Day 1: New Year

Wow, today I woke up and it's the first day of my 50th year! Still reeling from the past week and all the birthday celebrations!

The festivities kicked off with the NWPC 50 for 50 event! If you missed this exciting evening, then it was your loss.

Pictured here are two of my most favorite women! Eka Ninuea, me, and Rebecca Sanchez. These ladies are not only big time gal pals, and business owners of Salon Dione, but they make sure my locks are always looking great!

I am so touched by all the accolades and words of accommodation from so many elected officials and community leaders. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, always a supporter of NWPC and of mentoring women to run for office, attended despite her challenging schedule as Secretary of State and as a candidate for US Congress.

She is a good friend to women and to ensuring that we have more women in office. If you live in her district, please support her for her bid for Congress.

My Assembly member Holly Mitchell attended and honored me with her generous words and I am proud to have supported her.

West Hollywood City Councilwoman Abbe Land, one of my favorite women leaders, attended and shared such an adorable tribute to me! It was precious, and so is she.

Former NWPC-California President Celeste Weingardt drove all the way from Ventura County to be with me tonight and to shower me with love & support.

I felt very special and blessed tonight. And I feel as if my Birthday had purpose... By using my 50th Birthday to raise money for our Political Action Committee I am ensuring that we have the resources to support our endorsed women candidates. What a cool way to usher in the next 50 years!

Day 200: Election Wrap Up & 200 Posts

Many of us are recovering from a very long political season. So many candidates and issues ... so much money raised & spent, too many phone calls & campaign literature ... too many television ads! I believe Californians were feeling besieged .. welcome to campaigns. Until the process is changed or voters adopt campaign finance reform, this will be the beast we contend with every election cycle.

Well, I'm very happy today with the results. My candidates WON and Prop 23 went down in defeat. While many other states may be licking their wounds, Californians had very few defeats. Yes, Nancy Pelosi lost her Speakership, and depending on how you felt about Prop 19, many see this as a victory that it lost. There are several other tight races yet to be called, but for most of my endorsed candidates, I saw victory.

All my gals won, Holly J. Mitchell, Laurie Lieberman, Barbara Boxer, Debra Bowen, Julia Brownley, Betsy Butler and maybe even Kamala Harris ... as this post is being written she is leading, but it's too soon to declare a victory just yet, not like her opponent did last night!

And I supported Chris Coons against Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell in Delaware and we won! I mean really anyone who doesn't "believe" in masturbation (never heard of that party affiliation before) didn't deserve to win! Congrats to Chris!

And today is symbolic as well for me! I can't believe this is my 200th Post on the Birthday Blog! Wow! Kudos to me and all the fabulous women candidates who will be leading our State!

Thank you all for being on this Birthday Blog Journey with me!

Day 199: VOTE

There is nothing else to talk about today then VOTING.

I have written for months about my thoughts on candidates and issues on the California ballot. I have also talked about important races throughout the Country.

Whatever your party affiliation or your political leanings, I urge you to exercise your right and VOTE today.

In my local Assembly District (47th) Holly J. Mitchell is my candidate.

In Santa Monica, I support a dynamic education leader and our friend, Laurie Lieberman for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School Board.

Also in Santa Monica is incumbent Assemblywoman Julia Brownley who is up for re-election, she has my endorsement.

For California Attorney General I am supporting San Fransisco District Attorney Kamala Harris.

For Secretary of State incumbent Debra Bowen has my vote.

And if protecting choice for women is a concern for you, there is no other candidate then Barbara Boxer for the Senate.

And I have discussed my views on Proposition 23 frequently on my Blog. A NO VOTE of Prop 23 will protect California's powerful and vital environmental policies.

Please join with me to support these candidates and issues. Even if you disagree, still vote ... vote for all those around the world who don't have a voice and don't live in a democracy. Your VOTE really does count, and matter ... I know this first hand!

Day 171: Getting Our Message Out

I hosted the NWPC LA Westside Communications Committee meeting this evening. We gathered to strategize on how to better communicate our mission, our activities and our goals.

