Arnold Schwarzenegger's fundraising
accelerated beyond his two main rivals during the first pre-election filing period, writes Dan Morain in the Times. "Schwarzenegger showed his fundraising prowess, receiving significantly more money than his Democratic rivals. He raised
$5.2 million between Jan. 1 and Friday."
"That sum was
sufficient to place his reelection campaign $3 million in the black. He had started the year $410,000 in debt."
"State Treasurer
Phil Angelides, seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, raised
$2.3 million during that period. Democratic state Controller
Steve Westly raised
$1.1 million. Also, $2.5 million came from his own wallet."
What will they do with all that dough? Spend it on television, of course.
"Since the start of the year,
Angelides has spent nearly $6 million and Westly has spent $6.3 million," writes Kevin Yamamura in the Bee.
"Most of Angelides' money has gone toward television commercials airing statewide, typically the most costly part of any gubernatorial campaign. The candidates intend to stay on the air throughout the three months leading into the primary."
"Angelides spent more than $4.1 million on television advertising through March 17."
"Westly's campaign had not filed his finance records with the secretary of state as of late Wednesday evening, so his television spending total was unclear."
"'We suspected our opponent might feel the need to go up on the air early as well,' said Westly spokesman Nick Velasquez. '
But unfortunately for him, he probably can't sustain TV ads for the duration because he isn't at parity with us with regard to resources.'"
In other words, my daddy has more money than your daddy...
Schwarzenegger's surrogates are also on the air. Today, the Bee looks at the
latest ad from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce extolling the virtues of His Arnoldness.
But, the governor's race is not the only race collecting
big dough. The Bee's Dan Smith writes "Supporters of director Rob Reiner's effort to establish universal preschool have
raised more than $2 million this year for Proposition 82 on the June 6 ballot, according to campaign finance forms filed Wednesday."
"
Opponents in the business community, meanwhile,
raised about a tenth as much - $203,363 - and listed $434,465 in debts."
Memo to campaign vendors: get paid now.
Speaking of campaign vendors,
Rob Stutzman has
joined the Navigators firm, parterning up with
Todd Harris and Mike Murphy in a reunion of former Schwarzenegger advisers. "Speculation had swirled about the firm's California future after last year's special election, when founder Mike Murphy announced he wanted to spend more time on entertainment projects in Los Angeles, and principal Todd Harris was dispatched to Florida to help open Navigators' Tallahassee office," Capitol Weekly reports.
"But Stutzman's hiring is a sign that the firm is in California to stay, says
Murphy. 'That was crazy speculation, because I was less visible,' he says. 'Just the
Sacramento rumor mill spinning out of control. People jumped to conclusions.'"
Speaking of elections, Capitol Weekly takes a look at the
Oakland-area Assembly race between three major Democratic candidates. "[
Sandre] Swanson is trying to become the first African-American since [
Barbara] Lee to represent the district. But to do so, he'll have to overcome two Democratic rivals with their own impressive political connections.
Ronnie Gail Caplane, 57, is the widow of legendary Democratic campaign attorney
Joe Remcho, who represented
Gray Davis, Willie Brown and others until his death in a 2003 helicopter crash.
Oakland City Attorney
John Russo, 47, is a former president of the League of California Cities, whose campaign-finance reports are full of the names of elected officials from around the state."
From our
Major Legislation Watch Files, Capitol Weekly's Shane Goldmacher takes a look at major legislation being pushed by Speaker
Fabian Nuņez that "could
fundamentally change California's phone, Internet and television landscape. The measure would centralize franchising for the state's multibillion-dollar cable market to allow telecommunication giants AT&T and Verizon to better compete with the state's existing cable-operators.
California would become only the fourth state in the nation to allow telecommunications companies to apply for state-issued cable franchises. Since Texas became the first state to deregulate its cable industry last September, California is one of a dozen states that have discussed similar changes."
Look like there is some competition to see
who builds the Bay Bridge after all. "The seemingly cursed effort to build a new eastern span of the Bay Bridge ran into good fortune Wednesday when Caltrans received two bids to build the single-tower suspension span to complete the bridge -- and the low offer was $1.43 billion, slightly less than estimated," reports the Chronicle's Michael Cabanatuan.
George Skelton follows-up on the promise of legislative leaders
to place their version of redistricting on the ballot following the defeat of Proposition 77. "Prodded by [
Don] Perata, reluctant Democrats on a Senate committee last week approved a measure by Sen.
Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), long a crusader for redistricting reform. 'Courtesy votes,' two Democrats conceded."
"The proposal would turn over redrawing of legislative and congressional districts to a five-member independent commission, mostly appointed by legislative leaders from a list of candidates selected by retired judges. The Legislature would have no say in the redistricting."
"Unlike the flawed Prop. 77, there wouldn't be a mid-decade redistricting; the next one would be after the 2010 census. And each remapping wouldn't need to be approved by voters."
"Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nuņez (D-Los Angeles) will attempt to leverage the Legislature's desire to ease term limits against the reluctance to change redistricting.
He'll push to place a term-limit proposal and a separate redistricting plan on the November ballot as a reform package."
"'We can't put one on the ballot without the other,' he says."
Can't or
won't?
Former 49ers place kicker Ray Wershing was
indicted on insurance fraud and tax evasion charges yesterday.
Geez, what's next?
Rolf Benirschke being brought up on terrorism charges?
(Sorry, we just wanted a chance to say Rolf Benirschke.)
CW's Goldmacher also
looks at this week's Women of the Year awards given out by lawmakers, and finds a familiar pattern. "Three wives of legislators, two candidates for the Assembly, one mother-in-law, one mother and one domestic partner were among those chosen by legislators to be honored among as California's women of the year.'"
"
Bev Hansen, a former assemblywoman who helped launch the year-of-the-woman program with former Assemblywoman
Sally Tanner 20 years ago, says that she used a county-wide nomination process and a special committee to select her "woman of the year." But Hansen says she is pleased with the ongoing success of the program, especially with the increased participation from first lady
Maria Shriver.
"I want everyone to make selections of outstanding women--and if that's a wife or a partner of a legislator that's OK with me," said Hansen, who is now a partner of the lobbying firm of Lang, Hansen, O'Malley and Miller. Other legislators' choices were also all in the family.
Finally, from our
No Comment Files, we close today with an excerpt from Shriver's speech this week at the aforementioned Women of the Year celebration on the Assembly floor. "One of the very first things my parents taught my four brothers and me was to learn how to kneel and what to do while you are kneeling."
Did we already say "no comment"?
