Awww, Poor Baby

Crossposted at Sonoma County DFA.

I admit to some serious glee waking up this morning to find that all Schwarzenegger’s propositions went down in flames. Gee, that’s gotta hurt.

Too bad it also hurt us, in the pocketbook. From today’s San Francisco Chronicle:

When all is said and done, the amount spent on Tuesday’s election in California will easily surpass the more than $241 million that John Kerry spent running for president last year, and could even top the $306 million that President Bush spent to win re-election.

You just can’t trust those Republicans with money.

Comments

[Gil.]

"You just can’t trust those Republicans with money."

No fair.

All the way on the right coast looking on, I've noticed that the opponents of the propositions Arnold was sponsoring spent "way" more money than he did. Two or three times as much.

And quite frankly, from the squibbies I read about them, I don't know why some of those propositions didn't pass. Why wouldn't union members want a say in whether or not their big shots spend money for political purposes, for instance?

[Christie Keith]

I've noticed that the opponents of the propositions Arnold was sponsoring spent "way" more money than he did. Two or three times as much.

But the special election was his baby. Opponents of his propositions wouldn't have had to spend a red cent if he hadn't insisted on the election in the first place.

Why wouldn't union members want a say in whether or not their big shots spend money for political purposes, for instance?

Because they already had that right. This was an etremely deceptively worded proposition. It sounded so reasonable ... but when you really read the analysis, it wasn't what it seemed to be. From the Sacramento Bee analysis (they recommended opposing the measure in their editorial pages):

* Public employees already have the right to opt out of having any of their dues money or fees go into political spending, and tens of thousands of government workers already exercise the option.

* It unfairly targets one side in the political debate while allowing political fundraising and spending by business groups to continue unfettered. It doesn't impose the same restrictions on corporations that spend shareholders' money on politics.

* The initiative is designed to silence nurses, teaches, firefighters and law enforcement officers who have opposed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's government overhaul agenda.