California Insider

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Sacramento Bee Columnist Daniel Weintraub

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August 27, 2003

Arnold's campaign money

Here is the Bee’s story on the flap over Arnold’s definition of “special interest.” I have a feeling that Arnold, in his own mind, is being sincere here, but if so, he is revealing an incredibly tin ear. To him, it’s ridiculous to suggest that he would ever “sell out” to a corporate interest or individual who contributes to his campaign. He doesn’t need the money, and he’s not “promising anything” in return for the checks. He is not personally asking for it, the way most politicians, and especially Gray Davis, are known to do. What he apparently doesn’t see is that to the outside world, when you say you’re not going to take special interest money and then you do, you look like a hypocrite or a liar. And when you define “special interest” as the other guy’s donors, you just look silly. It’s probably too late to fix this. He’s already collected hundreds of thousands of dollars and I doubt he is going to give it back. And some casual voters might even buy his explanation. But I think it’s going to be fodder for one of those famous ads….”Schwarzenegger said he wouldn’t take special interest money…..Then he took $100,000 from Big Bad Inc….If we can’t trust Arnold on the campaign trail, how can we trust him in the governor’s office?” You get my drift.