Laura Bush coming to stump for Pombo, Doolittle -- First lady Laura Bush has scheduled a campaign swing through California later this week to stump for Republican congressmen Richard Pombo and John Doolittle, two incumbents facing their toughest political challenges in years. Rachel Gordon Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 10/30/06

Alec Baldwin Objects to Nazi Pics in Film on Gov. -- Actor Alec Baldwin says he has sicced his attorneys on the makers of a new Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary, claiming they went too far by adding images of a Third Reich rally into the film. Prominent California Democrats also did interviews for the documentary project, which has not yet been distributed. Robert Salladay LA Times weblog -- 10/30/06

Unions sue over California plan to send inmates to other states -- Two state employee unions sued Monday to block Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to ship more than 2,000 inmates to other states to ease crowding in the nation's largest state prison system. DON THOMPSON AP -- 10/30/06

State urged to adopt tougher perchlorate standard in water -- More than a dozen people demanded Monday that state health officials impose the nation's strictest limits for perchlorate, a rocket fuel ingredient that is contaminating drinking water supplies throughout the state. SAMANTHA YOUNG AP -- 10/30/06

California Republican Rep. Hunter launches '08 White House bid -- Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Monday he will run for president in 2008. ELLIOT SPAGAT AP -- 10/30/06

State Sen. Joe Dunn, a lawyer, named CEO of California Medical Association -- State Sen. Joe Dunn, a litigator who headed the Senate's high-profile probe into market manipulation during California's electricity crisis, has been named the new chief executive officer of the California Medical Association. John Howard in Capitol Weekly-- 10/30/06

A good deal if you can get it -- John Doolittle's campaign debts include $39,595 in fundraising fees owed to Sierra Dominion Finanial Services, the company his wife owns and operates out of their Virginia home. Dan Weintraub SacBee Weblog -- 10/30/06

Crisis gives edge to incumbency -- The wildfire that took four lives reflects a political reality that bolsters Schwarzenegger and weakens Angelides. Scott Martelle and Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Politicians wear eco-credentials on their sleeves / Winning green-minded voters is a necessity in governor's race -- Mark Baker and Kate Bassford take carpools to work, produce so little garbage that they only push their trash can to the curb for pickup once every two or three weeks, and plan to buy a hybrid car soon. Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/06

Candidates trot out vets to win votes -- With polls showing the Iraq war driving many voters' decisions in the Nov. 7 congressional elections, candidates are thrusting veterans -- or their own military service -- prominently into the campaign. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/06

Unions limiting spending for Angelides -- Faced with a lopsided governor's race and coffers still recovering from massive spending in last year's special election, California labor unions are keeping a relatively low profile in this November's election. HARRISON SHEPPARD in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 10/30/06

Closing Acts -- With tracking polls holding steady, talk is turning to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s prospective victory margin and to down ballot races and propositions, where several remain tight. Schwarzenegger is closing out his 2006 campaign with a TV ad launched last Friday. Like his closer in the 2003 recall campaign, it is positive and uplifting. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 10/30/06

The buzz: What's to lose by voting Green? -- It's not exactly a case of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," but the plucky folks at the always colorful Green Party appear to be taking a page from the campaign playbook of the big boys and girls. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

For straight talk, Garamendi vs. McClintock is the race to watch -- These guys should be running for governor: Democratic Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock. They'd make the race a lot more interesting — less predictable, much closer, more focused, offering a clearer choice of views and visions. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Bustamante faulted over acts by aide -- In recent years, the lieutenant governor's office under Cruz Bustamante fell $300,000 behind in office rent, and vendors exasperated by unpaid bills shut off cellphone service, stopped maintaining copy machines and threatened to cancel credit cards. Dan Morain in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Pombo in a tight contest -- Richard Pombo, clad in a beige polo shirt and jeans, is leaning back in a folding chair, his trademark ostrich-skin boots under a table. He's bantering with a reporter and an aide, and appears at peace. But he really isn't. Herbert A. Sample in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

Campaign 2006: Combat shaped Brown's views -- In 1975, during the last, tragic battle of the Vietnam War, a young helicopter rescue pilot and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate named Charlie Brown was summoned into action. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

Ad watch: Ad warns of abusive parents of pregnant teens -- The No on Proposition 85 campaign has begun airing a commercial that argues the parental notification initiative could put pregnant teens in danger from violent or abusive parents. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

