U.S. Edition
(CNN) – The two Republican candidates for governor in California have coffers full of cash to battle for their party's nomination, and much of it has come from their own pockets.
Meg Whitman has contributed almost $40 million to her campaign so far. The former CEO of eBay announced Thursday that she has supplied her campaign with $20 million in new funding. In 2009, Whitman gave her campaign $19 million and raised $10.2 million from donors. She now has more than $30 million cash on hand to try to secure her party's nomination.
Whitman's infusion of money into her campaign's bank account bolsters her cash lead over her Republican rival, California's Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.
Poizner has $17.5 million cash on hand, most of which came from his own contributions – he has given his campaign more than $19 million since announcing his candidacy. The insurance commissioner has raised almost $2.5 million from outside contributions.
Both are good candidates, but I like Whitman.
...anyone is better than Arnold.
Who says money can't buy everything?
Pathetic. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln could not have afforded to run for office these days.
One of them will make it back, when they gain office. How? Lobbyists!
Wish I could afford to run for office. Oh, wait, I can't. Government of the rich, for the rich and by the rich. Welcome to the United States of Amerika, Inc. Have a nice day!
WHAT I DONT UNDERSTAND IS WHY THESE FOLKS SPEND ALL THIS MONEY ON HIGH OFFICE BASICALLY PAYING FOR THE OFFICE. THESE ARE USUALLY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SAY THEY DONT WANT UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE AND WOULD GIVE A BEGGAR A DIME. I JUST SEE SELFISH, SELFSERVING SOB'S AND ITS A NO WONDER WHY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A LOW OPINION OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
Its the liberal California style politics that will bankrupt the country like they are doing California now.
I`m sure they are smart enough to do the job----- however, I believe they will end up DOING me.
WOW – those RICH RepubliCAN'Ts!!!!!! They have MONEY to spare while the economy is "down the drain"!!!
Ah, the rich get elected just because they'e rich. I have a lot of respect for Meg Whitman professionally – but this billionaire is NOT what California needs. People who understand the needs of the working classes are who should be in office.
Well, with the Supreme Court's ruling today that the Big Corporations can give anything they want to diss the Pres. and Democrats in the coming elections, you think maybe the filthy , lying ads that Americans despise will be more directed at the Democrats and Obama???
It is going to get real nasty! Worst than ever, ever before with this new ruling! Actually, the Supreme court just gave The Repubs and the Fat Cats and Huge Big Business to run our country!!!!
They gave them permission to destroy our country in the name of BIG CORPORATE INTERESTS.
What does John McCain have to say about this? I would think that it makes him very happy, and he was the one who was going to change all those policies in Washington! Now, personally the money supporting lobbiest and Big Corporations will come in the Millions to slander our Dems and Pres. The T.V ads will be horrible. And watch for the slander and lies!!!
elections have degenerated into auctions in the USA. Bury democracy in Arlington Cemetery.
Let's hear what Arnold Schwartznegger has to say about this.
Get him on. I think he is a fair person. WISH HE WOULD CHANGE SIDES!!! Arnold could do a lot of good for the less fortunate if he wanted to stand for the Middle Class and Less Fortunate~~~
Why doesn't she just auction herself up on eBay? In fact, all of the candidates should do that. One simple listing and then let people bid on it. Whoever is the highest, wins and the candidate then has to give that money to the people.
How nice, but the media rumor mill says she won't talk to Newspapers? Why? Is it because you are expected to be held accountable for full disclosure? I think someone with your background would be great, but please don't make the mistake many have by thinking you can run a government like the private sector. You cannot have closed door meetings and sticking to the agenda is just that. The agenda. Quick, someone give her a copy of the Brown Act.
Hey ebay lady – please reimburse me for the lamp I bought on your site that was never sent and that your people never helped to retrieved my money. I will not vote for you!!!!
People who think that government can be run just like a business seem to disregard the fact that business is authoritarian, top down, while a democratic government is shared authority, including the executive, the legislative, the voters, lobbyists, and everybody else holding a stake. Whitman, Poizner, Carly, Huffington (remember him?), Schwartzenegger, and a lot of business people with CE"O mindsets get screwed up on this.
The Republican candidates are BILKING their own bank accounts just to win the primaries!!!! THey haven't even started the general campaign trail and are spending HUGE amounts!
This is NOT smart spending and this should be a CLEAR wake-up call to the voters of California.
This is scary.
Maybe they should loan it to the State of CA first. Seems like they need it!
What a bad joke. I would laugh but it is so tragic. The good people of California deserve better.
Whitman is trying to buy political power. Califoria does not need her or her money.
Time to send the democrat hippies home.
There is way too much irony in all of this. While I don't believe in giving money to candidates in their "job search" (no one pays me to looks for work!). It's ironic that this woman who keeps running ads here on her fiscal responsibility saying we need to live within our budget. Obvioulsy she doesn't practice what she preaches or she would see that if her candidacy is clicking, she would have money coming in. This sounds like a business person that throws good money after bad when the writing says they cannot succeed. Better luck next time Meg.