I've been involved with the National Women's Political Caucus for years, both with the local LA Westside Chapter and on the state Board. We are an organization committed to recruiting, training and electing more pro choice women to public office.

With so many groups and organizations to be involved with you need to be selective with your time. My passion is gender parity in politics. Who we elect to office can have a profound impact on our lives; from the legislative polices they propose; to the appointments they make at the Judicial level and on Boards and Commissions; all of these decisions make an impact on your life. So it really does matter who we cast our vote for.

With the November 2 Election less than a month away, I hope you have been reading up on the candidates and issues on the ballot. I have written about my support for Kamala Harris for California State Attorney General and my support for Holly J. Mitchell, candidate for the 47th Assembly, my legislative district. And my opposition to Proposition 23, an initiative that would roll back environmental polices set forth by voters a few years ago.

So tonight some fabulous women I work with on the NWPC LA Westside Board of Directors gathered to figure out how best to insert our mission into the lives of women in our community. Lots of energy and buzz.

One Board member shared how she believed NWPC was a very inclusive group, I shared why I devote my time toward NWPC. It's a group focused on grassroots activism, it's multi partisan, and it is the only organization where the core issue is electing pro choice women.

To learn more about our local Chapter, please visit http://www.nwpcla.org/ or to learn more about our State activities, please visit http://www.nwpc.org/

Thanks to my NWPC sisters, Betsy Johnson, Lindsay Bubar, Karriann Farrell Hinds, Kristi Blicharski, and Rebecca Simon for taking your valuable time and contributing it toward such a worthy cause!

Day 169: Who Are You Supporting on November 2?

I volunteered for the Kamala Harris campaign today. She is a candidate for California Attorney General. If she wins she'll be the first woman, first African American and first Asian American to hold the seat as the the State's top cop. She is currently the District Attorney in San Francisco. I have written about Kamala before in my Blog and why I beleive she'd make an excellent AG. She has my vote on November 2. To learn more about Kamala visit her website st: http://www.kamalaharris.org/

I am supporting Holly J. Mitchell who is running for the State Assembly in the 47th District which is my legislative district. I have also written about Holly before in my Blog. To learn more about Holly, visit her website at: http://www.hollyjmitchell.com/

And very important to me is the defeat of Proposition 23.

Two Texas oil companies are spending millions to push Prop. 23, a deceptive ballot proposition that would kill California clean energy and air pollution reduction standards. Four years ago, California passed a clean air law (AB 32) that holds polluters accountable and requires them to reduce air pollution that threatens human health and contributes to global climate change. This law has launched California to the forefront of the clean technology industry, sparking innovation and clean energy businesses that are creating hundreds of thousands of new California jobs.

To learn more and to learn why I am opposed to Prop. 23 visit: http://www.stopthedirtyoilproposition.com/

Please join me in supporting the candidates and by voting NO on Prop. 23.

Day 121: Only 90 Years

I attended a panel discussion this evening reflecting on Women's Suffrage. For my followers who are too young to know what this is, it's when women won the right to VOTE. It's amazing to me that it's been only 90 years since women won their fight to participate in the voting process. Can you believe that? This means that if you have a Mom, Aunt, or Grandmother who is in her 90s, then when she was born her mother couldn't vote. That's worth taking a pause over. Can you imagine living in a country that doesn't allow the entire citizenry the right to vote.

Unfortunately many parts of the world today still deny women this right. It's criminal what many women endure in other countries. Denied access to education, health care, rights and yes of course the right to vote.

Tonight's event was co-sponsored by the National Women's Political Caucus, LA Westside chapter. I sit on the Board of Directors and have been an active member for a dozen years.

The title of this evening's panel was "We've Come Along Way, MAYBE". Women have made incredible strides over the past 90 years. Just last week we celebrated Elena Kagan being nominated to the United States Supreme Court-- now three women sit on this highest court of the land. Pretty impressive given we were only allowed to vote 90 years ago!

