Schwarzenegger: F-Bomb In Veto Letter Was "Wild Coincidence"

It's just one of those wild coincidences, like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dying the same day, exactly 50 years after they signed the Declaration of Independence. At least, so says Governor Schwarzenegger of the profane letter he sent to lawmakers.

To recap: on Tuesday a hidden message was detected in a note accompanying a veto Governor Schwarzenegger sent to California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. When read like an acrostic poem, the first seven letters in seven consecutive lines spelled out "FUCK YOU." The message was not without precedent -- earlier Ammiano had told the governor to "kiss my gay ass."

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Schwarzenegger insisted "That was a total coincidence. It was one of those wild coincidences."

How likely is that? According to Stephen Devlin, the chair of the math department at the University of San Francisco, not very. The odds are one in 10 million he said, and added, "Not surprisingly, it's virtually impossible for this to happen."

Take another look at the letter here:

Comments

[we are one]

07:59 PM on 10/31/2009

A prank. Arnie probably didn't know about it.

[Deli]

07:20 PM on 10/31/2009

The awkward cadence of the sentences shows they were crafted for intentional placement of the letters. The last sentence in the first paragraph is a total non-sequiter and the "unnecessary to sign" does not at all sound like what one would say, rather it would be: "I'm not signing this..."

[drjasonmd]

06:22 PM on 10/31/2009

1 in a million chance doesn't mean he has to write a million letters for it to happen. It's could just as likely happen on the first one as the millionth.

Who cares? The California Assembly is a disgrace anyway.

[ChrisRose]

06:21 PM on 10/31/2009

oops! I spelled Arnold wroung!

[ChrisRose]

06:20 PM on 10/31/2009

Foul language is
unbecoming for
career politicians who
keep telling lies.

All we need is
real leadership. But
not the kind
of trickery and
loathsome behavior
now being perpetrated!

[Counterglow]

05:40 PM on 10/31/2009

I used to do exactly this when I was a teenager working at a weekly paper. I applaud the governor for having a bit of fun at work, and I don't believe even for a second that it was an accident or that he expects us to take his denial seriously.

[kcgeezer]

05:35 PM on 10/31/2009

Who cares? It was great even if it was a coincidence, which I seriously doubt.

[AbsolutDemocrat]

05:32 PM on 10/31/2009

Totally intentional...maybe not Arnold but his bored staffer.

[Yves Papa]

05:21 PM on 10/31/2009

He needs a vacation.

[jaymeegabriel]

05:15 PM on 10/31/2009

ahhnold, rewriting notes over little disagreements? you oughtn't unless stuff undermines contracts kept. (it's harder than I thought. lol)

[jaymeegabriel]

05:23 PM on 10/31/2009

hint..first letter, each word. :)

[dart79]

05:15 PM on 10/31/2009

A little to much testosterone in Sacramento. Can something get done for the citizens of the state? Arnold, you are failing because you are unable to compromise. Your enormous EGO is getting in the way.

[woundedduck]

05:11 PM on 10/31/2009

Rome is burning and Nero is writing secret profanity into his letters? Come on Jerry Brown, hurry up and get elected already.

[jaymeegabriel]

04:22 PM on 10/31/2009

sorry ahhnold. a little too obvious and a whole lot childish and unprofessional. how much they payin' you out there?

[anyoneoutthere]

03:14 PM on 10/31/2009

It's a prank, played by whoever wrote the letter for his signature. Arnie has plausible deniability, though I can imagine him and the letter's author sharing a chuckle.

The giveaway is that the words "overwhelmingly" and "unnecessary" are not the best choices for the point being made.

A little spice never hurt.

[slarabee]

04:34 PM on 10/31/2009

Agreed. Especially the word unnecessary. Irresponsible would have made his point much better.

Pretty silly stuff here all the way around.

[Manthan Bhatt]

03:01 PM on 10/31/2009

LOL!!!