This weekend, the San Diego Union-Tribune editorialized that wealthy Republican gubernatorial candidates Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman should use their cash to fund ballot initiatives undermining union prerogatives--particularly those of public employee unions. The U-T seems puzzled why they haven't.

There are a couple of answers. 1. The strategy of pairing an initiative campaign with a gubernatorial campaign has, at best, a mixed record of success. When John van de Kamp ran for the Democratic nomination in 1990, he built his campaign around three initiatives. Both he and the initiatives went down to defeat. Supporters of the concept point to Pete Wilson's embrace of Prop 187 in the 1994 campaign, but the hard truth about that is that Wilson likely did more for 187 than vice versa. And Prop 187 wasn't Wilson's measure; others qualified the initiative, and he later backed it.

2. Poizner and Whitman are running presumably because they think they might win and have to govern. And as the current governor has demonstrated, engaging in a full war with public employee unions makes it awfully hard to get anything done. (See the entire year of 2005 in California politics). That doesn't mean that Poizner and Whitman shouldn't push these unions and seek leverage. But combining a difficult run for governor with a difficult initiative campaign is not a recipe for political and governmental success

Writing in the Sacramento Bee, Meg Whitman, the eBay chief turned GOP gubernatorial contender, comes out against Props 1A (spending limit and rainy day fund), Prop 1B (a boost in the education funding base) and Prop 1C (a plan to modernize the lottery and borrow against future revenue). She supports Props 1D and 1E (which redirect voter-approved moneys for early childhood and mental health programs) and the populist 1F, which would bar legislative pay increases in years with deficits. All six measures were part of last month's budget deal and appear on the May 19 special election ballot.

This is safe politics but something short of leadership. Whitman needs the conservatives who vote in Republican primaries, and they hate the temporary tax extensions that are part of Prop 1A. (If the measure passes, the temporary taxes run for 4 years. If it fails, they run for 2 years). One potential rival, former Congressman Tom Campbell, has bravely backed Prop 1A. Another, insurance commissioner Steve Poizner, has adopted a line similar to Whitman's.

That's how California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today characterized opponents of the six measures that were part of last month's budget deal and go before voters in the May 19 special election.

Schwarzenegger made plain in a speech at the Commonwealth Club that, despite sagging approval ratings, he intends to campaign strongly for the package of six measures.

He also revealed a tough political strategy: go negative against opponents of the package and particularly the spending limit and rainy day fund measure, Prop 1A. In the speech, Schwarzenegger depicted those opponents as out of the mainstream, "the far left" (who want to spend) and "the far right." He was not kind. Consider this excerpt:

In a blast at members of his own party, he said: "Those who say that we could balance the budget through spending cuts alone are guilty of political cynicism at its worst. These are not serious people."

That's right, the governor of California effectively declared that much of the Republican establishment, a majority of GOP legislators and the two of the three GOP candidates for governor in 2010 (Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman) "are not serious people." That's a bit much, but their opposition to taxes in this circumstance is certainly unserious. It appears that the third GOP candidate, former Congressman and Schwarzenegger finance director Tom Campbell, has the governor's endorsement. If he wants it.

Already, a host of potential candidates are running for California's open governor's chair in 2010. But few of the candidates are offering new ideas or new thinking. The exception is Tom Campbell, the former Congressman and former Schwarzenegger finance director. Let's hope he manages to get a hearing in a Republican field that could include two billionaires -- insurance commissioner Steve Poizner and former eBay head Meg Whitman.

For all the attention that billionaires Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman have received as potential Republican candidates for governor in 2010, former Congressman Tom Campbell is the frontrunner in the polls I've seen. And as Poizner and Whitman attempt to build support on the right, Campbell is emphasizing his libertarian beliefs, writing on a blog affiliated with Reason that he opposes Prop 8, the California initiative to ban same-sex marriage. He makes a very clear, conservative case for opposing Prop 8. In fact, Campbell's argument is far better than anything I've heard from the No on 8 campaign itself. How about making a TV ad, Tom?

As an LA Times reporter, I was the first to report that former eBay president and CEO Meg Whitman was looking into making a run for statewide office. I've heard nothing different since. And her decision to endorse Prop 11, the redistricting reform initiative, shows a first glimpse of on-the-record, official interest in a run. The endorsement came the day after Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced his  endorsement of Prop 11. Here's betting that Poizner and Whitman will be rivals for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2010.