Action governor setting stage for cataclysmic political showdown

[NVMojo]

talk to the finger!!!

(AP) --

Moving aggressively to secure a bigger place in history before his best chance slips away, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing a legislative agenda aimed at nothing short of a complete transformation of the state's political landscape.

Following his first year in office that produced little substantive change, the former bodybuilder and Hollywood superstar is still looking to fulfill his childhood prophecy of becoming a world-class statesman.

In a campaign that began earlier this month with a statewide address and tours of the state's largest newspapers, Schwarzenegger has proposed constitutional amendments that would change how children are taught, how taxes are spent, how legislative districts are drawn and how public employees are compensated.

The popular GOP governor has challenged lawmakers to adopt his program in a special session that began earlier this month, but there is little sign significant negotiations have taken place. If the governor can't get two-thirds of the legislators to agree to put his plans on the ballot for a special election later this year, he has threatened to put them directly before the voters in the form of initiatives.

more...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2005/01/29/state1401EST0043.DTL

[Elidor]

1. Gee, Arnie, are those girly-men giving you a hard time?

[FlemingsGhost]

2. If Dubya avoids impeachment, CA goes GOP in '08

Mark my words ...

[Cha]

5. I don't see any logic

here? Why would Cal go Greedy-Oily-Polluters?

[rumpel]

3. Here is another part of this today LA Times front page

Governor Seeks Outside Donors for Campaigns

Lucrative new sources from across the U.S. would help fund a fight over California's voting districts and pension system, he says.

snip

Likely donors would include people who've been "successful in the real estate market or successful in the restaurant business," he said. "Maybe they can contribute $10,000 or $20,000 or $50,000 or be in charge of raising $500,000 from smaller donors."

Schwarzenegger's celebrity may help him woo contributors from other states. He is widely known because of his movie career, but he also reached a national audience last fall when he campaigned for President Bush in Ohio and, before that, gave a televised prime-time speech to the Republican National Convention in New York City.

The planned fundraising blitz has opened Schwarzenegger to criticism from campaign fundraising groups. They are particularly upset that committees formed to support ballot initiatives the governor may launch are not subject to the same fundraising limits that apply to candidates. The governor can raise unlimited amounts for these efforts; the money he raises for reelection, however, is limited to $22,300 per donor.

"At the very least, the governor seems to be mocking the spirit of California laws, which were passed by voters and put already high limits on contributions to candidates," said Ned Wigglesworth, a Sacramento analyst with http://www.therestofus.org , a group that monitors campaign finance laws.

Many of Schwarzenegger's donations come from insurance companies, telecommunications firms and other corporate interests that lobby state government. Though Schwarzenegger often derides "special interests" as a dangerous force in Sacramento, he repeatedly states that he is not beholden to anyone because he is wealthy.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold29jan29,0,1699289.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Cha]

4. They keep saying the gropenator is "popular" but

is he..REally?

[warrior1]

6. I live in this state

and believe me it's an embarrassment to have a sex offender holding the highest office in the state.

[Cha]

7. There was something on DU not

too long ago about some in Austria wanting to disown arnie because he wouldn't grant clemency to a death row inmate. Austria doesn't have the death penalty.

[oneold1-4u]

8. Is he wealthy?

Or is he married to family wealth? Do they live in his house or hers?
Soon wealthy political braggarts will be a joke, replacing blonds and ethnicity.