Pelosi's liberal label is all relative -- Though a favorite target of red-staters, she's seen as a centrist in her home district of San Francisco. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

With the House in the Balance, Pelosi Serves as a Focal Point for Both Parties -- The young women on the porch were whispering, their tittering just audible over Bill Clinton’s remarks to the 300 or so Democratic donors gathered here for lunch. Representative Nancy Pelosi, mindful that some guests had paid $10,000 for a plate of chicken and bread pudding, shot a frown — the sort a grandmother gives when someone arrives at Christmas dinner in a wrinkled shirt — and in a split second, the whispers ceased. Ms. Pelosi’s face resumed its trademark molar-baring smile. JENNIFER STEINHAUER in the New York Times -- 10/30/06

Some legislative candidates run with big money but no opposition -- In 74 races, those with safe seats are raising more money than they need. Sharing it will give them clout in Sacramento. Nancy Vogel in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Expediency the mother of bad policy -- Remember the old adage about not wishing for something too much, because you might get it and regret it later? California politics are full of reminders about decisions that ignore long-term consequences. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

Unregulated groups plow millions into campaigns -- Special interests, millionaires skirt campaign limits. Stephanie Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

San Jose: Special-interest money pours in -- For 25 years, San Jose has sought to cleanse its elections of big-money contributions, in hope of limiting special-interest influence. But in this year's mayoral contest, big-dollar donors have taken a leading role, bypassing contribution rules to fund some of the hardest-hitting campaigning for Cindy Chavez and Chuck Reed. Phil Yost in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/30/06

Parties begin final push to woo voters -- Candidates across the country enter the final week of the campaign with control of Congress very much at stake and both parties determined to influence the few remaining undecided voters with an onslaught of negative messages. George E. Condon Jr. in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 10/30/06

Forget ratings -- TV gets huge payoff from elections -- When all is said and done, the biggest winner in California's election won't be the Democrats or the Republicans, but TV -- which is expected to rake in an estimated $300 million in political ad sales. And because of new research techniques that identify voters' political preferences by what they watch, targeting voters through the tube has become one of the weapons in campaigns' arsenals. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/06

House spouse travel debated -- Most Americans pay taxes when they take a spouse along on a business trip at company expense. Not Congress. That's because some Southland lawmakers and others say a variety of factors make them exempt - including that their spouses are akin to the first lady and perform vital ceremonial functions on every trip. LISA FRIEDMAN in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 10/30/06

When kids cross into U.S. alone -- At a shelter in Texas, the Orange County auxiliary bishop listened to a 14-year-old boy from Guatemala who hopped trains through Mexico and trekked to the United States in hopes of getting a job to support his younger siblings back home. AMY TAXIN in the Orange County Register -- 10/30/06

Sanchez finds self on terror-watch list -- Rep. Loretta Sanchez has growing influence in Washington, but is she even more dangerous than we imagined? The Garden Grove congresswoman, traveling the country last week to campaign for fellow Democrats, got pulled aside in the Boise, Idaho, airport when her name came up on the terrorist watch list. MARTIN WISCKOL in the Orange County Register -- 10/30/06

Hunter set to announce presidential bid -- With his prized committee chairmanship very much in peril, Rep. Duncan Hunter is poised to announce today that he is considering a long-shot run for the White House. George E. Condon Jr. in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 10/30/06

State's clergy unifies on progressive causes -- The Rev. Dr. William Jarvis Johnson was part of a successful effort to halt plans to open a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Inglewood in 2004. Now he works for Wal-Mart Watch, a national organization that is pushing the mega-retailer to offer better wages and benefits for its employees across the country. Michele R. Marcucci in the Oakland Tribune -- 10/30/06

Midterm Vote May Define Rove's Legacy -- By many calculations, Democrats are ready to make big gains in the midterm elections, enough to take over the House and possibly the Senate. But White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten says there is one reason he is feeling upbeat amid so much Republican gloom. Michael Abramowitz in the Washington Post -- 10/30/06

PROP. 209 LEGACY: Connerly continues controversial effort over college admissions -- California's champion of color-blind college admissions has made his way to Michigan and is aggressively promoting a measure similar to Proposition 209, which outlawed the use of racial preferences in admissions to California's public colleges 10 years ago. Leslie Fulbright in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/06

Public colleges less diverse, but initiative backers tout fairness -- Ten years after California became the first state to end race-based admissions in public universities through a voter-approved initiative, college classrooms are more segregated than before -- yet supporters of Proposition 209 say their makeup is nothing but fair. Tanya Schevitz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/06

