Poizner Aims TV Message at GOP Right
When Steve Poizner’s TV ad talks about “the Whitman/Obama policy” on immigration, California voters are seeing the themes he’s hoping can carry him to victory in the GOP primary for governor.
From now until June, expect to see Poizner pound on two points. First, that he’s the conservative candidate who will be toughest on illegal immigration and, second, that Meg Whitman is no real Republican.
Recent polls show Poizner running a staggering 50 percentage points behind the former eBay CEO, who’s spent better than $46 million on her campaign, with plenty more to come. The only way to trim that type of lead is with an all-attack, all-the-time strategy aimed at shocking the hard-core conservatives who make up a major chunk of the voters in a Republican primary.
That’s why you can bet that Poizner’s oppo research folks are combing photo galleries for any picture of Whitman with Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, just the thing to feature in the inevitable TV spot that will talk about how Whitman endorsed Boxer in 2004.
Credibility and Cash: Campbell’s Achilles Heels
Even long-time liberal Barbara Boxer has said it. Her 2010 Senate re-election campaign will be competitive – her first contested election since she was elected to the Senate in the early 1990s. According to an early March Field Poll, 51 percent of California voters hold an unfavorable opinion of Barbara Boxer – bad news for any incumbent.
In that same poll, Tom Campbell is statistically tied with Boxer in a head-to-head general election match-up, and holds a narrow lead over both Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore in a Republican primary. However, the most telling numbers in the Field Poll are that 41 percent of Republican primary voters are undecided. And, almost 60 percent of general election voters have “no opinion” of Tom Campbell, Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore.
So, while Campbell has an early lead in polling, his status as March frontrunner necessitates greater scrutiny of his candidacy.
Et Tu, D.A?
Toyota–the world’s largest automaker–has its troubles now, no doubt. Over six million cars recalled, product liability issues, injured drivers, and a reputation badly beaten. Add to that, Congressional, federal grand jury and National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration investigations and at least 89 class-action law suits. Clearly, this is a top employer under siege as it is recalling millions of vehicles and trying to make corrections.
It’s odd to me that one of those 89+ law suits comes from Orange County District Attorney, Tony Rackauckas, on behalf of the County “to protect the public and consumers.” What specifically is unique about OC cases that requires our DA to use this public office to pursue a civil case? Is it PR? Aren’t there enough lawsuits filed by those directly affected?
Mr. Rackauckas says the lawsuit was motivated by questioning if Toyota “puts profits over people.” Interesting choice of words for a DA who seeks monetary damages from a company through a contingency fee agreement with a private law firm. Is this to fill his own diminished department coffers in a very tough economy? Determining whether or not Toyota “used deceptive business practices” should not be the responsibility of a county, nor the DA, nor is it good public policy in the trend by government agencies to use private contingency fee lawyers to go after business. And please share with us, Mr. D.A: exactly what is your financial arrangement with the private law firm you hired to go after Toyota?
Small Businesses Being Attacked Under Another Name
Small businesses are the backbone of California’s economy. They are praised in speeches by elected officials and correctly regarded as the engine that will pull us out of the recession.
On the other hand, the term “independent contractor” sounds technical and can conjure up images of a faceless business that has no loyalty, threatens government jobs and is a ripe target for new taxes or regulations. Politicians don’t tout their support for “independent contractors” when running for office.
The truth is that most independent contractors are small businesses. They are painters, plumbers, real estate agents, auto mechanics, computer programmers, photographers, sound engineers, doctors, accountants — and many other types of small businesses.
In Sacramento, some legislators are seeking to implement an “independent contractor withholding” proposal, which would require businesses to withhold 3 percent of their payments to independent contractors to provide an interest-free loan to the state.