Miffed Arnie spurns Bush
2005-10-20 21:51
Los Angeles - Miffed California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will snub US President George W Bush when he begins a visit to the Golden State on Thursday, amid a clash over fundraising for their Republican Party.
The movie-star governor, a moderate liberal in Bush's conservative party, late on Wednesday expressed irritation that the president and his staff apparently ignored his plea to delay the fundraising trip.
The clash brings to the surface long-standing tensions between the two men and comes as Schwarzenegger moves to raise crucial funds for a November 8 special election he has called, which could impact his political career.
"We would have appreciated if he would have done his fundraising after the November 8 election, because you know we need now all the money in the world," Schwarzenegger told supporters at his campaign event.
"We want to make sure that we win, that we can have our TV spots out there on television, which is very important," he said
The governor and president rely on many of the same rich Californians for campaign funds.
- AFP