by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Field released their polling data on Props 93 ((Brian's Disclosure) and 94-97. PDF here.  Supporters and Opponents of these propositions still have quite a bit of work to do before February 5, as voter awareness is still hovering around the 2/3 mark for both and undecideds around 20-25% even after poll education. Also, Field seems to have not polled Prop 92 again.

Let's get to the details over the flip.

[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...

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Signaling a change in the tone and tenor of the Democratic presidential contest, California is now closer to being in play than ever before, with Hillary Clinton's lead shrinking to 14-points and the number ofundecideds on the upswing, the Sacramento Bee reports. Clinton stillhas the advantage, but recent shifts suggest Californians will bewatching closely what happens before February 5, and it could influencetheir choice.

Former Controller Steve Westly, the wealthy former Silicon Valley executive who lost to Phil Angelides last year, is supporting Proposition 93, the initiative aimed at reforming term limits to allow members to servelonger in one house, according to the Bee. Another independentlywealthy pol, Republican Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, has comeout on the other side.

Senator Barbara Boxer is telling it like it is whenit comes to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's expecteddenial of a California waiver to allow regulation of emissions at astricter level, the Bee reports. The sad truth is that many of thesedecisions lead back to Vice President Dick Cheney's office, as Boxerput it, and the powers that be are not interested in giving Californiathis authority.

There's more...

Photo courtesy of The Onion.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]