In CA-GOV Race, Republicans Struggle to Explain Their Past Donations To Dems

I just spoke to Jarrod Agen, the communications director for California state Insurance Commissioner and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner, and he sharply criticized rival Meg Whitman for having donated to liberal Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in 2003.

"Well, the issue is that Meg Whitman did not vote for 28 years, and then her initial foray into politics was to support Barbara Boxer," said Agen. "And it is hypocritical of her to campaign as a 'darned good Republican' throughout California with a record that would suggest something very much the opposite."

However, Poizner may have his own problem that Whitman could attack, if this fight keeps up: In 2000, he wrote checks to Al Gore. The explanation here was that the donations came from a joint checking account, and that Poizner's wife is a Democrat.

"Back in 2000, Al Gore had come to California for a couple of separate events. Commissioner Poizner's wife wanted to go see Gore at those events, so they went to go see them," Agen explained.

So this means that Poizner wrote the checks, but in spirit it was really his wife making the donation? "Well yeah, it was his wife who wanted to see Gore at these events, when he came to their area. So they attended the fundraisers. But because they had a joint checking account, it was Steve who was the one who wrote and signed the checks."

So if it was really his wife who was truly making the donation, and not Poizner himself, why didn't his wife write the checks herself? Agen answered: "Because it was -- he was the one who, if any political donation was made at the time, he was the one who was handling those."