Big Oil donates big bucks to Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign

[Judi Lynn]

Big Oil donates big bucks to Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign
Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

No sooner did Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger call for a state investigation of price gouging at the pump than his critics jumped in feet first -- noting that the "no special-interest money" governor has taken nearly $2 million in campaign contributions from the very oil companies he wants investigated.

"Arnold's latest slick stunt, pretending to care about soaring costs of gas prices, rings hollower than a Krispy Kreme doughnut,'' said the anti-Arnold labor folks at the Alliance for a Better California.

And indeed, records show that the governor -- who has raised $82.7 million since riding into Sacramento on the promise not to be beholden to special interests -- has accepted nearly two dozen contributions from oil interests since 2002.

In the past year alone, the governor's California Recovery Team collected $500,000 apiece from independent oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens and Vail Drilling Co., plus $250,000 from Chevron Corp. and $50,000 from Shell Oil.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/04/26/BAG4CIFE721.DTL

[Mark E. Smith]

1. For Steroid Arnie "Special Interests" Mean Unions

When he takes money from the likes of oil companies he is aligning himself with the businesses that create jobs and keep California strong.

It is one of his core lies.

[Left Coast Lynn]

2. Big Oil donates big bucks

to hopefully spell a big defeat.

[Demeter]

3. Waste of Money, Oil Companies!

Why not buy stock in Toyota, instead?

[Zorra]

4. Enron Arnie was installed as governor by energy interests. n/t

[yurbud]

6. yeah, he can no more turn on them than Bush can

[katty]

5. won't matter here in CA-the Terminator is done-he can use

the $ to buy a new Hummer to drive around in.