Updates Since This Morning

Jerry Brown apologizes to Clinton over comment -- Candidate for California governor Jerry Brown apologized Monday for taking a swipe at fellow Democrat and former President Bill Clinton over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. PAUL ELIAS AP David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times Jim Boren in the Fresno Bee -- 9/13/10

"You'll Always Get The Truth" -- Until now, Jerry Brown was being criticized for not saying enough. Today, he had to apologize for saying too much. Such is the nature of major political campaigns, especially now when anyone can post video and audio online of anytime they choose. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 9/13/10

Conservative wants Maldonado to defy Schwarzenegger, appeal Prop. 8 -- John Eastman, who lost a bid in June to become the Republican nominee for attorney general, is calling on Proposition 8 supporters to "help Abel Maldonado do the right thing. Call him TODAY to say you support him filing the Notice of Appeal. . . . Call Now. Call Every Hour." Susan Ferriss SacBee Capitol Alert -- 9/13/10

Legalizing pot would free up police to fight violent crime, law enforcement group says -- Legalizing marijuana would put a big dent in drug cartels and free up police, prosecutors and judges to go after violent crimes, a law enforcement group said Monday in endorsing Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization measure. Catherine Saillant in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

U.S. Chamber targets Jerry Brown in new TV ad -- The 30-second spot targets Brown's performance as state attorney general, suggesting his office's approach to enforcing state regulations has driven jobs out of the state. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 9/13/10

Jerry Brown, trying to defend his record, trashes Bill Clinton [Updated] -- Jerry Brown has spent much of his race for governor assaulting the character of his Republican rival Meg Whitman. But now, in a jaw-dropping bit of rhetoric, he's extended his criticism to a former Democratic president, Bill Clinton. And he did so by referring obliquely to Clinton's dalliance with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

Boxer launches first ad of Senate campaign -- Sen. Barbara Boxer has launched her first ad of the 2010 campaign, focusing on clean energy, her support for veterans and targeted tax cuts for small businesses. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Rob Hotakainen SacBee Capitol Alert -- 9/13/10

Boxer and Feinstein ask federal regulators to order inspection of gas pipelines -- California's senators called Monday on federal regulators to order inspections of all interstate natural gas pipelines in the state, with a priority on those that run near residential areas. John Hoeffel in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

AP Enterprise: Whitman exaggerates Brown spending -- Among the attacks Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman repeatedly levels against Democrat Jerry Brown is that he oversaw an irresponsible growth in spending during his previous tenure in the governor's office. SAMANTHA YOUNG AP -- 9/13/10

State bribery lawsuit against former CalPERS board member blocked -- The state's massive lawsuit over alleged corruption at CalPERS was essentially blocked today by a federal bankruptcy judge. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/13/10

Union vs. Union in a Battle in California -- During his two decades building one of the largest union locals in California, Sal Rosselli earned a reputation as a cunning strategist and street fighter — someone who often vilified hospital chains during contract battles. STEVEN GREENHOUSE in the New York Times -- 9/13/10

President Obama backs tax changes to health care law -- The Obama administration Monday urged senators to scale back a tax reporting requirement in the health care law. JENNIFER HABERKORN Politico -- 9/13/10

CalBuzz: Jerry Blows His Only Play, Turns on Clinton -- Updated 8 am: In our original post, Calbuzz set out what we thought was Jerry Brown’s best option for dealing with Meg Whitman’s new killer ad. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 9/13/10

AP Enterprise: Whitman exaggerates Brown spending -- Among the attacks Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman repeatedly levels against Democrat Jerry Brown is that he oversaw an irresponsible growth in spending during his previous tenure in the governor's office. SAMANTHA YOUNG AP -- 9/13/10

Polls: Governor, Senate races neck and neck -- California’s governor and U.S. Senate races are both a virtual tie, according to the latest CNN-Time poll as well as the polling trends aggregated by RealClearPolitics.com. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 9/13/10

Cruickshank: The Battle for California's Economic Future -- On one side sits those with existing wealth - CEOs Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina - who believe that the economy should be dominated by policies channeling wealth to the already-rich at the expense of jobs and security for everyone else. Robert Cruickshank (Calitics) Cal Progress Report -- 9/13/10

