Posted on 10/07/2005 4:52:07 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - To help promote his "year of reform" ballot initiatives, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has turned to one of the best known political reformers on the national stage - Arizona Sen. John McCain.
The Republicans will campaign together Monday for the measures Schwarzenegger is promoting on the Nov. 8 ballot, Schwarzenegger campaign spokesman Todd Harris said. McCain has endorsed the four initiatives favored by the governor, which would curb the power of the Democrat-controlled Legislature and their allied public employee unions.
"John McCain is known for two things - one is being a reformer, and the other is being a straight talker," Harris said. "We think Sen. McCain's endorsement of the governor's reform agenda will send a signal loud and clear to all Californians that these reforms are the real deal."
Since his underdog campaign against George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, McCain's outspoken crusade for campaign reform has made him something of a celebrity in political circles.
He is best known for being co-author of legislation that banned so-called "soft money" - large, unregulated contributions from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals - from federal elections.
McCain's attacks on campaign spending prompted Democrats to question his appearance with Schwarzenegger. The governor criticized the fundraising tactics of his predecessor, former Gov. Gray Davis, but has since become a prolific fundraiser himself.
He has traveled to other states numerous times on fundraising tours.
"It's ironic that McCain would offer to 'pump up' Arnold's campaign, considering he is a well-known activist against the kind of 'obscene' and 'vulgar' fundraising practiced by Team Schwarzenegger," strategists Andrew Acosta and Roger Salazar said in a statement on behalf of the California Democratic Party.
Democrats and unions have raised more than $50 million to defeat the ballot measures, which they view as a direct assault on their political influence. Schwarzenegger has set a goal of raising $50 million, but has raised only about $30 million so far.
While McCain and Schwarzenegger are not personally close, the governor's political team includes many veterans of the McCain presidential campaign, including Harris and Mike Murphy, the governor's chief campaign strategist.
Schwarzenegger's campaign would not release details of the McCain appearance Monday, saying only that the two would appear together at events in Northern and Southern California.
The governor called the special election so voters would consider three ballot initiatives: cap state spending and give the governor greater authority to make midyear cuts; make teachers work five years instead of two to pass probation; and strip lawmakers of their power to draw political boundaries. He has since endorsed a fourth proposal that would require public employee unions to get members' permission before dues could be used for political purposes.
The ballot also contains four other initiatives - two dealing with prescription drug costs, one requiring parents to be notified when a minor seeks an abortion and another to re-regulate the state's electricity market.
I thought the SurveyUSA poll had all the initiatives up by sizeable margins.
More 'moderate' support , just what we need. lol
John "is there an illegal alien problem in MY state??" Mcain.
With more moderate support we would be speaking chinese and bowing to mecca.
Schwarzzeneger tells President Bush to stay away....but invites in McCain???
I hope they each watch their backs! Neither one is to be trusted..
McRino is doing a good thing.
LMAO
Oh, yeah. Now that worked real well! ROFL.
If McCain + Arnold can help the initiatives to pass, I'm all for them in that score.
Agree with that. The state needs these initiatives. The politcos in Sacto just don't get it, still, that the people want to govern themselves.
I'm not Ahnolds biggest fan and I pretty much despise McCain but I will be completely in agreement with them on getting these initiatives through (and they are not all comfortably ahead and will be attacked with tens of millions of dollars in Union Boss money until the election is over). These initiatives are VITAL in stopping the spread of socialism in California. If this is the only thing that Ahnold does as Gov, he will have been one of the most successful in his job this century. I certainly hope for more but these three initiatives are back-breaking to the socialist/labor movement.
Whose carping?
This is a chit McCain will call in in '08. Nevertheless, California needs these initiatives passed. Anything that can help break the death grip of the unions and their iron rice bowl.
I'd take 3 out of the 4 initiatives.
One I am not sure will make much of a difference anyway, that being Prop 76, which I do not see as being a cinch to slow much less stop or reverse the spending levels and effectively may open the door to additional borrowing down the road..
Anything that can help break the death grip of the unions and their iron rice bowl.
Anything?
Faust for President!
Oh great. The last thing we need is that snake McCain poking around. Arnold had better watch his back.
Go cry in your own bag of money.
I love how moderates stick together.
Yup, we are at war, huh? Anything goes. Someone else posted the same on the arnie vetos SB1160 again.
I'll ask you how you feel about the following, a certain other poster doesn't seem to want to answer.. and I kind of gather you already said as much, that anything goes by implying McCain is just testing the waters or perhaps muddying them even more.. lol
------
How do ya feel knowing that the main author of this act of appeasement (the FR thread 'Senate Supports Interrogation Limits (90-9 vote to protect terrorist detainees)' ), will be coming to California to campaign with aRnie for his reform package? just curious.
CA: Arizona senator to campaign for governor's ballot initiatives (John McCain) ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1498716/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.