But there's no doubt we have not come as far as is necessary. Women still only make 70 cents on the dollar, far less than their male counterparts performing comparable work.

Today's panel included some of my favorite gal pals: Robin Sax who just rocks it when she speaks; Lindsay Bubar, NWPC co-President representing young women on the panel; and Holly J. Mitchell, who just won her primary for the 47th Assembly District (that's my neighborhood). These women each spoke about their experiences in the workplace and in life and how we've come along in many areas, but there is still much work to be accomplished.

Pictured here from left to right are Lindsay Bubar, co-President of NWPC, LA Westside and one of tonight's panelist; Robin Sax, Legal Analyst and Women & Children's Advocate; and Betsy Johnson, co-President of NWPC LA Westside.

All women in this country should give special thanks and recognition to our foremothers who fought, literally risked their lives, served in jail, were ridiculed by family and community so that today we can exercise our right to vote. Don't ever forget those that came before you and what they did and sacrificed so we can have what we have today.

Happy 90 Year's to The Woman's VOTE!

Day 71: Electing More Women

Tonight I hosted the National Women's Political Caucus - LA Westside Chapter Membership Meeting & Board Elections. It was a smashing success! We elected a new energized Board of Directors including many new members. We welcomed several new members to our group and we heard from two NWPC endorsed candidates who both won their primaries in June!

Holly J. Mitchell, (pictured above on the right) won in the 47th Assembly District and Betsy Butler was the Democratic winner in the 53rd Assembly District. Both women will have to win their General Elections in November, so the fight is not over! Pictured here with Holly is Kate Anderson, also a candidate in the 53rd Assembly District. While she was not victorious NWPC has great hopes that Kate will run again and win!

Long time NWPC leader both with the LA Westside Chapter and the State Board, Jane Hasler Henick, led our Board elections. Jane is pictured here to the right leading the elections. The slate of candidates was elected unanimously and I'm happy to be back on the Board in an official capacity. I will always be grateful to my NWPC sisters who supported me in both of my campaigns and who have remained loyal and committed supporters of our mission to elect more women to office. And I'm thrilled to have new Board members to work with!

Pictured here are some of our seasoned and new Board members. Pictured left to right are Jane Hasler Henick, Stephanie Molen, Barbara Greene Ruskin, Me, Betsy Johnson, our Chapter's co-president and Lindsay Bubar, Chapter co-president.


Pictured below is our new VP of Communications Karriann Farrell Hinds speaking to the group about why she wants to serve on the NWPC Board and her commitment to electing more women to office.


The energy was really terrific! I mean when you put 40 plus high energy, committed, passionate and active women in a room together with a little wine you know the volume is going to be pumping , and it was. The conversations were interesting and the roll out of plans for the coming year are exciting. The work is never done. There is always a woman candidate to groom, to fundraise for, to walk precincts for and to help elect. We all need to be committed to keeping the pipeline full of viable women candidates and doing whatever we can to help them be victorious.

I'd like to give a special shout out to my NWPC colleague Jill Prestup Eltrich for getting our chapter's website up and live! Thank you Jill for your tireless commitment to seeing this project through to completion! Please visit us at www.nwpclawestside.org to learn more about our events and activities. And please consider joining with me to continue our great work in politics! In Sisterhood!

Day 61: Do You Follow Local Politics?

If you have always had a desire to be more involved in local politics, but just didn't know how to go about it, well then I've got a suggestion for you! Attend the National Women's Political Caucus General Membership meeting on Tuesday, June 29th at my house and learn about how our group is fostering political women leaders!

NWPC is committed to recruiting, training and helping to elect pro choice women into all branches of government. We are a national organization and I am actively involved in the local West Los Angeles chapter. I've been on the Board and or a member for a dozen years now and have made some remarkable friendships and worked with some terrific women leaders along the way.

