[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

In the latest Reuters/CSPAN/Zogby poll, Senator Barack Obama has widened his lead over Senator Hillary Clinton in California, besting his rival by 46%-40% with 9% undecided. Yesterday's poll had Obama leading 45%-41% with 9% undecided.

The poll also found significant movement for Obama in Missouri, with the Illinois Senator taking a 47%-42% lead in the state. Clinton was up in yesterday's poll with a narrow 44%-43% lead. New Jersey is now tied at 43% percent, and Obama holds a comfortable 48%-31% lead in Georgia.

On the Republican side, Governor Mitt Romney has seen his lead widen in California but still trails in the other states polled. In California, Romney hold a 40%-32%-12% advantage over Senator John McCain and former Governor Mike Huckabee. McCain holds insurmountable double digit leads in New York and New Jersey, while in Missouri, McCain has a 35% lead with Huckabee trailing at 27% and Romney at third with 24%.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The California Republican primary looks likely to come down to ArizonaSenator John McCain versus former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney,although Rudy Giuliani could gain some steam again if he is victoriousin Florida, the San Diego Union Tribune reports. Unfortuantely forthem, the GOP candidates will be facing a "pure" Republican electoratedue to rules excluding independents, and the base view of manyissues—from the economy to immigration—tends be based on, well, base instincts. In other words, the victor will be pushed even further to the right.

It should not go unnoticed, however, that Giuliani has slipped from first place in this state to barely hanging onto third, writes Dan Walters, although perhaps we should have found it surprisingthat a social moderate like him held on for so long with our GOP base.

California's Republican Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is "all in" on the poker game surrounding term limits reform, writes Jon Fleischman of the Flash Report. Poizner, by opening hischeckbook at a jaw-dropping $1.5 million, is betting on a defeat forProposition 93 to gain credibility with the GOP base and a possible runfor Governor. But if he loses, he's done.

There's more...

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Sheri Divers [courtesy of Blog for America]

This Week (ABC): This Sunday, a live 90-minute debate with the Republican Presidential contenders on a special edition of "This Week With George Stephanopoulos."  The candidates: Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator Mike Huckabee (R-AK), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA), Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), and Former Governor Tommy Thompson (R-WI).

Face the Nation (CBS): Topics:Iraq, The Middle East, Congress And Politics. Guests:Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chairman of the Democratic Caucus Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL).

60 Minutes (CBS): The Other Iraq
Bob Simon reports from Kurdistan, a peaceful swath of Iraq where Americans are liked, violence rare and the Kurdish people yearn to be their own separate country.

The Phantom Of Corleone
The law finally caught up with Bernardo Provenzano after decades on the run. The capture of the head of the Sicilian Mafia , however, will probably do little to curb the ubiquitous influence of the Italian Mafia. Steve Kroft reports. |