In the interest of making sure he doesn’t mix cash and policy, the Gov
has handed off the task of managing both his fundraising and his policy
on ballot initiatives to the same person — Marty Wilson. (I’m not
mixing money and policy… My consultant is.)

Wilson, who has been collecting cash for Arnold all year, is also
running the new $2 million slate mailing operation to let every
Californian know Arnold’s ballot initiative picks. And when Arnold
recently announced support for Prop 64 (limits on enforcement of unfair
competition laws) and opposition to Prop 72 (requiring large employers
to pay for health coverage) — the same positions as the donors who
Wilson has been cultivating — it was Marty Wilson’s name and phone
number at the top of the press release ready to explain the gov’s
positions.

Now Wilson may be able to use both sides of his brain efficiently, but
it’s hard to imagine that Arnold’s money man has a mental firewall
separating contributors to the gov and their positions on ballot
initiatives. It looks like the governor who ran as the anti-politician
has just done politicians one better — he’s created the most lucrative
pay-for-slate operation in California.

A word of caution though. Marty has been at the center of a few other
messes, such as consultant to the indicted Reliant Energy during
California’s electricity crisis and as the guru who dreamed up the
disgraced Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush’s creative marketing
plan for himself… the one that forced his resignation when insurance
companies were squeezed for dollars to fund the plan in exchange for
less regulation.