Posted on 07/19/2004 5:18:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - In a sure sign the summer's budget brouhaha is frothing over, the Capitol's leading Democrat said Monday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can start looking for a new cappuccino pal. Senate President Pro Temp John Burton, D-San Francisco, said he was steamed with remarks the Republican governor made over the weekend accusing Democrats of holding up the budget and acting like "girlie men" for not standing up to special interests.
With more than manhood on the line, Burton said the remarks could set the budget process back another two weeks because of reaction within the Legislature's Democratic majority and key interest groups.
The friendship between Burton and Schwarzenegger has been key to new bipartisan cooperation that captured the Capitol after the governor took office in November. The liberal senior senator has helped cultivate the relationship with freshly brewed European coffee he sometimes delivers to private meetings with governor.
Not any more.
In a move that appeared only half in jest, Burton stuck a handwritten note on his espresso machine saying "Closed until further notice."
"I was a little bit worried about whether Arnold thought he was elected God or elected governor," said Burton. "The governor talks to us one day about working together and together we can get this done and then another day going out and insulting our masculinity."
The budget, now 19 days overdue, has been held up over differences on three points - local government funding and the repeal of two labor laws.
The governor and his Republican colleagues want to get rid of a law that restricts contracting out services at public schools and another that lets workers sue employers to enforce labor laws.
Although budget negotiators said late last week that they believed they were close to a compromise, the talks broke down amid partisan rhetoric and finger pointing.
Schwarzenegger held public rallies over the weekend accusing Democrats of refusing to compromise. At a mall in Ontario, Schwarzenegger said Democrats were 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," the governor said.
Margita Thompson, Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman, said that the governor would not apologize for the remark, a reference to a "Saturday Night Live" skit that spoofed the governor's days as a bodybuilder - long before he turned to politics.
She said Monday that there remains a "framework" of a budget agreement with Democrats and that Schwarzenegger is ready to renew talks at any time - including with Burton.
Assembly Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, said the governor's remarks Saturday "showed a great deal of leadership" because they highlighted the fundamental difference between the two parties over spending. "Democrats want to spend more, that's the issue," he said.
As fallout from the governor's comments continued, a Senate committee considered a constitutional amendment aimed at permanently protecting local government tax money from the Legislature.
While there is agreement that local tax money should be kept local, there is no agreement on how best to protect cities and counties from future state raids.
Burton also noted that Democrats have a budget bill reflecting almost all the agreements that have been reached since May with the administration - except for the local funding and labor laws. He said the Senate could vote on the Democratic version Wednesday.
Thompson said there is no agreement until all the issues have been settled.
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On the Net
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov-homepage.jsp
California Senate: http://www.sen.ca.gov/
California Assembly: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp
Following months of sweet talk and back-slapping, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) faced criticism on July 19, 2004 after calling Democratic legislators 'girlie-men' and urging voters to 'terminate' them at the polls. Sacramento lawmakers irked Schwarzenegger by failing to meet a July 1 deadline for a $103-billion budget amid disagreements over funding for local governments. Schwarzenegger is seen at a January 9 news conference. (Kimberly White/Reuters)
Wow.. they really *ARE* girlie-men!
So just how dim are the CA 'rats?
Truth hurts.....
Sac area ping.
Burton and the other girlie-men democrats are going to get one of their special special-interest groups, the feminists, pretty upset if they try to lose touch with their feminine sides. The feminists don't exactly vote for masculine men.
Okay, Arnold, next try "obsfucating pink tu-tu wearing pigeon-toed swishers."
Also what of the homosexual voters --- the democrats would be smarter to keep their voters happy and just agree they like being girlie men than try to defend their non-existent masculinity.
I don't suppose we could just GIVE California to Mexico?
Please stop the world GOD, I'd like to switch Earths. I think I'm on the crazy one. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be on the normal one. Or at least that's what it says on my Ticket.
The California liberals have gotten the Government they deserve.
Unfortunately, the rest of us are stuck with idiots like Burton to.
Uh... Gee, it's seems like we've already done that.
Good. The Democrats are behaving like spoiled and rotten brats. So they won't get candy? Its not Republicans' job to make life easier for them.
These California 'Rats getting so upset about having their masculinity insulted reminds me of how effective the psy-ops teams in Iraq were during the Battle of Baghdad: they'd question their manhood over a loudspeaker and the illegal combatants would get so enraged they'd come rushing out into the open to take on our tanks with nothing but an AK74 in hand, and our boys would easily pick them off.
So stupid. All they have to do is deflect the comment with something about the budget needs to be (clap and point) pumped up. Similar response rather than crybaby complaints.
To paraphrase Ferris Bueller;
Democrats are so uptight that if you stuck a lump of coal up their ***, in two weeks you'd have a diamond.
“Burton said the remarks could set the budget process back another two weeks…”
Because of this? The budget isn’t important? Maybe Arnold was right!
That ain't bias???
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