CA: Gov. Plans Massive Fund Drive (intends to raise $120 million)

LA Times ^ | 2/16/06 | Mark Z. Barabak and Michael Finnegan

[NormsRevenge]

Trailing in the polls and facing friction inside his own Republican Party, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a fundraising goal of more than $120 million for the November election. The sum rivals the amount raised and spent by the entire field of candidates in the 2002 governor's race.

If Schwarzenegger succeeds, the money raised — along with tens of millions of dollars that Democrats are likely to spend — would shatter state and national campaign finance records.

--snip--

Asked if the governor's ambitious fundraising goal this year might not fuel further attacks, Stutzman replied: "Whether you like it or not, you have to raise the money to buy the TV ads that win elections…. And the greater danger is what you actually saw last year, which is when you're dramatically outspent and your opponents can define you in inaccurate ways."

In seeking to reach his goal, Schwarzenegger is offering large donors personal access. Invitations to a March 20 dinner in Beverly Hills offer "head table seating with the governor" for two and six photos of couples with the governor for those who contribute at least $100,000 to his reelection campaign and the state GOP. The dinner's star speaker is Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a champion of campaign finance reform.

--snip--

The governor hopes to raise $60 million to $65 million for his reelection campaign and, with the help of party leaders, a similar amount for the California Republican Party to benefit the entire statewide GOP ticket.

The state parties will play an important new role in campaign finance under rules that take effect this election season. Those rules limit the size of individual donations, which political analysts said would inevitably lead candidates to encourage donors to forward excess cash to the parties.

[NormsRevenge]

The Gub is having a fellow democrat party member, McCain, campaign and raise money for him.

Is there a 'Quid pro quo' thing going on here?

Coming Soon ... If moderates rule the day and McCain were to win it all..

SecyofState Schwarzenegger ,, shades of Henry K.

[FOG724]

In seeking to reach his goal, Schwarzenegger is offering large donors personal access.

I thought we got rid of pay for play?

[NormsRevenge]

I hear ya.

'Pay-to-play' is so old school.

A relic of pinball games and jukeboxes and bygone days.


Now it's "personal access".

sounds so databasey.. perfectly innocuous. !-}

[FOG724]

'Pay-to-play' is so old school.

Yes, they had something similar in the movie The Godfather.

[NormsRevenge]

They should move the Capitol to Hollywood, why put up any pretense that we are witnessing anything but a bad movie script.

No matter what happens and who talks from what side of the aisle, we are going deeper in debt with no end in sight and enought gullible voters will go along with it..

It's like the Gay 90s. only crazier.

[ElkGroveDan]

This my friends is why he brought on Susan Kennedy. She was a key part of the Capitol Shakedown process that Gray Davis perfected. (Do a google search on: Oracle Scandal Susan Kennedy)

She'll earn those two paychecks she's getting, and then some.

[NormsRevenge]

I was thinking of the 1890 Gay 90s,, but there was a Gay 90s in the 1990s too, huh.

Whoreacle ,, Lockyer, Kennedy and a few others dealing in the dough ,, why the FBI never did a thorough sweep thru the capitol years ago is beyond me.,

So much was at stake,, and look where we ended up at and with still in high office. amazing.

[Wiseghy]

This Govenor has demostrated that giving money
DOES NOT IN ANY WAY influence policy. That may be admirable in some circles and was a campaign promise that he made. I'm certain the MSM will credit him for it. (sar)

In fact, he does almost nothing service to his base donors, vetoing even moderate bills. He seems to feel that associations, who dig deep into their shallow pockets for small member donations, will keep giving to him because we are basically stupid and the well of funds is unlimited.

We are tired of a Governor who has no rudder and no consistency. He shouldn't expect any money from anyone of his usual sources. Let him beg for money from the Unions; they have plenty.

[eskimo]

Trailing in the polls and facing friction inside his own Republican Party, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a fundraising goal of more than $120 million for the November election.

LOL!! That is hilarious. He might get 10 or 15 million from clueless RINOs but the rest would have to come from wealthy liberals or the national GOP. Fat chance unless he sells out to liberals or, even worse, the liberal oportunists who own the GOP.

[calcowgirl]

• The governor's fundraising goal was discussed last week in Newport Beach at a closed-door meeting of the California Business Roundtable, which consists of the leaders of the state's biggest corporations.

• Criticism of his fundraising tactics have followed Schwarzenegger from last year's special election debacle into the reelection year. He hired Democrat and former Davis staffer Susan Kennedy as his chief of staff — enraging Republicans — and is using her to court donors at private events.

So.... is she courting Democrat donors? Is that the plan? The CBR is packed with lefties like Eli Broad. They've even teamed up with MALDEF to tell us that boosting education spending is a good thing.

[calcowgirl]

FLASHBACK.... Some things don't change, except apparently, Sen. Ackerman's position. We still have deficit spending projected indefinitely into the future and we still haven't prioritized funding. This big-bang-bond is nothing more than an attempt to artifically prop up the economy with future taxes (bonds) while the special interests at the CBR benefit from the increased spending.

Excerpts from 2001 LA Times:

Leading California business groups are pushing a plan for as much as $10 billion in state bonds to build schools, transportation projects and affordable homes.

The California Chamber of Commerce and the California Business Roundtable are the latest special-interest groups rushing to place a measure on the March ballot. The business groups contend money raised from a sale of $5 billion to $10 billion in bonds could help jump-start California's faltering economy by creating jobs and speeding up construction projects.

"Bonds are the fastest way to get money into the California economy," said Fred Main, senior vice president and general counsel of the California Chamber of Commerce.

The rush for ballot measures comes as California faces a projected $8-billion to $14-billion deficit and the possibility of deep spending cuts.

(snip)

Sen. Richard Ackerman, the Irvine Republican who is vice chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said the proposal could turn out to be an example of the business community's desire to create jobs conflicting with a wish by GOP lawmakers to safeguard taxpayer money.

"A good deal of money has been wasted because the state and the governor have not prioritized spending," Ackerman said.

Source:
    The State; Business Groups Push Plan to Sell State Bonds;
    Chamber and Roundtable say proceeds would help jump-start California economy
    Julie Tamaki, Los Angeles Times, Oct 30, 2001, pg. B.7

[Jimbaugh]

This is such a joke. The consultant are going to get rich on this one and then we will get to pick up the pieces. If we can.