Obama proposes, the senate disposes
This week President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland, the chief judge of the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Antonin Scalia.
Even before the announcement this week, battle lines formed up in the U.S. Senate, with Republicans vowing not to consider the nomination at all, and Democrats crying foul at their tactics.
Garland may be used to this treatment by now.
In 1995, his appeals court confirmation outlasted a 19-month Republican stall and he was approved at last, 76-23.
The process this time looks to be equally fraught, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has sworn he will not allow any hearings to be held at all.
Garland came from humble Chicago roots and attended both Harvard and Harvard Law School. He became a partner in a Washington law firm but gave it up for the privilege of occupying a windowless basement office by joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg describes him as a moderate liberal, a fair-minded consensus-builder who is “revered” and "beloved" by his colleagues. She also got wind of a possible move to confirm Garland in November, in the lame duck session, providing a Democrat wins the presidency.
Democrats are the big kahunas in the city attorney's race
Next week, the local Democratic Party will decide who — or whether — to endorse in the race for San Diego City Attorney.
The city attorney gives advice to elected officials — like the mayor and the City Council — and to city departments on whether and how to proceed on just about anything, as well as about what liability the city might incur should they make a misstep. It is a pretty powerful position and can be a high-profile one as well.
Attorney Robert Hickey, a Republican, is searching for votes along with four Democrats in this crowded race. Two Democrats, Gil Cabrera and Rafael Castellanos, are said to be in the strongest position to gain their party’s stamp of approval, with Castellanos having an advantage as a current member of the Port Commission.
Both have raised significant campaign funds, and both have the endorsements of prominent politicians. But so does another Democrat, Deputy City Attorney Mara Elliott. The fourth Democrat is environmental attorney Bryan Pease.
The party endorsement is crucial. When a party endorses, it spends money to introduce the lucky endorsees to voters via mail, by phone and in-person. That’s a big help, especially since 64 percent of voters are undecided on this race.
Getting development approval in North County
After the defeat of Carlsbad’s Measure A, in which the developer tried to avoid the CEQA process through a citizen’s initiative, two developers of North County properties are using different methods to gain approval.
Accretive Investments is taking the easier initiative route for Lilac Hills, a proposed housing development outside the guidelines of the County General Plan, because it believes the outcome will be different for a housing development than it was for the Carlsbad shopping center.
Newland Communities, developer of another big housing project west of Interstate 15, is going the traditional route of gaining approval from the Board of Supervisors and then going after CEQA approval. Their plan may come up for a vote next year.
In any case, both projects propose more houses than are allowed under the relatively new County General Plan. Therefore, both need an amendment to the county plan.
