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Howard Berman's Last Stand
The chickens are coming home to roost for U.S. Rep. Howard Berman and his little brother, Michael. For four decades, the Berman brothers dominated California's backroom gerrymandering — a much-pilloried process in which politicians drew up their own voting districts in order to guarantee victories at the ballot box.
Good-government expert Bob Stern once described California's all-but-fixed elections as "worse than the Politburo." But on June 5, those days are over: Voter reforms, including an independent redistricting commission charged with un-gerrymandering California, and a new top-two "open primary" in which voters can cross party lines, have left in tatters the longtime system of protecting incumbents.
ILLUSTRATION BY PJ MCQUADE
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In a few days, Howard Berman will face the political fight of his life against Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman for the 30th California Congressional District seat.
And to beat Sherman, the Bermans are reaching out to Republicans.
"It's always nice for an endangered minority to be remembered," quips Jonathan Wilcox, a Republican strategist living in the heavily Democratic 30th. He received a carefully worded mailing urging GOP voters to choose Democrat Berman.
Berman, 71, chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who bears a faint resemblance to Senator Palpatine from the Star Wars series, has never in his life run in a competitive re-election race. Not once since his election to the state Assembly has his vote dipped below 60 percent.
Managing such a feat has less to do with his track record — which is, by most accounts, impressive — than with the dark arts practiced by his brother, Michael.
Michael Berman is known for his multiple-pack-daily smoking habit and his mastery of targeted mail, sending different kinds of pieces — such as glossy brochures or formal, typed letters — to different voters based on party leanings, ethnicity, race, wealth or other demographics.
Michael's other specialty is redistricting — aka gerrymandering.
In stark contrast to Europe, where gerrymandering is widely banned, American politicians conspired for much of this country's history to identify sympathetic voters, then encircle them inside bizarrely shaped electoral districts that carefully excised as many of the unsympathetic voters as possible. In essence, voters weren't picking politicians — politicians were picking voters.
In California, Michael was chief gerrymanderer from 1971 to 2001. He helped protect incumbents by carving them out "safe seats," which often ignored boundaries such as mountains or county lines. The Legislature then approved the maps.
His work made Michael Berman rich. In 2001, the Orange County Register revealed that 30 of 32 Democratic congressional members paid him $20,000 to draw each of them a safe seat, as did the Democrats in the state Senate — a mega payday of more than $1.1 million.
But at least one Democrat wasn't happy with Michael's handiwork: Brad Sherman.
Many people joke that Sherman and Berman are balding, Valley Jews with rhyming surnames. But the two are quite different.
"Howard's very personable, very easy to talk to," says Phil Trounstine, a longtime politico who blogs at Calbuzz. "Brad's not a guy who cultivates friendships. He invades your personal space; he's socially awkward."
Berman won his first congressional race thanks to his brother's gerrymandering and his mail campaigns. Sherman, trained as an accountant, won his by spending $578,000 of his own money. Berman concentrates on foreign policy. Sherman opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Berman makes many visits to Israel; Sherman visits the Valley.
"If you want somebody to speak at your daughter's bat mitzvah, Brad's available," Trounstine jokes.
In 2001, Sherman's district shared a border with Berman's. But Sherman grew furious when Michael Berman drew up a new voting map of the San Fernando Valley, which helped Berman but hurt Sherman.
"They diluted the Latino [voters] so there would not be a Latino primary challenger" in Berman's district, says Tony Quinn, co-editor of the California Target Book. But to achieve that, Michael Berman meticulously redrew Sherman's district to include many more Latino voters — thus making Sherman's re-election somewhat shaky.
"Howard Berman stabbed me in the back," Sherman back then told the Los Angeles Times. Eventually, some Latinos were drawn back into Berman's district. The new borders were approved.
But Californians grew fed up watching politicians slice up communities like this to protect their jobs.
In 2008 and 2010, voters approved reforms that handed redistricting responsibilities to an independent citizens' commission. Howard and Michael Berman fought both measures, even raising money from Howard's deep-pocketed, pro-Israel donor base, including billionaire Haim Saban.
Last year, the voter-created California Citizen Redistricting Commission mapped out a new congressional district in the Valley, obliterating the East Valley district of Howard Berman and the West Valley/Foothills district of Brad Sherman.
Both men's homes were drawn into the new district. The other candidates for congressional District 30 on June 5 are Mark Reed, Navraj Singh and Susan Shelley, all Republicans; Democrat Vince Gilmore; and Michael W. Powelson of the Green Party.
