First take: The Whitman-Poizner money race; a woman will lead National Guard; Prop. 8 court reenactment

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Shane Goldmacher looks at what the Republican candidates for governor are spending in their effort to beat each other, and Jerry Brown.

While the contest may still be up for grabs, the governor’s race has been a bonanza for political consultants.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger picked the first-ever female leader of the National Guard.

Although cameras were not allowed inside the Prop. 8 courtroom, a new reenactment is available, thanks to court transcripts and the magic of YouTube.

Around the state today, Lt. Gov.-designate Abel Maldonado will hold a press conference on the eve of his Senate Rules Committee confirmation hearing. The Air Resources Board meets in San Francisco to continue its work on crafting a new energy standard that would require the state to receive one-third of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The legislative analyst will release a report showing Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget proposals could cost the state billions in federal money.

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