FLASHREPORT

Meg Whitman's credibility with voters in the Central Valley was destroyed today by yet another revelation about her effort to protect the Delta smelt over the needs of our farmers in the Central Valley. To make matters worse for Whitman's candidacy, she is proudly standing by her past donations to defend the Delta smelt.

This morning, the San Jose Mercury News reported that after contributing $100,000 to the EDF in 2007, Meg Whitman contributed an additional $200,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund's efforts to protect the Delta smelt as recently as a year ago in 2008.

The story highlights that, "She gave $200,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund for a project aimed at rescuing the Delta, but as a candidate she has sided against environmentalists in the debate."

Last week, I blogged about how Whitman's donations seriously call into question her credibility on water issues and her credibility with voters in the Central Valley. Today's revelation makes it clear to me that Meg Whitman's credibility is not only being called into question, but has most likely been destroyed along with her chances to earn any votes from Republicans in the Central Valley.

On the campaign trail, Meg Whitman has talked tough about suspending AB32 and standing up for farmers; but actions speak louder than words and Whitman's actions clearly demonstrate that she is on the side of the Delta smelt - not on the side of the Central Valley's farmers.

As I blogged last week -  It might be worth giving Whitman the benefit of the doubt on this issue if this was an isolated incident, but this isn't an isolated incident - it's a pattern. Meg Whitman publicly endorsed Barbara Boxer in 2004 and contributed to her campaign. Meg Whitman went on a climate change cruise with Jimmy Carter and Van Jones in 2007 where she became a "huge fan" of Van Jones and issued a joint statement calling for "substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions" and "actions at all levels of government" following the climate change cruise.

Meg Whitman is not the candidate for Central Valley voters and she is not the candidate for the California Republican Party. It's clear that Meg Whitman would govern to the left of Arnold Schwarzenegger on environmental issues and the Central Valley can't afford another radical environmentalist in the governor's office.