Schwarzenegger jumps out early on way to $75 million fund-raising goal -- Today, for example, the Schwarzenegger campaign reported about $650,000 in contributions, coming on top of the $300,000 or so they reported Tuesday. The money comes from the usual suspects, including $89,200 from Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers and his wife, Constance (that's the maximum $22,300 contribution for both the primary and the general elections, times two), $44,600 from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, $22,300 from George Joseph, CEO of Mercury General Insurance and $20,000 from action film guru Jerry Bruckheimer Films. The governor also collected $44,600 from Guru Denim, which does business as True Religion Brand Jeans. John Wildermuth Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/8/06

Arnold TV Ad Campaign Begins -- A campaign source confirms that Schwarzenegger will begin airing TV ads on Friday. It is a one-week buy, I'm told for approximately 3 million dollars, although the amount is not from the campaign. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 6/8/06

Schwarzenegger may endorse some Democrats -- Schwarzenegger, at his campaign stop in Antioch and in events Wednesday in Redding and Chico, praised the bipartisan spirit that he said catapulted a $37 billion infrastructure bond package for transportation, flood protection, education and housing. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Day two of the Schwarzenegger re-election campaign -- The questions were not particularly tough, but they were not all softballs, either. One person asked the governor to defend his decision to send the National Guard to the border. Another wondered why languages other than English appear on official state documents, One woman asked why more of the lottery money does not find its way to the schools. Dan Weintraub SacBee Weblog -- 6/8/06

Ticket to November -- Dai Sugano, Pauline Lubens and Edwin Garcia, have produced an insider look at the final days of the Phil Angelides' and Steve Westly's primary campaigns...with a hint of what's to come from Arnold. Take a peek at Ticket to November, one in our ongoing series of audio slideshows from the campaign. Kate Folmar Mercury News On Politics weblog-- 6/8/06

Governor's Race Hits the Road -- From Eureka to San Diego, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his newly minted Democratic challenger Phil Angelides churned across California and clashed over tax increases Wednesday as they opened their five-month battle over the state's top office. A day after defeating rival Steve Westly in a ferocious Democratic primary, Angelides turned his focus to the Republican governor, portraying him as an untrustworthy champion of President Bush's conservative agenda. Michael Finnegan and Peter Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times Steve Geissinger and Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune Steven Harmon, Kate Folmar and Edwin Garcia in the San Jose Mercury SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON and BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register JENNIFER STEINHAUER in the New York Times -- 6/8/06

Angelides Goes From the Victor to the Underdog -- As the new Democratic nominee for governor, state Treasurer Phil Angelides enters the fall campaign a decided underdog against Arnold Schwarzenegger, facing the weight of history and an audience already soured on him. It has been more than 60 years since a California governor has been denied a second term in office, and the last few months suggest one of the reasons why. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Angelides needs Schwarzenegger mistake to create opening -- Could Phil Angelides, the newly anointed Democratic candidate for governor, defeat Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger? Sure, it's a possibility. But will Angelides oust Schwarzenegger? With five months of campaigning ahead, it doesn't seem likely. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Angelides opens campaign after joining Westly in a unity pledge -- Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took to the skies and roads Wednesday, kicking off what's expected to be a pricey general election contest and a raucous debate over who can best protect California's future. Carla Marinucci, Tom Chorneau in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

Analysis: He got by with a little help from his friends -- Here's who was on Phil Angelides' political thank-you list the Wednesday after winning the Democratic nomination for governor: organized labor, his daughters, U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and Sacramento developer Angelo K. Tsakopoulos -- not necessarily in that order. Amy Chance in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Labor carries Angelides to victory, setting up special-election rematch -- With Phil Angelides' narrow victory over centrist Democrat Steve Westly, the stage is set for a rematch of last year's special election between organized labor and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 6/8/06

Westly: trouble defining `different' -- Steve Westly campaigned as a different kind of governor, one who could build bipartisan support. But in the end, California Democrats didn't go with different. The former eBay executive turned state controller portrayed himself in television ads as a Silicon Valley innovator. Yet he found himself at the losing end of an election, several elections experts said Wednesday, because he never fully made the case to voters exactly how he would be different. Mary Anne Ostrom in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/8/06

