December 15, 2006

Writing The Checks For The Big Bash

Governor Schwarzenegger’s inaugural committee has a new set of bipartisan co-chairs, and an equally impressive set of financial heavy-hitters who are footing the bill for the festivities that begin on Friday, January 5.

The co-chairs announced today range from former Governor George Deukmejian to House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi… to even the man Schwarzenegger booted from office three years ago, former Governor Gray Davis.

As for the donors, the inaugural committee had promised a while back to make that list public, even though the committee’s non-profit status doesn’t require such disclosure.

You can see the whole list for yourself here. But in a nutshell, most are well-known backers of the governor… including the California Chamber of Commerce, Chevron, and the California Building Industry Association.

And several of the inaugural funders will be very interested in what Schwarzenegger does in 2007 when it comes to health care reform. That includes donors on the list like the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, and the Cooperative of American Physicians.

And one other interesting name on the list: Robert J. Lowe.

Sure, this Robert Lowe is a bona fide ‘FOA’ (Friend of Arnold). But, alas, the guy who’s handing over the cash is a different Robert Lowe. And that’s probably the kind of ‘FOA’ that counts.