CA: Governing or campaigning? Lines blur as TV blitz begins (The 'Gubby' Channel)

Sac Bee ^ | 3/29/06 | Andy Furillo

[NormsRevenge]

From Riverside to San Francisco to Bakersfield, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is spending the week touting his economic record at taxpayer expense, taking credit for California's job growth on his watch and patting himself on the back for reducing the state's structural budget deficit.

At the same time, Schwarzenegger's political team is highlighting the Republican governor's economic batting average in its first television advertising blast of the spring.

Schwarzenegger campaign strategist Matthew Dowd drew no distinctions between the campaign ads and Schwarzenegger's official state business when he told reporters Monday, "We're talking about the economy this week, and this ad is about us highlighting that as the governor travels around the state into various media markets." Mixing the political with the official can raise red flags with government ethicists. But a gubernatorial spokeswoman bristled Tuesday in defending Schwarzenegger's schedule as entirely proper, even as it coincided with the campaign's TV buy in the Los Angeles, Bakersfield and San Francisco markets. The ads also appeared in Sacramento and San Diego.

"These are official events," spokeswoman Margita Thompson said of Schwarzenegger's economic tour. "The governor is talking about his record of accomplishment. He's going to continue to talk about what his goals are going forward, and that's governing."

Thompson said that Schwarzenegger going around the state extolling his record "is absolutely" inside the lines. "He's not saying at any of the events, 'Vote for me.' But what he is doing is talking about what he has accomplished."

[NormsRevenge]

"..what he is doing is talking about what he has accomplished."

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Yes, let's talk about what he has accomplished.

[calcowgirl]

[EricT.]

Phil Bredesen is doing the same thing out here in TN.

[Amerigomag]

I especially get a kick out of the gang taking credit for repealing SB60 when Schwarzenegger signed SBX3 1. The bill was introduced by Rico Oiler and co-sponsored by Gil Cedillo. SBX3 1 passed both the heavily Democrat Senate and Assembly with only a few "Nay" votes from Utopian socialists.

To listen to press reports, campaign sound bites and the continual blather of FO, it sounds like the Austrian simply wrote an executive order. The Austrian and most of the legislature approved the measure to escape a public hanging.

The electorate, not the politicians, repealed SB60.