Democrats blast Schwarzenegger for mocking lawmakers Posted on 07/19/2004 11:26:06 AM PDT by traumer
Democrats blast Schwarzenegger for mocking lawmakers
Democrats aren’t amused by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s use of the mocking term “girlie men” to describe some lawmakers, although a spokesman for the governor said no apology would be forthcoming.
Schwarzenegger dished out the insult at a rally Saturday as he claimed Democrats were delaying the budget by catering to special interests. Democrats protested that the remark was sexist and homophobic.
“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.”
Tune in to MSNBC for discussions on this question throughout the day and to hear some of your e-mails on air.
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 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.
Making a point? 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Good. Cheers for Arnold.
Only a girly man would back down and apologize.
Lemme get this straight..the rats call Bush, Hitler. Call the republican party Brown Shirts & that's all free speech. But, Arnold jokingly calls "them" Girlie men & THEY FREAK OUT?
It's time the PC crowd got a little less thin skinned.
ROFLMAO!
I like Arnold.
The RATS are deadly scared of the power AH-NOLD carries with the folk there....KICK THEM GIRLIE-MEN OUT OF OFFICE!
They are actually trying to make this into a homophobic issue.
Liberal Democrat= Humorless Hypocrite</p>
Naw, I like 'em this way, you can see right through them.
HIT 'EM AGAIN, HIT 'EM AGAIN, HARDER, HARDER!
well, he didn't call them "homos". Girly men are not necessarily homos. But I guess we lost the girly man vote.
"Sticks and Stone may break me bones, but words will never hurt me."Sheeshhh. Girlie men!
Just curious here, is anyone here a self defined "girly man". So why are the rush in the media to defend girly men. Like, are they a big voting bloc or something.
Well if the panties fit...
The libs can dish it out, but they sure can't take it. Those people had better sit down and shut the heck up before they make themselves look any worse.
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