FLASHREPORT

Now Poizner has set his sights on the race for state Insurance Commissioner, meriting a closer look at this enigmatic, ersatz politician.

Just days before Poizner's Assembly loss, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association sent a letter to their members in that district which stated, "This is to advise you that...there is no qualified candidate running in the 21st Assembly District. We strongly urge you to withhold your vote from Mr. Steven Poizner."

It was Poizner's support for lowering the two-thirds vote requirement for passing parcel taxes dedicated to education that gained him the wrath of the HJTA. Poizner has a startling history, as a Republican, of contributing to Democratic presidential candidates. A review of the Federal Elections Commission website shows that Poizner gave $1,000 to Al Gore, $2,000 to John Kerry, $10,000 to the Democrat National Committee, and an eye-popping $10,000 contribution to the Gore Recount Committee.

I met with Poizner over lunch. He explained away these donations to Gore and Kerry as being supportive of his wife and her causes. Poizner offered that he is a fan of President Bush, pointing out his time as a Fellow in the Bush White House.

Poizner sports an impressive business resume, with his successes leaving him worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He has been a philanthropist for many causes, especially in the education arena. He calls himself a "fiscal conservative with libertarian positions on social issues." This does not, however, explain his support of reducing Proposition 13's two-thirds vote protections. He told me that he had supported the open primary measure when it was on the ballot, but now says he opposes that idea, and supports fair redistricting instead.

A recent example of another wealthy Republican candidate who supported a Democrat for president was Cristi Cristich, who ran against Chuck DeVore in Orange County's 70th Assembly District primary. Despite her impressive story as an entrepreneur and an array of prominent GOP supporters, the voters handed a 20-point victory to the significantly less-funded DeVore, after it was revealed that Cristich had been a prominent member of Republicans for Clinton back in the mid-90's.

Poizner is currently facing two challengers for the GOP nomination - attorney Gary Mendoza and surgeon Phil Kurzner. It remains to be seen whether either of these two will be able to assemble the resources to challenge Poizner who, besides giving his own campaign a boatload of cash ($1.7 million!), has raised more money than both of his opponents combined.

Poizner is running hard for this seat and has hired veteran GOP consultants Wayne Johnson and Tim Clark. Joining them in a volunteer capacity is retired Senator Jim Brulte, playing an active role as campaign chairman. Poizner has signed up six GOP state senators and nine GOP members of the Assembly, including leaders Ackerman and McCarthy as well as former State GOP Chairmen John McGraw and Mike Schroeder.

If Poizner can win a closed GOP primary, he will be formidable next November. However, to do so, he'll have to win over high propensity GOP Primary voters who will find Poizner's support of Kerry and Gore unconscionable. Those same voters will see his willingness to erode Proposition 13 and past support of open primaries as a direct assault on core party principles.