Top of the ballot: California polling

A new California poll shows the Whitman-Poizner race is still close, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) leads her potential GOP rivals and Dr. Rand Paul (R) offers to fly President Obama to Kentucky.

To the numbers:

Support for California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has "plummeted 23 points since March," according to a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Whitman now leads Republican rival Steve Poizner 38 percent to 29 among likely Republican primary voters. A third of likely voters (31 percent) is undecided. In January, Whitman led Poizner by 30 points, and in March, by 50. But Poizner has spent weeks relentlessly attacking Whitman on everything from her voting record to her investment strategy, which may have contributed to the shift. The Poizner campaign called it a "surge" in his support.

On the Senate side

Boxer leads former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R) in the PPIC survey, though Campbell has the better numbers in the hypothetical match-up: his 40 to 46 for the senator.

In the primary, Fiorina leads with 25 percent, while Campbell pulled in 23 percent. State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R) has doubled his support since March and is currently at 16 percent.

A reader notes that PPIC is the only pollster ever to show Campbell trailing in the primary. And other surveys conducted around the same time (May 6-16) show him leading Fiorina. Bottom line, these results may not tell the whole story.

Got a ticket for an aeroplane

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said Wednesday that President Barack Obama plans to start campaigning for Democratic candidates after the primary season is over. Kaine didn't say where, but one Republican offered him a suggestion.

Paul, who on Tuesday became the Kentucky GOP Senate nominee, was asked about Kaine's speech during an interview with CNN's John King on Wednesday.

"What I tell to the national Democrats is bring it on and please, please, please bring President Obama to Kentucky," Paul said. "We would want him to come and campaign for my opponent. In fact, we'll pay for his plane ticket if President Obama will come to Kentucky."