1) Westly up by 1 point in newest and final major poll. Last Saturday, the Field Poll released their polling for the democratic gubernatorial primary – the last major poll before the election. The numbers are are 35% Westly, 34% Angelides, and 26% undecided. We are confident with our position going into the last few days. We always knew it would be a close race, but believe Steve Westly’s positive vision for California will win on Tuesday. Here’s some key data straight from the poll findings: “In Westly’s case, more voters (30%) hold a favorable view than an unfavorable view (24%). However, the reverse is true of Angelides, with those holding a negative impression outnumbering those with a positive assessment 34% to 27%."
2) Westly endorsed by Palm Springs Desert Sun and seven African American newspapers. Last Saturday, the Palm Springs Desert Sun released an editorial endorsing Steve Westly for Governor, highlighting his pragmatic approach, his independence, and his ability to work across party lines to solve problems in state government. Steve Westly also recently announced the endorsements of prominent African American newspapers including the San Francisco Bay View, Los Angeles ACC News, Los Angeles Sentinel, Fresno California Advocate, Riverside Black Voice, Pomona Inland Valley News and Pasadena Journal. Westly has been endorsed by many of the state’s leading newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Daily News, Riverside Press-Enterprise, Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Daily News, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Modesto Bee, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Merced Sun-Star, Bakersfield Californian, and Metro Silicon Valley.
3) New Angelides’ “Twins” ad shamelessly distorts the truth. Angelides’ new ad features Steve Westly in pictures with Arnold Schwarzenegger and implies that Steve Westly supported Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cuts to education, healthcare, and aid for the disabled. The implication is a flat out lie. Steve Westly never supported the Governor’s cuts, and Phil Angelides knows it. The pictures come from when Steve Westly and the democratic leadership were working to solve the state’s fiscal crisis shortly after Arnold Schwarzenegger came into office. Steve Westly, along with Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, the AFL-CIO, a majority of democratic legislators, a majority of Californians, and almost every major newspaper in the state supported Propositions 57 and 58 back in 2004. Steve Westly, like most Californians and the Democratic Party leadership, was willing to give Schwarzenegger a chance. Since then, the Governor has cut education funding, prevented 100,000 poor kids from getting health insurance, and pursued a partisan special election attacking nurses, teachers, and firefighters. Steve Westly fought against the Governor’s right wing agenda as hard as anybody. California needs a governor who cares more about solving problems and less about partisanship.
4) Angelides’ “Joseph Cari” ad is misleading and hypocritical. A new Angelides attack ad accuses Steve Westly of raising campaign cash from “a corrupt Chicago businessman” (Joseph Cari) who wanted one of the state’s pension funds to invest in Healthpoint. The ad slams Westly's reputation for honesty and efficiency. Here are the facts: When Westly accepted a $4,000 contribution from Cari, he was a well-known Democratic fundraiser and former finance chair of the Democratic National Committee. The next year Cari pleaded guilty to extortion and Westly gave the money back. The pension fund ended up investing $5 million in Healthpoint, but Westly and the pension fund board never voted on it. Westly applied no pressure to invest in Healthpoint. Westly treated Cari's company no differently from any other investment opportunity and the pension fund's staff made the final decision to invest. Ironically, Angelides himself admits to soliciting funds from Cari on multiple occasions. It’s Phil Angelides, not Steve Westly, who has raised over 47% of his campaign funds from big Sacramento developers. His misleading attacks can’t change that. Read an LA Times article about Angelides’ misleading attack, “Angelides Attack Ad Points Back at Him,” here.
5) Angelides skirts campaign contribution limits. In June 3’s edition of the LA Times reports that Angelides “is using a loophole in the law to tout himself in statewide mailings that promote a preschool initiative on Tuesday’s ballot.” As the LA Times points out, Mr. Angelides’ new strategy is on shaky legal and ethical ground. Steve Westly also supports the universal preschool initiative, but unlike the Treasurer, Controller Westly respects the intent of campaign finance laws. Read the full article from the Times here.
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