A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Monday, August 31, 1998

California has 1,070 lobbyists. One of them represents the porn industry. Kat Sunlove, a 53-year-old grandmother and retired dominatrix, works for the Free Speech Coalition to give pornographers a voice in the legislation regulating the industry.

"No one is paying attention to the governor's race because everyone is focused on Bill [Clinton] and his problems." – Ohio college student Christa Waldow. (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Aug. 30)

Sunlove says that though few lawmakers are willing to aid the industry outright, she finds several allies when she boils down the issues to free speech and individual liberty. The coalition plans to export its lobbying prowess to states including North Carolina, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and New York, where the porn industry faces increasingly stiff laws.
Porn Mixes With Politics at State Capitol (Los Angeles Times, Aug. 31)
Registered Lobbyists: Kat Sunlove (California Secretary of State)

Truth Disclaimer, Corpse Highlight Oddities of Texas Campaign Sites
Candidates across the country are warming up to the Internet as a campaign tool, and the sites of some Texas hopefuls sport unique features. Republican attorney general candidate Jim Mattox has posted photos of a corpse on his site to gather information about an unsolved murder. The site of Gov. George W. Bush (R) includes a disclaimer some folks might think belongs on all political advertising: "The Governor Bush Committee makes no warranties, either express or implied, regarding the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the information provided on this site."
Wired, Wired World (Dallas Morning News, Aug. 31)
Campaign Site: Jim Mattox (Jim Mattox Finance Committee)
Campaign Site: George W. Bush's disclaimer (Governor Bush Committee)

Michigan Democrat Has the Knack
In 1979, Doug Fieger led his band, the Knack, to the top of the charts with "My Sharona." This year, the band is on a comeback tour and Doug's brother, Geoffrey, is the Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan. Geoffrey and his former client, 70-year-old Dr. Jack Kevorkian, attended the band's Saturday concert in Detroit.
Fieger Attends Knack Concert Led by His Brother (Detroit Free Press, Aug. 30)

Fieger also ended his protracted – and very public – search for a running mate. He decided on state Rep. Jim Agee of Muskegon.
Democrats Get to Know Fieger at State Convention (Detroit Free Press, Aug. 30)
Elections Guide: Michigan races (washingtonpsost.com)

'Pa Walton' Drops Congressional Bid
Democrat Ralph Waite, the actor who played Pa Walton on "The Waltons" television series, dropped his Democratic bid to unseat Republican Rep. Mary Bono this weekend. Bono defeated Waite in an April special election to fill the seat left empty by the death of her husband, Sonny Bono.
Waite Quits Race, Conceding Congressional Seat to Bono (Los Angeles Times, Aug. 31)
Congressional Guide: Mary Bono (washingtonpost.com)

Good Samaritan Laws Aimed at Protecting Kids in Calif., Nev.
Lawmakers in California and Nevada said they plan to announce bills that would make it illegal to keep quiet after witnessing an assault on a child. The proposals were spurred by the 1997 death of a 7-year-old girl in the bathroom of a Nevada casino. A friend of the man accused of murdering the girl told police he saw the child being beaten but did not want to tell anyone.
Casino Slaying Spurs Push for New Laws (Los Angeles Times, Aug. 31)

Illinois Democrat Under Fire for Corporal Punishment Stance
Local school boards should be the ones to decide whether to deal out corporal punishment to students, said Glenn Poshard, a former school teacher and the Democratic nominee for governor of Illinois. Although Poshard said he would never hit a student, his comments drew criticism from his Republican rival, George Ryan, and the state's largest teachers union.
Poshard Takes a Beating Over Spanking Stand (The Chicago Tribune, Aug. 31)
Key Race: Illinois Governor (washingtonpost.com)

Illinois Governor Blames Heart Condition on Job
Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar (R) said the stress of being governor caused the heart disease that landed him in the hospital with quadruple-bypass surgery four years ago.
Edgar's Heart Problems Show the Need for Reducing Stress (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Aug. 31)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com