PEN-L message, jellied

By Douglas Heller

For the second time, ArnoldWatch told the Capitol press that we would attempt to buy our way into an Arnold fundraiser in Sacramento with a different kind of green -- 21,200 green jelly beans. And for the second time the Sacramento soiree was canceled.

A tipster tell us that tonight's fundraiser will be rescheduled for December 17th -- when ArnoldWatch will again see how much access jelly beans can buy when they're offered by real people with real problems who don't have the money but want to see their governor.

ArnoldWatch suspects that the real reason for delaying tonight's affair has nothing to do with Arnold's schedule and everything to do with location. It's just two blocks from the Capitol and the media bureaus. The Governor did find time in the middle of budget negotiations last week to get down to a fundraiser in La Jolla. And he has not rescheduled two other fundraisers this week, one in an exclusive country club in Orange County and the other in a luxury sky box at a Lakers basketball game.

What do both of this week's remaining fundraisers have in common? They're completely private. On the other hand, the Sacramento Sheraton Grand, where tonight's get-together was scheduled, is a place of public accommodation where real people are allowed. The Gov seems to like raising money; he just doesn't want the public to snap a picture of him doing it. And he certainly doesn't want to face regular folks with nothing but jelly beans to trade for equal access.

Is there really any public currency in jelly beans? Arnold has reportedly given out jars of jelly beans at fundraisers before. Turns out the Jelly Belly corporation has donated $5,000 to the Gov.