The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops delivered a critical endorsement to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday by signing off on late-night agreement to grant a vote on an amendment barring insurance companies that participate in the exchange from covering abortions.

"Passing this amendment allows the House to meet our criteria of preserving the existing protections against abortion funding in the new legislation," the Bishops wrote in a letter to individual members. "Most importantly, it will ensure that no government funds will be used for abortion or health plans which include abortion."

The group goes on to say, "The Conference will remain vigilant and involved through this entire process to assure that these essential provisions are maintained and included in the final legislation.

The DeVore camp tells me they’re already compiling the information on the Assemblyman’s record against child rapists, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing about it soon enough. He’s going to refute this desperate, flailing attack with a conclusive response.

In addition to fiscal discipline, however, DeVore's closet includes some weird and potentially damaging associations. As pointed out by a Republican source, the assemblyman is connected to noted birther Floyd Brown. Brown, who is famous for creating the 1988 Willie Horton ad and, more recently, pushing an effort to impeach Barack Obama, was supported by DeVore in his efforts to attack Democratic candidates in the 2008 presidential primary.

"Poll after poll shows it works," DeVore said of Brown's deeply controversial product.

All of which is not to say that associations like these — and his relative obscurity — will trip DeVore up in a primary race. Indeed, he likely relishes his current frame as a man of the conservative fringe.

Earlier today, Brian noted the endorsement race between former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, but I thought I'd add a few broader points about the sure-to be contentious California Senate primary.

It's pretty clear that DeVore, who has less built-in fundraising advantages and lacks institutional support, will try to Scozzafava-ize Fiorina. Essentially, his best bet is to portray her as a liberal who is being thrust upon voters by the establishment, while he tries to galvanize grassroots activists — and grab the online donations that go along with it. This much was pretty clear when DeVore spoke at a Spectator Newsmaker Breakfast in August. At the time, Fiorina wasn't even running yet, but he blasted her as a "rich moderate" and "self-funded dilettante."

Carla Fiorina's been (officially) on the campaign trail for, what, three days and it's like she's already wearing the GOP Senate crown. Boxer, Boxer, Boxer, Boxer, Boxer. That's the only opponent she can talk about.

Hey Carly, where's the respect for Chuck D from the OC, aka her GOP primary opponent Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore? At her Pleasanton stop Friday, C-Fi was asked why she keeps talking about Boxer and not Chuck:

"She is the opponent," Carly said and laughed.

Uh, perhaps — if you win the GOP primary in June. So while we're talking Chuck — finally — how are you different than Chuck D?
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Guess this moron MSM journalist from San Francisco didn't bother to look up today's Survey USA poll.

God, you guys really call yourselves journalists?

Here is a link so you can report it: http://flapsblog.com/2009/11/06/ca-sen-poll-watch-barbara-boxer-unfavorable-but/

The illegal immigration issue is emerging as the biggest threat to passing healthcare reform in the House.

Congressional Hispanics have threatened to vote against the bill because of a last-minute threat from within the Democratic Caucus to bolster the House bill’s immigration restrictions to match those included in the Senate Finance bill.
And they’re also fighting President Barack Obama, the original sponsor of the language prohibiting illegal immigrants from accessing the public health insurance exchange.

On Thursday afternoon, four leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) traveled to the White House to meet with Obama on behalf of the entire group.

California has problems, higher than average unemployment, a budget that’s bust and a man-made drought, however that is nothing compared to what California Barbara Boxer has planned – housing the 9/11 terrorists somewhere in the golden state.

Yes, move over Alcatraz, Boxer would like to see the 9/11 terrorists tried in federal civilian courts instead of traditional military commissions.

The same dirt bags that were responsible for killing more than 3,000 innocent Americans in 2001, may be transferred to California soil and join the ranks of Charles Manson, Hillside Strangler and O.J. Simpson.

Amendment 2669 in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 was written by Sen. Lindsey Graham-R S.C.; the amendment would have prevented those responsible for the 9/11 attacks any funds for prosecution.

California’s other Senator Diane Feinstein-D joined her partner in crime in voting to allow the terrorists to be tried in federal court.

It seems some conservative bloggers are so devoted to defeat the more establishment Republicans in the race that they assume all contests on the right are between a “stimulus” supporters like Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio or Dede Scozzafava and Doug Hoffman. Here, in the Golden State, some of my fellows in the rightosphere, including some very good bloggers are committed to Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in the race to replace our big-spending, California citizens-avoiding junior Senator Ma’am Barbara Boxer.

And because his opponent Carly Fiorina is backed by many establishment figures, they figure she’s not different than Dede.

Democratic senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee dismissed a Republican boycott of the panel's markup session and passed a climate change bill 11-1, with only Sen. Max Baucus of Montana opposing. When Republicans refused to attend markup sessions, committee chairwoman Sen. Barbara Boxer of California used an obscure procedure that allows a bill to be voted out of committee by a simple majority without considering amendments. The bill would mandate a 20 percent reduction in the United States' carbon emissions by the end of the next decade.