You can't teach an old dog new tricks, but it's reasonable to expect that he knows the old ones. But California Democrats are learning that even that isn't a sure bet, as gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown keeps demonstrating.

As candidates go, you can't get much older than Brown, who is a former governor (1975–1983), mayor of Oakland (1999–2007), 1992 presidential candidate, California secretary of state (1971–1975), and current attorney general, as well as being the son of another former governor. Now he's gunning for the governor's mansion for a second go-round, facing Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay and a John McCain adviser in 2008.

Last week Whitman came out with a brutally effective ad, using footage from a legendary 1992 presidential debate showdown between Brown and Bill Clinton. Rather than attack Brown for raising taxes herself, she lets Clinton do the heavy lifting.

Now, Brown has bad blood with Clinton.

It's yet another gaffe that explains how Brown, an admired politician in a liberal state, is trailing Whitman. Even if the state's landscape didn't favor him in the first place, Whitman is a vulnerable candidate. Although she touts her experience atop eBay, opponents have successfully seized on incidents of outsourcing labor to tar her. And the outlandish $104 million she's spent has had little effect, she's still barely running ahead of Brown, and the money itself has turned into a thorny issue for her campaign. (Source: Newsweek)

By-gones be by-gones

But, the two men smoothed over their previous differences Tuesday when Clinton endorsed Brown.

"Moreover, the tough campaign we fought 18 years ago is not relevant to the choice facing Californians today. Jerry and I put that behind us a long time ago,” Clinton stated.

Thanked Brown, “I am deeply honored to have been endorsed by former President Bill Clinton, who, after his accomplishment-rich presidency, continues to demonstrate his commitment to bettering our state, our nation, and our world, each and every day.” (INT)

Story Date: September 15, 2010