Candidates may go own way in statewide races -- Just hours after winning the close Democratic primary for lieutenant governor early Wednesday morning, Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi joined Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides on a victory plane tour of California. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, also say they plan to campaign jointly. But it still remains to be seen just how closely statewide candidates from each party will work together in the months leading up to the general election. Clea Benson in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Dirty Dealings at a Tahoe Marina -- To fully appreciate Phil Angelides' triumph over Steve Westly, it helps to recall "The Godfather: Part II." Near the movie's end, Don Michael Corleone orders a hit on his brother Fredo at Lake Tahoe. The exact spot — the very same little marina — was used by Westly in an attempt to whack Angelides. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Gauging The New Arnold Campaign Style -- How “unplugged” is “Arnold unplugged?” (The term refers to the old “MTV Unplugged” show in which a rock star performs acoustically, without the highly produced accompaniment of electric guitars and other electronics.) After day one of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new-style political campaign tour, absent his usual invitation-only town halls and superstar-behind-a-rope-line approach, the answer appears to be: Fairly unplugged. But still largely celebrity-oriented. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 6/8/06

Democratic network delivers -- The turning point in the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides came when someone else decided to put his best arguments to use for him in television commercials — stuff that, mysteriously, the candidate had avoided exploiting on his own. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 6/8/06

Fall campaign is shaping up as a clash of ideas -- Phil Angelides, the Democratic candidate for governor, is going to have to run a much better campaign in the fall than he did in the primary if he hopes to send Arnold Schwarzenegger back to Hollywood. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

For Schwarzenegger, much to cheer in Democrats' primary -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger never mentioned his new opponent's name as he pleasantly labeled him a tax-and-spend Democrat on the first day of the fall campaign. DON THOMPSON AP -- 6/8/06

Free-spending special interests exert big influence -- The biggest players in Tuesday's election weren't the Democratic or Republican parties or even the candidates themselves -- but rather some special-interest groups working under the cover of mercenary-like independent expenditure committees. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

Prop. 81, 82 Defeats Make Fall Bonds a Tough Sell -- Voters turned frugal on election day, turning down several state and local bonds and taxes — and raising questions about prospects for $47 billion in state bonds proposed for the November ballot. Seema Mehta and Dan Morain in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Preschool supporters aren't giving up on their quest -- Preschool advocates plan to continue fighting to increase quality and expand access to preschool, they said Wednesday, despite the resounding defeat of Proposition 82. In 13 counties, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Los Angeles, advocates already are implementing publicly funded preschool, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed $100 million in next year's budget to increase preschool opportunities for 4-year-olds from low-income families. Janine DeFao in the San Francisco Chronicle Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Bond failure forces cities to drop plans or seek other funds -- Voters' rejection of a $600 million library bond measure means several Bay Area cities now must fund construction and renovation of local libraries on their own. Leslie Fulbright in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

Insurers Assailed for Poll Conduct -- It may be payback time this summer for Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi. And Wednesday he came out swinging at the state's insurance industry after emerging victorious from this week's Democratic primary election for lieutenant governor. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Villaraigosa Allies Do Well in Races, but His Clout Doesn't Help Prop. 82 -- This week's elections produced good news for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, but also underscored the limits of the popular Democrat's political reach. Duke Helfand in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Vanquished senators consider next chapters -- Bay Area's Speier, Figueroa cannot overcome Garamendi's clout in lieutenant governor primary. Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/8/06

Dellums Ahead in Oakland Campaign -- Former Rep. Ron Dellums clung to the prospect of an outright win in the Oakland mayor's race Wednesday, but thousands of outstanding ballots could force him into a runoff with longtime City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. Lee Romney and Steve Chawkins in the Los Angeles Times Herbert A. Sample in the Sacramento Bee Heather MacDonald in the Oakland Tribune Chris Metinko in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/8/06

Black Democrats Expected to Take 3 Assembly Seats -- African Americans were poised to make their greatest gain yet in the Legislature, with three black Democrats winning their party's nomination in new districts where their success in November's general election is practically a sure bet. Nancy Vogel in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Business battles: Little change expected for Legislature -- Cesar Chavez's granddaughter, non- incumbents, candidates seeking a relative's seat and the Legislative Women's Caucus were among Tuesday's losers in statewide primary elections. Efforts to moderate the liberal-leaning Legislature by electing business-oriented candidates in key Democratic districts produced mixed results. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

