Well, sometime you ask and you do receive.. This was just in my mail. California? Why? Is he running for president? is he planning a primary against Hillary, Obama and the rest? If now, why is he in California raising money for his campaign coffers? Inquiring minds want to know.

Is he doing it because he can and the legislature refuses to pass campaign finance reform? If so then he is wrong, he should be setting the example. If he has aspiriations of other things, he should come clean with the people of NY

Spitzer heads to California for campaign cash

ALBANY, N.Y.- Gov. Eliot Spitzer, one day after derailing a possible pay raise for state lawmakers over their refusal to bow to his demands for sharper new limits on fundraising in New York, was in California on Tuesday for—what else?—fundraising.

Spitzer aides refused to provide details of the governor’s one-day fundraising trip, but said it was aimed at filling the coffers of his own campaign committee.

The new Democratic governor has been battling with lawmakers—and particularly Republican state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno—over Spitzer’s call for much lower campaign contributions in New York.

Bruno called the governor’s trip “hypocritical” and said Spitzer was being “devious” in his fundraising.

“I just hope they don’t open the (governor’s) mansion and make any of those rooms available there,” Bruno added, a reference to the Clinton administration’s practice of inviting major donors to stay over at the White House.

Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson fired back, saying that “for years, the single greatest impediment to fixing our broken campaign finance system has been Sen. Joe Bruno and the Republican Senate majority. Once again, they are leading the fight.”

“Sen. Bruno and the Senate majority talks a lot about getting priorities straight, yet their clear priority seems to be raising their own pay over passing real reform—the ultimate misstatement of priorities,” Anderson added.
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In New York, individuals can give candidates for governor up to $55,900, the highest among any state with donation limits. Spitzer wants that reduced to $15,000 and has called for similar reductions on what can be given to state legislative candidates. On the national level, individuals can give only $4,600 to candidates for president.

Spitzer has voluntarily limited individual contributions to his own campaign committee to $10,000.

A political confrontation erupted last week between Spitzer and Bruno after the Senate leader balked at the governor’s demand to accept his campaign finance overhaul proposals. Spitzer began visiting Senate districts represented by Republicans to complain.

A critical Bruno, who accused millionaire Spitzer of trying to create a system that favored wealthy candidates, became particularly agitated after the New York Post reported that Spitzer was offering major donors access to special events, including a barbecue with the governor and his wife at their weekend retreat in Columbia County, for those who put together at least $500,000 in donations before the 2010 election.

The Senate leader lashed out Tuesday at Spitzer for encouraging such “bundling” and said that state law should be changed to at least require bundlers be clearly identified as such. Bruno said he was open to studying legislation being offered by state Assembly Republican Minority Leader James Tedisco that would limit bundlers to amassing just $100,000 for any candidate.

“Maybe we ought to do something that says you’ve got to raise your money in New York state,” Bruno also suggested. He quickly backed away from that notion, however, when asked if he would be willing to give up all out-of-state money. Bruno has recently been holding big-money fundraisers in Florida at Donald Trump’s posh Mar-A-Lago estate.

Anderson defended Spitzer’s trip to the West Coast, which includes stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

“It should be no surprise that the governor, like every other elected official in the state, is fundraising and we reject any implication that this is in any way contrary to the spirit of campaign finance reform,” Anderson said.

“But unlike all other elected officials in the state, the governor voluntarily adheres to lower limits and other restrictions,” she added. “And unlike the Senate Republicans, he supports further restrictions embodied in his campaign finance proposal.”

Asked for details of Spitzer trip, Anderson said: “Further details will be provided at the appropriate time when all contributions are disclosed in the upcoming filing.”

The next required campaign finance filing for Spitzer is July 15.

Asked about a planned fundraiser of his own set for Thursday in New York City, Bruno defended it.

“Please understand, it’s not in California; it is not in San Francisco; it is not in Los Angeles,” he said. “It’s in New York state.”

With the harsh exchanges of late between Spitzer and Bruno, the Senate leader was asked what had happened to the traditional honeymoon afforded new governors by the lawmakers.

“The honeymoon didn’t exist,” said Bruno.