First Take: Brown gets campaign donation. Budget arm-wrestling. Whitman vs. Poizner getting uglier

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The California Democratic Party has given $2.25 million to Jerry Brown’s gubernatorial campaign.

Both the Democratic Party and Republican Party leadership agree on one thing: They are opposed to June’s Proposition 14, which would change the state’s primary voting system.

George Skelton says legislative leaders should arm-wrestle to decide the state’s budget crisis.

Cathleen Decker writes it’s not just the television commercials that are negative in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Steve Lopez says independent voters -- a group that could decide this year’s race for governor -- are not impressed with the candidates.

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-- Anthony York in Sacramento