Prop. 209 affects state hiring and contracting -- Most of the attention surrounding Proposition 209 has focused on the University of California's admissions process, but the initiative also eliminated the use of race and gender in state contracting and hiring decisions. Tanya Schevitz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/06

A call to increase black enrollment at UCLA -- As one activist described it, the reaction was disbelief when the African American community learned that this year's freshman class at UCLA included only 96 blacks. Akili, who goes by one name, told an audience at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church how he tried to fathom the news — 96 out of about 4,800 freshmen. Steve Padilla in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Union resorts to code of silence to stifle questions about principal -- Some of the smartest, hardest-working and most caring people I know are public school principals. That said, education reformers have complained for years that the Los Angeles school district's bureaucracy either ignores complaints about bad principals or shuffles crummy principals off to other schools. "The dance of the lemons," it's called. Bob Sipchen in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

UC, Christian schools at odds -- The University of California and an association of fundamentalist Christian schools are heading for a showdown over their competing views of academic freedom. Claire Cooper in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

Teachers brace for strike -- Under mounting pressure for major reforms at Los Angeles schools, the teachers union has brought in its tough former leader to help mobilize members for a strike if its demands are not met. NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 10/30/06

Quick Fixes feed obesity rate -- The nation's soaring obesity rates won't fall until Americans stop placing their faith in unproven and possibly fraudulent weight-loss products and treatments. That's the message from some of the nation's top obesity experts, commenting on new data about Americans' continued, naïve hope for the quick fix. Shari Roan in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Democrats Critical of New Medicare Guide -- Congressional Democrats say a new government publication being sent to all Medicare beneficiaries inappropriately favors private insurance plans over the traditional government-run program. ROBERT PEAR in the New York Times -- 10/30/06

Canal plan spells trouble for Mexican crops -- Victor Smith grows vegetables on both sides of the border, and the fields look pretty much the same: long rows of green onions, romaine lettuce and organic celery destined for salad bowls across the United States, Canada and England. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 10/30/06

The cancer effect -- One former Rocketdyne employee recalls dumping waste after the incident. Teresa Rochester in the Ventura Star -- 10/30/06

CSU system gets praise for use of 'green' power -- Cal State is so green the feds have taken notice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently recognized the California State University system for being among the top 25 green-power purchasers in the nation. The system was ranked No. 2 in the agency's Top 10 list of green colleges. JENNY SHEARER in the Bakersfield Californian -- 10/30/06

Will San Joaquin’s thirst be quenched at last? -- Decades of water wars are boiling down to two weeks of testimony as a pair of water districts takes its $500 million beef against the federal government to a Sacramento courtroom. Alex Breitler in the Stockton Record -- 10/30/06

Windmills of Altamont have their breath taken away -- The wind still blows. But thieves are ripping off its harnesses. Over the past six months burglars have repeatedly trespassed onto the Altamont wind farm, where they have cut and stolen copper cables used to operate thousands of windmills. Rick Brewer in the Stockton Record -- 10/30/06

Budgets Falling in Race to Fight Global Warming -- Cheers fit for a revival meeting swept a hotel ballroom as 1,800 entrepreneurs and experts watched a PowerPoint presentation of the most promising technologies for limiting global warming: solar power, wind, ethanol and other farmed fuels, energy-efficient buildings and fuel-sipping cars. ANDREW C. REVKIN in the New York Times -- 10/30/06

Sex crime residency laws exile offenders -- California voters weigh restrictions similar to those passed in Iowa. Jenifer Warren in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/06

Addicts face hugs, hammer -- Drug court mixes healing therapy with tough love from a judge. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/06

Artist obtains permit, grows pot for San Francisco exhibit -- first reaction to the thriving marijuana plant encased in Plexiglas in a San Francisco art gallery is to its pungent odor. Then come the questions. Kristin Bender in the Oakland Tribune -- 10/30/06

Students exposed to consequences of substance abuse -- Shortly after peeking into a coffin, a teary-eyed Tiama Watson proclaimed she's never doing drugs. Mission accomplished. Watson and 300 other seventh-graders from San Lorenzo's Edendale Middle School participated in the Drug Store program Thursday at the Dunsmuir House and Gardens in Oakland. Kristofer Noceda in the Oakland Tribune -- 10/30/06