Shortly before he was elected governor in 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood in the state's railroad museum, which he called a monument to the special interest that dominated California politics for decades until it was finally curbed in the early 1900s. Now, Schwarzenegger is being accused of blatant hypocrisy over his own two-fisted fund-raising. <snip>
The Republican collected a record $26 million in contributions last year, much of it in big corporate checks from the pharmaceutical, insurance and energy industries. And this year he wants to raise twice that amount to push government-overhaul measures he is trying to put on the ballot this fall. <snip>
For his part, Schwarzenegger insists that because he is a rich movie star, he can accept big campaign checks and remain completely independent, while his opponents cannot. The governor has said he is "representing the people's interests, not the special interests, and not the unions' interests."
Schwarzenegger is pushing for ballot measures that would cut state spending; partially privatize public employees' pensions; pay teachers according to merit, not seniority; and let retired judges, not lawmakers, draw legislative districts. <snip>
http://www.kfmb.com/stories/story.8094.html