In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Schwarzenegger acknowledged the huge pressure to raise millions of dollars for the three measures he has backed in the special election. The governor said that effort will be made more difficult if the Republican president goes forward with a fundraiser for the national party scheduled Oct. 22 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

"But they do whatever they want to do, because after all, it's a free country," Schwarzenegger said. "As much as I go outside the state and raise money, and his brother (Florida Gov. Jeb Bush) helped me in Florida -- I mean, it's like, live and let live."

The event -- set right before the special election -- has dramatized the tug-of-war between state and national Republicans over the party's big donors in California. National party officials say Schwarzenegger appears to be keeping the president at arm's length while Bush is unpopular in California. But the governor's staff and state Republicans have made it clear to the White House that "the timing couldn't be worse," said one high-level state Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity.



Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/09/21/MNGDMER9FJ1.DTL&type=printable