CA: Governor calls GOP to 'great battle' ('ToTal ReFoRm')

Sac Bee ^ | 2/11/05 | Gary Delsohn

[NormsRevenge]

Characterizing his agenda this year as a "great battle" against "evil," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used a 28-minute speech at the state Republican convention Friday night to rally fellow party members around his plans to fight Democratic interests at the ballot box.

Vowing to pass four broad government-overhaul measures at a special election later this year, Schwarzenegger said public employee labor unions and other foes are amassing $200 million to fight him.

--snip--

"That's why they fixed a little here, a little there. But now we're going to the source. We're going right there where all the evil is, and we're going to fix this problem once and for all."

Belittling his Democratic adversaries in the Legislature for not responding to his proposals because they must be on "sleeping pills ... or medication," Schwarzenegger suggested they've all but blown their chance to join him.

"They can go ahead and do whatever they want," he bellowed in a line that drew loud applause from the 1,000 Republicans at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Sacramento. "The train has left the station.

"The train has left the station and there (are) three things they can do. One is they can join and then jump on the train. Number two, they can go and stand behind and just wave and be left behind. Or number three, they get in front of the train - and you know what happens then."

When the raucous applause and laughter died down, Schwarzenegger did what he always seems to do while delivering a fiery speech deriding the Democrats: He said how much he wants to work with them.

"It is my preference to go and work with the legislators," he said. "This is my number one preference. Work together like with some of the issues we did last year."

[Carry_Okie]

The alternative candidate tried to hand the election to Bustamonte.

First, you need to learn to spell. It's "Bustamante."

Second, please provide documentation proving that assertion.

[CAluvdubya]

I admit Arnold worries me. I had hoped he would batten down the hatches financially.

[ClintonBeGone]

As for TV, pray tell, when are the "big tent" RINO/GOP or the media going to allow that?

Maybe when he drops the soreloserman attitude and comes at California with a positive and productive solution to the state's problems. Something better than that big bawling baby scream "You should have elected me".

[CAluvdubya]

Do we intergrate at all? If so, how? Or will we simply encourage them to form a new party?

You make a very valid point. I had never thought about the consequences in quite this way.

[Wiseghy]

In the titanic struggle between the parties, Repubs have lost the war in CA. We may rally, but the real struggle is yet to come.

Moderation and compromise will be the key the moving the ball forward. We'll need to expand the tent as large as possible and expose the dems as the extremists.

I just back from D.C. and the contrast with Sacto could hardly be greater. Washington is on track, under Repub. control. Sacto is hopelessly mired.

[Carry_Okie]

Here's my favorite example.

I see. You have nothing.

All you have shown is that Democrats voted for Arnold. If that's what you want, you are on the wrong forum.

OTOH, here's his record;

• He supported a Sierra Nevada Conservancy that Gray Davis vetoed, authored by a socialist from Santa Cruz.
• He has a appointed member of the Sierra Club hierarchy to the CalEPA.
• His hydrogen fuels program is a thinly veiled corporate agricultural scam.
• He didn't lift a finger to stop gay marriage and has signed "domestic partners" legislation that violates in spirit, if not in letter, Proposition 22.
• He continues to negotiate with Cedillo on drivers' licenses for illegals.
• The prison guards rolled him completely for a pittance now in return for more later.
• He "negotiated" minute concessions from the universities in return for more money later.
• He grabbed revenues from cities and counties with a promise to return it later.
• He "negotiated" a minute reduction in workman's comp premiums when all he had to do was copy Arizona's plan and put it on the ballot.
• He signed SB 50.
• He's raising more campaign money faster than Davis ever did, INCLUDING from the tribes he swore he would never solicit. In return for that he got a pittance compared to his the amount of gambling revenue he was boasting he would get. My bet is that the revenue won't even offset the direct cost of State social programs to deal with the results of gambling. Instead, he is well on his way to implementing organized gambling statewide.
• His planned "deregulation" of electrical rates has totally ignored the illegal contracts Davis' people negotiated under a conflict of interest.
• He used his popularity to foist a constitutional amendment that makes it possible for the State to balance a budget by borrowing and called it "cutting up the credit cards." From McClintock's analysis of 58 (http://republican.sen.ca.gov/web/mcclintock/article_detail.asp?PID=262): "The second assumption is that Proposition 58 “tears up the credit cards” to assure the state never borrows to balance its budget again. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Proposition 58 made no practical change in current law beyond suspending the oldest provision of the state constitution that for 154 years has prevented exactly the kind of borrowing that Proposition 57 now begins. "Under the “Balanced Budget Amendment,” a balanced budget is whatever the legislature says it is. Every one of the budgets that got California into financial difficulty was defined by the legislature as “balanced.” California’s budget deficits are the result of uncontrolled spending and dishonest accounting -- and the short-term borrowing to cover them -- and Proposition 58 does nothing to change that."
• He opposed Prop 54 (Racial Privacy), calling Ward Connerly et al., "Right wing crazies."
• He didn't support the Save Our State initiative.
• He rolled over on the spending cap.
• He has rapidly accelerated pardoning violent criminals
• He endorsed Proposition 68 supporting open primaries, a proposal similar to Louisiana's famously corrupt election system.
• He backed the $3 Billion Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Proposition 71
• He is co-opting Ted Costa's effort to give California a just reapportionment system with one of his own.
• He appointed a socialist labor activist to run the State Employment Development Department
• He appointed a person who advocates tracking every mile you drive and charging you for it as head of the DMV.
• On the plus side he appointed a talented auditor, Donna Arduin, to be Finance Director, but then didn't listen to her.
• He killed the Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority.
• He appointed Tom Campbell to be Finance Director. We'll see if Arnold listens to him.

