Posted on 07/18/2004 9:36:33 PM PDT by John Lenin
By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - A spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) said Sunday that the governor would not apologize for calling lawmakers "girlie men," despite criticisms from Democrats that the remark was sexist and homophobic.
Schwarzenegger dished out the insult at a rally Saturday as he claimed Democrats were delaying the budget by catering to special interests.
"If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers ... if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men," Schwarzenegger said to the cheering crowd at a mall food court in Ontario.
The governor lifted the term from a long-running "Saturday Night Live" skit in which two pompous, Schwarzenegger-worshipping weightlifters repeatedly use it to mock those who don't meet their standards of physical perfection.
Democrats said Schwarzenegger's remarks were insulting to women and gays and distracted from budget negotiations. State Sen. Sheila Kuehl said the governor had resorted to "blatant homophobia."
"It uses an image that is associated with gay men in an insulting way, and it was supposed to be an insult. That's very troubling that he would use such a homophobic way of trying to put down legislative leadership," said Kuehl, one of five members of the Legislature's five-member Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.
"It's ironic that the governor would try to find a metaphor for weakness when his real problem is that we're being too strong," she added.
Schwarzenegger's criticism of Democrats stems in part from their support of one bill prohibiting schools from contracting services with private companies, and another giving workers authority to sue their employers to enforce labor laws. Each side accuses the other of caving in to special interests.
At a rally Sunday in Stockton, the governor gave a speech almost identical to the one he delivered in Ontario but without the "girlie men" remark. Spokesman Rob Stutzman said the line was dropped because Schwarzenegger had already sent the message he wanted to send, not because he regretted his remarks.
"It's a forceful way of making the point to regular Californians that legislators are wimps when they let special interests push them around," Stutzman said. "If they complain too much about this, I guess they're making the governor's point."
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a Democrat, said that while he wasn't upset by the remark, his 13-year-old daughter was.
"She's a young girl who knows the governor and really likes him a lot and didn't find the term to be a positive term, and finds it to be derogatory," Nunez said. "It was no question a very, very insensitive comment to make. I personally am not intimidated or threatened by it, but I think it really is beneath Gov. Schwarzenegger."
Has he hired Ann Coulter as his press adviser?? ;-)
Thought what he said yesterday was silly . . .until I heard the democrat party hacks complaining!
I hope so.
Only "girlie men" would be threatened by Arnie's remark.
You tell em Arnie.LOL! girly men I love it.
Dana Carvey for Gubernator!!! ("Hear me now and believe me later!")
uhhhhh....sexist? Maybe. But homophobic? hmmmmmmm.....sounds like maybe these RATS are engaging in what psychologists would call "projecting".
ANN DOES NOT LIKE GIRLIE-MEN.......watch out Maria
Not a Californian, and had no good opinion of Arnold really. But this makes me think a little better of him. What Californians need most is to be shaken out of their oversensitivity to everything. That fear of offending keeps California stagnant.
Sexist and homophobic! LOL!
The truth hurts.
I think that gay men have done enough to "insult" who they are.
Arnold was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG to say "girlie men".... Dems are girlie dogs...
Wonder if this is what Bush expected when he decided to let him speak at RNC Convention, media will still be talking about this then.
Only "girlie men" would be threatened by Arnie's remark.
Leave it to the Dumocrats to be so "sensitive". What a bunch of whimps.
I think maybe the FREEPErs in California should call these legislators and tell them you agree with governor, then make some signs with names and pics of the GIrly men Legislators.
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