[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

We're not surprised to hear that the Club for Growth is pulling levers for favorite son Tom McClintock inhis carpet-bagging bid for California's Fourth Congressional District.The Sacramento Bee reports that the club's latest ad calls McClintockopponent Doug Ose, who spent three previous terms in Congress,a—gasp—liberal. We haven't heard that one before.

In an editorial endorsement, the Bee also gives the nod to Ose for the Republican nomination, and of the two, he is clearly the one we could live with, althoughDemocrat Charlie Brown would be a much better choice than either ofthem. Ose, despite his terrible record on taxes and the war, at leastunderstands the need to be practical.

Vallejo's unprecedented decision to declare bankruptcy would set a precedent for other municipalities looking to unload their responsibilities to public employee unions, theSan Francisco Chronicle reports. This is unfortunate. If a city doesn'tfeel it has the resources to commit to COLA or other increases, thatneeds to come up at the bargaining table, not in a Chapter 9 filing.

There's more... 

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

? CA-03: Bill Durston may be unopposed in the June 3 primary, but he's running very hard and trying to pick up as many decline-to-state voters as possible.  He's actually running a GOTV operation.  The gambit here is to prove to donors and the political establishment that CA-03 is competitive.  I also think it makes sense just as practice for the general and for name recognition.

? CA-04: The Club for Growth, whose record this year in primaries is actually a little mixed, has released an ad attacking Doug Ose in his race against Tom McClintock.  There's plenty of outside money on both sides in this one.

? CA-42: Communications Workers of America, Southern California Council has endorsed Ron Shepston.  It's somewhat notable considering that Ed Chau got the Cal Labor Fed endorsement.

Anything else you're hearing, please put it in the comments.  This is an open-source elections thread.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Now Doug Ose is alleging illegal coordination between Tom McClintock and a 501(c)(4) group headed by poster boy for Republican losers in the state:

A California-based group and other local officials filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint Monday regarding the alleged ties between an ex-aide to Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) and state Sen. Tom McClintock (R).

McClintock and former Rep. Doug Ose (R-Calif.) are in a bitter primary battle to face off against Democrat Charlie Brown this fall for retiring Rep. John Doolittle's (R-Calif.) seat.

At issue is the role of Steve Ding - an ex-McClintock consultant and former chief of staff for Pombo - and The Partnership for America, a 501(c)4 advocacy group headed by Pombo.

McClatchy recently reported that Pombo's group is organizing a $660,000 independent campaign in the 4th congressional district.

Whoever comes out of the primary is going to be tainted by multiple smears, and flat broke.  McClintock and Ose are both willing to risk that because they think the 4th District is automatically Republican, and they're underestimating the strength of Charlie Brown.

At their peril.

You can read on for McClintock's ties to Pombo and various Indian gaming groups.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Cruickshank

In November 2002, after winning a close re-election battle against Republican Bill Simon, Gray Davis announced to Californians that the budget deficit had swelled to $35 billion. In response the state's media denounced Davis as having caused the crisis and hiding the real facts from voters. In this atmosphere the recall effort that began in early 2003 caught on like wildfire, as the deficit was blamed on Davis, instead of on Tom McClintock's tax cuts or the economic downturn.

Six years later we find ourselves in a similar place. The economy is in a downturn and state revenues are being hammered. Arnold Schwarzenegger is now warning that the deficit could be as large as $20 billion. So how does the media react?

Well, if you're the San Francisco Chronicle's Matthew Yi, you talk about how this might help the governor and his proposed budget reforms:

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

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The battle between proponents of two competing property rights measures inCalifornia is already underway, with both sides getting ready to hitthe airwaves, the Los Angeles Times reports. One measure, Proposition99, is a common-sense initiative that would give basic protectionsagainst the seizing of homes. The alternative, Proposition 98, wouldundermine local government at every level, not to mention eliminaterent control.

Doug Ose (above) is ripping away at arch-right-winger Tom McClintock's reputation for fiscal conservatism with a new ad that slams the State Senator for taking a per diemdespite not living in his home district in Thousand Oaks, according tothe Sacramento Bee. Ose is by far the more moderate of two running inthis Northern California district, but we're still rooting for DemocratCharlie Brown.

John Doolittle's soon-to-be former Congressional district isn't theonly place where Republicans are beating each other up. Down inaffluent Southern California, Assemlymember Mimi "I always vote no"Walters is fending off what ought to be just a nuisance challenge fromAnaheim Councilmember Harry Sidhu. Walters' website says she exhibits "Orange County" values, but given what we have seen of the OC on TV, is that really a good thing?

There's more... 

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]