Other than that, he's doing a great job.

[Carry_Okie]

Maybe when he drops the soreloserman attitude and comes at California with a positive and productive solution to the state's problems.

He did, proposing real spending cuts. The mediots don't want that, and clearly, neither do you, Democrat.

[TheShaz]

One thing the GOP did this past November to to "Open the Tent" they produced guys like Guilani, Arnold and Pataki as keynote speakers and the guy who really brought down the house was a good ole Truman era Democrat in Zell Miller.

Complain all you want. This diversity is GOOD for the GOP, keeps us on our toes. Keeps our message from being stale. Right now we have the White House, Senate and House and the majority of the Govornorships. We are at the top and letting the Dems "Paint" us as NeoCons like we painted so successfully them as fruit-cake liberals will hurt us. Charismatic guys like Arnold and Guilani are needed.

[ClintonBeGone]

You lost, Arnold won. Accept it or leave the state.

[Carry_Okie]

I had hoped he would batten down the hatches financially.

Instead he has borrowed money and raised campaign cash for proposals that reduce transparency and accountability in government.

[ClintonBeGone]

He did, proposing real spending cuts. The mediots don't want that, and clearly, neither do you, Democrat.

He and Cruz were in bed with the indians, who came at Arnold HARD. Arnold, the true warrior was fighting the unions, the indians and you ankle biters all at the same time.

[Carry_Okie]

You lost, Arnold won.

I wasn't running, power freak.

Accept it or leave the state.

Oh, so all people who support a losing candidate shoule leave the Sate?

Simply moronic.

[Carry_Okie]

He and Cruz were in bed with the indians, who came at Arnold HARD.

McClintock has a 20 year record of supporting tribal independence. OTOH, Arnold has ties to Las Vegas gambling interests with ties to organized crime.

Arnold, the true warrior was fighting the unions, the indians and you ankle biters all at the same time.

Arnold has caved to the unions repeatedly. He got diddly from the prison guards.

[NormsRevenge]

I am going to ask you to take your tripe elsewhere, You have been nothing but a Tom and his supporters basher on these threads and bring nothing to the discussion that is relevant.

Your agenda is clear, While you have a cutesy name, as a Michigander, you relish bashing California conservatives, your disruptive nature does nothing to advance a conservative agenda in the least.

Your posting that ridiculous link also shows you have no respect for the Founding Fathers and their ability to see beyond the fog of foreign intrigues and seek to prevent trojan horses from working in the system to abrogate our nation's fundamental principles.

Are you Pro Life or Pro Choice by the way? just curious.

[ClintonBeGone]

Your girl got 13% in the recall election. I call that an ass kicking.

[CAluvdubya]

I thought I had heard that Tom was being pushed for Lt. Gov. at this convention. And isn't Arnold now adopting Tom's ideas for the state (according to Mark Williams)?

[oldbrowser]

I just wish he had worked as hard to defeat Boxer.

[ClintonBeGone]

Hi Norm. I thought you weren't talking to me anymore? I'll show up and defend Arnold against these haters anyday. By the way, I am pro-Arnold.

[bahblahbah]

Hell no we aren't amending for Arnold. We had that amendment in there for a reason and denying Arnold the presidency is nothing compared to denying somebody like Alexander Hamilton the presidency.

[ClintonBeGone]

McClintock has a 20 year record of supporting tribal independence.

LOL you think that cash for McClintock was for his record of tribal independence? What was he running for? Ambassador to Choctaw Nation? How naive.