First Take: Candidates call in star power. Democrats lash out at Schwarzenegger

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High-profile surrogates are heading to California to campaign with the candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. President Obama, former President Clinton and Sen. John McCain are among those expected to hit the campaign trail in the coming weeks.

George Skelton says the three gubernatorial debates have illustrated the differences between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman.

The race for insurance commissioner is often a proxy war between trial lawyers and the insurance industry. But this year, labor unions are moving big money to back Democrat Dave Jones.

Marc Lifsher reports that the job of insurance commissioner has become more powerful with the passage of the federal healthcare law.

Democrats are lashing out at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision to veto nearly $1 billion in social programs from the state budget.

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-- Anthony York in Sacramento