Schwarzenegger to California Republicans: Are You Losers?

Is Arnold Schwarzenegger really just a Simpsons cartoon? Sadly, it's starting to look that way. Have a look at the Courage Campaign video including the trailer of the Simpson's movie, starring our governor, who believes that he is here to "lead not read."

Ten days ago, he said that he had not read the so-called presidential reform act initiative, which is really a dirty trick designed simply to steal twenty electoral college votes from California's fifty five possible votes. So last Friday, Courage Campaigne strategist and blogger Julia Rosen delivered 2,148 copies of the initiative -- sent courtesy of Courage Campaign members -- to the Governor's Sacramento office so that he could read it over the Labor Day weekend. It takes about five minutes to read, even if English is your second language.

The pressure seems to have had some effect. In an interview yesterday on KABC, the governor said:

"I feel like if you, all the sudden in the middle of the game, start changing the rules it's kind of odd, it almost feels like a loser's mentality, saying I cannot win with those rules, so let me change the rules... I have not made up my mind yet in one way or the other, because I haven't seen the details on it."

Oddly enough, our governor will be joining many of those "losers" this weekend in the desert at the California Republican Party convention. And what are his Republican cronies doing to prevent this cynical ploy to change the rules, lock down the White House, and keep us in Iraq for another four years?

According to their state chairman, they plan to endorse it enthusiastically. Chairman Ron Nehring called a potential endorsement a "significant step" and that the party could provide money or help gather signatures to qualify the measure [...]. The move for the California GOP to back the initiative before it has even qualified - or even reported a campaign contribution - was driven, in part by "the hyperventilating on the part of the Democrats."

"Cynical ploy orchestrated by the blah blah blah," said Nehring. "The vitriol and overreaction from the Democrats caught a lot of people's attention from the party."

What am I missing here? Mr. Nehring's words sound like a "loser's mentality," the very one abhorred by the self -described hyper-competitive, post -partisan and highly hyphenated Mr. Schwarzenegger.

There's one man who can end this nonsense on the spot and that's Arnold Schwarzenegger. He could kill this radical right-wing coup in its cradle right now by speaking up at the convention this weekend. Unfortunately, as the future of our country and the world hangs in the balance, he continues to play dumb, even though we know he has at least 2,148 copies of the initiative. Even as he considers calling the legislature into special session, he's poised to allow the Republican Party to waste time and money on a blatant power grab.

In January, the governor said he was "post-partisan." In the spring, he was featured on a Time magazine cover with post-partisan Mayor Bloomberg. Now, he and his Republican apparatchiks will show their true colors: either he says NO to his crazy right wing sons of Nixon dirty tricksters or, by saying nothing, he says he is as partisan as they. Let's hope he has read and will lead.

Comments

[squareyellowpaper]

What is happening in California is proof that our system of chosing a president is archaic and unfair.

As an election of national importance it should be one person, one vote. The electoral college system must be changed to a popular vote.

The Bush administration has shown us all of the loopholes in the Constitution. They must be cleared up.

[robinhood1]

It's too bad the Republicans didn't meet in Hemet instead of in Indian Wells. Then they might have gotten a better idea of how much blue collar voters are hurting and how irrelevant the Republican party is to the lives of so many Californians. Hemet would make a good poster child for the developing mortgage crisis now spreading across many parts of the country. According to a PBS news clip on Friday's "News Hour with Jim Lehrer", lots of foreclosures have been going on in the newer housing developments of this Riverside County suburb east of Los Angeles. Hemet has also lost more soldiers in the war in Iraq on a per capita basis than just about any place in the US, with the possible exception of towns next to military bases.

Although California is known as being a blue state, in fact much of the Central Valley and Inland Empire regularly vote Republican and send Republican members to Congress and to Sacramento. Hemet is represented by Republican Mary Bono in Washington. Most of these Republican voters are not particularly wealthy, although Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage are exceptions. So how long will these voters keep basing their votes on "Family Values"? If the "For Sale" signs in Hemet are any indication, 2008 could result in a landslide win for Democratic candidates in much of the country. The era of "Family Values" politics may finally come to its inglorious close.

[Qbear]

Change CA electoral congress vote procedure and Democrats change the electoral congress votes in EVERY Red State. Democrats win a net gain of 80 electoral congress votes even losing CA.

BRING IT ON lying cheating REPIGS!

