I’m including last Friday, Sept. 5 in this week’s roundup of big ($25,000 or more) spenders on California campaigns and committees, as I was out of town that day and had to do last week’s post a day early.

And what a day it was to miss, as 37 egg-related companies from across the nation chose last Friday to lay a golden egg totalling $3,804,443.41 upon the campaign to defeat Proposition 2, which would prohibit confinement of certain farm animals in ways that doesn’t let them turn freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. (For brevity’s sake, I’ll save the detailed list of donors for after the jump.)

Does that seem like a lot of separate entities giving a lot of money — especially when you add in dozens more contributions in increments smaller than $25,000 also reported Friday — all on one day? Sure looked that way to Proposition 2′s proponents, who yesterday filed a new complaint (here and here) with the Fair Political Practices Commission. The complaint notes that United Egg Producers had listed many of these contributors as already committing funds in a July 15 fundraising letter, but California law generally requires all donations of $5,000 or more to a ballot-measure campaign be reported within 10 business days. Said Prop. 2 campaign manager Jennifer Fearing: “The opponents of Prop 2 have been caught red-handed in one of the biggest campaign money laundering schemes of all time.”

That’ll be for the FPPC to decide. Meanwhile, only two donations were made in favor of Prop. 2 this week — $25,000 on Monday from Farm Sanctuary Inc. of Watkins Glen, N.Y., and $25,000 Thursday from Animal Welfare Advocacy Inc. of Mamaroneck, N.Y.

In other news, 37 donors gave a total of $1,207,501 this week in support of Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. (Again, see a detailed list after the jump.) Meanwhile, the National Center for Lesbian Rights put up another $50,000 last Friday to oppose Prop. 2; Puma Springs Vineyards owner Barbara Grassechi of Healdsburg gave $30,000 Monday; Levco CEO Kathy Levinson of Los Altos gave $30,000 Thursday; New York theatrical producer Ted Snowden gave $25,000 last Friday; and San Francisco housewife Dagmar Dolby gave $25,000 Monday.

The California Republican Party gave $591,000 Wednesday to Danny Gilmore‘s campaign for the 30th Assembly District seat, and $400,000 Monday to Gary Jeandron‘s campaign for the 80th Assembly District seat.

The California Democratic Party gave $204,104 Monday to Manuel Perez‘s campaign for the 80th Assembly District seat, and $156,000 last Friday to Hannah Beth Jackson‘s campaign for the 19th State Senate District seat; Jackson picked up another $27,500 that same day from the Santa Barbara Democratic Party, and $55,000 more from the county party today.

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. of Long Beach anted up $250,000 Wednesday to support Proposition 10, a $5 billion bond measure to provide cash incentives to buyers of certain high-fuel-economy and alternative-fuel vehicles as well as to companies researching and developing renewable energy and cleaner cars.

Retired Cisco Systems chairman John P. Morgridge of Portola Valley gave $100,000 Monday to the campaign against Proposition 4, the proposed state constitutional amendment which would require doctors to inform the parent or guardian of a minor 48 hours before providing an abortion to that minor.

New York City-based infrastructure consulting and construction management giant Parsons Brinckerhoff Americas Inc. gave $30,000 Tuesday in support of Proposition 1A, the $10 billion bond measure for high-speed rail.

Brian L. Harvey of Los Angeles, president of the Cypress Land Company, gave $100,000 Wednesday to the campaign for Proposition 11, the legislative redistricting reform measure; the Western Electrical Contractors Association PAC had given $25,000 Monday.

Detailed lists of No on 2 and Yes on 8 donors, after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson:

2000 Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Al Gore:

And I’ll post Barack Obama‘s presidential nomination acceptance speech as soon as I’ve got a clean clip…

UPDATE @ 9:23 P.M.: Here it is…

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., moves to halt the roll call and nominate Barack Obama by acclimation:

Former President Bill Clinton:

2004 Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.:

And I’ll update with Joe Biden‘s vice-presidential nomination acceptance speech — and his special unannounced guest — as soon as clean clips are available…

UPDATE @ 10:17 P.M.: Here we are:

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio:

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.:

U.S. Senate candidate and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner:

And I’ll add Hillary Clinton as soon as I find a clean clip…

UPDATE @ 9:22 P.M: Here she is, in three segments:

Oakland attorney Meredith Brown, a Hillary Clinton delegate to the Democratic National Convention, sent me a dispatch in the wee hours of this morning saying she was extremely impressed with Michelle Obama‘s speech Monday night: “Michelle made us love her. People cried and cheered as if Michelle was running for president. Now we, as Democrats, delegates, women and mothers are invested in the Obama family.”

