Adam Schiff

Despite a last-minute push from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and others, Congress adjourned for the year on Wednesday without voting on a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide — a blow to proponents who will now have to contend with a much harder audience in a Republican-controlled House next year. "I am deeply disappointed that the Congress has now recessed without passing the resolution to honor the 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children who were lost in the first genocide of the 20th century, and I know that my feelings are insignificant when compared to the continued pain of so many in our community," Schiff said in a statement.

John Colbert said he never considered running for office until he saw the way Congress was killing jobs in California. Colbert was driving through the Central Valley in 2008 when he witnessed farmers clearing trees dying from a lack of water. The trip came after Congress voted to protect the endangered Delta smelt by diverting less water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for agricultural and municipal uses. That's when Colbert decided to campaign against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank)

I understand the hardships pressed onto 911 dispatchers with the rising usage of cell phones in our community (“911 calls tougher to pinpoint,” Jan. 11), but I can’t help but point out that cell phones are a part of life. Cell phones have become increasingly common and have their advantages and disadvantages. But, like all things, we must adapt to better suit our way of life. With a cell phone, it is easier for a bystander of a crime or a person in need of the paramedics to get help.

I am writing to express how proud I am to have Adam Schiff represent our district in Congress. Change does not come easy, especially when that means taking on special interests and voting for legislation that benefits the people you represent, despite the pressure from those same groups. That is what our congressman did Saturday. I thank Schiff and all those who had the guts, including our lone Republican friend from Louisiana, to vote for this very much-needed and overdue legislation.

We’re getting closer to a vote on health-care reform in the House of Representatives, and we will get a chance to see if our congressman, Adam Schiff, will keep his word. Like President Obama, Schiff has pledged that if we like our current health-care plan, we can keep it. I appreciate both Obama’s and Schiff’s position because my health-care plan is Medicare Advantage. The current House bill will gut Medicare Advantage. I am confident that Schiff is a man of his word and will vote “no” this week.

The local congressional delegation voted along party lines Wednesday when the House passed an $819-billion economic stimulus bill without garnering a single Republican vote. Rep. David Dreier, a Republican whose district includes La Crescenta, stuck to party lines in the 244-188 vote that moved the stimulus bill one step closer to President Obama’s desk. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Brad Sherman joined the Democratic majority. Republicans unanimously voted against the bill despite calls for bipartisan support from Obama and other Democratic leaders.

Let’s get the wheel turning on bikes Regarding “City looks to make riding easier for bicyclists,” Dec. 17: Gasoline prices may have gone down, but still, I give three cheers to the news about the plan to make the Greater Los Angeles area more bikeable. It is good to hear that the city of Glendale is finding ways to make the city bike-friendly. I believe that it is about time that people be encouraged to try biking as a means of transportation and also as a form of exercise.

It is, in short, a fine time to be a Democrat. The American two-party system has swung back and forth like a pendulum over the last century, with neither the Democrats nor the Republicans putting more than two consecutive candidates in the White House since 1928. Sometimes, the two parties run neck-and-neck; Tuesday, it was little short of a Democratic free-for-all, as Sen. Barack Obama won the presidency in a landslide, and his fellow party members decisively took the House and Senate.

The region’s left-leaning state and federal districts remained true to form Tuesday night, after Democratic candidates in California’s Senate and Assembly seats — and two out of three congressional seats — cruised to victory on a night when Democratic Sen. Barack Obama claimed the presidency. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Brad Sherman defeated their Republican rivals, Charles Hahn and Navraj Singh, respectively. With his reelection, Schiff will return to the U.S. House of Representatives for the fourth time with an ally in the White House.

PRESIDENT VOTES % Bob Barr (L) 13,214 0.5 Alan Keyes (AI) 29,728 0.3 Cynthia McKinney (GR) 27,855 0.2 John McCain (R) 3,730,119 37 Ralph Nader (PF) 79,037 0.8 Barack Obama (D) 6,172,303 61.2       CONGRESS 26TH DISTRICT VOTES % Ted Brown (L)