Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Rudy Giuliani (left, in drag), the former New York City mayor who takes great pains to remind us ofhis "leadership" on 9/11, has opened up a hefty lead among theCalifornia GOP, according to a new Field Poll. The Sacramento Beereports that Arizona Senator John McCain, once considered theRepublican heir apparent, has dropped to an anemic fourth place at 9percent.

The budget stand-off has attracted scant attention because the debate has been unusually civil, writes Daniel Weintraub in today's Bee. Weintraub believes Republicanshave the most to gain from holding out. I say give it a few more weeksand our GOP friends in the Senate will start feeling the squeeze.

Last week, Republican Caucus Chair George Runner had the audacity tosuggest that real people weren't all that hurt by the budget hold-up.Almost on cue, the San Francisco Chronicle details the hundreds of child care centers in the Bay Area alone that are missing payments and near closure. These are real life kids with real life futures whose parents may not be able to take a week off of work.

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Photo courtesy of Liberal Values.