A different shade of green -- Environmentalists trying to push a green agenda through the Legislature will face a decidedly different atmosphere in 2007. The Senate has long been the friendlier of California's two legislative houses to environmental legislation, but Tuesday's primary elections swept a small cohort of pro-business Democrats into the upper house. That, combined with the replacement of moderate Assembly Democrats with more liberal counterparts, looks to have shifted the legislative landscape for environmental legislation. Shane Goldmacher in Capitol Weekly -- 6/8/06

Bilbray Secures GOP Victory in Closely Watched 50th District House Contest -- Republican Brian Bilbray beat Democrat Francine Busby to win the final seven months of the term of disgraced ex-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham in a race where both national parties fought hard and spent freely in an effort to shape the fall elections nationwide. Tony Perry and Dan Morain in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Narrow Victory by G.O.P. Signals Fall Problems -- Mr. Bilbray's failure to break 50 percent was striking. The Republican Party had poured workers and millions of dollars into avoiding defeat in a district where Republicans have a sizable registration advantage and where President Bush won by 10 percentage points in 2004. The previous holder of the seat, Randy Cunningham, who resigned after pleading guilty in a corruption scandal, defeated Ms. Busby in 2004 by 58 percent to 36 percent. ADAM NAGOURNEY in the New York Times -- 6/8/06

What's in a Name? Not Enough for Bacas -- Political legacies Joe Baca Jr. and Jeremy Baca appeared to have it all in their quest for seats in the Legislature: hefty war chests and a last name as good as gold in Inland Empire politics. But the sons of Democratic stalwart Rep. Joe Baca of Rialto came up short Tuesday in what mattered most — votes. Ashley Powers in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

GOP barely retains key San Diego House seat -- Democrats could not turn a wave of discontent against President Bush and the Republican Party into an election victory Tuesday, even in a San Diego area district where the last Republican elected is serving a prison sentence for accepting millions of dollars in bribes. Marc Sandalow in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

Bilbray punctures Democrats' plans to retake House -- Republican Brian Bilbray believes he rode a wave of anti-illegal-immigration sentiment to defeat Democrat Francine Busby and replace imprisoned former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham in the 50th Congressional District. Dani Dodge in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/8/06

And Now for GOP's Real Test -- The Republican victory in a closely watched San Diego-area House race showed that even in a hostile political environment, the GOP can defend its strongholds against a stiff Democratic challenge. The result, however, shed little light on what seems the key question in November's election: Can Republicans keep their House majority by also holding on to enough seats in districts more evenly balanced between the two parties? Ronald Brownstein and Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Some see cracks in Pombo's big House race win -- Republican Richard Pombo could pay a price for his victory in his most challenging Republican primary ever. It all depends on what the meaning of "win" is. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Tough path may follow Doolittle's easy victory -- Rep. John Doolittle's easy victory in the primary for the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District didn't dampen growing Democratic enthusiasm for the November general election. Compared with past elections, Tuesday's primary brought a drop in turnout and a narrower margin of victory for the scandal-hampered incumbent, who now faces an energized opponent. David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Brown-Poochigian contest already heating up -- It may be a down-ballot contest, but November's general election match-up for attorney general between state Sen. Chuck Poochigian and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown could become a high-profile barn-burner. Herbert A. Sample in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

Democrats Say No to Governor's Choice for Teacher Pension Panel -- Democratic lawmakers Wednesday rejected one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's oldest friends and advisors for a position on a state board. The rebuff showed that labor-union distrust of Schwarzenegger still lingers strongly from last year's special- election fight. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

State voter apathy hits historic low -- Uninspired and increasingly unattached from any political party, California voters made their leanest showing Tuesday since the 1920s, with just one in three casting a ballot. Ian Hoffman in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/8/06

Carona challenger faces probe -- Orange County sheriff's Lt. Bill Hunt was headed back to his job Wednesday morning and was feeling good about getting back to work, despite an election loss to the boss. "I'm done criticizing Mike Carona," Hunt said. "It's my job to be a good soldier." PEGGY LOWE in the Orange County Register -- 6/8/06

Judge: Mega Millions legal in California -- A judge ruled Tuesday that California can continue participating in multistate Mega Millions lotto, if the game is tweaked by legislation. Gambling expansion foes had challenged the constitutionality of the game, launched without voter approval. They contended that voters originally approved a lottery only within the borders of the state. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/8/06

