First Take: Meg grabs a pitchfork. Budget talks set to resume.

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EBay founder Pierre Omidyar has plenty of nice things to say about Meg Whitman, but he refused to endorse her bid for governor.

Whitman, meanwhile, was in the Bay Area on Tuesday raising money with some help from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. At the dinner, Whitman said Republicans had their ‘pitchforks and torches’ ready as Election Day draws near.

Michelle Obama will head to California next month to raise money for Barbara Boxer and other congressional Democrats locked in tough election fights.

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recovering from a cold, legislative leaders are heading to Los Angeles on Wednesday to resume budget negotiations.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento

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