Whitman no rookie at playing hardball

[robertpaulsen]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Sacramento - Meg Whitman is campaigning for governor as a political outsider, but behind the scenes she is playing classic political hardball in her quest for the Republican nomination.

She tried to push her chief GOP opponent, Steve Poizner, out of the primary contest with a consultant's threat to wage a negative ad campaign that would destroy his career. Her advisors have worked, with some success, to siphon away Poizner supporters, orchestrating calls by former Gov. Pete Wilson and others for the party to unite -- four months before the primary election -- behind her candidacy.

And Whitman's team warned labor leaders that if they gave money to Democratic operatives planning to attack her, the billionaire candidate would respond by spending millions to qualify a ballot initiative that would make it harder for unions to use dues for political purposes.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-whitman26-2010feb26,0,7185912.story?track=rss

---

After seven years of the Governator, the last thing California needs is a union-bashing Corporatist running the state. She must be stopped!

[kestrel91316]

1. I think that woman started running her radio ads clear last summer.

I am sick to death of them already. And until recently, it was always just the same one ad, lol. Fricking broken record........holy business blah blah blah, tax cuts blah blah blah, corporations have all the solutions blah blah blah, drown gubmint in a bathtub blah blah blah.........

[Downwinder]

2. . . . Run Government like a business blah blah blah.

Thats how we got where we are. When Government is run like a business, only the ones who can afford it benefit.

[Kirbster]

6. Aren't most businesses petty dictatorships?

A fine model to emulate.

[DBoon]

8. petty dictatorships supported by nepotism

where you become unemployed if the owner's nephew decides he doesn't like you

[boomerbust]

Wisconsin

Seems to be in the same position.

[boomerbust]

3. Wisconsin

Seems to be in the same position.

[OHdem10]

4. This is arrogance: I will use my millions to crush you.

[pasto76]

5. Thanks but the SCOTUS just decided otherwise about Unions

they can use their primary funds to support whomever they want. She can't make a state law overruling the SCOTUS.

[Grand Taurean]

7. This is a dangerous tactic on her behalf.

There is a foul mood in the country against the governing/wealthy elites.
Bloomberg was nearly toppled. Whitman will end up shooting herself in the foot.

[Jane Austin]

13. Nobdy's doing it on her behalf.

She's doing it herself.

[JDPriestly]

9. It is obscene that any Californian has personal wealth of $39,000,000

to spend on a political campaign when our government needs money for the basic essentials like schools, hospitals, fire-fighting, etc.

Schwarzenegger campaigned on reducing government spending. The Republicans took over intent on cutting spending. The California budget is pretty much bare bones by now. The last thing we need is someone who thinks she can cut services and government spending any more. It cannot be done.

We need a Democratic leader who can build community -- caring for each other -- here in California. That is the only way that we can pull ourselves out.

The wealthy "leaders" in this state have led us down a rabbit hole -- into a state of denial. They put bond measures up for popular vote but don't warn voters that the bonds have to be paid off -- to the very rich most often -- with interest due. Then we end up in debt.

Right now, the cities have resorted to technological highway robbery -- with imposing fines on drivers of as much as $450 minor traffic violations. This reminds me of the taxes that medieval cities charged people upon entering into the city with their wares for market.

I don't see that Meg Whitman's E-Bay actually created that many jobs. Did I miss something there?

E-Bay is basically just a glorified flea market as far as I can tell. It doesn't really promote many jobs or creativity.

[SoapBox]

10. If I see another one of her ads, I'm gonna SCREAM!

I turn OFF her ads as fast as I can.

I'm sick of them.

I think she's a crook and liar, just like any other Rushpub.

She is WAY anit-worker/labor.

She HATES unions (I saw an interview this week about her financial records...first thing she did was launch into a rant about unions and Jerry Brown...Megsy? So what about releasing those records?)

...she's a creep...

[NICO9000]

11. She's running the TV ads non-stop now

They make me wanna puke. She wants to cut more state jobs (natch), lower taxes (double natch), and save our schools (I'm assuming with all the revenues we'll lose by cutting taxes...). She's a walking advert for public financing of elections.

I really fucking hate her and God help my already ruined state if she gets in. She's trying the old "professional politicians" canard, but I doubt it'll work as we've already had another unprofessional pol as governor since 2003 and we can see how well that's turned out.

I also wonder like the above poster how many jobs eBay could possibly generate. I'm sure they have bots that scan the listings for objectionable material and then maybe an actual person looks at it and takes it down, but it is just a glorified flea market. Plus, the sellers are the one who do all the actual content, so I'll bet her business acumen is just being a shark who has her henchmen threatening anyone who tries to get in her way.

[Overseas]

12. K&R to highlight Republican Whitman's true Modern Republican character.

Republican Meg's ads don't seem to mention that she is Republican, so I think we need to always include that fact when we refer to Republican Meg.

[Kirbster]

14. I've noticed this trend lately

Nobody running for office wants to admit his or her party affiliation these days.

But do Meg's ads have demon sheep like Carly's ads?