Free Republic

Much has been made about high-profile, high-powered Democrats in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration, from his wife, Maria Shriver, to his chief of staff, Susan Kennedy. Then there's Bonnie Reiss, a close Schwarzenegger friend who serves as one of his most trusted senior advisers, and Daniel Zingale, Shriver's chief of staff. But there is another Democratic powerbroker in the Horseshoe, a long-time Schwarzenegger confidant who is as influential in the administration as he is invisible to the public: David Crane. "He is involved in all of the key deliberations that I have been a part of," said Sunne McPeak, secretary of...

A company owned by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has deferred paying state and federal income taxes on millions of dollars in revenue it generated since late 1997, thanks to a deal under which it bought a 747 jet from Singapore Airlines and leased it right back to the airline. Despite claims by Schwarzenegger's top advisers during a 2003 campaign briefing that the actor's investments included "no tax shelters" and were "absolutely not tax-driven," a Bee examination of his company's 747 deal shows his company took advantage of what experts say is one of the most attractive tax sheltering devices available to...