2018 CA Senate race: on Principles & Values

Dianne Feinstein: Asked state Dems to not endorse, but they endorsed opponent

The endorsement was an embarrassment for Feinstein, who is running for a fifth full term, and indicates that Democratic activists in California have soured on her reputation for pragmatism & deference to bipartisanship.

De Le¢n received 65% of the vote of about 330 members of the state party's executive board-- more than the 60% needed to secure the endorsement. Feinstein 7%, and 28% voted for "no endorsement."

The Feinstein campaign weeks ago launched an aggressive effort to persuade Democrats in Oakland to vote "no endorsement" in the Senate race, flooding delegates with calls and text messages and drafting the help of political surrogates.

Michael Eisen: Ran and lost for Student Council and Genetics Board

A: My motivation was simple. I'm worried that the basic and critical role of science in policymaking is under a bigger threat than at any point in my lifetime. We have a new administration and portions of Congress that don't just reject science in a narrow sense, but they reject the fundamental idea that undergirds science: That we need to make observations about the world and make our decisions based on reality, not on what we want it to be. For years science has been under political threat, but this is the first time that the whole notion that science is important for our politics and our country has been under such an obvious threat.

Q: Have you ever run for anything?

A: Student council in high school.

Q: Did you win?

A: No. I also ran for a spot on the board of the Genetics Society of America, which I also did not win. I've had a long and testy relationship with the scientific establishment.