Some can't help but see this as karmic payback against the Bermans. "There's some poetic justice to it, there's no question about that," Quinn says, "because his brother [Michael] was always taking care of him. Now they don't have that."
Brad Sherman has a major advantage over Howard Berman: More than 50 percent of District 30 contains Sherman's home district. And L.A. voters love to re-elect people they voted for the last time.
24 comments
Berman has done nothing but harm to this country. This is a guy who voted to kill Glass-Steagall, voyed for the Futures Commodities Modernization Act, votes to keep America in the W.T.O., he voted for the Patriot Act, the AUMF of 2001 the NDAA and every single unconstitutional war and military action since he took office. There is a reason Sherman only attacks Berman for the car he leased. The reason is that Sherman is the exact same as Berman. These two guys are identical exept for the fact that Brad Sherman votes for less free trade than Berman. Both of these people have horrific voting records and zero respect for the Constitution. Please take a look into what Vince Gilmore stands for before you make the mistake of voting for anybody else in this race. There is only one candidate that will uphold the Constitution and there is only one candidate that has real solutions. VINCE GILMORE 2012
Sorry Vince, but there is a BIG difference between Brad Sherman and Howard Berman.
BRAD SUPPORTED (and gave his SuperDelegate vote to) HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT, who won the Popular Vote !
HOWARD SUPPORTED (and gave his SuperDelegate vote to) OUR COMPROMISER-IN-CHIEF, OBAMA.
THIS TUESDAY, Vote for Brad Sherman !!!
If you remember, during that primary, President Obama was endorsed by Ed Kock for being a stronger supporter of the State of Israel's. Stop trying to create an issue where none exists.
Mr. Berman is not Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Mr. Berhman is the ranking Democrat and Brad Sherman is the fourth ranking Democrat.
Correct, but Congressman Berman becomes the chair if Democrats retake control of the house and more importantly, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle say that he is a leader on the Dem side in foreign affairs. From working to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons, to finding the money to stop the spread of infectious diseases to at least getting us started on fighting starvation in places like Darfur, Howard Berman has been the acknowledged leader in Congress. Tip O'Neil once said that the reality was six or seven members of each political party basically decide everything that happens in Congress. Whether that statement is true or not, everyone no matter their point of view agrees that Howard Berman is one of those six or seven people on the Dem side. The question is if we want to give that up, especially since both members share the same basic philosophical outlook on the world. Betty Yee who is a member of the State Board of Equalization and considers Brad Sherman a close friend (He used to serve on the same board and they have the same political consultant) said it would be insane to not re-elect Congressman Howard Berman. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky says that Berman is singly the most important person in ensuring that LA County gets it's share of federal funds because he knows the system so well (i.e. the expansion of the 405 which everyone gives him credit for) Do we really want to give that up?
Said Brrr-Man, say Sure-Man,Said, no need call me sir man,Said, handy hold,Said, dancy gold,Said, head got no more fur man.Said Sure-Man, say Brrr-Man,Said, best be call me sir man,Said, fancy cold,Said, do what told,Said, no need be no stir man.Said Brrr-Man, say Sure-ManSaid we be as it were man,Said Brrr-Man folks,Aint Sure-Man Oaks,Said Valley she be juror man.
Looks like Hillel Aron is Jill Stewart's new sock puppet. Much of what is said here about Berman is correct. Much is misleading. Everything else, i.e. any responsible reporting about Sherman has just plain been omitted. My canary will appreciate this if I print it our.
Hillel Aron is not anybody's sock puppet...you obviously haven't read much of his work...but YOU sure sound like somebody's sock puppet !
Why don't you post under your real name, Bob The Sockpuppet ?
Hillel Aron is not anybody's sock puppet...you obviously haven't read much of his work...but YOU sure sound like somebody's sock puppet !
Why don't you post under your real name, Bob The Sockpuppet ?
3 bills in 20 years for Brad? 2 are post offices. Worthless? Really? WOW! That is . How can you say that he is effective. Why is Brad running a negative campaign? He has NO accomplishments. Raising the question of travel for the CHAIR of the foreign relations committee. Brad, who sits on the committee doesnt get invited to negotiate anything for what reason? I mean cmon! He talks about bills he has co sponsored. Its a parlimentry procedure. ITS NOT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING. He is a joke and should be ashamed of himself for taking a pay check.