Read Brown’s full report, after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco:

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.:

And I’ll add Michelle Obama as soon as I can find a clean video clip…

UPDATE @ 9:16 P.M.: OK, got it, in two parts:

Just got a news release announcing that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, now exploring a 2010 gubernatorial bid, will host an outdoor concert next Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver “to celebrate the historic participation of young Americans in this year’s election and in support of the candidacy of Barack Obama for President.”

“Unconventional ’08” aims to honor the College Democrats of America, Generation Obama, Students for Barack Obama, Young Democrats of America, Young Voter PAC and other organizations, the release says. The “all-star line-up of indie rock artists” includes Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups, Nada Surf and DJ Z-Trip; members of Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley and She and Him; a special appearance by comedienne/actress Sarah Silverman and other surprise guests. The decidedly less hip sponsors include MoveOn.org, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, AT&T and Pacific Gas & Electric.

The Gavin saith:

“One of the defining dynamics of 2008 has been the emerging wave of new, young voters getting involved and storming the gates of the traditional political establishment. They are a key to this election and Senator Obama is energizing this new generation of voters in a way never seen before. Our Party and our politics are better for their participation and I look forward to hosting this extraordinary event on their behalf.”

And boy, oh boy, it’s never too early to start nailing down that young, progressive demographic, is it? As if Jerry Brown would even know Cold War Kids, anyway.

(Why’d I use the zero-g Gavin photo again? Because I can, that’s why.)

San Francisco blogger/activist Brian Leubitz — founder of Calitics.com, an information clearinghouse for California’s left wing — announced today he’ll be running for vice-chairman of the California Democratic Party.

This people-powered party shouldn’t simply exist to serve a legislative caucus or any particular donor, but rather to ensure that the collective action of thousands of grassroots Democrats can be heard. This means truly opening up ourselves to introspection. It means reviewing our processes to ensure that we are an institution that is seeking the best solution rather than the easy solution. It means recalibrating ourselves to overcome inertia in the service of positive change. After all, if there is one thing that term limits have taught us, it is that incumbency is ephemeral, values are permanent.

It’s not surprising, given all the scorn the Calitics folks have heaped upon the party’s current leadership, be it for bankrolling Don Perata’s legal fund, defending Dianne Feinstein even as she continues to offend progressives, or what have you. It’ll be interesting to see how grassroots progressives fare against the entrenched regime.

The California Majority Report has a post from former Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer about how much of California’s Democratic National Convention delegation might not get to see Barack Obama accept the party’s nomination next week.

They’d thought it would be easy, what with the candidate’s acceptance speech being moved from Pepsi Center (the convention site) to the 75,000-seat Invesco Field.

But California with 551 delegates and 1500 traveling credentialed attendees and their families got just 300 tickets for the Invesco event — the same allocation as Missouri with 88 delegates. California Democratic Party leaders have tried to no avail to get the Obama camp to release more passes. The Obama camp in turn, is directing California convention goers to contact the CDP. Some party activists view the paltry allocation of party tickets as a slap in the face to California which voted overwhelmingly for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the February primary election and where Obama holds a commanding lead over John McCain.

Let’s hope the Obama campaign isn’t playing us like that, not so soon after California once again has proved itself to be a Democratic ATM. Let’s just see ‘em try to raise $7.8 million in one night in Kansas City.

UPDATE @ 5:05 P.M.: Let it be noted both that Dario Frommer endorsed Hillary Clinton, and that the gentlemen — such as Steve Maviglio, Roger Salazar and Jason Kinney — who publish the California Majority Report have been Clinton supporters as well. And let it also be noted that the Obama campaign has not yet answered my query about this.

UPDATE @ 5:16 P.M.: Maybe they won’t need so many tickets after all. At least 26 California delegates now appear unlikely to attend the convention: the hobbled Dianne Feinstein, plus 25 state Senate and Assembly members whose leaders are warning them not to leave town until a budget is passed.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has been laid low by an ankle injury and won’t be able to attend the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver.

Her statement:

“Last Friday — the day before the Lake Tahoe Summit — I slipped and broke my left ankle while I was on a walk with Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher on the Meeks Bay Trail in the Tahoe forest.

“My doctor has advised me not to travel in the short-term, and so, regretfully, I am unable to attend what will surely be an historic convention in Denver.

“I was very much looking forward to chairing the California Delegation, and I offer my best wishes to California’s delegates in this vital nomination process.”

Hmmm. A noted Hillary Clinton endorser suddenly can’t make the convention… but, to paraphrase Freud, sometimes a broken ankle is just a broken ankle.