The Skinny

Something in the air: Capitol denizens are falling in love, getting married
or getting pregnant–or even all three. Secretary of State spokeswoman Nghia
Nguyen Demovic, the SF Chron’s Lynda Gledhill and Capitol Public Radio’s
Jenny O’Mara all are pregnant. “No, I haven’t been drinking a lot of beer,”
one of them (we won’t say which one) told the Skinny…Meanwhile, tying the
knot during the holidays were Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, who went to
Hawaii to say ‘I do,’ and did–by remarrying his former wife. Closer to home,
Assembly superstrategist Gale Kaufman, fresh from assorted victories on Nov.
8, also got hitched to her longtime beau Steve Murakami. Attending the
ceremony was Nunez, who seems to just love weddings–he even shunned an
invite from the governor to go to Hong Kong to stay in California and show
up at Kaufman’s nuptials….Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, considering the fate
of convicted killer and Crips gang co-founder Stanley “Tookie” Williams,
isn’t the only governor wrestling with clemency: Virginia Democratic Gov.
Mark R. Warner spared the life of murderer Robin Lovitt a day before
Lovitt’s scheduled execution. Warner said a court clerk destroyed DNA
evidence that might have exonerated Lovitt of the crime. As for
Schwarzenegger, he has a Dec. 8 clemency hearing scheduled in Williams’
case, the first time a California governor has held such a hearing in 13
years…Hitting the road: Andrew Antwih, chief consultant to the Assembly
Transportation Committee, is leaving the Capitol to start a new gig as a
Sacramento-based lobbyist for the city of Los Angeles. Antwih is being
replaced by Howard Posner, a veteran Caltrans employee…Communications maven
Rob Stutzman, who’s been Schwarzenegger’s publicity handler since before the
recall election, hosted a fund-raiser Tuesday night for Republican Rep.
Dan Lungren (remember him), Rob’s longtime friend and former employer….That
sound you hear is probably not the sound of Dianne Feinstein breathing a
sigh of relief. The state’s most popular politician was facing the prospect
of a November challenge from political unknown millionaire Bill Mundell.
Mundell, who spearheaded one arm of the Yes on 77 campaign to push the
governor’s redistricting measure, said instead of running against DiFi, he
would form a new organization focused on pushing for redistricting reform.
As he bowed out, Mundell did take a shot at Feinstein, saying California’s
“Senior Senator is badly under serving California.” Can’t say we see too
many Republicans lining up to agree… We hear that Rocky Delgadillo is
looking for a new political consultant. Democratic sources confirm
consultant Larry Grisolano has left the campaign.