The dogs bark but the caravan moves on

As Badlands pointed out recently, there is a new young couple among the Valley's witless Democratic congressmen, the Costoza, replacing the Pomboza, which met a timely demise with the dis-election of former Rep. Richard Pombo, Buffalo Slayer-Tracy, in 2006. The swing man in both duos is Rep. Dennis Cardoza, Shrimp Slayer-Annapolis MD, who still claims to represent the 18th Congressional District of California, which includes three cities with some of the worst foreclosure rates in America, Merced, Modesto and Stockton and one county, Merced, with the second highest unemployment rate in the nation this month.

The front end of the Costoza is Rep. Jim Costa, O Pompadoro-Fresno.
The Costoza Blue Dog Democrats distinguished themselves yesterday by boycotting First Lady Michelle Obama's commencement speech at UC Merced. Cardoza was even given an award for his contribution to the founding of the campus, an effort that consumed his entire focus and energy in the state Legislature until he took over former Rep. Gary Condit's congressional seat in 2003 and began to work the federal side on behalf of the campus. Congressman Cardoza introduced three separate bills to gut the Endangered Species Act in ways that would have benefited UC Merced and his other developer friends. Each one was defeated and the third, co-authored with the Republican Pombo, then chairman of the House Resources Committee, so alarmed environmentalists that state and national groups descended on Pombo's district, led by former Rep. Pete McClosky, a Republican who beat Pombo up so badly in the primary that Democrat Jerry McNerney could beat him in the general election.
McNerney had the class to attend the first lady's speech. We think he has also secured a new VA hospital, not in Livermore as he wished, but in San Joaquin County, which he actually represents.
In that phase of his wretched political career, Cardoza was ready and willing to gut one of the most popular laws in the nation solely for the benefit of his contributors and UC Merced in one little congressional district. In this present phase, the ol' Shrimp Slayer has mortgaged his subprime soul to a few hysterical Valley irrigation districts not even in his congressional district. He is also no doubt irate that Congress passed the San Joaquin River Settlement and is even now plotting how to obstruct its funding. Costa, whose district contains some of the areas worst hit by ag-water cutbacks and does not contain UC Merced, might have had a lame excuse for boycotting the First Lady's event. Cardoza had absolutely none. It was pathological.
Political actions have political consequences, not just for the politician but also for his constituents. If President Obama had come to the Valley to speak, one could almost understand a manly act of "political principle," however misguided and suicidal. But they snub his wife? His wife? Who came here with a very clear message of support for UC Merced students and, regardless of what she might have known about the environmental and political issues surrounding the campus, mentioned not one word about them? She was the epitome of grace and inspiration at that event, in more than 100-degree heat.

The Obamas beat the Clintons. The Obamas now live in the White House, where they even have an organic garden and a Portuguese Water Dog, two daughters and a mother-in-law.

Cardoza's snub of the president's wife will probably have bad consequences for the most vulnerable people in his district in terms of federal funding. The people of the 18th CD of California have never benefited much from Valley agribusiness and this gratuitous snub by the Shrimp Slayer, one that has already struck some as racist, will hurt us because there are a lot of suffering congressional districts in the United States today, not enough money to go around, and politics does establish priorities.

What must the president, who has at the moment a great deal of political capital, think of Cardoza snubbing his wife? What must the president think of a district that would tolerate this snub? Aside from what the White House thinks of Cardoza, what do we think of Cardoza?

Other no-shows, also drowning in water politics were: the Hun, our governor, or his wife, Maria Shriver, a Kennedy; state Sen. Jeff Denham, a Republican (again, remind us what was partisan about this event?); Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston, who claims to have been a consultant to the Legislative Committee on the Development of UC Merced), and both US senators. UC Merced's first chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey didn't come. Where were the two most prominently self-described "Mr. UC Merceds," Bob Carpenter and former state Sen. Dick Monteith, Halfback-Modesto. Where were former governors Pete Wilson and Gray Davis?  Nor did we notice any county supervisors on the stage. Gary Condit probably wasn't invited, which is an injustice to an especially deft political move that insured the campus would come to Merced rather than Fresno. Mike Gallo, who funded the Joseph Gallo Wellness Center on campus, Greg Hostetler, who funded the gymnasium, and representatives of the Kollegian family, who donated the library, were also no-shows. Nor was the McFadden family honored. Bob and Marie Gallo were there. They donated a grand piano and they showed up, even though E&J Gallo Wine Co. probably also has some water anxieties. The Gallos and most official Modesto Democrats supported Hillary in the primary. 

When we look at Costa and Cardoza's big Blue Dog Move, along with Galgiani, Denham and rest, we think of an old saying, "The dogs bark but the caravan moves on." Unfortunately, the caravan may move on right past us because of the snub to First Lady Michelle Obama, led by this self-pitying wimp, who has always represented the most reactionary, destructive special interests in the Valley.

