Senator Ed Hernández And Congresswomen Jackie Speier And Grace Napolitano Buck The Machine To Endorse Eloise Reyes

This pathetic mess somehow "forgot" to mention to California progressives that he's been begging the corrupt, anti-working family New Dems to endorse him

Dr. Ed Hernández, former president of the California Optometric Association, is the state Senator representing the 24th district, which stretches from East L.A. through Monterey Park, Rosemead, and El Monte out to Azusa and Covina. Hernández is chairman of the Senate Health Committee and one of the most respected Los Angeles legislators in Sacramento and a powerful advocate for working families. Last night he stood with a growing list of anti-corruption public officials against an attempt by Steve Israel and his Los Angeles lackey, Eric Bauman, to force ex-lobbyist Pete Aguilar down the throats of Democrats in the Inland Empire (CA-31) again.

In recent weeks, former CA-31 Congresswoman and ex-Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, endorsed Reyes, as did House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and progressive East L.A./Downey Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. Aside from Senator Hernández, yesterday, as the California Democratic Party convention was beginning in Los Angeles, one of the most powerful and eloquent voices for women's equality on Capitol Hill, San Mateo Congresswoman Jackie Speier, came out loud and proud for Eloise Reyes.

Rep. Speier: "I am endorsing Eloise Gomez Reyes today because the working families of the 31st District need a fighter like Eloise to stand up to special interests. We thought 2012 would be the year we would turn the seat from Red to Blue but it slipped away. We can’t let that happen again. Eloise has proven herself the strongest candidate in the race and it’s a plus that another woman will be joining us in Congress where only 18% of the members are women. I am proud to endorse her."

Yes, clearly Pete Aguilar is not "another woman." He is also the furthest thing a politician can be from "a fighter to stand up to special interests." When the corrupt Chamber of Commerce Republicans who ran the Redlands City Council needed a shill to front for their greed-and-selfishness agenda, they appointed fake Democrat Pete Aguilar, a failed and corrupt bank lobbyist, to the council to do their bidding. Tailor made for Steve Israel, who drafted him to run in 2012, empty suit Aguilar promptly lost an open D+5 seat to not one, but two Republicans, giving the Inland Empire the shame of being the bluest district anywhere in America with a Republican congressman.

Israel then made up some ridiculous story that Pete lost because his ill father, Herman, had died on primary day and peddled it to the Beltway media so he could recruit Aguilar again for 2014. And Israel did recruit him again-- but the story has no basis in fact. His father wasn't ill and didn't die on primary day-- or any other day. Herman Aguilar is very much alive and well. A bunch of bozos in Congress believed Israel's bullshit too and allowed him to use their names as Aguilar endorsers. Several have told me they were considering withdrawing their endorsements of Aguilar but seemed afraid of Israel's wrath. They can do what Rep. Grave Napolitano did last night. She did a dual endorsement-- though not of Aguilar, of course.

Napolitano, who represents a largely Hispanic district that includes Covina and much of eastern L.A. County, is an old friend of former Congressman Joe Baca and felt she couldn't not endorse him. But yesterday, she also endorsed Eloise. "Eloise, like myself, has had a long career in the private sector before running for office," she explained. "Congress needs more women who can relate to working families and their daily struggle to balance work and family… While I have also endorsed former Rep. Joe Baca, a friend and former colleague, I am not rescinding his endorsement. Eloise is a strong and viable candidate."

There was a not so subtle message there that Baca is not "a strong and viable candidate." And Aguilar has already proven that he wasn't by losing so baldy in 2012. Upshot: L.A.'s Boss Tweed, Eric Bauman, delivered an empty endorsement at the convention today for Steve Israel's empty suit.

Help fight the Machine? Help elect Eloise Reyes here.

Meanwhile, across the continent, the Republican Party's right-wing fringe-- about half the party, at least-- held their annual CPAC straw poll. And despite the GOP Establishment having raised the price to keep riffraff (Libertarian Paulistas) out, Rand Paul won-- by a landslide and by a lot more than the 25% with which he won last year, crush Ted Cruz. Here are the final results:

• Rand Paul- 31%
• Ted Cruz- 11%
• Ben Carson- 9%
• Chris Christie- 8%
• Scott Walker- 7%
• Rick Santorum- 7%
• Marco Rubio- 6%
• Paul "Brown Paper Bag" Ryan- 3%
• Rick Perry- 3%
• Bobby Jindal- 2%
• Condoleeza Rice- 2%
• Mike Huckabee- 2%
• Sarah Palin- 2%