Free Republic

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – There is no clear favourite in the Golden State’s gubernatorial ballot, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 45 per cent of respondents would vote for Democratic state treasurer Phil Angelides, while 44 per cent would support Republican incumbent Arnold Schwarzenegger. In an election pitting Schwarzenegger against state controller Steve Westly, the Democrat also holds a one-point edge. The Democratic nomination will be decided in a primary ballot on Jun. 6. Schwarzenegger—a Republican—won California’s recall election in October 2003 with 48.7 per cent of the vote. In November 2005, California voters took part in a...

Westly, the ad says, is running a "different kind of campaign," meeting people where they live and work and using the Internet to "better connect" to voters. "Pro-choice, a defender of the environment, a former teacher committed to education," the announcer says. Then come the endorsements from both California Senators (for Angelides). The camera focuses on Barbara Boxer. "I deeply believe in Phil," she says, "and I know he'll make a great governor." All of that is interesting, but neither candidate so far has been willing to confront -- in his ads -- the elephant in the room: the ongoing...

Orange County may be the state's most Republican urban county, but it's Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides who has been raking in the cash there. A Register analysis of campaign contributions from local donors to Angelides, who is state treasurer, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger since January 2005 show Angelides ahead by 25 percent –just over $140,000 – as of March 17, according to reports filed Wednesday. There are several reasons why Angelides has done so well in Orange County, say both his supporters and detractors. For one, he is a former Democratic Party chairman and thus able to tap into...

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released a second television ad on behalf of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that is scheduled to run on cable and broadcast outlets statewide. This 30-second spot explicitly champions the performance of the governor since he gained office in the 2003 recall election. Below is the text of the ad and an analysis by Andy Furillo of The Bee Capitol Bureau. • NARRATOR: Remember? California was $22 billion in the red, the car tax tripled, jobs and businesses were leaving, a state literally in the dark. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered. Repealing the car tax hike, cutting the...

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The Sierra Club, the largest environmental organization in California with approximately 200,000 members, today announced its endorsement of State Treasurer Phil Angelides' campaign for Governor. The Sierra Club is a non-profit, member-supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation of the natural environment. “I am honored to receive the Sierra Club’s endorsement,” said Angelides. “As a private citizen and as Treasurer, I have put environmental protection at the center of my work. As Governor, I will fight every day to protect California’s coastline, work hard to protect our forests and improve the quality of the air we breathe...

The recent semi-annual California Republican Convention was an attempt by Governor Schwarzenegger and others to solidify his support with the base of the party. Despite his efforts and those of State Senator Tom McClintock, Arnold has failed as of now. Schwarzenegger positions have left the base feeling that supporting him for reelection may not only be the wrong thing to do, but may also be counterproductive. Arnold and his gaggle of handlers believe his fight is with wild-eyed, right-wing conservatives. That is not true. Mainstream Republicans who have stayed away from the moderate/conservative slugfest in the California Republican Party are...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Last year, Sen. John McCain urged his friend, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, to push for campaign finance reforms in California in 2006. But the governor has spent much of his time talking about building highways, levees and schools, not restraining the flow of campaign dollars. On Monday, the Republican senator known for trying to slow runaway political spending in Congress was set to help the governor raise money for his re-election bid at a fundraiser with tickets priced up to $100,000. The closed-door event was being hosted by donors among the entertainment and business elite, including "The...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's failure to put a multibillion dollar public works bond on the June ballot robs him of a fresh accomplishment just as he is poised to begin asking voters for a new term. The bond's failure, at least for now, is more than just an ordinary legislative setback. Schwarzenegger has staked his re-election on an ambitious plan to use the bonds to rebuild the state's aging roads, schools and water projects. The governor still has time to rescue his plan and put some sort of bond on the November ballot. But the difficulty he is having underscores the...

Why should the Assembly and Senate Republicans support massive bond proposals, without any reforms? Just ask his legislative advisor, Richard Costigan--because Arnold needs this for re-election. Why should Republicans support Arnold for re-election? Just ask Matthew Dowd in Austin, Texas (the guv's chief consultant) or Steve Schmidt (the Guv's campaign manager); because Arnold is better than Westly or Angelides...they would have even worse legislation. Republicans should be happy that the Governor is appointing so many Democrats and non-Republicans to the bench and key government positions. Why? Because, according to the Governor, no Republicans are qualified. Nothing positive, just, "I am...

