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Pumping Up His Campaign ChestDate: 14.08.2003
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team United States
Arnold Schwarzenegger courted key Gotham Republicans yesterday in his bid to terminate California's Democratic governor, telling a group of GOP heavyweights he'd "be back" - for campaign contributions.
In town for a charitable event, the Running Man picked up the support of Gov. George Pataki, who plans to stump for Schwarzenegger on the West Coast soon. Just as important, Pataki offered Schwarzenegger access to his East Coast fund-raising machine, which raised $45 million for Pataki's re-election last year.
Pataki, who has schmoozed with Schwarzenegger at Republican fund-raisers over the years, has been quietly consulting the action star's advisers in recent days.
"The governor thinks it's great that Arnold Schwarzenegger is running for governor because he will bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to California," said Pataki spokeswoman Lisa Dewald Stoll.
Schwarzenegger would have collected checks yesterday, but he had to wait because he hasn't filed the appropriate paperwork in California, sources close to the actor said.
Instead, he had to settle for a two-hour lunch and strategy session at the swank Four Seasons restaurant with a Pataki-picked posse of local politicos and money men. Pataki himself didn't attend.
"Arnold told us he wanted our help and we told him we would be very happy to give it when he returns," said Manhattan GOP leader James Ortenzio.
"We talked fund-raising, and we talked about what he would face in the campaign," Ortenzio said.
The meeting, hosted by Pataki economic development czar Charles Gargano, also included GOP fund-raiser Lew Eisenberg, real estate mogul Arnold Fisher, financier James Jacobs and Richard Santulli, a longtime friend of Schwarzenegger who founded the airplane lease company NetJets.
New York's other high-profile Republicans adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward Schwarzenegger. Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn't meet with him and has no plan to yet, said Jonathan Werbell, a mayoral spokesman. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani hasn't made up his mind, but he supported his friend Bill Simon - who is also running in the recall election - in the last California governor's election.
After a light summer lunch of heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella, poached salmon with dill, mixed berry compote and white wine, the Terminator promised his companions, "I'll be back." During lunch, Schwarzenegger confided his concerns that political opponents will dredge up scandals from his three decades as a hard-living, right-wing bodybuilding Hollywood action star, sources said.
But he also predicted victory over the other 192 aspirants vying to replace Democrat Gray Davis in the Oct. 7 recall election. "He said he has always won and will win this time," Ortenzio said.
But Davis may have his own East Coast firepower: transplanted New Yorker Bill Clinton is expected to stump for the endangered Democrat.
California Recallin'
Yesterday, California's Secretary of State office randomly drew letters to determine the order in which candidates' names will appear on the governor's Oct. 7 recall ballot.
Names will be rotated, with the candidate listed at the top in the first district dropping to last in the second district, and so on throughout the state's 80 assembly districts.
THE RANDOMLY DRAWN BALLOT ORDER
R, W, Q, O, J, M, V, A, H, B, S, G, Z, X, N, T, C, I, E, K, U, P, D, Y, F, L
NAMES ROTATED BY DISTRICT
First Assembly District
*Randolph, Riddle, Roberts, Weller...
Second Assembly District
Riddle, Roberts, Weller, Queen...
Randolph to bottom of list
*Fictitious names; final candidate list will be released tomorrow
VOTERS WILL ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS
1. Should Davs be recalled
If no...Davis stays in office
If yes..Davis will be removed from office if a majority chooses to recall him
2. Who should replace him if he is recalled
The candidate who receives the most votes will become governor, regardless of whether he or she receive a majority.
SOURCE: California Secretary of State
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