[calcowgirl]

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=21220

Schwarzenegger on Track to Break Fundraising Records

Gov. Schwarzenegger rode into office waving a broom, promising to sweep the State Capitol clean of special interests. But three year later, Schwarzenegger is on track to break all previous fundraising records after accepting record amounts of special interest donations.

"It's a ton of cash," said Ned Wigglesworth, spokesman for California Common Cause, a government watchdog group. "Money has always been important in California politics, but under Gov. Schwarzenegger it's fair to say that it plays a more central role than it ever has."

Schwarzenegger has raised more than $113 million dollars since he launched his political career in 2003. That's almost as much as former Gov. Gray Davis, who set the previous record by collecting $120 million over seven years. Davis was heavily criticized for his prolific fundraising. Critics accused the former Democratic governor of trading official actions for campaign cash.

"Money in and favors out. That is what is wrong," Schwarzenegger said during a recent interview with News10. "And I see it sometimes, and you know it bothers me. This is why I want to reform the system and this is why we have to stay on it and keep working on it until we find a way of reforming it."

[HardStarboard]

McCain is supporting Schwartzenegger because he's so far ahead that he can't lose.

Far be it from McCain to risk ticking off his Democrat friends by working on a campaign of a Republican in a close race for a house seat!

[Wiseghy]

As a sometime citizen lobbyist for my small business group, I can assure you, donations DO NOT have any impact on Gov. S., who pretty much does whatever he wants. However, we keep giving, I guess, 'cause we more or less see things the same way most the time and the alternative of Democratic Governorship is too horrible to think about.

Already the press is SCRAMBLING to cover for angie's crushing loss, even in the midst of Dem gains at the federal level. This is a continuing humiliation, following the original party humiliation of the recall, especially since all the pundits and insiders predicted S. was hopeless and out the door 8 months ago.

[SierraWasp]

I rather open a vein, than support McCain!!!