Steve Pougnet, who is challenging Mary Bono Mack in CA-45 is one of thirteen candidates that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified as likely to flip a seat from the red to the blue column.
 
While the DCCC typically identifies other such candidates, as the cycle progresses, the first named Red to Blue candidates are considered the strongest.  Per Roll Call, quoting the DCCC, the criteria for inclusion in the Red to Blue program is that: "the candidates selected for the program this cycle must surpass “demanding fundraising goals” and demonstrate their political abilities before making the list. But now that these Democrats are in the program, the committee offers them financial, communication, grass-roots and strategic support."

The independent expenditure group, Level the Playing Field 2010, today challenged GOP gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner, to hold press conferences at the GOP convention. Here's the statement spokesperson Sean Clegg issued this morning.
 
“Yesterday, at her own ’press conference‘ CEO Meg Whitman unceremoniously ejected reporters when they began to ask her questions about Level The Playing Field's recently launched Wikimeg.com website.  Not only did CEO Whitman banish the fourth estate out of an ‘open press‘ event that she herself invited the press to attend -- Whitman put up a literal wall separating herself from ‘the people‘ while falsely blaming the host of the event.

A March 4 letter from legislative analyst Mac Taylor to California State Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) attempts to cast doubt on the economic benefits of the state's landmark global warming bill, AB 32. According to Jasmin Ansar, a climate economist with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Taylor fails to cite any research to support his claims that the state's economy would suffer under AB 32.
 
The public release of Taylor's letter coincides with a statewide effort to gather signatures for a ballot initiative asking voters to nullify AB 32 unless state unemployment drops to 5.5 percent. Two Texas-based oil companies, Valero and Tesoro, are funding that effort. Current unemployment in Californiaexceeds 12 percent.

Dr. Ami Bera, trying to unseat conservative Congressman Dan Lungren, received a huge boost this morning when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included him in their "Red to Blue" program http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003325291. The initiative targets vulnerable Republican seats across the U.S.

Under attack from credible economists, Sanjay Varshney, dean of Sac State's College of Business Administration, again is running away from his study attacking AB 32. And the co-author of the study now say they support "the spirit of AB 32."

That's according to an article in Sac State's newspaper, the Daily Hornet http://www.statehornet.com/news/varshney-study-discredited-1.1261951, which included major criticisms of the study from more credible economists, including those from Stanford, UCLA, and the founder of the internationally known firm Beacon economics.

This is starting to look like Schwarzenegger 1.0, dodging the media and speaking only to friendly crowds. Didn't work so well for him either.

Here's what Nick Velasquez of the California Media Project had to say in a reporters memo:

"In case you missed it, today Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman once again dodged reporters who had the nerve to ask her questions at a campaign photo op.

“Press shy GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman found herself challenged by reporters today after she announced an "open press" stop in Oakland, then refused to take questions the press -- which was also barred from covering her tour of the port's Union Pacific facility.” – Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/9/10

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) blasted Governor Schwarzenegger this afternoon for his veto of $2.1 billion in budget solutions.
 
“It’s baffling the Governor would veto $2.1 billion in real budget solutions which were part of his own proposed package.  Of the $2.1 billion, approximately $1.8 billion were identical to the Governor’s proposal.He keeps saying he wants cuts, but when we give him $2.1 billion in cuts, he won’t take it.”  

California Watch, a project of the Center for Investigative Reporting, reported today that two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro, have spent more than $160,000 trying to influence California lawmakers this year with campaign contributions. The full article can be found here: http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/texas-oil-refiners-deep-heart-california-politics.

The figures include significant contributions to Assemblymember Dan Logue (R-Linda), sponsor of anti-clean air legislation, and Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton. Oil and gas industries are the major bankrollers of their campaigns, along with cement companies and other major polluters. Also contributing bucks is the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, the main funders of the fraudulent "AB 32 Implementation Group" (whose goal it is to suspend it).

A coalition of environmental and clean energy advocates protested outside a Sacramento Valero gas station today to attack the Texas-based company for bankrolling an initiative that would weaken California's clean air laws.  

Valero is funding a proposed initiative for the November ballot that would effectively kill the state's landmark anti-pollution law, AB 32. The environmental and clean energy leaders say that the oil company, which has a refinery in Benecia, is behind the initiative, which will also destroy the state's fast-growing green economy -- more than 3,000 businesses and $5 billion in investments in a clean energy future for the state.