Acting California Gov. Tom Torlakson doing much more than acting

Tom Torlakson’s unlikely stint as acting goveor for the largest state in the nation continues into Thursday, when Gov.u2009Jerry Brown is expected to retu.

In his temporary role, Torlakson on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for the wildfires in Losu2009Angeles and Monterey counties, giving state agencies greater authority to assist.

The goveor’s duties falls to Torlakson because so many of the state’s top officials are in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention. That’s thanks in part to the state being so heavily blue that Democrats hold every statewide office.

Brown and the top seven officers in the line of succession are at the presidential nominating event. That includes Lt.u2009Gov.u2009Gavin Newsom and proceeds with the leaders of both chambers of the state Legislature, the secretary of state, the attoey general, the treasurer and the controller.

“It’s the furthest down the gubeatorial line of succession that Califoia has ever gone — and the first time ever a state schools chief has served as acting goveor,” according to Ben Adler of Capitol Public Radio.

The farthest down the succession chain to serve previously, according to Adler’s research, was the attoey general in 2010.

The acting goveor in that instance?

Jerry Brown.

Still divided

Califoia Beie Sanders delegates remain divided in their support for nominee Hillary Clinton, with at least three saying they’re not sure if they’ll vote for her and some describing palpable tension on the convention floor.

“I’m looking forward to seeing her in the debates and I hope to see her support the progressive platform that was approved because of Beie Sanders, including the $15 minimum wage,” said Orange’s Nick Seider. “It’s about showing consistency.”

Seider pointed out that because Califoia is virtually guaranteed to go Clinton’s way, Sandeistas can vote third party or leave the ballot blank without hurting Clinton’s chances.

But Sanders backers in swing states will have a more difficult decision to make, he said.

Other delegates say they can remain true to Sanders mission while supporting Clinton.

“I am proud to be a part of the movement which led to the most progressive Democratic Party platform ever,” reads a Facebook post by Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen, one of the county’s 13 Sanders delegates in Philadelphia. “However, we have more work to do, and we’ll only get it done if we are united against Donald Trump. #StrongerTogether”

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Longtime progressive activist Bill Honigman, a Sanders delegate from Lagunau2009Hills, expressed similar sentiments before the convention, saying he was following Sanders’ lead in supporting Clinton.

But Yorba Linda delegate Carole Levers said she has “many reservations, which (Clinton) needs to address in her speech” Thursday.

Irvine delegate Samila Amanyroufpoor is another who said she’s not yet sure if she’ll vote for Clinton.

“I would look more closely into her foreign policy,” she said. “I like the majority of her domestic policies, however I have some conces about her foreign policies. As for voting for another candidate — absolutely not. I always have the choice of leaving my vote blank.”

Amanyroufpoor added that the difference of opinion at the convention can be felt among the delegates.

“For now, the situation is not that pleasant,” she said. “A lot of tension between Hillary and Beie delegates.”

Kochs not Trumpsters

In case you missed it, the billionaire Koch brothers are among those steering clear of Donald Trump’s campaign.

The week before the GOP primary, Charles Koch was asked by Fortune magazine if he would vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton.

“If I had to vote for cancer or heart attack, why would I vote for either?” he quipped.

He had earlier complained to the Associated Press that the primary and general elections had become a battle of, “’You’re the enemy, you’re evil or you’re stupid,’ or whatever ad hominem attacks on each other, rather than trying to find common ground ... and find better solutions.”

The libertarian-leaning conservatives have said they plaed to raise $880 million for this election cycle, but are focusing their efforts on congressional races and an “End the Divide” campaign.

“It’s time to remove the barriers, to end the divide, to replace wier-take-all with a system where we can all win,” says the narrator in an Koch-funded television ad, that complains about a “rigged” economy that leaves behind the poor.

The Koch campaign is promoting policies for education and regulatory reform, reducing poverty and reducing incarceration levels.

When the Koch brothers held a semi-aual retreat in Dana Point last August, Trump mocked the five GOP presidential candidates then in the race who spoke at the event.

“I wish good luck to all of the Republican candidates that traveled to Califoia to beg for money etc. from the Koch Brothers,” Trump tweeted. “Puppets?”

But last month, as Trump began scaing the landscape for donors, representatives from his campaign arranged a meeting with Koch aides.

Then came the “cancer or heart attack” comment, indicating that Trump’s charm may have its limits.