Ad Backers Tied to Schwarzenegger - Backers of Ads Skirt Rules on Disclosure (New Majority)

LA Times ^ | 4/16/06 | Peter Nicholas

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO — A television ad campaign portrayed as an independent effort to help Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been bankrolled partly by a group with deep ties to his political operation.

An official with the New Majority, a Southern California Republican group at the core of Schwarzenegger's fundraising apparatus, said its members have given about $1 million to the Washington, D.C., business group that is the public face of the ads: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

By pumping the ad money through the chamber, well-heeled New Majority members have bypassed requirements that their donations be publicly disclosed. And they skirted the strict contribution limits — $22,300 each for the June 6 primary and again for the November general election — that would apply if they had donated directly to Schwarzenegger.

The chamber, which has put out the commercials in what it calls an "independent issue advocacy program," is not required to report where the funding comes from or adhere to donation limits.

--snip--

Chamber officials would not say how much the ads cost. But Andy Gharakhani, executive director of the New Majority's Los Angeles chapter, characterized the group's contribution as "significant."

The New Majority includes wealthy businesspeople, Schwarzenegger campaign aides and gubernatorial appointees.

--snip--

In membership materials obtained by The Times, the New Majority, which supports centrist Republicans, says its top political goal this year is Schwarzenegger's reelection.

The group's promotional literature quotes Schwarzenegger as saying, "I can always count on the New Majority…. They are a large part of my political success, and I am deeply grateful to them."

--snip--

Gharakhani said the New Majority has donated about $10 million overall to the governor's campaign causes, beginning with his push for after-school programs when he was a private citizen in 2002.

[NormsRevenge]

The dems have Soros, the Ca GOP has the New Majority.

Talk about your unholy alliances.

[NormsRevenge]

the New Majority, which supports centrist Republicans..

They support diversity as well. Pro Choice/abortion,Pro Gun control, Pro-GLBT, Pro Green, you name it, pretty hard to distinguish from a lot of Rats in many ways.

They pay a lot of lip service to conservatism but have a hrard time even being a decent Republican when ya look at what they stand for.

We got a dilemna on our hands..

FoR my even posting this and because it was on the La Times, ,, I and its content will likely be abused, keep an eye out for who the abusers are? Party on.

It's not like some here haven't been warning of essentially a one party system arising, with actors and elites leading it and both sides sharing the spoils and runup up massive spending and debt.. and saying we need to do even more.

Ca GOP Party Faithful. Take back the party.

The platforms that were successful before are still there tho they are ignored for the most part by those now 'leading' the party.

Toss the bums out!

[seenenuf]

Thanks for the post! When a Repub like Harmon beats a
genuine conservative like Harkey,(Ca state Senate primary on 4/11), using union and casino money, the camel is IN the tent.

[newzjunkey]

This is a tempest in a teapot. The Slimes is once again trying to slime Arnold. There's nothing illegal going on here. They aren't "skirting" the rules, they're playing strictly by the rules. Don't like the rules? Change them.

In CA I'm tired of the battle between "more conservative than thou" and the rest. Once state office nominations are made in the primary process we should support whoever isn't the liberal, socialist, MeCHA RAT. The state is so extreme to the Left in the legislature that we need to do all we can just to keep it from becoming a monolithic super majority. We're too close to the edge in CA between the over-run of illegals, the union power grip and out of state interests we can't afford to be eating our own.

Nationally, however, things are different. We've got the (supposed) best case of a Republican President and significant Congressional majorities. And what is that getting us? Run-away spending, open borders, amnesty... it's repugnant and the party on the national level needs to be taken to task. They pay lip service to notions of "conservative" values, take contributions and when it comes to action they fold. In the 50th, we have a run-off between an unqualified socialist and a RINO because conservatives split among several alternatives. That's not a winning strategy. Maybe Bilbray can be knocked off in the June primary (rather than the runoff special election) if we can unify behind a candidate.

For good or ill, Arnold's our best defense in state politics and has done some good: more jobs, improved business climate, some workman's comp reform, tax reductions, no driver's licenses for illegals, no gay marriages, against Meathead's preschool initiative, Tookie was executed, took on the unions last year, tried to get parental notification passed... When you get disgusted with Arnold try to remember Gray Davis.

[NormsRevenge]

So you are supportive of those who would feed you the same as those on the other side of the aisle and act much like them as well?

btw, Thanks, newsjunkey.I won't lambaste ya for your opinion, you're entitled to it.

If aRnold is our best hope, what more can I say to show what is afoot here? the lesser of 2 evils, no primary , got to silence the conservatives and grass roots. Job well done, except here at FR and the convention.