Jerry Lewis: Powerful Lawmaker's Relative Linked Financially to Contractor -- A political fundraising committee headed by a defense contractor has paid thousands of dollars in fees to the stepdaughter of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) at a time when the contractor has been lobbying Congress for funding. Lewis' stepdaughter, Julia Willis-Leon, has been paid more than $42,000 by the Small Biz Tech Political Action Committee, according to campaign finance records. The PAC is led by Nicholas Karangelen, founder and president of Trident Systems Inc. Peter Pae, Tom Hamburger and Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

PAC fund's ties to lawmaker at issue -- A small group of lobbyists and defense contractors doing business with the House Appropriations Committee has endowed a political fund run by the stepdaughter of the committee's chairman, Rep. Jerry Lewis. Jerry Kammer and Marcus Stern in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/8/06

In Las Vegas, They're Playing With a Stacked Judicial Deck -- Some judges routinely rule in cases involving friends, former clients and business associates -- and in favor of lawyers who fill their campaign coffers. Michael J. Goodman and William C. Rempel in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Hollingsworth blasts Mexico's "hypocritical" immigration policy -- In a visit last month, Mexican President Vicente Fox criticized American immigration policy. In a Senate resolution that died in committee a few days later, Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta, returned the favor. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 6/8/06

Customs Officer Held in Probe of Immigrant Smuggling Ring -- A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was charged Wednesday with being a key member of an immigrant smuggling ring that passed migrant-laden cars through his inspection booth at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Richard Marosi in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Bond victory thrills Oakland schools -- Caroline Yee can hardly contain her excitement about Measure B, the $435 million Oakland school district bond that snagged 77 percent of unofficial votes in Tuesday's election, far more than the 55 percent required to approve it. The principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Oakland's Chinatown is thrilled, elated and delighted, she said, letting the adjectives trip over each other Wednesday. Grace Rauh in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/8/06

A Northridge Junior High Tells L.A. Unified: Don't Fence Us In -- More than $73 million was spent making Los Angeles Unified campuses safer this school year. But it's the $300,000 that wasn't spent on Nobel Middle School that makes students and teachers on the Northridge campus feel secure. While other schools lined up for money for guards and gates, Nobel — unfenced for 44 years — turned back a plan this spring to surround the school with a security fence. Sandy Banks in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

State's schools found skimping on PE classes -- More than half of school districts reviewed by the state are giving kids less physical education than the law requires -- at least 20 minutes a day -- according to public documents obtained by the nonprofit California Center for Public Health Advocacy. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle Jill Tucker in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/8/06

Federal probe of drugs in sports goes beyond BALCO -- A federal raid on the home of a veteran pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks highlights a gaping loophole in Major League Baseball's steroid testing policy and shows that government investigators are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to go after suspected sports drug cheats. Lance Williams, Mark Fainaru-Wada in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

Transplant Errors May Cost Kaiser -- Kaiser Permanente's kidney transplant program in Northern California, which is in the process of shutting down amid scandal, received notice this week that it may face financial sanctions from the federal government because of serious deficiencies. Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/8/06

Cancer took life of noted user of growth hormone -- When 56-year-old Hanneke Hops was profiled in The Chronicle in November 2003, the Hayward woman said her daily injections of human growth hormone were making her feel stronger, happier and healthier. Sabin Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

House OKs bill to speed permits for new refineries -- The House passed legislation Wednesday aimed at streamlining permits for new refineries, a step Republican leaders stung by public anger over high gas prices said could expand energy supplies and eventually cut prices. Edward Epstein and Zachary Coile in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06

San Jose BART could be derailed -- Santa Clara County voters' rejection of a sales tax measure dealt a crippling blow to plans to extend BART from Fremont to San Jose. County Measure A, which would have levied a half-cent sales tax for 30 years for general county expenditures, was defeated Tuesday when 57 percent voted no and 43 percent voted yes. Erik N. Nelson in the Oakland Tribune Barry Witt in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/8/06

Congress expected to add $30 million for flood control -- House and Senate negotiators working on a final emergency spending bill will include $30 million in additional 2006 spending for Sacramento-area flood control. If approved by the House and Senate this week as expected, the additional money would mean a total of about $70 million available this year for levee strengthening along the American and Sacramento rivers and flood-control improvements to Folsom Dam. David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/8/06

House floor vote on network neutrality expected Friday -- The debate over network neutrality is heating up as House and Senate lawmakers weigh a variety of proposals that seek to balance the need to preserve the free flow of content over the Internet with the desire to give network builders, especially phone companies, incentives to beef up their wires to the home. Tom Abate in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/8/06