The curious campaigns of Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have been a topic of discussion among women’s organizations and GOP activists for several weeks. Both were prominent at this weekend at the California Republican Party Convention in Santa Clara, where people wonder what’s more relevant – tactics or talk?

I don’t think women are the best fit in every case, nor do I back a woman only because she is female. Unlike Democrat primaries where they heavily recruit women, gender works against women in GOP primaries. Women are portrayed as less ideological and challenged at the bargaining table. This tactical strategy has been used dozens of times to convince Republican voters that women aren’t prepared.

In the case of Meg and Carly, this strategy will backfire as both have business credentials that are far and above most who have ever sought the offices of Governor and United States Senator.

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to meet with 40 innovators and entrepreneurs at a 1.5 hour innovators roundtable with Carly Fiorina, candidate for the United States Senate from California.

Among the discussion points was the President’s stimulus package, the need to educate our children for 21st century jobs, access to capital for small businesses, health care and immigration policy. Carly was engaging, energetic, charming, articulate, and appears to be a real problem solver.

Among attendees was Saman Dias, who was named head of “Entrepreneurs and Small Business” for Carly. Saman is a dynamic young entrepreneur and friend who cares deeply about the state of our economy in California. I’ve never known her to be involved in politics before – but Carly inspired her – and now she’s engaging.

Last night, California’s Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi became the Member of Congress in CD-10. That means that Governor Schwarzenegger has the opportunity to name a replacement for Garamendi as Lt. Governor. He should pick Tom Campbell.

I say this not as someone who has chosen another candidate in the race for Governor – but as a Californian who would like to see the “right direction/wrong track” numbers reverse and our state get its fiscal house in order.

An overwhelming 75% of Californians say the state is on the wrong track. This, coupled with the legislature’s unsatisfactory approval ratings, shows that people want our elected leaders to work together to solve problems and provide a more welcoming environment for business.

Over the last week and a half, four packed events have taken place with economic free market conservatives in the Bay Area.  One can only guess if this is a "new beginning" for those who care about affordable health care, economy and jobs - or a blip on the screen.

In San Francisco, Steve Forbes, recognized that Californians helped to create this high tech age and that people have now used those tools to organize politically when they feel something is wrong.

The President & CEO of Forbes, Inc. and one-time presidential candidate, told 350 paying attendees at the Pacific Research Institute Annual Gala how normal, everyday Americans used this new media to organize tea parties and town halls.  They are using the Internet to find their voice and organize themselves - not just as individuals - but as community activists who are working to preserve economic freedom.

I’ve always viewed Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley in a similar way. Both places are more a state of mind than an actual region. The area on the left coast is focused on innovation and making money. The one on the right coast is focused on power and spending money.

Last week, I spent four days in Washington, D.C. with Women Impacting Public Policy, a national organization of more than half a million women business owners. I arrived on Wednesday for two conferences and Capitol Hill briefings aimed to increase awareness of women-owned businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.

Statistics released in a study commissioned by WIPP, the National Women’s Business Council, the Center for Women’s Business Research and Wal-Mart showed women-owned businesses produce employment for more than 23 million people in the United States. If women-owned businesses were their own country, they would have a greater GDP than Canada, India, and Vietnam combined – the 5th largest GDP in the world – ahead of France, the U.K. and Italy.

I’m hosting a health care forum in the East Bay this coming Tuesday which is part of the Lincoln Club of Northern California’s educational series. “Health Care – What’s Next” will feature the talented Sally Pipes, President of the Pacific Research Institute and author of The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care – A Citizens Guide. About 50 local doctors, venture capitalists, and small business owners will participate in the dialogue and hear Pipes philosophy – one that focuses on the free market and competition options rather than the “public option”.

Fox and Hounds Daily readers who don’t subscribe to the Contra Costa Times will find their Q&A with Dr. Scott Atlas, a professor and chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center of interest. It is an enlightening, quick read that small business owners and citizens who are confused by the chatter will enjoy.

Bay Area newspapers have been a buzz over the past week regarding the latest video of Ecuador Judge Juan Nunez, the key legal figure in the Chevron Ecuador environmental damage case, who has been captured in a video stating that he plans to rule against the oil giant and for an award of $27 billion "more or less".

The San Francisco Chronicle's blog covered it here.

The San Francisco Examiner weighed in with an editorial, “Video from Chevron reveals corruption in Ecuador lawsuit,” here.

The Chronicle carries the full text and videos. A picture is worth a thousand words so take a look. Here is the text of what Judge Nunez said to Wayne Hansen and Diego Borja who are environmental remediation contractors -

Today is "Game On" for the Primary in Congressional District 10 where 14 candidates vie to be our next Member of Congress.  This is the "old" Bill Baker seat - once Republican - where Democrats now hold a startling 18-point registration advantage.

All candidates run off against one another today.  The top vote getters of each party run off on November 3^rd if no candidate gets 50% +1.

On the Democrat side, it could be a "toss up" if primary turnout is below the predicted 35% to 38%.  If turnout is high, Gov. Schwarzenegger will have the opportunity to appoint a new Lieutenant Governor.

Yesterday, I spent the day in Menlo Park with national and state partners who came together to discuss the future of biotechnology in Northern California.  The Bioscience Business Roundtable is the voice of industry leaders in the bioscience community promoting public policies on the federal, state and local level that provides a dialogue and proposes solutions to keep America's place as a world leader in the bioscience sector.

Three tenets discussed by industry leaders were the promotion of access and prevention and the encouragement of innovation through building a greater understanding of the roles of government, the business community, and academia.

A long left to right airplane ride from California to New York State gave me time to research more fully the FEC reports and e-campaigns from the 14 candidates in the Special Election for Ellen Tauscher’s seat in Congressional District 10. Here’s what I’ve seen in print and on the ground –

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi – Declared the “frontrunner” due to his statewide pedigree – nobody has seen the guy in CD-10 in the last few weeks. He raised $300,000 in the latest filing and had $260,000 COH. His most interesting donor is former “St. Elsewhere” Actor and now political activist Ed Begley, Jr.

At a recent Innovation Summit in Livermore, Garamendi was questioned after his luncheon speech about what he would do to increase innovation beyond increasing government funding. He really had no clear answer beyond spending more money however his name ID might just carry him to the run-off.