When you get disgusted with aRnie, remember Gray Davis.. lol , that's one of the themes now being used in the ads. better the recall should have failed, then what we have now stumbled onto pathwise.

At least this year we might have actually seen a primary had it failed. I doubt even old Gray was gonna boost state budgets at close to a 10% hike a year.


Let's get a few questions out there before we trip all over ourselves in party loyalty and such.

Is it all just to win? and at what cost? and who will benefit most and pay the least in the long run?

Why not just change the platforms too as you mentioned re: the rules? Good luck, who seized the reins of the Ca GOP and who allowed it to happen anyway?

btw, do you support raising the minimum wage? Strange how the Chamber is silent on that, yet encourages it in those it backs and who champion it on the GOP side..

[calcowgirl]

The New Majority stands for nothing. They have no platform or ideology, only a mission: Power. They have supported socialistic spending like after-school-programs and are always there with money to support initiatives like Open Primaries and the most liberal Republican candidates. They are the new Southern Pacific Railroad for California.

http://www.thenewmajority.com/mission.php

Mission Statement

The New Majority will broaden the appeal of the Republican Party by promoting a fiscally responsible philosophy toward government and lending resources to Republicans who support an inclusive, mainstream approach toward politics.

Among their greatest accomplishments touted on their website:

• Contributed and raised over $8 million for the Governor Schwarzenegger’s Campaign and Initiatives

• Helped elect Duf Sundheim, Chairman of the California Republican Party

• Spring of 2005, the Los Angeles Chapter of the New Majority is established

[Amerigomag]

For good or ill, Arnold's our best defense in state politics and has done some good: more jobs, improved business climate, some workman's comp reform, tax reductions, no driver's licenses for illegals, no gay marriages, against Meathead's preschool initiative, Tookie was executed, took on the unions last year, tried to get parental notification passed... When you get disgusted with Arnold try to remember Gray Davis.

If the views above represent the views of the average, California conservative, not the views of a rabid Republican, then California is, indeed, in trouble.

Whether considering spending, taxation, indebtedness or government growth, by any reasonable definition, Schwarzenegger is a liberal. Schwarzenegger's policies, while not socialism, are both clearly socially and fiscally liberal.

BTW. Do you remember Davis? He's the dishonest politician that spent less, raised taxes less, increased the size of government less, indebted the state less and raised less money for reelection than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Something is very wrong when a corrupt Democrat, run out of office, ends up in second place to his successor in almost every category of factors that define liberal actions.

[calcowgirl]

Do you remember Davis? He's the dishonest politician that spent less, raised taxes less, increased the size of government less, indebted the state less and raised less money for reelection than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

... vetoed the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, pardoned fewer criminals...

[b9]

There's nothing illegal going on here. They aren't "skirting" the rules, they're playing strictly by the rules.

That's what struck me, too.

[NormsRevenge]

They are the new Southern Pacific Railroad for California.

The robbers barons of the 21st Century,, wealth born of dubious business dealings and investments , cheap illegal labor and exploitation sanctioned, all sanctioned and covered up by those governing as long as they get their cut in some fashion.

Just got back from dinner and a movie. Hope your holiday was good.

[SierraWasp]

"When you get disgusted with Arnold try to remember Gray Davis."

I agree with you that nothing illegal is going on with these independent expenditure advertisements.

The rest of your comments make me as tired as your comment about being tired of the "more conservative than thou" thing. That's why it makes you tired! We're not trying to say we're more conservative than thou, we're simply tired of the sacrificing of conservatism in the Republican Party platform and leadership for all this milktoast moderatism and capitulation to out-right LIBERALISM, that isn't really necessary!

How many votes has this Governor harvested by creating another huge land-use governing agency over the 25 million acres of the Sierra-Nevada, that even overwhelms the Coastal CONservancy that Arnold openly criticized while running for Governor? I'd like an accounting from you, or any of the other tireless spinners on these threads.

Honestly! Tell me how many independent/democrats or other left leaning voters need Arnold to do these despicable things in order to vote for him in addition to the things you listed to make him look acceptable to us conservative critics/voters. I would really like to see a break-out of this.

At least I'm asking for this breakdown of voters to issues, instead of leaping to some erroneous, unprovable conclusions like were jumped to about conservatives supposedly not voting to support the year of reform special election ballot measures!!!

THAT's the kinda thing that REALLY makes FReepers tired!!!

[calcowgirl]

The robbers barons of the 21st Century...

Yup!

Hope your holiday was good.

Back at ya! I ate too much, drank too much and had too much fun. But I lived through it, LOL.