If he wanted it easy, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday, he would have stayed on a Hollywood movie set. "I would make my $20 million a movie, have my 40-foot trailer, have people serving me day and night and telling me that I am the greatest," he told reporters. "I didn't come to Sacramento because I expect things to be done easily." But while Schwarzenegger sought at a Capitol press conference to put a relentlessly optimistic spin on a chaotic week of negotiations on bonds to build schools, roads, levees and other infrastructure, the fact remained that life in Sacramento...

SACRAMENTO – Hours after suffering a major election-year defeat by failing to put his ambitious public works bond on the June ballot, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger guaranteed that the entire package would be put before voters in November. “We are going to have this year the infrastructure done. That I can guarantee you,” Schwarzenegger told a Capitol news conference yesterday. “We will have it done this year. We haven't been able to do it by June. But we will do it by November.” As a deadline approached Wednesday night, marathon negotiations to place a $50 billion bond issue on the June...

In a television commercial airing in major California media markets, state Controller Steve Westly evokes former President Carter to boost his conservationist credentials. NARRATOR: He's practical ... a problem solver with experience that sets him apart. Under President Carter, he worked on solar energy and conservation. Pro-choice. Defender of the environment. Committed to education. Steve Westly. Democrat. A different kind of governor. .... Analysis: ...... But while the ad shows a young Westly shaking Carter's hand, the former president hasn't endorsed his candidacy. Deanna Congileo, a spokeswoman for the Carter Center in Atlanta, said he makes no endorsements in primary...

SANTA BARBARA, CA – California State Treasurer and Democratic Candidate for Governor Phil Angelides today released Coast Guard, his plan to protect the California coastline, end Governor Schwarzenegger’s policy of neglect, and defeat President Bush’s new plans to drill for oil and gas off the California coast. Angelides, who has been endorsed by 70 prominent environmental leaders and Vote the Coast, a grassroots political action organization whose purpose is to achieve coastal protection and conservation, unveiled the plan in Santa Barbara. “The California coast is endangered and President Bush and Governor Schwarzenegger are taking us in the wrong direction,” said...

The more California Democrats hear from their two candidates for governor, it seems, the more confused the voters become. And the better Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does against both of them. Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly are the major Democrats fighting for their party's nomination and the right to face off against Schwarzenegger in the fall. Angelides is the angry one, the "anti-Arnold" who has opposed almost everything the governor has tried to do since he was elected in October 2003. A former real estate developer and party operative who has been treasurer since 1999, Angelides opposes most of...

The major Republican candidate for lieutenant governor pleaded with his fellow GOP conservatives Saturday to override their objections to moderate Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and support him and Schwarzenegger as a ticket. State Sen. Tom McClintock urged members of the conservative California Republican Assembly not to snub Schwarzenegger "because there is disagreement on certain issues." The CRA, many of whose members are upset with Schwarzenegger, is meeting in Bakersfield this weekend to endorse Republican candidates for the June 6 primary election. Unlike Schwarzenegger, McClintock is a hero of the conservative movement and he sought to energize them behind both his...

For those who miss the prose of Matthew Dowd, here's his first memo to Team Arnold, for Team Arnold. His line: "...this race is not, as the Democratic operatives and many pundits say, a referendum on Governor Schwarzenegger. Races for governor, especially the governor of the largest State in the Union, are about a choice. This campaign will be a choice between Arnold and the Democratic nominee, a choice between what Arnold has done in office and what the Democratic nominee has done in his career, and most important, a choice between the vision Arnold has for California in the...

*ANNOUNCER: California needs a new governor. State Treasurer Phil Angelides. The Democrats' most outspoken opponent of Schwarzenegger's policies. A leader in the fight to fully fund our schools and colleges. Supported by both Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. *U.S. SEN. BARBARA BOXER: "Phil has the guts and the values to stand up for what's right. I deeply believe in Phil, and I know he'll make a great governor." *ANNOUNCER: Phil Angelides for governor. He stood up to Arnold. He'll stand up for you. *ANALYSIS: Angelides has the bulk of Democratic Party endorsements in the race - and he is quick...

A package of five proposed Republican resolutions critical of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, including one that calls for the GOP to withdraw its election endorsement of California’s top Republican, were unveiled today and will be considered when the the state party convenes in two weeks. The call to withdraw the GOP’s endorsement is considered unlikely to succeed, and the four policy proposals would be non-binding.

An lucid explanation, please, on CA voters choosing Schwarzenegger by a huge margin while at the same time choosing to keep pimping for race-mongers by defeating the prop to end collection of racial data. There seems to be quite a disconnect here...

FYI, Below is a copy of an e-mail sent to Tom McClintock's people this morning. IMPORTANT, "out-of-the-box" strategy to assure conservative win. Thoughts & help to move it along?... Thank you. joralink@hotmail.com