Spending by California governors since 1959 -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman claims spending under Jerry Brown skyrocketed when he was governor. But the numbers show a different story when employing calculations used by economists. AP -- 9/13/10

Maldonado signs bills in Schwarzenegger's absence -- Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado is continuing to enjoy some pre-election publicity occasioned by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger being out of state. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 9/13/10

California schools gain on annual test, narrowing achievement gap -- California's K-12 schools this year continued an eight-year trend of scoring higher on annual state tests, with Latino and African-American students gaining more than the statewide average and thus helping to narrow the achievement gap. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

Those high-puressure gas lines beneath your feet -- Miles of high-pressure gas lines snake beneath Orange County soil, and they are owned and operated by the Southern California Gas Co., a subsidiary of Sempra Energy in San Diego. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 9/13/10

PG&E announces $100 million fund to help San Bruno fire victims -- Pacific Gas and Electric announced today it has established a $100 million fund to help the victims of the San Bruno fire as well as the restoration of the city. Mark Gomez in the Contra Costa Times -- 9/13/10

   California Policy and Politics This Morning

Labor conflict comes at bad time for California Democratic Party -- Just when the Democratic Party in California needs all the help it can get to win its upcoming election battles, a significant part of its base is divided and weakened by internal conflicts and a sickly economy. Louis Freedberg California Watch -- 9/13/10

Whitman adviser defends campaign spending on 'Meet the Press' -- Meg Whitman's chief strategist defended his candidate's record spending Sunday, saying the $104 million she has put into her campaign was necessary to get her message out to California voters. Michael J. Mishak in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

Rangel, Waters ethics trials not expected until after Nov. election -- Watchdog groups expect the upcoming ethics trials for Reps. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) to take place after the November election to avoid political fallout. Susan Crabtree The Hill -- 9/13/10

CalBuzz: Jerry’s Only Play: Get Bill To Attack Brooks Jackson -- Fueled by 5-Hour Energy Berry Flavor shots, Calbuzz spent an edgy, sleepless weekend closely monitoring short-wave radio reports about the blazing fusillades of budget facts and figures the rival campaigns for governor exchanged over Meg Whitman’s latest ad attack on Jerry Brown. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 9/13/10

Soft-styled candidates vie for Florez Senate seat -- Whoever fills Dean Florez's shoes in the state Senate is likely to be a lot quieter than the termed-out senator, who is known for frequent news conferences and combative legislative hearings. Whether his replacement is a Democrat or Republican remains to be seen. E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee -- 9/13/10

More than 5,000 at tea party rally in North Highlands -- Thousands of tea party supporters in red, white and blue rallied for conservative causes Sunday at McClellan Park, as speaker after speaker denounced big government and excessive federal spending. Loretta Kalb in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/13/10

Coast to coast, tea partiers promote their cause -- Originally billed as a chance to reflect on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a series of raucous tea party rallies around the country on Sunday ended up focusing almost entirely on an event still to come - the Nov. 2 election. ROBIN HINDERY and KEVIN FREKING AP -- 9/13/10

   Economy - Jobs

Southern California's fast-growing drone industry helping to bring in the big bucks -- Seeing an almost limitless market, dozens of defense contractors -- Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. among them -- are now vying to build drone aircraft. They are building surveillance drones the size of insects that can fly through open windows, and others as big as jetliners that can skim the stratosphere. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

Survey explores the work experiences of baby boomers -- The youngest baby boomers – those born from 1957 to 1964 – held an average of 11 jobs by age 44, with more frequent employment changes and more rapid growth in earnings early in their careers, according to a government survey released Friday. Joanna Lin California Watch -- 9/13/10

U.S. hard-pressed to stem domestic R&D losses -- The nation's ability to turn ideas into products and profits at home has been eroded by deep manufacturing cuts and policies that result in others reaping the benefits. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

   Education

Fensterwald: Foundations urge adopting A-G for all -- Two foundations in Silicon Valley are encouraging school districts to adopt college preparatory courses, known as A to G, as their default high school curriculum, with all students required to take the classes unless their parents request that they not. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 9/13/10

Oversight questions fuel school pay-to-play lawsuit -- It's a nagging question that won't go away: When local school officials and their district-level administrators charge fees for classes and extracurricular activities despite a statewide ban on such practices, who is responsible for stepping in? Corey G. Johnson California Watch -- 9/13/10

