Jerry Brown sent out a very bland email yesterday trumpeting his financial success to spam boxes across the state.  Not that it isn’t big news or anything, he’s got a fairly large chunk of cash. Apparently, Google’s spam filter thought the message was just too boring.  The numbers themselves say something quite clearly.

 * 4.9 million raised since July 1, 2009

 * $8.3 million raised for all 2009

 * $12.1 million cash on hand

This says a few things. First, that Brown’s burn rate is remarkably low. He’s spent just over a third of a million dollars in this campaign.  Dude is seriously cheap.  You could say that is a good thing, but as Robert pointed out yesterday, Brown needs to start reaching out to younger voters.  He can traffic on his fame from the 1970s for only so long. At some point he needs to spend a bit of cash to, you know, let the state know that he’s running for something.

These would be very impressive numbers, in any other year. However, given that whichever Republican wins what is looking like a bloody primary will still have plenty of cash.  In the likely event of a Whitman victory, she has said that she intends on spending $150 million of her own money to buy the race.  Ordinarily, Brown’s numbers would be a pretty solid pace.

But this year isn’t your ordinary year, and Whitman isn’t your ordinary Republican.  But, don’t worry, Jerry Brown will run an aggressive campaign…for whatever office he’s running for.

“Jerry Brown has a broad network of supporters all across the state of California,” said Brown Campaign Manager Steve Glazer. “We expect to have the resources to mount an aggressive campaign in 2010.”

Field Poll released its polling data on the governor’s race (PDF), and it is about what you would expect. Whitman leading Poizner, Brown leading both.  But the numbers themselves are worthy of note. First, with Campbell out of the race, Poizner’s made it out of the single digits!

Of course, he’s only made it out of single digits with the help of Tom Campbell’s exit. And Campbell’s support seems to have pretty evenly split between Whitman and Poizner. With or without Campbell in the race, Poizner has a long way to go to catch Whitman.

And that’s made tougher by the fact that Whitman just dropped another $20 million in the race, likely breaking the all-time record for self-funding. This brings her total to $39 million, but is only the beginning. She has said in the past that she could imagine spending $150 million in the race, much of that coming from her own bank account.

And while it has pretty much buried Poizner’s petty self-spending, there’s a long way to go to run Jerry Brown under.  Brown holds sizable leads over both Whitman (10%) and Poizner (17%).

However, both these figures are down markedly from the last poll in October, when Brown held a 21% lead over Whitman. Of course, this should be expected as Whitman is running media up and down the state, and you know, campaigning.

If you want to see something that should send a shiver up and down any progressive’s spine, watch this Whitman campaign video. It’s not remarkable so much for the content, I mean, campaigns frequently try to appeal to women. Rather, it is the overwhelming campaign organization that they tangentially discuss. They have paid field staff up and down the state. They have several communications staff. In short, they have an enviable campaign operation that is prepared to wage a campaign for the the 21st century.

This is what you can do when you know you have pretty much unlimited resources.  Jerry Brown is doing fine on the fundraising front. He’s raised a lot of cash, and his burn rate is stunningly low. Yet, when you are going against a candidate with no real spending restraints, how much money is enough? And when does the campaign begin?

Steve Poizner appeared on the John and Ken show (you know, the heads on a  pike guys). He was there to show that he was one with the Tea Party people, and was going to slash and burn through the state government.  He spent a lot of time on how he’s slashed the Department of Insurance. He, it’s easy if you just let the insurance companies watch themselves right? Who needs regulators?

Anyway, he was then asked for contrasts between himself and the Meg Whitman.  Here’s a transcript of a portion of his response.

STEVE POIZNER: Well you figure her out, because on one hand she tries to come across tough on the environment because she knows she’s on the spot now in the Republican primary, on the other hand, in 2007 and 2008 she gave $300,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund. Now Google the Environmental Defense Fund, they’re suing farmers over the Delta Smelt? You ask her, how can she do that? How can she actually endorse and campaign for Barbara Boxer in 2006? Now, how come she didn’t vote most of her life?

Emphasis mine.  Go back and read that again. Poizner is saying that Whitman is “playing” tough on the environment, while he, in fact, really is “tough on the environment.”  What does that mean? Has there been anything more terrifying come out of a candidates lips with respect to the environment than this?  

Does this mean that Poizner himself will go around kicking down trees and digging holes in the search for oil in state parks? Or will he just allow corporations free reign of the state?

