Bickering over Self-Funders

The two Democratic campaigns for governor have begun a press release battle over self-funding. Last Thursday, Westly strategist published a strong rebuttal to the Angelides campaign's front-runner status. In it, he wrote, " This will be the first time in his electoral career that Angelides will face an opponent who is 1) well-funded (probably better-funded)..." Later that day, Westly's campaign made available their fundraiser report two weeks early--in order to highlight the campaign's $24 million warchest, $20 million of which was donated by Westly himself. The Angelides campaign pointed out what one-time Davis advisor South said about self-funders when he was running a campaign against one (Al Checchi in 1998): ''I think what it says is California politics is becoming more and more a roller derby for rich people,'' South said. ''We have candidates with the flimsiest of credentials looking in a mirror one day and checking their checkbook balance and deciding they want to be governor. It will be up to the voters to decide if this is unsettling or not.--LA Daily News, March 8, 1998 The Westly campaign has countered wtih a list of past donations Angelides has made to his own campaigns (though none are anywhere near $20 million), which he has done in several election cycles. At the end of the release, the campaign writes, "It’s clear that when it comes to self-financing, Treasurer Angelides and his team have no business criticizing Steve Westly's decision to invest his own money into his bid to win this campaign and put California back on the right track." Looks like the kiddy gloves are beginning to come off.