Whitman
SACRAMENTO (Legal Newsline) - In a letter to voters Thursday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and California Attorney General Jerry Brown criticized Republican opponent Meg Whitman for a donation she was apparently poised to give the state's Republican Party.
In a San Francisco Chronicle article Thursday, the newspaper reported Whitman was to give the party up to $40 million to campaign for her election. Brown's campaign said this is on top of the $150 million she already has committed to her campaign.
"This excessive spending is unprecedented in American politics," said Brown campaign manager Stephen Glazer.
The Chronicle obtained a draft of a detailed 44-page state GOP "2010 Victory Plan" that outlines the party's $85.5 million financial blueprint for a campaign effort that includes $30 million directed to the gubernatorial race.
The former eBay CEO is "putting a significant amount of money in... it could be $30 to $40 million," a GOP insider familiar with the plan told the Chronicle. The source said Whitman is also expected to tap her fundraising sources and contacts for the party's benefit.
Glazer said, "It has never been clearer that Meg Whitman is confident she can simply buy her way to the Governor's office.
Glazer continues in the letter to voters, "Jerry is spending every waking moment doing his job as Attorney General and engaging the citizenry on ways to get California working again. Given the massive spending by Whitman, he needs our help if we are going to tell his side of the story."
According to the latest Survey USA poll, Whitman has taken the lead over Brown.
Whitman is ahead of Brown by seven points.
The results of the poll, posted on right-of-center blog HotAir.com Tuesday, show Whitman edging Brown 46 percent to 39 percent.