Calif. has its first Black Assembly speaker
Democrat Karen Bass has become the first African American woman to lead the California Assembly since it was created in 1849. “California is a giant in crisis — and now it is up to us to solve that crisis,” said Bass, 54. “It is up to us to take the fear out of California’s future.” Her predecessor, Fabian Nunez, is required to abandon the post after two consecutive terms. Bass, the state’s 67^th Assembly speaker, said that her priority would be repairing the state’s budget. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has released his revised spending plan for the next fiscal year that features a deficit that could reach $20 billion. “We have to decide how we will come together to mobilize the incredible assets and resources at this state’s command to solve the budget crisis,” Bass said. “Members, we have to respond to the current economic crisis the same way we would a natural disaster. We have to toss aside the boxes we put ourselves in and the labels we place on others and come together to get the job done. “I believe part of that job has got to involve looking at the big picture and really examining California’s overall economic structure. Most importantly, we have to ask the question of whether a tax structure that was established in the 1930s is sufficient to meet the needs of Californians in 2008. …”

Obama issues a “sweet” apology
Sen. Barack Obama, after getting spanked in the press for calling a woman TV reporter “sweetie,” apologized on her voice mail. During a campaign stop in Michigan, WXYZ reporter Peggy Agar asked Obama, “How are you going to help the American auto workers?” Responded Obama, “Hold on, sweetie” and told her that he would get back to her later on the question. Agar told CNN that Obama never did give her an answer. On Wednesday, Obama called Agar personally to apologize. He got her voice mail. “That’s a bad habit of mine,” Obama said in the message. “I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front.  “Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next,” he added. It’s not the first time his lips slipped out “sweetie.” He called a factory worker “sweetie” during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania.

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