First take: GOP hope springs eternal. Schwarzenegger’s last budget stand

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The curtain closed on the California Republican Party’s convention in San Diego, leaving an optimistic batch of California GOPs optimistic about their chances in November.

Seema Mehta and Maeve Reston look at the different campaign styles of Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina.

Jean Merl looks at the state’s few congressional battlegrounds, and what they could mean for national fight over which party controls Congress.

Shane Goldmacher reports that holding the budget hostage may be Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last hope.

George Skelton says parents have the right to know whether their children’s teacher is effective, and that teachers should be judged on how much their students learn.

-- Anthony York

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