Whatever the meaning, it opens a window into what it would mean to elect either of these candidates. We are not only talking about suspension of AB 32, we’re talking about candidates that are looking for ways that they can crawl over themselves to sell out the environment. It’s not just insulting to environmentalists, it’s downright scary.

Just as Tom Campbell announced he was dropping out of the California governor’s race to run for the United States Senate, one of the two remaining Republican candidates in the race ramped up his attack on California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32).

Steve Poizner-not to be outdone by fellow candidate Meg Whitman’s announcement in fall 2009 that she would suspend AB 32 on her first day in office as governor-put out a press release this week announcing his support for the so-called “jobs” initiative” (actually an outright attack on AB 32) that will appear on the California ballot in November 2010 if anti-environmental forces can gather enough signatures for it to qualify.

Poizner’s and Whitman’s attacks on California’s landmark global warming law have earned them unflattering nicknames from Calbuzz: “Smokestack Steve” and “Monoxide Meg.”

It is increasingly clear that Californians who care about our state’s natural beauty and the health of our communities must mobilize to “Build a Greener Governor” (http://www.greengov2010.org/) before the candidates, including the undeclared Democratic candidate Jerry Brown, take this race to the bottom on the environment any further.

This anti-AB 32 initiative is just the latest chapter in a sustained and coordinated effort to roll back the progress the Golden State has made against global warming and greenhouse gas emissions that threaten our health, our economy and our planet.  

As readers of Calitics probably know, a version of the initiative, AB 118 (Logue) was just rejected on Monday by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

As Ann Notthoff, California advocacy director of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), described in a piece that appeared this week in the California Progress Report:

“[T]he Assembly Natural Resources Committee rejected AB 118, legislation that would have overturned California’s landmark global warming law that has enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Not only would AB 118 have jeopardized public health and the environment, it would have imposed economic harm at a time when California is already struggling to regain our financial footing…”

“This bill, gutted and amended just this week, was part of a statewide campaign to stymie California’s economic recovery and deny workers the opportunity to benefit from the emerging new energy economy. [Assemblyman Dan] Logue, along with Rep. Tom McClintock and the association founded by Paul Gann, have filed an initiative nearly identical to AB 118 with the California Attorney General’s office with the intention of circulating it for signatures to qualify for the November 2010 general election…”

“Suspension of AB 32, the State’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, would cause economic distress and create an uncertain business environment for thousands of California employers who have played by the rules by investing in clean technology, setting up training programs, retooling equipment and taking other actions to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and stimulate the economy.”

Foes of AB 32 will continue to strategize a way to kill it – whether it’s by a governor’s executive order, legislation or a ballot initiative. CLCV and environmental partners are fending off these attacks by joining with our allies in labor, public health, consumer protection, and sustainable/progressive business communities to move our state in the right direction, by building a greener governor, a greener legislature, and a greener California. One easy step each of us can take is visit http://www.greengov2010.org/, sign up as an environmental champion and start adding our voices to the debate.

Note: I work for the Courage Campaign

California’s Sarah Palin (aka Meg Whitman) has taken notice of the Courage Campaign radio ad launched today on radio stations across the state educating the public about Whitman’s position on global warming. She just sent this email out to her list:

Dear Supporter,

A group of liberal activists headed by Howard Dean’s former California campaign chair today launched a negative radio ad attacking Meg Whitman for her common-sense, pro-jobs environmental policies.

Fight back with Meg. She has led the call to put a one-year moratorium on California’s AB 32, which has been estimated to negatively affect one million jobs in California. California cannot afford to hastily implement new environmental regulations that could further delay our economic recovery.

Coincidentally, the attack ad debuted on the same day that a new poll was released showing that Meg is beating the likely Democratic nominee Jerry Brown among independent voters.

National Democrats have already named Meg a top target and now the liberal “Courage Campaign” is taking up the call.

See their attack here.

Can we count on you to help beat these special interest groups and restore California? If you can contribute $15, $25 or $50, please link here to help fight back.

It’s not surprising that Democrats and their special interest groups are already working hard to try to defeat Meg in the Republican primary. They want their chosen candidate, likely Jerry Brown, to face a different, weaker Republican candidate next November. We are not going to let that happen.