Electing more women to office is a passion of mine. While I may have been unsuccessful in my run for City Council I have never wavered from my commitment to see more women in decision making posts. The goal of NWPC is to achieve 50/50 by 2020: meaning 50% representation by women, 50% by men, by the year 2020.

I am currently working on a book about women in politics and the unique challenges we face when running for office, including raising substantial money to be a formidable candidate to juggling families while also campaigning. And if you believe that no double standard exists for women candidates versus men, you are dead wrong. I have an entire list of how we are treated and received differently.

Please join me on Tuesday, June 29th at 6:30 p.m. for our Board Elections & Membership meeting where you can meet & mingle with elected officials, and other like minded women who believe we need more women in office. You don't need to work in politics or have ever worked on a campaign, we welcome anyone who cares about seeing more qualified women drafting policy that we care about.

We will also be hosting a special guest - NWPC endorsed candidate Holly J. Mitchell -- who I profiled several times on my Blog. Holly won the democratic nomination for the 47th Assembly District (the district I live in) and will have an election in November against the republican candidate. Come hear Holly share why she believes she can make a difference with the mess we have in Sacramento and why NWPC endorsed this powerful woman leader.

If you have questions about NWPC or want more details about the event on June 29th, please comment on my Blog and I will respond! My goal is to increase our membership and involvement because in numbers we can be a stronger voice!

Day 51: The Girls's Won

Not only did my Holly J. Mitchell win the 47th Assembly District seat, but the UCLA Girl's Softball Team WON the NCAA Championship!

This is HUGE! I mean really huge! Had it been the boys baseball team it would be all over... but it's softball and the girls unfortunately always take second fiddle... so that's why I want to give our young women of the UCLA softball team a shout out tonight as our local winners!

Yes, my candidate for my state Assembly district has WON -- Holly J. Mitchell -- so I am celebrating her victory, but also I am celebrating these remarkable women of UCLA who won the 2010 NCAA Championship! It is an enormous honor and a tribute to their athleticism and commitment to softball and their team! I salute them for their hard work. As they were working hard on the field I know many candidates, Melissa Fox, Kate Anderson, Susan Jordan, Holly Mitchell and many others were pounding the pavement for their campaigns and I salute them too! Win or lose you are all winners for going for it and making a difference whether in sports or in your community!


Go Girls Go !!!!

Day 49: Vote on Tuesday

Doesn't it feel like there's always an Election! Well, there really is! Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 8 is Election Day in the state of California. Lots of propositions on the ballot and all the Constitutional office seats are up for grabs (Governor, Lt. Governor, Insurance Commissioner, Attorney General, Secretary of State, etc.), but the race I am most invested in is for my own assembly district. Our incumbent is termed out so the seat is open. I am supporting Holly J. Mitchell for the 47th Assembly District.

I have written about Holly on my Blog several times over the past few months. She is a very special woman who shares my beliefs on child advocacy, our foster care system, motherhood and running for public office for the "right" reasons.

Many of you know how important being politically engaged is to me and especially how important it is to me that we elect more qualified women into pubic office. Holly is a businesswoman, mother, daughter, child care advocate, champion of foster care children, pro choice supporter and I am proud to cast my vote for her.

Please join me in supporting Holly in her bid to be our Assembly member. Sacramento needs all the help it can garner, and Holly would be a refreshing break from the posturing politicians who currently occupy the State Capitol. To learn more about Holly before you go to vote tomorrow, please visit http://www.hollyjmitchell.com/ or accept my endorsement of Holly and go cast your vote for her!

Exercise your right, VOTE!

Day 32 & 33: Holly Visits My Synagogue

I have not attended Friday Shabbat Services in a long time. Tonight I did. I invited my friend Holly J. Mitchell (pictured left) to join me for services. Holly is a candidate for the 47th Assembly District. That's my community and also Temple Isaiah's so I wanted her to meet the congregants.

