FLASHREPORT

There are just less than 8 weeks to go before Election Day.  While the Governor has a comfortable lead in his race and is raising money hand over fist, the down-ticket GOP candidates aren't exactly in the same boat.  They could all benefit from a little "love"—money and attention—from the governor.

But who was getting the governor's "love" today?  Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, GOP Senator Chuck Poochigian's opponent in the race for Attorney General.  Brown was invited to attend an event at the Capitol today with Maria Shriver and Henry Renteria, director of the governor's Office of Emergency Services, to mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of the California Conservation Corps. 

Now, I'm sure that the governor's folks will defend the event as "non-political."  But that argument would either be naïve or disingenuous.  Anything that happens 60 days before an election is political.  Any free media the governor garners for a Democratic statewide candidate is a gift to that party and their ticket.  Poochigian and the GOP have a right to be annoyed at this move, particularly since the governor seems to be doing zip for the down-ticket candidates of his own party. 

In July, I'm told that Poochigian attended a Schwarzenegger- Republican Party fundraiser at the Bay Area home of GOP donor Katie Boyd but that the governor did not introduce Poochigian or publicly acknowledge his presence.  Not the biggest deal in the world but, again, a missed opportunity to share a little of the limelight with a fellow statewide GOP candidate.  There is no doubt in my mind the Gov. Pete Wilson would have introduced any other statewide candidates in the room if it were his event.  But Wilson, and his predecessor, Gov. George Deukmejian, understood the importance—and benefits—of party loyalty, especially in the months before a general election.

Poochigian is not the only GOP candidate who is not getting the opportunity to share any "coattail" effect from Schwarzenegger's lead.  This week, Schwarzenegger will be in Jill Buck's district—GOP candidate for the 18th Assembly district—twice but his campaign has not reached out to Buck at all (except for a last-minute call today to fill bleacher seats at a Fremont event.).

It is getting harder by the day to hang with the "anyone but Phil" GOP cheerleaders.  I knew that voting for Schwarzenegger in the recall meant that I'd have to swallow some policy decisions that were not in line with my thinking, but I did not expect this year's legislative session.  Further, I really believed that Schwarzenegger would feel some loyalty to the people who helped him get elected in the first place and helped him learn the ropes in the State Capitol.  Poochigian was very helpful to Schwarzenegger early on, working closely with him on worker's compensation and letting the governor hire away one of Poochigian's brightest staffers, Moira Topp.  But more and more, it just feels like the governor takes the GOP's support for granted.  And more and more, I'm hearing grumblings from VERY loyal GOP voters that they will not be casting a vote in the governor's race this November.