SACRAMENTO — Ronald Reagan singled out what he called a "welfare queen" for abusing government aid. Newt Gingrich pushed welfare reform as part of his Contract With America.

Now, Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner, the top Republican candidates for California governor, are bringing back welfare as a key issue in their quest for primary votes. Welfare's high-profile role in the race became clear last month when Whitman, the billionaire former CEO of eBay, unveiled her first issue-specific radio ad.

"Some people worry that we're creating a welfare state," Whitman says at the start of the spot. "The fact is, California is the welfare state."

Poizner, another ultra-wealthy former Silicon Valley CEO, has made tightening welfare rules a key part of his plan to balance the state budget. Like Whitman, Poizner proposes cutting lifetime welfare limits to two years from five.

"Welfare is an example of where we're spending, in my opinion, several billion more than we should because we don't enforce the work rules and our benefit structure is too high," Poizner said in an interview. "I just don't think it should be a magnet."

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