Timed to the arrival of a farm bill before Congress this week, U.S. House candidate Tom McClintock is out with a new radio advertisement slamming Republican primary opponent Doug Ose, a land developer and former Congressman, on the issue of farm subsidies.

“While millionaire Ose was in office corporate welfare programs wasted billions, all at the expense of taxpayers and family farmers,” an announcer says in the ad. “And Doug Ose – his partnership received over $642,000 in farm subsidies, even while he was on the agriculture committee charged with overseeing the program.”

Stan Devereux, a spokesman for the McClintock campaign, would not disclose the amount of money the campaign was investing in the 1-minute spot but said it was “significant.” He also said the ad was running throughout the Roseville-area district.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton: Getty Images PhotoDemocratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is headed to Century City for a Thursday fundraiser, the New York Observer is reporting.

Attendees to the event, which is being held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, are being asked to contribute $150 each. VIP passes are offered for $1,250 and $2,300.

Now that Averrell “Ace” Smith, the veteran California political consultant, appears to be finished with his work in this year’s presidential race, a big question is on the minds of the Golden State’s political observers: Where will Ace land?

With California’s 2010 gubernatorial candidates set to begin the preliminary stages of their candidacies as soon as this coming fall, Smith has at least two options.

He managed Antonio Villaraigosa’s 2006 campaign for Los Angeles mayor and Jerry Brown’s run for Attorney General in 2005. With both Villaraigosa and Brown seen as likely contenders for the governor’s seat, Smith may have to choose between them.

State Senate candidate Joe Nation is out with a health care-focused mailer that will be arriving in homes throughout the San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma-area district.

“When it comes to the universal health care, Democrat Joe Nation doesn’t follow others – he leads,” the mailer reads. “Joe has a detailed universal health care plan that is fiscally responsible and would cover all Californians and lower health care costs. His plan is almost identical to proposals advanced by Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It builds on his universal health care legislation he introduced while representing Marin and Sonoma counties in the State Assembly.”

A Nation adviser says the mailer is being distributed to 65,000 in the Third District.

Click here to see the mailer.

Assemblyman Mark Leno has contributed $100,000 towards his campaign for the state Senate, according to filings with the Secretary of State’s office.

Leno, the owner of a sign company, is facing off in a June 3 Democratic primary against incumbent Carole Migden and former Assemblyman Joe Nation.

Fundraising reports released in mid-March showed Leno having raised $142,000 since the beginning of the year. Nation, an environmental consultant, brought in $241,000 and Migden raised $377,000.

Don't expect California's U.S. senators to be a presidential runningmate. In a survey of the U.S. Senate's membership not already running for president on whether they'd accept an offer to be vice president, The Hill newspaper found a variety of responses to the veepstakes question. Some were accompanied by laughs, others took the question seriously.

So, how did Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein respond?

State Senate candidate Mark Leno is rolling the endorsement of Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams.

"Mark Leno shares the progressive democratic values we treasure in the North Bay," said Adams. "As co-author of single payer, universal health care, Mark has built a proud track record of progressive leadership in the Legislature, and I am proud to announce my support for him today. Mark will bring our issues to the table."

The endorsement from Adams, who represents Marin’s First District on the Board of Supervisors, comes as Leno, an Assemblyman who has held seats in San Francisco politics for a decade, is trying to woo Marin voters.

Leno is squaring off against incumbent Carole Migden and former Assemblyman Joe Nation in a June 3 Democratic primary.

More coverage: Plumbers union sends out mailer slamming Kevin Johnson

Sacramento mayoral candidate Kevin Johnson has secured the endorsement of the Rental Housing Association of Sacramento Valley.

“Our interview process focused on economic and regulatory issues impacting the industry and we look forward to working with Kevin as the next Mayor of Sacramento,” said the organization’s president, Michael Force.

In April Johnson won the endorsement of another housing organization, the Sacramento Realtors PAC.

Johnson, a former professional basketball player, is facing off against incumbent Heather Fargo in a June 3 Democratic primary.

Joe NationWith the June 3 primary just three weeks away an independent campaign called the North Bay Progressive Alliance has been launched targeting District 3 state Senate candidate Joe Nation on his home turf.

Jonathan Frieman, a North Bay-based political activist, and Dan Mullen, a local political consultant, are heading up the effort.

Frieman said this weekend the organization had sent out mailers to 61,000 voters living in the North Bay, including the Marin and Sonoma areas. The mailers, which were made available to the press late Friday afternoon, take Nation, a former Marin state assemblyman, to task for what the North Bay Progressive Alliance says is his record on everything from single-payer healthcare to Iraq to consumer privacy.