[JadedAggie]

It really has little chance of succeeding. Too many of California's Republican voters are fairly moderate and it's a pretty blatantly bad measure. Even if you don't see it as cheating it would badly wound the influence of the state. California already receives one of the lowest per capita returns on its federal taxes and weakening the only real consistent pull the state has would be beyond idiotic. Outside of the abundance of electoral votes the only pull the state really gets is if it's members become senior leadership like Pelosi.

[MagisterLudi]

A'nold is about to back a wrong Trojan horse, again. What, the fight against nurses and teachers wasn't stupid enough, kerl? Na geh...

[factanonverba]

There is a report tonight that the White House is behind the electoral power grab in California. A letter has been sent to Bush Chief Legal Counsel, Mr. Fred Fielding, from the California Democratic Party demanding the release of memo by Karl Rove and or others in the Bush White House suggesting this initiative. Furthermore today the California Democratic Party began running radio ads denouncing this power grab in advance of tomorrow, the first legal day for signature collecting.

factnonverba
San Francisco, CA

[angel66]

Any Democrat who voted for that Enron puppet crook Arnold should be ashamed. I couldn't believe this state put in this charalatan who lies through his teeth to bi-partisan acclaim. Movie star magic works wonders on politicians and lobbyists. And Kos claims Arnie is a (D)!

Thanks Dems of Kali-fornia!

[BushBites]

Anyone who really believed Arnold had changed was crazy.

He was going to lose his office, so he moved to the middle.

It was expediency, that's all.

[jubal8]

This story ran just days after Schwarzenegger beat Gray Davis in the special gubernatorial election in 2003. The new governor had strongly presented himself in his campaign as one who would listen to and serve the citizens of California rather than the lobbyists.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/10/12/BA17560.DTL

Governator Arnold had his first Sacramento get-together the other night at the home of campaign strategist Bob White -- and while there weren't any TV cameras to catch the comings and goings, there were more than enough politicos from both parties to get tongues wagging.

The 70 or so people at the party also included a number of lobbyists, one of whom went up to Schwarzenegger and joked, "Hi -- I'm one of those special interests you promised to get rid of."

At which point Gov. Arnold threw his arm around the guy and laughed, "I lied."

[Aanya]

Quit grand standing Arnold. This is the United States of America. Our Electoral system must be consistent over all 50 states. If Arnold allows this Karl Rove trickery, he should be deported. The entire country needs to decide the voting procedure, and it must be done the exact same way in each state. Either dump the Electoral College, or leave it as is. It's ironic that after what the Rethuglican Party has done to this country, they continue to come up with every lying, cheating, dishonest and corrupt trick in the book. The Family Value party, I don't think so!

[Qbear]

Yeah Arnold it'd be almost like winning body building contests all JUICED up on steroids, or being an action hero all JUICED up on steroids.

Or when you get beat to a pulp on a dozen HATEFUL divisive Cold Hearted Republican anti Labor innitiatives and every queer hates your guts in California, and you hire a Democrat LESBIAN.

[CommonSense1776]

Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution States:
“Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress”

Clearly the Constitution gives the State Legislature and only the State Legislature the power to direct the manner in which electors are appointed. The initiative is at best a “sense of the people” non-binding resolution.

The Democrats fell face first into another Republican trap.

[devildog21]

The missing message here is that we simply need to do away with an unnecessary process, the Electoral College. It was created in the 1800's and is no longer necessary. Get rid of the electronic voting machines and elect by popular vote.

[Aanya]

If Arnold goes along with this dirty rethug trick, I will work night and day to elect anyone running against him. As a California Democrat who voted for and supported Arnold, We can relace him just as fast! If was this kind of action that set him apart from the rest of his party. I sure hope he doesn't disappoint quite a few of us who put him into office.

[richw23]

Yeah, I'm done with Arnold. He killed that program to help mentally ill homeless to save $55 million from a program. I'm not up on this stuff, usually, but I know that this is one program that has really worked by all accounts, and his response is that it can be replaced by other programs that counties can put in place. Great, what happens in the meantime.

In the meantime he kept $45 million in tax breaks for owners of yachts, private planes and recreational vehicles.

I also think his universal healthcare program will help no one but insurance companies at the expense of those it's supposed to help.

So, as a Callifornian that likes pragmatism but not sell-outs, I'm done with Arnold.