I'm confused...why is Buffett helping Arnold? Buffet is a democrat.

[cthrumatrix]

Schwarzenegger Hires Warren Buffett as Campaign Adviser
Legendary Billionaire Will Act as Actor's Financial, Economic Adviser

Associated Press
Wednesday, August 13, 2003; 3:29 PM


LOS ANGELES -- Arnold Schwarzenegger has hired Warren Buffett as his senior financial and economic adviser, his campaign announced Wednesday.

Buffett is a billionaire investor legendary for his financial prowess. The chairman of Berkshire Hathaway is also a Democrat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54908-2003Aug13?language=printer


What's your take? I'm lost on this one.

[realFedUp]

1. I don't get it....

Arnold has plenty of money...doesn't need Buffet's. Buffet
isn't exactly a political strategist and he doesn't live in
California, unless he has a summer house here. I don't get
it.
Doesn't make me like Buffet either.

[kysrsoze]

13. Yeah, but Buffett knows much more than most about what's good for business

That's his aim - keep business going and get the economy moving again. I'm not crazy about the guy, but he also criticized the dividend tax cut. He said point blank that they don't help your average American at all. You have to give him credit for that.

Other than defense and oil, many industries are in the toilet right now, and big businessmen know that's BAD for business. I'm sure that's why we have a number of billionaires contributing to anti-Bush campaigns.

[realFedUp]

19. well, unless companies start buying technology again...

and quit moving their businesses to other countries...I
don't see a change...The small businesses do need breaks
though, but I don't see Buffet being interested in those.

Small businesses tend to stay in the community...of course
you have to have customers buying stuff...and if they don't
have jobs...

[radwriter0555]

21. Buffet doesn't like bush. bush doesn't like arnold...

get it?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[TheBigGuy]

2. frankly im shocked Warren Buffet is a Democrat to begin with..

...and hes from Nebraska, too, which I thought was a pretty much GOP stronghold.

So whats up with Warren Buffet. Period. The Arnold thing is the least of my questions about old Warren.

[cthrumatrix]

3. maybe Rove asked Warren for a favor.....

""What he will be doing is assembling other prominent business leaders and economists and setting up a team to address the issues facing California," said Schwarzenegger spokesman Sean Walsh.

"I have known Arnold for years and know he'll be a great governor. It is critical to the rest of the nation that California's economic crisis be solved, and I think Arnold will get that job done," Buffett said in a statement."

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Well at least it's not Jimmy Buffett!

That truly would have shocked me.

[molly]

5. Arnold is REALLY a DEM running as a pug - look at the issues

I still say he will switch parties when the time is right.

[Exultant Democracy]

7. Yeah, he’ll turn Dem right after he saves the world again.

[RichM]

10. Incredibly naive position. Arnold HATES TAXES & is extremely pro-

business. He is very chummy with the Bush family. He campaigned for Poppy Bush. Does that sound like a "Dem" to you?

A principled person would REFUSE to participate in this election on the grounds that it's antidemocratic. The fact that Arnold is trying to exploit the situation shows he's an opportunist. In his first days of the campaign, he's refused to spell out any positions. The Recall has come about only because of the Calif budget deficit -- but Arnold refuses to comment on the huge role ENRON played in this deficit, or on what he would have done differently.

His behavior is unprincipled & disgusting. He thinks he doesn't have to answer on the issues just because he's a movie star.

[Skittles]

12. THANK YOU

I AM NOT FOOLED BY THESE F***ING THUGS.

[kysrsoze]

14. I don't think he's very qualified, but....

I don't think he's a stooge for Bush either. His wife is extremely liberal and he does do quite a lot to help kids. It's much more likely that his gigantic ego, combined with good intentions, prompted him to run more than anything.

[pruner]

25. more likely his waning box office stature prompted him to run

T3 cost $200 million to produce and had an estimated marketing budget of $40 million.

6 weeks after its release it has only made $146 million.

though it'll probably end up turning a profit through the international box office and DVD/video sales, the bottom line is that it's a giant flop.

Schwarzenneger's Howllywood career won't be back.

[Boom_cha]

6. They're personal friends.

that appears to be the reason

[Cthulu_2004]

8. Maybe becaus Ah-nold...

would be a much better Governor than, say, Bill Simon...

Ah-nold may not be perfect, but given the current level of public disaffection with the current governor (and assumably his staff), there are a LOT of MUCH worse choices out there.

[barbaraann]

9. I'll bet that Buffet's companies are laying people off.

He's probably somewhat socially liberal but solidly conservative when it comes to his financial interests.

[JI7]

11. arnold is moderate to liberal

that's why buffet is helping him. i would not mind having arnold for governor, but he would have to promise he would not support bush in 2004 first.

[Julien Sorel]

16. Fat chance. He's a Bush boy.

I also think Arnold will have trouble as governor much like his friend Ventura did. Neither one of them has strong ties to the political machines, and so will have trouble passing legislation.

[madrchsod]

15. buffett has no use for anyone

in the whitehouse. he`s trashed bush`s economic ideas and the whole enron mess and the lack of prosecutions of the major players. he also realizes that if cali defaults on their muni bonds, it will cost hundreds of billions of dollars in increased interest payments...if california doesn`t get fixed fast ,the whole country could go into depression....if buffett can`t fix it we are in deep shit....

[cosmicdot]

17. warren flew CEOs to Offutt AFB for a meeting on 911

... same place * flew to ...

... I'm donning my tin foil hat now ... personally, I hope he's mad as hell at all the corruption in this country ... and wants to do something about it ...

