California Republican Party
Delegate to the California Republican Party and a member of the State Platform and Drafting Committees; mother of a youth delegate (Paul) at the 2012 Republican Convention; active in state and local Republican politics, she is the elected director of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District Board
Political Party Platforms: Do They Really Matter? A committee of party insiders met for two days this week to write the Republican platform . It's expected to be adopted by the convention in Tampa next Monday. But the party chairman, Reince Priebus has already made it clear that it's "the platform of the Republican Party. It's not the platform of Mitt Rommey ." Party platforms contain language to appease insiders, even though that carries the risk of political damage. In Tampa this week, the Platform Committee's anti-abortion plank revealed a split within the Republican Party and a potential threat to support from Independents. Advocacy of a flat tax and abolition of mortgage relief might also look too extreme. The Democrats will have to explain the embrace of same-sex marriage. When provisions cater to narrow constituencies, will politicians try to enact them if they're elected? Will the platforms have long-term influence once the conventions are over?
Battle for the Soul of the California Republican Party As the GOP’s most likely candidate for president, John McCain hopes to win California this coming November with the coalition of independents and moderates that re-elected Governor Schwarzenegger last year. But California’s Republican Party refused to allow independents to participate in the Super-Tuesday primary. Registration has now dropped to just 33% of those eligible statewide. In a letter to party leaders, Businessman Lawrence K. Dodge said, “[We are] eating our own in public.” He withheld 3-million dollars to pay off the party’s debt in hope that last weekend’s convention in San Francisco would adopt a more moderate platform.
A Santa Barbara doctor learns to treat his own pain At the peak of his career as a palliative care doctor in Santa Barbara, Michael Kearney found himself burned out and in a state of personal suffering. Even though he had become an expert in treating the pain of others, he couldn’t treat his own. That changed when he had a revelatory experience that provided him with a path forward. Meanwhile, the November election is just days away, a look at what could happen to the Central Coast if California voters pass Proposition 10.
The Democrats take the House. Will the president need more lawyers? The midterms are over. What’s next for President Trump?
Tiny Desk Talks NPR Music is proud to introduce their newest series, “Tiny Desk Talks” fueled by Lagunitas Brewing Company. Featuring one of their talks in collaboration with KCRW for an intimate conversation on music in film with composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Atlanta, Creed) and music supervisor and KCRW DJ Liza Richardson (Barry, Narcos), moderated by KCRW’s Jason Bentley. Watch the conversation below.