I have never been more proud to be a member of Temple Isaiah as I was tonight. Here's why. From the moment we walked into the synagogue we were greeted with warmth and hugs and "it's so good to see you" comments. Holly was thanked for making Isaiah one of her campaign destinations. I was grateful for the respect my fellow members gave to my guest. Temple Isaiah has a long & rich political action agenda and this is one of the reasons we joined as a family 17 years ago.

The service was rich with music and prayer and of course listening to Rabbi Zoe Klein speak is a treat within itself. Her magical way of using descriptive words to illustrate a point about God or faith or justice is an art. She is truly a gifted orator.


Cantor Evan Kent's voice fills the room and gives me goose bumps. You can't help but feel wrapped in love when he sings. And his special tribute to slain gay activist & elected official, Harvey Milk (pictured left) was powerful and painful. Milk was an inspiration to me, not only for his relentless belief that all people, including gays & lesbians, be part of the political structure, but also because he ran for office 4 times. He did not win until his 4th race. He never gave up. I remember the day he and Mayor George Moscone were gunned down by a former colleague. Truly a loss and a painful part of our history.

When we think of history and how we have mistreated people for the color of their skin or their sexual preferences, I am embarrassed. But tonight I was proud that I sat among people who shared my belief that all people should be accepted regardless of their ethnicity, religion, color, or choice of partner.


The service was made even more special because the 2010 Confirmation Class of students were graduating and we heard 8 teenagers talk about why Judaism and their faith are so important to them. I was moved to tears as I listened to these young adults, several who I have known since they were babies, talk about their ideas for a better world and a brighter future. It was so refreshing and inspiring to hear young people talk with such passion about the world they want. I was so proud that Holly had joined me this particular night and that she could hear and see what a beautiful community Temple Isaiah is.

I was so happy that Holly was fed spiritual nourishment as she battles the next two weeks for a victory. I know all too well how difficult and emotional campaigning can be and if we can find a little peace in the words of our clergy leaders then maybe we will have the extra energy to be even better campaigners. I hope Holly gained strength from the words shared tonight.

The election is June 8th and I invite you to learn more about Holly and her issues. You can visit her website at http://www.hollyjmitchell.com/ We need political leaders like Holly & Harvey, and we need spiritual leaders like Rabbi Zoe, Rabbi Rick and Cantor Even.

Day 23: Sisteromics

I attended the most invigorating gathering this morning with powerful & inspiring women! I was invited to speak with leaders, members and potential recruits about the benefits of being a member of the National Women's Political Caucus. Always one of my favorite topics -- how to get more women elected to public office! I have been a member and part of the leadership of the LA Westside chapter of NWPC for a dozen years and I am always excited to meet a woman who has made the decision to run for office. It never gets old for me. This morning was no exception. Pictured here from left to right are four NWPC leaders. Stephanie Molen, Field Deputy for State Senator Fran Pavley, Lindsay Bubar, Co-President of NWPC LA Westside, Betsy Johnson, Co-President NWPC LA Westside, and Lindsey Horvath, West Hollywood City Councilwoman.

It felt great to be talking about my campaign after a bruising loss one year ago. I felt powerful knowing that there are equally important lessons to share about losing a campaign as there are about being victorious. I enjoyed having a platform to share my passion for politics, women and running for office.

In addition to me sharing my history with NWPC and my experience as a former candidate, we also heard from a current NWPC endorsed candidate - Holly J. Mitchell who is running for the 47th Assembly District (pictured right). The election is June 8th. She is running in my assembly district and I encourage all my followers & readers who reside in Beverlywood or anywhere in the 47th to support Holly. I invite you to check out Holly's credentials and you'll see why I am supporting her! http://www.hollyjmitchell.com/

She also coined a terrific term and shared it with us today: Sisteromics! Combining women with economics resulting in a better use of funds. Meaning that when you contribute to a woman candidate you can be assured that she will oversee that every dollar you give is spent wisely! Therefore it's Sisteromics! I just love this phrase!

We need more strong and inspiring women to join our mission and help us elect more qualified women to office. So if you believe we need more women in office, please consider joining our cause!