Today's Fresh Meat

[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.

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Photo courtesy of ABC News.