Posted on 03/20/2006 8:42:28 PM PST by NormsRevenge
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state GOP collected an estimated $2.5 million Monday at a fundraiser headlined by Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), as scores of union members protested outside the event calling for the governor's ouster in November.
For Schwarzenegger, the closed-door dinner begins to replenish a political fund drained last year by his costly and losing campaign to enact ballot proposals to slow state spending and curb public union power in Sacramento. Top donors kicked in as much as $100,000 to attend the dinner and reception.
But the event was reminiscent of 2005, when union activists angered by the governor's agenda hounded his public appearances and ran millions of dollars of TV ads to help defeat the proposals. At one point, about two dozen members of the California Nurses Association tried to march into the reception shouting, "Shame on Arnold." They were turned away by security guards and police.
"This fundraiser is the prime example of what is wrong with our system," said Jill Furillo, Southern California director of the nurses association. "They write their $100,000 checks because they hope to get a favor in return."
Schwarzenegger angered nurses when he sided with the hospital industry in a dispute over staffing ratios.
Monday's event was headlined by McCain, R-Ariz., who was enlisted by Schwarzenegger last year to help campaign for the governor's ballot proposals. The measures were defeated by voters in November.
"He's a good friend of the governor's, and a big supporter of him," McCain spokesman Craig Goldman said.
The event, conducted under heavy security at the Beverly Hilton, was hosted by donors from the entertainment and business elite, including "The Terminator" director James Cameron, Interscope Records chief Jimmy Iovine, Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) Chairman Terry Semel and Univision Communications Inc. Chairman A. Jerrold Perenchio.
State GOP Chairman Duf Sundheim said the event would raise at least $2.5 million.
Outside the hotel, union members berated the governor for pursuing corporate donations and accused him of selling out working families.
Schwarzenegger was elected in 2003 after promising to upend politics as usual in Sacramento. He's now recognized as one of the most prolific political fundraisers in state history.
R I N O S
The latest bribe-a-thon for the "party of limited government".
Schwarzenegger and McCain, the Odd Couple.
Ah, as a short tailed conservative Republican, how can I put this in perspective? Let's just say, "Good luck Gov." As for McCain, where else (Calif.) could he raise big change?
Huh. . . . California sounds just like France, what with all the government-worker union protests. I guess the Democrats are pushing their agenda of turning America into a Euro-style, secular-socialist welfare state one state at a time, since they can't do it all at once.
Congratulations to them for conquering California.
New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Washington are right behind. Maybe a few others as well.
If the public employees unions hate arnold, then I think he is on our side.
In Arnold's defense, he's probably about as good as we can reasonably hope for in California any more. That's not to say he's good (pro-amnesty, okay with courts having final say on gay marriage, etc), but the California that voted for Reagan is long gone, and its never coming back.
And I accuse him and McLame on closing the door on working FORMER Republican volunteer activists who no longer find the CA Republican, or the Republican National Committee working for our CONSERVATIVE Republican interests!!!
Other than tax cuts, some temporary, and two judges, yet untested, compromised relief on workers compensation costs that are still confiscatory, (the ballot measure would have done more lasting good) and a veto on gay marriage in CA, we haven't been getting our expectations anywhere near in line with the victories we've made possible!!!
Oh, and the car tax was not going to stand anyways so don't tell me that the Wilsonegger Gang did that for us...
That last paragraph without hitting the hyperlink, just about says it all!!! Watching this (R) Party wuss-out on everything it voted to believe in for the past decade and a half is truly disheartening... The platform is now a neglected, twisted pile of scrap!!! Shameful!!!
It's about time the Party faithful took the RINO's by the horn and stubbornly stood in the way of this Party hijacking by the pragmatic and unprincipled who love what goes on behind closed doors with heightened security.
Those of you that are still Party members aren't going to be proud of what comes out of those mutual bigshot backscratching confabs as much as you used to like the open meetings of the past decade and a half.
Sunshine is a wonderful disinfectant!!! We're being treated like mushrooms and it needs to stop!!!
Said like a true capitulating defeatist trying for a self-fulfilling prophecy!!!
I am a pessimist, especially this year, but I think its well-founded with regards to California.
How can it come back? The demographics just don't lend themselves to a conservative revival in the state. The white population is too liberal overall, while the rapidly growing Hispanic (and Asians to a lesser extent) population favors the Democrats. What makes you think these dynamics will change?
Wow, the Democratic Wing of the Republican Party all in one place.
Interesting list. All good Republicans, I assume.
Yes, he certainly is.
That's why conservatives want him the hell out of California's government. Many want him out of the Republican Party.
If we can be successful in forcing Schwarzenegger out of the government and release Wilson's grip on the CRP then I'm guessing that the liberal Republicans will also move on.
Good bye!
Such an inconvenient little factoid there!
The unions want a Marxist Democrat.
Closed door? Gee, wonder why...
Given a democrat legislature, this is pretty good.
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