Garry South

SACRAMENTO - Amid a backdrop of huge budget deficits, talk about the car tax, and voter perception of dysfunctional state government, former Gov. Gray Davis was able to celebrate Monday night.

Though current statehouse conditions eerily mirror those that got Davis recalled in 2003 - and replaced with current Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - the former Democratic state assemblyman, controller, lieutenant governor and governor bypassed an opportunity to criticize current officeholders.

Dean Andal, the Republican candidate in the 11th Congressional District, and Assemblywoman Nicole Para (D-Hanford) both suffered considerable setbacks this week. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), however, banked big and earned a spot on the winner list. See who else made this week's Winners & Losers. | CLICK HERE

SAN FRANCISCO - Famed California political strategist Garry South has joined Mayor Gavin Newsom's 2010 gubernatorial exploratory committee, a spokesman for the committee announced this morning.

South is largely credited for helping former Gov. Gray Davis win election to the state's top electoral post in 1998 and for his re-election four years later.

"Gavin Newsom is the most interesting and intelligent new face in California politics since I moved here in 1991 -- and maybe in the last three decades," South said in a statement. "He is bold and fearless and does big things. I'm delighted to bring my gubernatorial campaign experience to his race for governor." 

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom found out the hard way over the weekend that there are no secrets when it comes to the political blogosphere or seemingly out of the way coffee shops.

A surf doggy-blogger/candidate for L.A. mayor named Zuma Dogg caught the mayor and his new bride Jennifer Siebel at a Starbucks in Malibu chatting with a friend.

Zuma Dogg actually approached the trio who were sitting in the coffee joint's patio because Newsom's driver parked the mayor's shiny black SUV on a red-curbed fire lane.

After having some good natured fun with the mayor who largely played along, Zuma Dogg left the scene to hit the waves. End of story? Not quite.

Should they decide to enter the 2010 race for governor, former EBay CEO Meg Whitman and State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner will likely have to explain to Republican voters why in recent years they have donated thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates.

Contribution reports show that Whitman gave former State Controller Steve Westly, with whom she worked at EBay, $20,000 in combined donations for his 2002 run for controller and 2006 campaign for governor. In 2005 she contributed $1,000 to state Sen. Joe Simitian’s 2008 reelection campaign. She made contributions to candidates for national offices as well: $1,000 to U.S. Rep. Mike Honda in 2002, $1,000 to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell in 2002, $1,000 to U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson in 2006, $2,000 to U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2003, and $1,000 to U.S. Sen. John Kerry in 1999.

Unlike Whitman, a political newcomer, Poizner’s record has been vetted in the course of a previous campaign. In his 2006 run for his current seat, Republicans became acquainted with Poizner’s contributions to Democrats, which included $10,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2000, $1,000 to Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000 and $2,000 to Kerry in 2001.