On Jerry Brown: California's Next Governor and a Great American Progressive.

[David Zephyr]

Trust me. This Californian can tell you that the love and simpatico from the north to the south here in the Golden State for Jerry is deep and real.

Jerry Brown took this State back from Ronald Reagan who left us deep in red ink and turned that ink into black ink. The California state universities are the legacy of Jerry's father. Jerry Brown invented the California Conservation Corp which Clinton's Americorp copied to the letter and used as the template for that great organization.

Jerry Brown was the first political leader to decriminalize homosexuality. He did it way back in the 1970's with the help of the great Willie Brown, as his first act as Governor, knowing full well that even though he was straight, his being a single man would start malicious whispering behind his back. Sure enough, the whispering and jokes began. Jerry was MAN enough to care less what people thought. He just did the right thing. And this older, gay guy will always remember Brown's bold and courageous act. Jerry did it because he knew that someone had to put an end, once and for all, to the arresting of good gay men and women for simply being who they were.

Jerry Brown put the first African-American and the first Latino on the Supreme Court here way back when it wasn't perhaps popular to do so, but Jerry did it because it was the right thing to do. He didn't worry about how it would play with the public. He showed leadership. That is Jerry Brown.

Jerry Brown fought back against Mobile and Exxon and Chevron with every trick he had to prevent them from drilling off our coast lines. He turned them back and we've kept our coast lines ever since. All these years. Over thirty years. Thank you, Jerry.

Brown was an environmentalist before it was cool to be so. And it was always sincere.

There's just too much that few people know about this guy, but I'll leave you with this:

That cute little moniker of "moonbeam" was given to him by none other than the the late Mike Royko of the Chicago Tribune. Years later, Mike wrote that he came up with that name because Jerry had wanted California to utilize satellites to hook up the northern part of the state with the southern part for quick fingerprint identification. It was considered goofy at the time, but today every state does just what Jerry did and Mike Royko proclaimed "Look, I gave Jerry Brown that moonbeam name and I'm taking it back!"

When election time comes around, California's unions with proud working women and men will stand with their old friend and ally, as will the GLBT community and California's very rich multi-colored and multi-ethnic populace.

Jerry Brown will be the next Governor of California.

Here's a photo of Jerry and the late, great Cesar Chavez marching together. It doesn't get more real than this.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I cannot wait for him to start cleaning up the mess!

A most excellent post!

Thank you.

K&R

:patriot:

[David Zephyr]

9. From another Californian.

I still find it fascinating how those outside our state underestimate Jerry Brown (to their own folly which is almost delicious) and how deep the affection runs for Jerry and his dad here in our Golden State. :hi:

[Laelth]

2. California will enact single-payer in 2011 under Brown ... if only we can give them time.

The legislature has already passed the bill. Schwarzenegger vetoed it. Once California has single-payer, most (if not all) states will follow suit.

It's likely that if we pass a new law now, the new law will preempt single-payer, i.e. the Federal law will preempt state law and prevent states from enacting a single-payer system.

THIS is what the health insurance companies fear. THIS is what brought them to the bargaining table. THIS is why they are not fighting Obama's tepid reforms, and THIS is why it is extremely important that we do not pass any health insurance reform bill this year.

Let's not settle for a bail-out of the health insurance industry. Let's insist on the eradication of it. In all likelihood, California will lead the way in 2011 ... if we can just give them time.

:dem:

-Laelth

[David Zephyr]

8. I'm glad you bring this up, Laelth.

You set it up exactly as it is going to go down. Thanks! :hi:

[Laelth]

10. Canada got single-payer province by province.

And state by state is the only realistic way that the United States will do it. California will lead the way, and Brown will sign the bill. Of that I have no doubt.

But this is why the Kucinich Amendment is so important. States need a waiver from Federal ERISA law in order to enact single-payer. That's what the Kucinich Amendment would have provided. If "health insurance reform" doesn't pass this year, or if some turd of a bill passes without the Kucinich Amendment, California will still need to get an ERISA waiver to enact its new health-care system (but that shouldn't be hard to get once the Governor signs the bill because Congress won't want to violate a state's rights so blatantly).

:dem:

-Laelth

[David Zephyr]

11. Excellent point!

You are a very bright bulb, Laelth. Thanks for making this point to us all here at the DU.

[Ignis]

25. Wouldn't it be nice for CA to lead the way again?

We've become so horribly regressive and reactionary under the Gropenator. :(

[DefenseLawyer]

3. Jerry's not nearly as progressive in his old age.

I still like the guy, but he's not as dependably liberal as he used to be on a lot of issues.

[David Zephyr]

7. Dependably liberal.

I know him. I worked for him.

As the Laelth posted above, Jerry will enact single-payer insurance as Governor.

He will also turn drug addiction into a health issue rather than a criminal issue, with the exception of those that truly deal in hard narcotics.

You will see the old Jerry Brown again. And you will be pleased, if not joyous.

[DefenseLawyer]

12. I trust you are correct.

He certainly hasn't been a leader on the question of medical marijuana as AG, for example, and I'm not sure why he would be different as governor.

[thelordofhell]

4. I wonder how Jerry is going to work with the legislature

Y'know, the place where the minority party has all the say.

[burning rain]

5. I'd vote for him at a general election....

but I wouldn't exactly call him a "great American progressive." Though socially liberal, he's been a pretty tight-fisted fiscal conservative since his days as governor.

[burning rain]

21. Here's an article on the subject....

from The American Prospect:"See Jerry Run. Again.".

[Bluenorthwest]

23. All those years ago, he told the truth about what needed to be

done, which was 'tighten our belts' and he got voted out for it. Today, CA is tightening not by choice but by necessity. Jerry knows how to handle a budget.

[bridgit]

6. Agreed

:kick:

[David Zephyr]

17. Thanks for the kick for Jerry.

:hi:

[Cleita]

13. He is going to have his work cut out for him with the

mess Arnold and Pete Wilson are leaving behind. I heard a rumor though that Dianne Feinstein might run. I would hate that. I'm tired of holding my nose to vote for her.

[David Zephyr]

15. He will have his work cut out for him, but that's what Jerry likes.

Dianne would never run against Jerry. Many don't know that Dianne quietly officiated Jerry's wedding. Feinstein knows how deep the love for Jerry and his dad are here.

[Ardent15]

14. Go Jerry: continue the work you started!

K and R. :)

[Booster]

16. I've always been a fan of Jerry Brown. In his early days he was

about as close to an ideal politician as a man could get, at least in my eyes. Maybe the fire in his belly doesn't burn like it used to, but he's a thousand times better than Arnold.

[David Zephyr]

22. Me, too.

There's just so much 'there' there with Jerry in all he has accomplished, what he pioneered in California for social/economic/environmental justice, how tough he can be when it comes to defending the little guy and gal, that knowing that past is prologue, I am very excited about his potential candidacy.

[paulsby]

18. i find it amusing that michael savage admires brown

and has even had him on his show.

any guy who can inspire the wrath of the dead kennedys, have liberal labor cred, pro-environment cred, and be admired by michael savage is surely an iconoclast.

[NYC_SKP]

19. kick. nt

[JI7]

20. i love that pic

[Bluenorthwest]

24. Jerry is the real thing

California could not do better than Jerry Brown.

[Eyerish]

26. K&R

I look forward to voting for him.