A new year, a new school complex for L.A. Unified -- The start of the traditional school year Monday will also mark the unveiling of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools complex, the much fought-over $578-million learning center that now occupies the site of the historic Ambassador Hotel. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

California bill would ease arts requirement in high schools -- A bill that seeks to reduce dropout rates by changing high school graduation requirements statewide has arts education advocates bristling. Edward Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/13/10

   Environment

FDA set to approve genetically engineered salmon -- The Food and Drug Administration is poised to approve the nation’s first genetically engineered animal designed to be eaten by people. Susanne Rust California Watch -- 9/13/10

Walters: Chaos kills renewable-power measure -- The most conspicuous casualty on the chaotic final day of the 2009-10 legislative session last month was an extremely complex measure to increase California's use of so-called "renewable" electric power and reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/13/10

Diaz: How SB722 fell through legislative cracks -- The demise of the most important environmental bill of the year provides a case study in what is wrong with the legislative process in Sacramento. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/13/10

Bikers make noise on attempt to quiet motorcycles -- The laid-back vibe of this affluent Los Angeles suburb gets a jarring wakeup on weekends when hundreds of motorcycles thunder through the Santa Monica Mountains, triggering car alarms, rattling windows and jolting alive barking dogs. DAISY NGUYEN AP -- 9/13/10

   Health Care

Loans tide over L.A. County health clinics -- Stung by a budget stalemate that is costing Los Angeles County community clinics more than $330,000 a day in reimbursements, many clinic managers have been forced to take out loans and contemplate cuts to staff and services. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

States opposed to healthcare overhaul pin hopes on Florida court hearing -- The conservative counterattack on President Obama's overhaul of health insurance will take center stage in the courts this week when Republican state attorneys general and a leading small-business group urge a federal judge in Florida to strike down the law before it can take effect. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

Groups call for mandatory flu shots for health workers -- Flu shots should be mandatory for healthcare workers, according to a policy statement issued recently by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Kim Lamb Gregory in the Ventura Star -- 9/13/10

   Immigration

Illegal immigration drops -- Gerry Gates is a concrete contractor who has seen his fair share of illegal immigrants looking for work in front of home improvement stores. But their numbers are thinning, he said Friday as he loaded parts and equipment into his truck outside a Lowe's store on North Hallmark Parkway. Josh Dulaney in the San Bernardino Sun -- 9/13/10

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio expands his political wings -- Maricopa County's top law enforcement official, popular in his state for his tough stance on illegal immigration, is weighing in on national races. But it is still unclear how voters beyond Arizona view him. Ashley Powers in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

   Also..

PG&E ordered to inspect entire gas system after San Bruno blast -- State utility regulators announced Sunday that they will order Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to inspect its entire natural-gas transmission system for leaks, preserve all records from the San Bruno explosion and report how much the company is spending on pipeline safety and replacement. John Hoeffel in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10

Pipe Examined For Clues to Blast -- Federal investigators probing last week's massive gas explosion here found an unusually built section of pipe in the ruins, focusing attention on the pipeline operator's inspections. REBECCA SMITH and STU WOO in the Wall Street Journal -- 9/13/10

   Beltway

House G.O.P. Leader Signals He’s Open to Obama Tax Cut -- The House Republican leader, John A. Boehner, on Sunday opened the door to a compromise on the contentious issue of the Bush-era tax cuts, saying he would vote to maintain lower rates for families earning less than $250,000 even if President Obama and Democrats insisted on ending the cuts for wealthier Americans. DAVID M. HERSZENHORN in the New York Times -- 9/13/10

Tax cuts to occupy returning Congress -- Congress is returning for a final pre-legislative session on Monday to confront the thorny issue of potentially raising taxes during an economic downturn, with neither party showing clear consensus on a solution. Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery in the Washington Post -- 9/13/10

A Smoker, No Apologies About It -- When it comes to fighting what he views as the Democrats’ big-government agenda, the House Republican leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, just won’t quit. It turns out, the same goes for his own heavy smoking habit. DAVID M. HERSZENHORN in the New York Times -- 9/13/10

Parties put money in statehouse races that could determine congressional districts -- Redistricting is arcane but has huge consequences. Both parties are channeling money to state parties and lavishly funding statehouse candidates in 'the hidden national elections of 2010.' Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/13/10