From the NY Times:

For months now, Jeb Bush  has been listening as President Obama blasts his older brother’s administration for the battered economy, budget deficits and even the lax oversight of oil wells.

“It’s kind of like a kid coming to school saying, ‘The dog ate my homework,’ ” Mr. Bush, this state’s former governor, said over lunch last week at the Biltmore Hotel. “It’s childish. This is what children do until they mature. They don’t accept responsibility.”

In fact, instead of constantly bashing the 43rd president, Mr. Bush offered, perhaps Mr. Obama could learn something from him, especially when it comes to ignoring the Washington chatter. “This would break his heart, to get advice that applies some of the lessons of leadership my brother learned, because he apparently likes to act like he’s still campaigning, and he likes to blame George’s administration for everything,” Mr. Bush said, dangling a ketchup-soaked French fry. “But he really seems like he’s getting caught up in what people are writing about him.”

“I mean, good God, man, read a book!” Mr. Bush said with a laugh. “Go watch ESPN!”

La Opinion: Whitman Appeals To Latinos:  

http://www.impre.com/laopinion/noticias/la-california/2010/6/17/whitman-apela-a-los-latinos-194503-1.html

“The Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman debuted today two Spanish language television commercials that will air during the France-Mexico game this morning and then at various times on Univision, Telemundo and Telefutura.”

5-Minute Introduction Video: Una Nueva California

30 Second Ad: Different Kind of Candidate

30 Second Ad: Jobs

Latino approval for Barack Obama drops again from 69% to 64% to 57%.  Highest drop among Spanish speaking Latinos: 21% drop.

From Gallup:

"Hispanics' approval of President Barack Obama's job performance slipped to 57% in May, after falling from 69% in January to 64% in February. ... After Obama's State of the Union speech in January, several leading Hispanics and Hispanic groups criticized Obama for not devoting more attention to immigration reform in the speech -- and, more specifically, for not fulfilling his campaign promise of making comprehensive immigration reform a top priority. As one Hispanic activist wrote at the time, "For those looking for a strong statement in support of comprehensive immigration reform, the speech was a big disappointment." Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez was also publicly critical of Obama after the speech."

This trend wil continue: Deficits, government waste, high unemployment numbers, foreclosures, and an oil spill have all highlight the difference between the President's rhetoric and leadership.   

Gallup: http://www.gallup.com/poll/139379/Hispanics-Approval-Obama-Drops-2010.aspx

Steve Winn lays out his view that “Americans are afraid” and he’s gets angry in an interview with CNBC.  

From his interview: “Washington is unpredictable these days.” “No one has any idea what’s next…the uncertainty of the business climate in America is frightening, frightening to everybody, and it’s delaying the recovery.”

Here it is: 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/37392344

Is it the lack of leadership or are the environmentalists to blame?  The arguments goes like this: The environmentalists have pushed offshore drilling further and further into deep waters- the current spill is 5,000 feet underwater and can only be reached with robots (mechanically), had drilling occurred in shallow waters, if a leak occurs, access to shut off the spill would be easier to reach and manage.  

There is also a question of not having a contingency plan, what happens if something goes wrong?  Well, more than a month later, 798,000 gallons a day is being spilled into the ocean, potentially making this the worse spill in the nation’s history- worse than the Exxon Valdez in Alaska.  

No preparation, no contingency plan, drilling in deep waters, and with the President on vacation- this is starting to becoming Obama’s Katrina.  

If nothing is done soon, the central image of an oil spill, a leak that is out of control, might be carried into the 2010 election.  

“According to a new USA Today/Gallup Poll, six in 10 think the federal government has done a ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ job of handling the oil spill.”

Ruben Navarrette has an interesting story regarding the frustration by those in the region:

“The state that has been most heavily impacted by this environmental disaster is Louisiana. According to Gov. Bobby Jindal, more than 100 miles of Louisiana coastline are in the spill's path. Jindal is furious at the Army Corps of Engineers, which until Thursday had refused to grant permits to allow the state to build sand barriers that might slow the spread of crude toward the shoreline. Jindal had threatened to sidestep Washington and push ahead with those plans on his own regardless of the consequences. The governor has been bold and tenacious in defense of the people of his state, showing real leadership.

“Contrast that with Obama, who seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach.”

“Meg Whitman leads Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner by 35 points among likely California Republican voters.  The Governor ballot test shows Meg Whitman with a 35 point lead over Steve Poizner, 54% to 19%, with 15% supporting the generic "other" candidate and 12% remain undecided.  Steve Poizner's image unfavorable rating has increased 29 points since our last survey on February 25th.”  Magellan Strategies

Under political pressure for his failure to secure the border and with midterm election campaigns under way, President Obama will send 1,200 National Guard Troops to the border.  

According to the NY Times: From 2006-2008, President George W. Bush deployed 6,000 Guard troops under a program called Operation Jump Start.  

These troops arrested more than 162,000 undocumented immigrants, rescued 100 people stranded in the desert and 305,000 pounds of drugs. 

Team Whitman's senior strategist Mike Murphy and senior adviser Jeff Randle held a press conference with reporters today to discuss the latest SurveyUSA poll (54-27) and a new internal poll of 600 primary Republican voters (53-27), done by campaign pollster John McLaughlin, showing Meg Whitman with a commanding lead over Steve Poizner.  

The campaign acknowledged a tightening when Poizner went after Whitman with a negative ad campaign, with some polls putting the Republicans within 9 points of one another.  

With all the Steve Poizner press releases highlighting polls in the past three weeks, I continue to ask: will Steve Poizner be issuing a press release showing he is now within 27 percentage points from frontrunner, Meg Whitman? 

Murphy and Randle Press Conference:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzUfS0s6atA

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr3OE5qmZec

In a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce said a boycott war is bad for both sides, and said he would "be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements" to end the electricity flowing to Los Angeles. "I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands," Mr. Pierce said. "If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."

Higher electrcity rates? 

The city gets 25% of its electricity from Arizona. 

Arizona is now saying: No Contaban Con Mi Astucia!

The premier Latino volunteer organization in California made its first ever primary endorsement in a Governor’s race:  

"This endorsement is the first the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of California has ever made in a California governor's race," said Richard Loa, Chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of California. "We believe Meg can address two of the principle concerns of the Latino community - jobs and education - and she has a plan to make California's government more efficient and fiscally responsible."

"Meg is the best candidate to win in the general election. She appeals to all Californians and will make certain the Hispanic community has a voice in the Republican Party," Loa added.

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Steve Poizner’s so-called tough talk on immigration is nothing more than contradictory statements and political opportunism at its worst. This type of double-talk to English and Spanish language voters speaks volumes of Poizner’s untrustworthiness and his willingness to do or say anything for votes.

Within 24-hours, Poizner supported the modification of Proposition 187 to make it legal to cut off education and medical care services to undocumented immigrants and the next day he stated to a Spanish language reporter that he supported medical attention to these very same people, because “it’s federal law.”
More on Poizner double-talk later...