Thank you,

Jillian Hasner

Campaign Manager, Meg Whitman 2010

Some quick points. First, it was indeed entirely coincidental that our ad launched the day the PPIC poll came out. We’d been planning this ad for about a week now, but had no clue that PPIC was even doing a poll, certainly not that they were going to release it today. Not that it would have made any difference.

Contrary to Jillian Hasner’s claims, the Courage Campaign does not endorse candidates for elected office. Jerry Brown is not our “chosen candidate” – we don’t have one, period.

The Courage Campaign’s goal is simply to make the public aware of Whitman’s views on global warming legislation. Specifically, that she believes AB 32 should be suspended.

Looks like we’ve succeeded in that quest. If you want to help get that message aired more broadly on radio stations in California, click here to listen to the ad and donate to expand the buy.

In a new PPIC poll, Attorney General Jerry Brown narrowly leads Meg Whitman for the governor’s race.

Whitman dominates with 32 percent support among Republican voters, leading former South Bay Rep. Tom Campbell by 20 points and state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner by 24 points, according to the Public Policy Institute of California’s first survey on the 2010 governor’s race.

*** *** ***

Brown, a former mayor of Oakland, leads Whitman, who has never run for public office, by just six points, 43 to 37 percent. He holds more robust leads over Campbell, the former state finance director and dean of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, 46 to 34 percent, and wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur Poizner, 47 to 31 percent.(SF Chronicle)

The numbers are solidifying a bit, as the Republicans get to know their three candidates. The right-wing grassroots activists still aren’t all that excited with their candidates, but a consensus seems to be settling around Meg Whitman.

As for Jerry Brown, I still feel that despite Brown’s protestations, he should have announced his candidacy by now. I understand his desire to just do his job, but in the here and now of campaigning for such a high profile position, a robust campaign operation is nearly mandatory. I have faith that Brown can build a team to win as he starts spending money in the new year, but I would prefer to see a lot more groundwork being laid now. This race is a bit too close for comfort.

UPDATE by Robert: The crosstabs are even more damning about Brown’s weak standing with what should be his base. His favorability among Democrats is 52% favorable, 19% unfavorable, with 29% undecided. That’s actually pretty low for such a high-profile Dem. Among independents it’s much worse: 34-39, with 23% undecided.

Brown also has potentially big problems with younger voters. Voters under age 35 – who, ironically enough, were either born in the year Brown was first elected governor, 1974, or later – have a whopping 69% “no opinion” of the once and future governor.

This all proves the point I’ve been making often this fall, which is that unless Brown can excite progressives and younger voters, he is going to have an extremely difficult time winning this election. The canoe theory appears to have sprung a leak.

Earlier this week I announced that Courage Campaign was going to produce an ad showing how Meg Whitman is California’s Sarah Palin when it comes to global warming legislation. Palin and Whitman both oppose laws that mandate reduction of carbon emissions. Whitman has even said that she will order an indefinite suspension of AB 32 as her very first act as governor.

The Courage Campaign thought Californians should know about that. And our members agreed, putting up the money to get this ad produced and now aired on stations in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and the Silicon Valley.

You can hear the ad by clicking this link. And you can donate to help support and expand the ad buy at the same link. Just a few dollars – $25, $50, $100, whatever you can give – will help spread the word.

We’ve already been getting some earned media attention on this ad. Last night Candy Crowley mentioned it on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° show. And on Tuesday, Carla Marinucci covered it at the SF Chronicle blog.

We’d love it if you could help us expand the buy. Meg Whitman is blanketing the state with her ads. The Courage Campaign doesn’t have those kind of resources, but with your help we can get this ad on more radio stations and hold Whitman accountable.

Over the flip is the transcript of the ad.

Note: I’m the Public Policy Director for the Courage Campaign

There is something rotten in Denmark.

At the climate change conference in Copenhagen, world leaders — including President Obama and Governor Schwarzenegger — are working on real solutions to global warming.

But Meg Whitman, who wants to be Governor of California, is standing with Sarah Palin and a group of extreme right-wingers in attacking solutions to the climate crisis.

Whitman wants to reverse California’s groundbreaking effort to address global warming — stopping a measure Governor Schwarzenegger went to Copenhagen to defend.

Why do out-of-touch ideologues like Sarah Palin and Meg Whitman oppose common-sense solutions to stop global warming?

Talk about “going rogue.”

Go to CourageCampaign.org to learn why Meg Whitman is California’s Sarah Palin.

We don’t need another extremist “going rogue” on Californians.