Er, Berman is not the chair of Foreign Relations, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is. Berman only became chair of the cmte after Tom Lantos died in 2008, and then gave up the gavel after the Dems lost the House in 2010. 2.5 years as chair total.
"And to beat Sherman, the Bermans are reaching out to Republicans."Mr. Aron, do you know there is a mailer signed by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (an anti-Israel Republican), and PAID BY SHERMAN FOR CONGRESS, circulating in the Valley? Do you think it would also be fair to say, "in order to defeat Berman, Mr. Skelton is reaching out to the Republican, too?" side question: does that mean he is going to kill himself, too?
Hi, Erin.
Since you threw in "anti-Israel", I must ask a rhetorical question.
Why did Howard Berman and Henry Waxman give their Democratic SuperDelegate Votes to OBAMA, THE MOST ANTI-ISRAEL PRESIDENT THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER HAD, when they KNEW that he was Anti-Israel because of his pastor/mentor (the videos were and still are all over youtube) and his anti-israel foreign policy advisors/buddies ? Would they throw Israel under a bus in exchange for Committee Chairmanships and because they're Sexist Pigs Like Obama ?
Brad Sherman gave his SuperDelegate Vote to Hillary, who was very tough on Iran, Israel's Arch-Enemy, as a candidate !!!
And that rhetorical question's coming from me, a Registered Democrat, Born in Tel Aviv.
Everybody should VOTE FOR BRAD SHERMAN...and tell Howard Berman and his Gerrymandering Brother to go straight to he11.
Also Obama's top foreign policy advisor at the time was Dennis Ross, both a friend of Berman's and someone long identified as a friend of the State of Israel.
Maybe because Berman has a thirty year history in elected office of supporting the state of Israel.
Howard Berman desperately trying to hold on to his political career...bet he regrets backing Obama, while Brad Sherman backed Hillary !!!
The guy can't even get the House to pass the helicopter noise law that he's been hyping in the press (and he has the audacity to claim that he's better at working across party lines than Sherman)...Howard Berman: You are completely worthless...go away, now.
The claim that Berman needs to Republican voters just to make it to the run-off is so flat out ridiculous that it throws the credibility of this whole article into question.
Correction: If you go to the Mark Reed website you will see Antonovich DID NOT ENDORSE HOWARD BERMAN BUT DID ENDORSE MARK REED.The problem with what Berman has done is it is deceptive. He elicited comments based on a Berman/Sherman race which does not exist in June. Mark Reed is polling strong. Long term incumbents Berman and Sherman would not have to spend millions of hard earned Democrat/Union money fighting each other with pounds of paper mailed out day after day IF they were not being strongly chased by a businessman (Reed) for a position on the November ballot. Maybe the payback for all this waste of taxpayer and campaign money is both Berman and Sherman will be gone. The SFV needs someone who wants his constituents to keep more of their earnings and be able to secure the financial future for their children and grandchildren.
If you go to the Mark Reed website you will see Antonovich DID NOT endorse Mark Reed. The problem with what Berman has done is it is deceptive. He elicited comments based on a Berman/Sherman race which does not exist in June. Mark Reed is polling strong. Long term incumbents Berman and Sherman would not have to spend millions of hard earned Democrat/Union money fighting each other with pounds of paper mailed out day after day IF they were not being strongly chased by a businessman (Reed) for a position on the November ballot. Maybe the payback for all this waste of taxpayer and campaign money is both Berman and Sherman will be gone. The SFV needs someone who wants his constituents to keep more of their earnings and be able to secure the financial future for their children and grandchildren.
A few things you should have mentioned in your article. First, Brad Sherman supported the redistricting plan when it came to a vote and opposed changing the process. He only complained the one time that he didn't think the plan was good enough for him and then voted for it when it changed to fit his specifications. Second, Berman's brother was simply a consultant advising legislators on how to pass a plan that would help Democrats. On the Nixon mailer, you have it slightly wrong. A Republican group voted to endorse Berman and he paid for mailer from that group explaining the endorsement. This was no different than Brad Sherman who paid to be on mailers with George W. Bush when a Republican group supported him for reelection.
A total payment of $1.1 million seems awfully generous if all Michael Berman did was "advis[e] legislators on how to pass a plan that would help Democrats."
Most of that was for the technology to give the advice that was needed. It took computer programs and a lot of work taking census data and translating it. Believe me, anyone who has spent time with Michael Berman knows that he hasn't made a lot of money off of politics.
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