A coalition of the state's most powerful public employee unions has agreed to start an independent campaign opposing the re-election of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that could cost as much as $25 million, according to several sources familiar with the plan. The effort, which could begin as soon as this weekend, comes at a critical time for Democrat Phil Angelides, whose campaign has languished much of the summer largely because he's been unable to raise the money needed to effectively carry his message to a statewide audience.
See "CAMPAIGN 2006: Unions will spend big to defeat governor", Tom Chorneau, San Francisco Chronicle, September 19, 2006