Barbara Boxer: 'Nobody Can Take Their Seat For Granted'

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who is up for re-election this year, said in an interview on Wednesday that the growing backlash against Washington politicians would mean that "nobody can take their seat for granted" in November.

"These are tough times we're going through in California and America, and I'm not going to sugarcoat that," Boxer told KCAL in Los Angeles.

Boxer, who in November will be challenged by one of a trio of strong Republican candidates now facing off in a GOP primary, admitted that "people are grumpy and they have a right to be grumpy."

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore and former Rep. Tom Campbell are competing in for the right to challenge Boxer in the general election.

On Wednesday, The Hill's election forecasters moved the California Senate race from "leans Democratic" to "toss-up."

Watch KCAL's interview with Boxer:

Comments

[Dogs And Cats]

03:12 PM on 05/31/2010

It makes zero sense to hand this seat over to Republicans, who wreck the environment and who only care about the economy when it impacts them. Barbara Boxer has been a consistent defender of our environment and resources. As the spill in the Gulf illustrates, the economy and environment are more linked than we ever realized.

Had enough? Yes we've had enough of the Trash This Place mentality of Republicans, who sometimes put on a smiley face, and sometimes a scowl. This is no time to reward their recklessness.

And it's no time to have somebody who kisses up to the Tea "party" taking the senate seat for California, unless we're willing to accept our coasts choking with oil from a spill, which would happen sooner or later if all think about is personal greed.

[lldem1]

06:13 PM on 05/07/2010

You haven't done much for CA lately. Good riddance.

[RosanneofTennessee]

09:48 AM on 05/07/2010

Barbara Boxer... you, Debbie Stabenow, and Rosa DeLauro have been shining beacons of hope for women in the USA. Women who want to retain the freedom to move from state to state w/out checking to see if they have or don't have rights to PERSONHOOD...are in your corner.

Never, never give up!

[Thinkster]

08:09 PM on 05/06/2010

At this point, the idea of Carly Fiorina being our senator is so repugnant I would accept almost anyone else - Barbara Boxer shines in comparison to Carly and Sarah "Josephine Sixpack" Palin.

[ohnoforgotmyusername]

10:34 AM on 04/02/2010

I know and like Senator Boxer just fine - its her son Doug that is an embarrassment to all Democrats.

He has used his mothers position to enrich himself his entire adult life. Every job or "consulting contract" he has ever had he has been paid solely for his role as a contact to his mother. He has even tried to work as a lobbyist to get a unrecognized tribe officially recognized by the federal Government in order simply to open up a huge gambling casino in CA.

Thats the problem with many long term pols - their children or other relatives turn into high dollar influence peddlers. Ugh!

[busman]

04:48 AM on 04/02/2010

As an independent from CA, I've lost enthusiasm for Boxer, She's been weak on supporting progressive agenda on health insurance reform. She's lost her progressive-ness it seems to me, moving towards DINO region of the spectrum. CA probably needs new blood in Washington. Dems haven't learned the lesson from MA senate election and are likely to get another wake up call in Nov.

[Paralogos]

04:35 PM on 04/02/2010

I'm curious about what you mean about Boxer being "weak on supporting progressive agenda on health insurance reform". She was reasonably out in front on health insurance reform, and public in her support of a public insurance option, right down the line. She voted on the progressive side of every relevant vote that I know of (and I'm not saying I might not have missed one). She may not have done much to shape the bill one way or the other, but she's not on any of the relevant committees, either. What would she have had to have done to not be "weak"?

[3dtrix]

03:13 AM on 04/02/2010

At least conservatives are consistent - none of their utterly failed dogma actually works, or performs as advertised (see the present ruination of the USA) but they cling to it because they WISH it worked. Same with the 2010 elections - they're already calling outcomes based on what they'd LIKE to see rather than what is likely to happen. Boxer's seat is secure - I live in CA, I know the political lay of the land here. I'd bet a month's pay...

[donanobispace]

12:44 AM on 04/02/2010

She has my vote

[Michael Valentine]

09:47 PM on 04/01/2010

No problem for Babs, she will kick some serious butt in November.

[petera63]

09:21 PM on 04/01/2010

Barbara Boxer "Call-Me-Senator" - the embodiment of "wisdom"...

[Fishers]

08:45 PM on 04/01/2010

...and this fool, Barbara Boxer, should be one of the first to go...and will hopefully take crazy Pelosi with her.

[petera63]

09:22 PM on 04/01/2010

From your mouth - into God's ears.

[StuManChu]

08:02 PM on 04/01/2010

When you are run by libs for 30 years, this is what happens. These jobs are going to Missisipi.

FREMONT, Calif. (AP) - The last car has rolled off the production lines at California's sole auto plant.

Workers are trickling out of the New United Motor Manufacturing plant in Fremont as they complete their tasks and the plant readies to shut down.

Nearby, job centers have been set up to help the newly unemployed figure out benefits, retraining and other options.

The plant made Toyota Tacoma trucks and Corolla sedans. The last Tacoma rolled off the assembly lines last week, and Corolla production ended Thursday.

The plant began 25 years ago as a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. GM pulled out last year, and Toyota later announced it would halt production, eliminating about 4,700 jobs.

State officials are pursuing federal grants to help those impacted by the closure.

[Paralogos]

04:43 PM on 04/02/2010

The closure is a consequence of GM's bankruptcy and Toyota's disastrous PR problem with Corollas, and has very little to do with government policy at any level, other than the obvious indirect link with the Bush administration's being drunk at the wheel and driving the nation into a wall at speed. But supposing it *is* linked to state policy, doesn't the state's Republican administration have a good deal more responsibility for this than the state's Democratic Senate delegation, who, after all, don't set California state policy?

[Thinkster]

08:12 PM on 05/06/2010

Well stated. Put the blame where it belongs, this is more fallout from the disastrous previous U.S. administration - thank you Mr. Bush.

[Raccoon1]

07:49 PM on 04/01/2010

The nation is split about 48/48, voter turnout will decide the races.

[petera63]

09:24 PM on 04/01/2010

Right: 48% are against Barry and 48% simply hate him.

[jtjsrch]

10:22 PM on 04/01/2010

You old fool...............obviously you have lost both your hearing and your eyesight, for if you had either you would hear/read that the current polls do not confirm your conservative views. My advice to you is to get thee to a cemetery and find a nice plot. BTW I am 65 and will soon be there as well, but at least I voted for HCR which effect my many nieces and nephews.

[trish333]

12:51 AM on 04/02/2010

Yes, and historically those who are the most outraged turn out higher numbers. Bye, bye Boxer.

[Raccoon1]

07:45 PM on 04/01/2010

Wasn't it a Republican Governator who oversaw the collapse?

[stell]

07:26 PM on 04/01/2010

Especially you "Senator Boxer", you haven't had a real race since you were first elected Senator in California.