Parsing Meg, SEIU Backs Pot Prop

22 September 2010 |permalink | email article

Despite her record breaking expenditures the former eBay CEO remains unable to knock out Jerry Brown in the final six weeks of the gubernatorial campaign. I think her former mentor may have a point.

Pierre Omidyar, who created eBay and hired Whitman as his company’s chief executive, said and he would find it “difficult” to vote for her as governor if he still lived in California. While praising her leadership skills he said her stance on gay marriage and her alignment with former Gov. Pete Wilson, her co-chairman who was a vocal supporter of taking away taxpayer-funded benefits from illegal immigrants were impediments.

The billionaire philanthropist who is based in Hawaii and wrote the computer code for what became eBay, lavished praise for her decade-long tenure but told Bloomberg News in an interview airing today that they have differences on some political issues. But he pledged to “absolutely” work with the neophyte Whitman if she is elected.

In a sometimes contentious interview Tuesday with the Mercury News editorial board Whitman said she would govern from the “right of center” to advance her business-friendly agenda and repair the state’s sinking financial position. She blamed some of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s problems for trying to govern from the middle of the road which sent mixed signals.

Had she been governor in 2006, she would have signed AB 32, the state’s landmark global-warning bill – but added if presented to her today, she would veto it. Last spring she called the bill a “job killer.” I remain puzzled why she’s still hedging on big oil’s effort to overturn AB 32. She can’t have it both ways.

Proposition 19

The campaign to legalize marijuana is overwhelmingly opposed by virtually every statewide candidate and law enforcement but has received a strong enforcement from the Service Employees International Union, the largest labor union in California. SEIU, with 700,000 members, is a significant political force in the state and is focused in using its resources to elect Jerry Brown. The union’s position is that backing the initiative could help raise revenue to avoid cuts to healthcare, home care, education and services for children, families, he elderly and people with disabilities. SEIU’s expectation is other major unions will become involved in the legalization effort.

Laugh Line

“Man, she’s like an east coast Sarah Palin. Or a less slutty Rachel Ray. Or like a non-masturbating version of former Delaware Senator Joe Biden.” – Jon Stewart, talking about Christine O’Donnell last night and being reminded of other famous people.

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