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July 19, 2006

Schwarzenegger: Bought and Paid For

From Roger Salazar, Communications Director, CDP Democratic Victory 2006

On Tuesday, Governor Schwarzenegger was joined by “California business leaders” as they announced their support for his alleged, “commitment to keeping the state’s economy strong.” For the uninitiated, that’s code for “he’s in our pocket.”

It should come as no surprise that the “people’s” Governor is exclusively doing the bidding of big business at the expense of working Californians. The real surprise is that he and his staffers are so bald-faced about it.

Take the latest mixing of business with conflict:

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top campaign advisor is being paid to provide marketing strategy to AT&T Inc. at a time when the governor's office is involved in negotiations on legislation potentially worth billions of dollars to the telecommunications giant.

“Political consultant Matthew Dowd's involvement with the governor and AT&T at the same time presents, at minimum, the appearance of a conflict of interest, government watchdogs warned…

The Times continues…

“If AT&T hired Dowd to sell TV, and Dowd also has been hired to sell Schwarzenegger on TV, you've got to wonder if Dowd also is selling your governor on AT&T's legislative agenda for TV," said Andrew Wheat, a public interest activist. Wheat is research director of Texans for Public Justice, which tracks the influence of money and corporate power in the state's politics. (LA Times, July 18, 2006)

This pattern of conflict of interest is nothing new for Schwarzenegger or his aides. Just two years ago, Schwarzenegger consultant Mike Murphy used his inside ties to the Governor to benefit his corporate clients:

“Although he vowed not to lobby the man he helped elect California governor, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest political advisers initiated a private meeting between an insurance-industry client and the Republican leader.

“During Schwarzenegger's trip last month to Washington, D.C., veteran strategist Mike Murphy joined members of the American Insurance Association as they urged the governor to overhaul California's troubled workers' compensation system.” (San Jose Mercury News, March 18, 2004)

Stamp this Governor with a barcode, because he’s been bought and paid for. And as he accepts his kudos from his big business benefactors, working Californians are wondering where the Returns department is.