Man of the Polo Players

Home | Subscribe | Donate | Get Involved | Contact Us

News Archive - Web Logs - Press Releases

May 21, 2004 - 06:25 PM

Man of the Polo Players

by Jamie Court and Doug Heller

Arnold Schwarzengger rode into office looking like Paul Revere - sounding the alarm about special interests invading Sacramento. Now details emerging about upcoming GOP fundraisers featuring Schwarzenegger show that he's really just riding a Polo pony. Arnold, man of the people, will spend a Thursday during budget season taking in the Sport of Kings.

An ArnoldWatch Tipster reveals that Arnold's appearance at a May 27th fundraiser for Sen. Tom McClintock will feature a professional polo match at the exclusive Carpinteria ranch of Patrick Nesbitt. (See Mr. Nesbitt's polo profile at http://www.polobarn.com/profiles/profiles_L_M_N_O_P/profiles_pnesbitt.html)

Instead of charging by the plate, this fundraiser will charge by the picture. For $5,000, donors get one picture taken with the Guv and McClintock. For 10 grand, you can get two.

While the event is reportedly for McClintock, everyone knows that the big donors are ponying up for Arnold. More importantly, since McClintock is only allowed to accept $3,200 from each donor, anyone that wants a $5K photo will have to write a second check to someone other than McClintock. Where will that dough go? Betting money is on the horse with the muscles and the stogie.

Paid photo ops, polo, five figure contributions and questions about where the money is going... all while a budget is being deliberated in the state house. Smell like business as usual? Check the stables.

ArnoldWatch is a project of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization. FTCR does not endorse or oppose candidates.