to build strength. Negotiators must make painful compromises to reach a deal. The dental patient must bear the sharp pain of treatment to end the long-running toothache. Managing transportation in the Bay Area and beyond also involves a kind of benevolent pain, a hurt that is supposed to help, and in the end, make us all feel better. Erik N. Nelson in the Oakland Tribune -- 5/29/06

STEADY RISE IN DRUNKEN-DRIVING DEATHS -- The Highway Patrol and police throughout the state were out in force this Memorial Day weekend, trying to curb California's troubling rise in drunken-driving deaths. On Tuesday, cops, Caltrans workers, relatives and friends will pause to honor one of those victims, a young Livermore man who longed to be a Navy pilot but who was killed five years ago by a drunken driver on Highway 17. Gary Richards in the San Jose Mercury -- 5/29/06

U.S. to continue use of aging P-3 firefighting plane -- U.S. investigators have yet to say if the latest crash of an old military-surplus air tanker was again due to structural failure, but the Forest Service will use P-3 planes during fire season in California nevertheless, officials have acknowledged. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 5/29/06

DNA Can Catch Burglars Too -- Sheriff's scientists in Orange County are using grant funds to see whether the technology is cost-effective in solving property crimes. David Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Terms Differ in Jail Releases -- Experts worry Sheriff Baca's policy of having certain prisoners serve more time for the same crime may invite `equal protection' challenges. Stuart Pfeifer in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Counties hurting for judges -- Legislators hold the key to easing the chronic shortage of judges in the Inland Empire. San Bernardino County officials said they need about 60 more judges, and Riverside County officials said they need nearly as many. The situation became so acute this year that Riverside County actually stopped hearing certain civil cases because of a backlog of criminal cases, which have strict time limits. The moratorium was eventually lifted. Edward Barrera in the San Bernardino Sun -- 5/29/06

Ahoy and Aghast: Civilians Sail -- A cruise on a Navy vessel isn't fun. But for families of military personnel, it offers important lessons, including how to put up with short showers. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

No Home, Bad Rep, Big Heart -- For 16 years, Dane Johnsten has been a pain-in-the-neck panhandler in this city's (San Francisco) Castro district. On some days, the gangly 39-year-old in the filthy Army fatigues and torn motorcycle jacket can make people smile with his reality-of-the-streets comedy rap. John M. Glionna in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

Filipino veterans wait for benefits -- A ratty American flag is affixed to the entrance of a small, one-bedroom apartment on Dyer Street, next to a picture of Jesus and a small plot of land where 79-year-old Jose Castaneda tends to his garden. Jonathan Jones in the Oakland Tribune -- 5/29/06

Troops come home to respect -- Lt. Damian Szeneri was fresh from flying missions in Iraq in 2003 when he returned home to an unknown reception. After 10 years in the Navy, he never had good or bad reactions to his military service. Now, returning from a controversial war, he wasn't sure how he'd be received. Zeke Barlow in the Ventura Star -- 5/29/06

More soldiers seek help -- The war isn't always over when soldiers return home. Life has gone on without them and that can be tough to deal with, said Keith Armstrong of San Francisco, co-author of "Courage After Fire," a new self-help book for soldiers home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Their kids may have problems. Finances could be a mess and roles may have shifted with the spouse at home taking on more duties. Erin Waldner in the Bakersfield Californian -- 5/29/06

A New Perspective After Brother's Death in Iraq --- Bill Tessar will spend this day as he has for the last five years, on the Little League field in Simi Valley, putting 40 youth baseball teams through their paces at an annual Memorial Day tourney. If he's lucky, the day will be like every other Memorial Day. He'll be so busy keeping the snack bar stocked and the games on schedule, he won't have much time to think about the newly planted sapling near Pinto Field that — depending on your angle — is either ramrod straight or leans away from the wind. Sandy Banks in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/29/06

A call of duty few, if any, can bear -- This ex-Marine's job was one of the military's toughest: Informing families of death. Pamela Martineau in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/29/06

Revering those lost to wars / San Francisco wall honors casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan -- It is a thing of terrible beauty -- a wall made of the names of the dead, more than 2,400 of them so far. Each of them -- soldier, sailor, Marine, airman, most of them men, some of them women -- was killed in Afghanistan or Iraq in the last three years. Carl Nolte in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/29/06

Memory of fallen brother lives on -- They say that grief comes in waves -- intense, constant and sometimes crashing with such ferocity that you struggle to breathe. For Tiffany Hicks, Memorial Day weekend is full of painful moments. Her brother, Lance Cpl. Travis James Layfield, a Camp Pendleton Marine, was killed in Iraq on April 6, 2004. Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury -- 5/29/06

A day of grief and tribute -- This time, the pain is raw. For so long, Memorial Day seemed to be only about past wars, past generations - past grief. No more. As a nation, we awake today feeling the fresh loss of some 2,460 U.S. servicemen and women killed in Iraq. Their families are still trembling - some on anti-depressants, some in grief groups, some in prayer groups and some in protest. TOM BERG in the Orange County Register -- 5/29/06

Public wall, private grief -- A single red rose propped up by a pack of Marlboros. An advertisement for the 1969 movie “Easy Rider.” A half-full can of Budweiser. When a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall came to Balboa Park this month, people left unusual offerings. The items spoke of loss and memory, familiar enough topics for a Memorial Day weekend. John Wilkens in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/29/06