However you interpret it, one way you cannot intepret it is as a political invasion of Blue Dog Country by the Obamas. Mrs. Obama's speech was too far above the nasty little games and illiterate oratory Democrats around here call politics. It was a beautiful and truthful evocation of the accomplishments of the first graduating class and the challenges that lie ahead for them. Her ending, which reversed the video tape the students had sent her and to which she responded, "No, we believe in you," flowed logically and rhetorically from the entire address, concluding what was probably the greatest speech even given in Merced.
Badlands Journal editorial board

5-16-09
Fresno Bee
5 congressmen won't be at UC Merced ceremony...John Ellis
http://www.fresnobee.com/564/v-print/story/1408607.html
Five of six San Joaquin Valley congressmen are skipping today's high-profile graduation ceremony at the University of California at Merced -- including one who was a driving force in the school's birth.
All were invited to the event, which features first lady Michelle Obama as speaker. But four say they have other commitments.
A fifth, Visalia Republican Devin Nunes, says he is skipping the ceremony because he is unhappy with President Barack Obama and the majority Democrats in Congress.
"The president's wife is coming to the Valley, and just five miles away you have tens of thousands of people out of work because of the policies of the Democrat Party," he said. "I'm not going to go there and make nice."
He's not the only Valley congressman unhappy with the Obama administration's response to the Valley's water problems and other related local issues. But most insist that politics is playing no role in their absence.
Among those who say they have other commitments is Merced Democrat Dennis Cardoza, who chaired a select committee and authored key legislation related to the campus when he was in the state Legislature. UC Merced also lies within his congressional district.
Cardoza spokesman Mike Jensen said his boss is not making a political statement. Jensen said Cardoza was asked to be part of the graduation program several months ago, but had to decline for "personal and professional reasons" that he declined to detail.
Mariposa Republican George Radanovich "tries to get out [to California] two weekends a month and that's a weekend he's not scheduled to be there," said chief of staff Ted Maness. "We haven't made any special effort to avoid it."
Bret Rumbeck, a spokesman for Fresno Democrat Jim Costa, said Congress has votes scheduled on Friday, so Costa won't be able to attend. And even if those votes are canceled and Costa does come back home, he has events he must attend on the Valley's west side.
Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy said he has an art competition scheduled.
Only Pleasanton Democrat Jerry McNerney, whose East Bay-centered district spills over into the northern San Joaquin Valley, will attend, according to his spokeswoman.
One political expert said the congressmen who are skipping the school's first commencement ceremony were being rude.
"It's bad manners, it's bad form and it's an insult to the community," said Lawrence Giventer, a professor of politics and public administration at California State University, Stanislaus.
"It is very customary for local congressional representatives to attend the commencement exercises of universities that are within their congressional district or near to their congressional district," Giventer said.
Giventer said politicians need to remember the event is about the graduates, their families and the community. In such events, you set aside politics, and if you have a personal commitment, you cancel it.
Tom Holyoke, an assistant professor of political science at California State University, Fresno, said Cardoza in particular should attend.
Many Valley farmers and officials were unhappy with the federal government's response to the region's water shortages, especially after little came from a recent Valley visit by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
But if the region's congressmen -- Nunes excepted -- are trying to send a message, Holyoke said, they should at least say as much.
Said Holyoke: "It's hard to interpret [it] as anything other than a slight against the first lady and UC Merced."
5-17-09
Costa, Cardoza snubs first lady speech at UC Merced, but don't have the guts to say why...Jim Boren
http://fresnobeehive.com/opinion/2009/05/costa_cardoa_wont_attend_first.html
It's no secret that the San Joaquin Valley's congressional delegation is among the weakest in the nation. But you can add the wimp label to the lackluster records of Democratic Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza.
Both are snubbing first lady Michelle Obama's appearance at today's UC Merced commencement ceremonies because they are upset with President Barack Obama not solving the Valley's farm water problem. But then these valiant protesters don't have the guts to say they are actually protesting the president. Very childish. They might as well tattoo "Kick Me" on their foreheads.
So these are our strong-willed representatives? No wonder no one pays attention to Costa and Cardoza. If they want to send a message to the president, don't stand mute.
It is no wonder that Costa represents the poorest congressional district in the nation. He not only can't get anything done for his district, he doesn't have the gumption to stand up for what he thinks is right.
This is what a Costa aide said about today's Michelle Obama snub by the congressman: Bret Rumbeck, a spokesman , said Congress has votes scheduled on Friday, so Costa won't be able to attend. And even if those votes are canceled and Costa does come back home, he has events he must attend on the Valley's west side.
Oh, please, congressman.
And this is what Cardoza's aide said: Cardoza spokesman Mike Jensen said his boss is not making a political statement. Jensen said Cardoza was asked to be part of the graduation program several months ago, but had to decline for "personal and professional reasons" that he declined to detail.
Costa and Crdoza do everyting in tandem -- even their faux protests.
The Republicans also snubbed the first lady's speech, but that's about party politics. But Costa and Cardoza are Democrats. . . They finally get a Democratic president and they roll into the fetal position.
I long for the good old days of effective Democrats like B.F. Sisk and Tony Coelho.