Democratic Party leader sides with Poizner in spat with Whitman campaign

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The chairman of California’s Democratic Party has sided with Steve Poizner -- for now.

State Democratic Party Chairman John Burton released a statement Tuesday adding a proverbial ‘amen’ to Poizner’s claim that former EBay chief Meg Whitman was trying to bully Poizner out of the governor’s race.

‘This extortion attempt is only the latest display of arrogance and lack of character on candidate Whitman’s part,’ Burton said. ‘This is clearly someone who is used to having things her own way and has come to rely on her vast wealth to buy off any and all opposition.

‘Whitman’s attempt to buy off her main rival ultimately shows a weakness in her campaign. If she’s up by 30 points, and has billions of dollars at her disposal to outspend her chief rival, what is she afraid of?’

Of course, Burton has a vested interest in watching Poizner and Whitman bloody themselves in a costly primary so that the eventual Republican nominee will emerge as damaged goods before the general election battle with the likely Democratic nominee, Jerry Brown. And that was sort of the point that Whitman adviser Mike Murphy was trying to make when he e-mailed Poizner’s pollster about the prospects of Poizner stepping aside.

For now, the Republicans are sniping at each other, and Democrats are doing all they can to egg them on.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento