Obama is set to arrive in the south Bay Area Thursday for two private fundraisers, one for Kamala Harris and one for the DNC. Harris is battling Republican Steve Cooley. These are not open to the public, but Comrade Carla Marinucci will be in the press pool.

The prez then heads to USC Friday for to help Sen. Barbara Boxer in her quest for a fourth term against Republican challenger Carly Fiorina, who has closed to within one point of Boxer in the latest poll by Reuters/Ipsos. Obama will headline a fundraiser and a rally at USC for Boxer.

Fiorina was challenged over the weekend by Fox News to explain how she would cut the deficit, but did not, as usual, come up with specifics. Dems have put the clip on YouTube, noting that Fiorina refused to answer “seven questions in seven minutes.”

Both parties are now gunning full blast for the Boxer seat; keep an eye on how another West Coast Democratic incumbent, Sen. Patty Murray, is doing up in Washington state. That race has also closed again after Murray took a slight lead. The two races seem to be showing a similar dynamic.