:tinfoilhat:

On the morning of Sept. 11, Tatlock herself had just arrived with a small group of business leaders at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha for a charity event hosted by Warren Buffett. She then heard the news of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center's north tower.

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2002/02/04/story3.html

seems like power is attracting the billionaires ... the big rollers are coming out ... George Soros ... Scaife has already been playing ... I imagine Jackson Stephens has always been a player ...

maybe he's being audited :shrug:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RMNEWS_DAILY_EMAILS/message/25810

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=warren+buffett+and+911+and+CEOs+and+offutt

again ... please note the :tinfoilhat:

Berkshire Hathaway companies include:

Acme Brick Company
Johns Manville
Ben Bridge Jeweler
Jordan's Furniture
Benjamin Moore & Co.
Justin Brands
Berkshire Hathaway Group
Larson-Juhl
Berkshire Hathaway Homestates Companies
McLane Company
Borsheim's Fine Jewelry
MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company
Buffalo NEWS, Buffalo NY
MiTek Inc.
Central States Indemnity Company
National Indemnity Company
CORT Business Services
Nebraska Furniture Mart
CTB Inc.
NetJets®
Fechheimer Brothers Company
The Pampered Chef®
FlightSafety
Precision Steel Warehouse, Inc.
Fruit of the Loom®
RC Willey Home Furnishings
Garan Incorporated
Scott Fetzer Companies
GEICO Direct Auto Insurance
See's Candies
General Re
Shaw Industries
Helzberg Diamonds
Star Furniture
H.H. Brown Shoe Group
United States Liability Insurance Group
International Dairy Queen, Inc.
XTRA Corporation

http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/subs/sublinks.html

Berkshire Hathaway Board Members and what they do:


WARREN E. BUFFETT, age 72, has been a director of the Corporation since 1965 and has been its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 1970. Mr Buffett is a controlling person of the Corporation. He is also a director of The Coca-Cola Company, The Gillette Company and The Washington Post Company.

HOWARD G. BUFFETT, age 48, has been a director of the Corporation since 1993. Mr. Buffett is currently President of Buffett Farms and BioImages, a photography and publishing company. From June of 1996 until August of 2001, Mr. Buffett was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The GSI Group, a company primarily engaged in the manufacture of agricultural equipment. He is also a director of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc. and Lindsay Manufacturing Co.

SUSAN T. BUFFETT, age 70, has been a director of the Corporation since 1991. Mrs. Buffett has not been employed in the past five years.

MALCOLM G. CHACE, age 68, has been a director of the Corporation since 1992. For more than the past five years, Mr. Chace has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of BankRI, a community bank located in the State of Rhode Island.

CHARLES T. MUNGER, age 79, has been a director and Vice Chairman of the Corporation’s Board of Directors since 1978. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Wesco Financial Corporation, approximately 80%-owned by the Corporation. Mr. Munger is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Daily Journal Corporation and a director of Costco Wholesale Corporation.

RONALD L. OLSON, age 61, has been a director of the Corporation since 1997. For more than the past five years, he has been a partner in the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. He is also a director of City National Bank, Edison International, Western Asset Trust, Inc. and Pacific American Income Shares Inc.

WALTER SCOTT, JR., age 71, has been a director of the Corporation since 1988. For more than the past five years, he has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Level 3 Communications, Inc., a successor to certain businesses of Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. which is engaged in telecommunications and computer outsourcing. He is also a director of Burlington Resources Inc., Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc., Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc., RCN Corporation and Valmont Industries Inc.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067983/000095015003000347/a88460ddef14a.htm

[snippy]

18. I am against the recall and I do not like Arnold but I think the US and

the world would be a better place if all republicans were like Arnold. I do like Warren Buffet.

I think the result of the recall likely will depend on who turns out to vote. Many Reich Wing Fundamentalists and Tax Cut Monkeys are upset that Arnold wants Buffett as an advisor. If they stay home it helps Davis. If they turn out but vote for Simon or McClintock it may help Bustamante.

[kentuck]

20. I think it's a chess move by Mr Buffet...

Bush hinted at their strategy today when he said there were "other" good candidates in the race...I think Warren Buffet thinks they may be using Arnold and wish to drop him like a hot potato when the opportunity arises...but he is getting so much publicity at this time, they will have to bide their time for a while longer before the long knives come out against Arnold, in an attempt to get him to drop out...Perhaps Mr Buffet sees Arnold as a sure "loser" and he wants to do all he can to make sure Arnold stays on the ticket? Far-fetched, I know. :)

[hedda_foil]

22. At Buffett's level of wealth and power, party is just a convenient label.

It means nothing. The same goes for Soros. They are looking out for their interests.

[Davis_X_Machina]

23. Prop 103, which axed Cali insurance rates...

...forced Geico to pony up millions in rebates.

Davis and the Dems pushed for 103.

Buffett basically owns GEICO.

It's payback.

[tom_paine]

24. Gov. Ahnold gives Bushevik Operatives TOTAL ACCESS

to Cali's voter databases, voting machines, precincts...everything.

It would be a disaster and could literally be the final stake in the heart of the American Experiment.

Full-blown Orwellian Totalitarian Empire, here we come.

[terryg11]

26. If you could hire anyone to oversee your monies who would you hire?

Buffet is one of the best at what he does and if he wants to help Arnie out he's allowed. Buffet may be a registered dem and Arnie a registered republican but he's a moderate repub.

Buffet is a businessman and I'm sure he's no angel but he does advocate ethics in business and champions some causes that run up Arnie's alley.